Picking
a Breeder: There are many breeders, kind and reputable
ones, that can be found on the internet. Like any other
information you find on the net, you have to investigate
the people you meet. I tell my students to stay away
from chatting in "rooms" where they don't
know who they are talking to. You may think you are
speaking with a beautiful young thing, and actually
be talking to the likes of Charles Manson, held up in
some prison! Seriously. A pretty web site is no indication
of honesty. It just says they own a computer or have
a friend who does. Now with that said, pay attention
to what you read, decide what of it is valuable for
your needs, and investigate further. There are also
Puppy
Mill people who hide on the internet and change
identities to fool the well meaning public. Know and
see or know someone who has met the people you buy your
dog from.
I thought long and hard about what to include
on this page. I have received most of my knowledge from
research, several great books, club members, and an
increasing circle of breeder friends. I will link to
several authorities on various topics, with their permission.
Breeders in our Yorkshire Terrier National Club are listed on our club page at www.ytca.org Florida does indeed have a puppy lemon law.
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The breeder should be willing to have you call anytime
of the day or night. You should never need any other advice,
they should know it all, or be able to direct you on where to get any information you need. They have to
be available to you. You should be able to see all
of their dogs, specifically your future pets parents and
litter mates, you should be able to contact their vet
and contact references.
Email
for breeder referrals.
I
must include this warning, stay away
from anything touted as "Irish" or "particolored","Biewer" or anything saying it is a "variety of".
Look at the
breed standard before you do any further research.
It will save you many disappointments.
Know what you want in a contract before you go to look
at a prospect. Contracts can be very different. Protect
yourself and be very specific with what you expect and
what the breeder expects. Do they breed to the standard?
How many shots will a puppy have had before you bring
it home? What kind? What age does the breeder let them
go at? Is the puppy guaranteed and from what specifically?
Has the breeder done bile acid tests at 10 weeks? Have
they ever had a livershunt puppy? How did they handle
the situation before?
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