I directed them to the Canadian Kennel Club's Dogs in Canada Annual Magazine. This magazine is published every year and has all the CKC registered breeders listed by province.
They were able to locate and contact a breeder within a reasonable distance ( 45min away) and coincidentally they had a litter ready to go. Needless to say an appointment was made and we were on our way!
Being an RVT and having worked in small animal practice for many years I have had some experience working with breeders. To be completely honest on the most part they are a breed of their own! I respect the fact that in quite a few cases they have years of experience breeding and caring for a particular breed of dog but this in no way makes them veterinarians! They often have vast amounts of knowledge on the behavioral issues of these dogs as well, which is very valuable, but still does not qualify them as vets!
During our visit ( which resulted in the purchase of a very cute pup- who can go "just to look"?) I spent a serious amount of time biting my tongue ( actually I had to prevent myself from severing it completely). I had told my friends before we went that I was sure, from past experience, that I would have differing opinions as well as advice from the breeder and that I would tell them after the visit. I was amazed at the information this girl was passing along...even though she knew I was an RVT ( as my friends explained to her when we arrived).
Here are just a few examples of the poor advice:
- Bath your dog with watered down dish soap! - Would you wash your own hair with this abrasive detergent? Probably not and doing so would result in skin issues I am sure! Dogs skin has a specific PH like us, they need shampoo formulated for dogs.
- Tattoos are better then microchips because you don't have to have any fancy scanners to read them! In my experience tattoos are only readable for a short period of time. As the dog grows the tattoo stretches and fades. Also, all vet clinics and shelters have microchip scanners but not tattoo info. It was funny how when the breeder went to record the tattoo number on the paperwork she couldn't even read the tattoo and it was just done!
- Don't pay for the expensive fecal testing your vet will recommend to you. We know our dogs have certain parasites so just ask the vet for the medication. We can send you home with a couple of days worth as long as you don't tell the vet you got it from us. No reputable vet is going to dispense medication without first diagnosing the problem. Treating with medication for a few days could have prevented the vet from seeing the parasite under microscopic examination and would have resulted in a negative test requiring no medication. The owners would have then made another trip at a later date to have to pup checked as the problem would have re-occurred as the amount of medication given from the breeder would not have been enough to successfully treat the problem just mask it for a few days. It was illegal for the breeder to even dispense medication to begin with!
It would not be an understatement to say I was shocked! So, CKC registered or not take what breeders say with a grain of salt. When you get a new puppy you should visit your veterinarian within a few days and ask them all your puppy questions. They are looking out for the best interest of your puppy. The are in the business to keep your pet healthy and happy and to see them live the longest life possible. Their livelihood depends on it!
