Ok, so i’ve veiwed several litters of puppies recently.
However, as a newbie to the dog purchase scene I find it tricky to follow some of the info offered by breeders.

Apparently being KC registered is a good thing. But, ive seen comments to the contrary which state than pretty much any dog can be added to the KC register whether or not its a ‘pure breed’? Is this true?

I’ve also seen reference to being puppies clear of various hereditary disorders on the KC paperwork.
How is this tracked? I presume a blood sample has been previously tested on the sire & dam and proven to be clear of certain disorders?

Whats to stop you claiming your puppies have been bred via any particular dog?
Are KC registrations worth the paper they are written on?
Is there any method other than trust/reputable breeder to guarantee a good line of history and disease free puppy? and/or having the puppies blood tested?..

The question i’d like answered most though, when you view a puppy that apparently has 20 odd ‘champions’ in its blood line, such as ‘blue boris the magnificent’ etc.. where are these championships won? Is any of this actually traceable?
As far as I can tell there is no easy way of tracking the actual history of a quoted champion? It all seems like name dropping in order to impress, but with little evidence to back up.

wow.

i had no idea buying a pet dog was so complicated.

think i’ll try having kids instead, it seems to be much more straightforward

🙂

Champion Dog lines… whassit all about?

Inbred. Inbreeding to be precise. 🙄

Cant answer for dog breeders but bred pedigree cats as a registered breeder…

Its all down to the honesty of the breeder. Visit shows/breeders and get taliking to them, they are a very competative/protective bunch and the honest ones very proud of what they do and only too happy to help you aviod the ‘rogues’ and puppy farms.

Any breeder worth their salt will be only too happy supply references of satisfied owners of their pups.

History of blood lines can be checked (althopugh painstaking and not easy) through cross referencing of related blood lines and matings.

Good luck!

thank you captaincarbon

I’d get a rescue dog if I were to get another.

I totally understand the rescue position, and have also done so in the past with much success.
However, we once also rescued a dog whose temperament unfortunately led to use having to give him back.
With us now having a young child to add to the equation, I currently feel much happier bringing up a puppy with the family in order to have maximum impact on its training and welfare, and experience of our family.

The question i’d like answered most though, when you view a puppy that apparently has 20 odd ‘champions’ in its blood line, such as ‘blue boris the magnificent’ etc.. where are these championships won? Is any of this actually traceable?

If it’s a working dog (lab/spaniel, etc) then field trials are held all over the country and I think there’s strong competition. The winner of a trial will have FTW after its name and a champion (i.e. multiple wins) will be FTCH.
On a working dog these accolades do actually give you a good pointer as to what you can expect from the puppy as pups from good parents will generally be easier to train.
I have no idea about show dog awards though as I personally wouldn’t touch a show dog as they’re bred to meet certain criteria that might not be in the breed’s best interest.

yes, I should get to some more shows.

You get show champions and working champions. Working dogs are bred to work and can be a handful as pets unless you give them a work substitute.
Our English cocker’s sire was an Irish show champion, she is a very well put together dog and still has a spring in her step at 13 years old.
Sensible looking dogs have sensible breed standards which relate to character and build as much as looks.
Make sure you see the mother and possibly litter-mates in their home before buying a puppy. A reputable breeder will be checking that you are a suitable owner – not looking for a sale.

You get show champions and working champions. Working dogs are bred to work and can be a handful as pets unless you give them a work substitute.

I wouldn’t agree with that at all. Working dogs are bred to be obedient and do their job which includes (but not limited to), finding/retrieving shot birds, going where they are told, staying within 50m of their ‘owner’, waiting by the ‘owners’ side for extended periods of time without complaint, not to tear stuff up and not to bark.

Show dogs are bred to look pretty.

I know which are the features I want in a dog.