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How to read those ads!

A reputable breeder rarely relies on Newspaper classifieds to sell puppies. They belong to breed clubs, socialize with fellow breeders and exhibitors at dog shows, and often have waiting lists for puppies long before the pups are even born. Breed magazines, or other dog-related publications, are considered a safe and reliable way to advertise a kennel or litter. A Reputable breeder will list the health testing that the parents have had, and be glad to show you proof of the results. Be aware of online classified sites, and read the ads carefully. Do your research! Here are a few things that you ought to look out for:

"Champion lines" -- look instead for Champion sired or Champion parents. All Champion Lines means is that there is a dog somewhere in your puppy's family that was a champion - it says nothing about the quality of the parents at all. The champion could be the great-grandfather of the litter! Anyone can buy a puppy from a champion, but it does not mean that they have any other interest in the breed but to bank on the name and make money. The puppy may have been sold as a pet (since it had some problems that prevented it from being shown) and an unethical person did not have the dog desexed and is still breeding puppies.

"CKC Registration" or "CKC Papers" -- So what? CKC registration does not guarantee quality. CKC does not control breeding, approve litters, or guarantee soundness. All dogs in Canada which are sold as purebred must be CKC registered, it's the law, not a selling feature.

All dogs must be individually registered at the expense of the breeder, they can't charge you more, or simply give you the papers and say it's up to you. It is the breeder's responsibility to ensure this is completed! CKC registration is the ONLY acceptable form of registration. All puppies sold as purebred must be individually registered and permanently identified, by tattoo or microchip.

CKC Registration is automatic if you buy from a reputable breeder - they will provide all necessary paperwork when you buy a puppy. It is not a selling point, and shouldn't be treated as one.

"extra-big", "extra-small" -- breeders trying for extremes are rarely raising healthy dogs, and any ad that has to stress the size and weight of the dog to sell the puppies is suspect, in my opinion. Usually, these dogs are outside of the breed standard and are subject to their own medical problems due to excessive size or lack of it.

"rare" -- Why? Is the dog showable? Are there too many defects for the animal to be bred? What kind of problems does this "rare" color, size or pattern entail? There are many people buying "rare" white Boxers and Dobermans, not realizing that they are not show-prospects, and that they are buying a dog with medical problems from lack of pigmentation, and possible behavioral problems as well.

Some breeds are indeed rare to your area, however, a reputable breeder of rare breeds belongs to clubs to promote that breed, and often have long waiting list for their puppies.

There are even some people selling unusual cross breeds as "rare" dogs, and people buy them thinking they are getting some unique treasure. I don't want to be too harsh about this, though -- every breed we see today is the result of some specialized and "rare" breeding to create a certain look or behavior. Shepherds herd, retrievers retrieve... because we have selectively bred them to do so. A breeder who is trying to 'recreate' a lost breed may fall on either side of the ethical divide. Shop with care.

"see both parents" -- As noted on the Questions to Ask A Breeder page, this is not usually a good thing. Rarely will a good breeder have the luck to own both dogs for the perfect litter. If you can see both parents, it often means that the person had two dogs in the back yard and didn't supervise them carefully enough, resulting in puppies.

"Must go now!" -- Why? Are they too big to be cute anymore? Need more money? Is there a problem? Be very wary of this one.