Prospective Buyers Please Read:

The Smell of Puppy Breath…

If you think a puppy might be in your future there are several factors to consider in determining if you are ready to make the commitment to a new family member. You should be sure that:

- You are ready to take responsibility for the dog for its lifetime and not just until your circumstances change.

- You can provide either a fenced yard or make the commitment to walk the dog on leash, keeping in mind that Border Collies need a lot of supervised and safe exercise. You will also need to incorporate your dog into your home. Border Collies DO NOT make good “outside only” dogs! And if they are allowed to roam free, their friendly nature makes them an easy target for everything from thieves to automobiles.

- You are prepared to invest the time it takes to train your new puppy to be a responsible canine citizen. Borders are wonderful, but they do not come fully trained!

- You can put up with the shedding, herding (and this includes everything from dirt and kids to cars!) and high energy of a growing puppy.

- You can afford the veterinary costs associated with having a dog, including regular exams, vaccinations and heartworm preventative.

- You have considered the grooming needs of a rough coated border collie. While they are not extensive, a well-groomed border collieis less likely to have skin problems and will track in a lot less debris!

- You are not planning on adding a dog simply to teach your children a lesson on responsibility. While children can and do become terrific dog owners, parents need to make sure they are ultimately responsible.

- You are prepared to put some time and effort into finding the RIGHT puppy for your family. You will need to resist the impulse to support puppy mills or irresponsible breeders. You will also need to find a breeder that you feel comfortable with. One you can turn to with questions, problems and concerns.

What Questions Do I Need To Ask? .…
Think of finding the right breeder as entering a partnership. This partnership will last for the lifetime of your puppy and hopefully beyond. While it may take some time and patience to find someone you feel comfortable with, the end result is definitely worth the trouble!

There are several questions you can ask breeders that will help you to determine if this breeder espouses the highest standards. While you may not find a breeder that can answer yes to all of these questions, you should expect an affirmative answer to most.

1). Will the breeder agree, in writing, to take back the puppy AT ANY TIME, FOR ANY REASON, if you can’t keep it? This is the hallmark of a responsible breeder.

2). Do both the parents have OFA numbers for hips (elbows?). To get an OFA hip number, the dog must be at least two, have had an x-ray of its hips and have the x-ray interpreted by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals. .If the radiologists at the OFA determine that the dog does not have visible signs of hip dysplasia, they will assign it a number and a rating. The rating will be either excellent, good or fair. A numbers, indicative of pass/fail is also given for elbows. You should ask for copies of all certifications. This isn’t a guarantee that your puppy won’t develop CHD or ED, but it is the best screening tool we have available. PennHip™ ratings are another tool that can be used to evaluate hips. Each hip is given a number and a number less than the breed average is considered favorable.

3). Do both parents have current CERF certificates or proof of normal eye exams from an ACVO certified doctor? CERF is the Canine Eye Registry. Initial exams should be done between 6-7 weeks old. Aditional exams should be repeated yearly. These exams can detect eye conditions that can lead to eye problems such as cateracts and blindness.

4). Have both parents had BAER testing done? BAER testing setects the parents ability to hear in both ears. Deafness does occur in border collies. A pup can be unilaterially or bi-laterially deaf.

5). Are both parents temperamentally sound? It should never be necessary to make excuses for a Border Collie’s temperament.

6). Does the breeder have information about the grandparents, siblings and other puppies produced by this pair? A conscientious breeder will look for depth in a pedigree. For instance, knowing the OFA status for several generations as well as the longevity of grandparents and their siblings, is a helpful way to predict what the health of the litter will be. Don’t be intimidated by pedigrees – a responsible breeder will be happy to explain what you are looking at and why it is important.

7). Will the puppy be sold on a limited registration with a spay/neuter contract? As you can see, breeding involves LOTS of work and is not for the newcomer! A caring, responsible breeder will be interested in seeing that carelessly thought out litters or accidental breeding can’t happen. There are numerous health and temperament reasons for spaying or neutering your pet. Have the breeder discuss these with you.

8). Is there a written guarantee covering the puppy for hereditary or congenital defects? Not all responsible breeders offer a guarantee but many offer partial or full refunds, or another puppy if yours develops a problem that interferes with its quality of life.

9). Is the breeder involved in competition? Most serious breeders compete on some level with their dogs to see if the stock they have is really worth perpetuating. Conformation competition judges the form and function of the dog as it gaits for the judge. Dogs compete for “points” and after accumulating 15 points a dog becomes a Champion. Champions will have the initials Ch. before their name. Obedience is another area where dogs are tested. Some obedience titles include: CD, CDX, UD and the coveted OTCh. The first three are found after the dog’s name and the last is in front. Herding is the natural arena for Border Collies. Herding Champions wear the letters HC or WTCH before their name and other titles include HSA, HSB, HXA, HXB, STD, HTAD I, II, & III, HTD I, II, & III, HRD I, II, & III to name a few. There are more titles in areas such as agility, flyball, rally obedience, tracking,versatility as well as the ROM awards from the BCSA. Most breeders will be more than happy to explain all of these and tell you their plans for obtaining them! Most dogs in a promising pedigree will be titled. The claim of “Champion Lines” means nothing if there is only one or two Champions or they are all back three or more generations!

10). How many litters has the Dam (mother) had? If a female is bred every season repeatedly it may be an indication that profit is the breeder’s primary motive.

11). Why was the breeding done? “To teach the kids about the miracle of birth”, “Because we thought having a litter was something she NEEDED to do”, or “Well, our neighbors had the boy dog and we figured we could make back the money we spent on our female” are NOT good reasons for breeding! ***A note about “Both Parents on Premises” claims: Many ads in newspapers tout this as though it were a plus. Having both parents may simply mean that instead of the most complimentary sire (father of the puppies) being chosen, the closest one was used. You should always receive information on BOTH parents, but many breeders will send their females out to be bred or even fly in semen to get the best possible results. You should however, always be able to be in touch with the sire’s owner, see pictures or videotape of him or talk with other people who have his puppies.

12). Does the breeder seem knowledgeable about the breed and the art of puppy raising? (And it is an art!) Does he or she seem willing to answer your questions – do you get the feeling that he or she will be available on an ongoing basis? Will he or she help you to select a puppy based on the puppy’s temperament? Most master breeders have learned to evaluate temperaments and activity levels and will offer you only a puppy that will match your lifestyle.

13). Are the puppies raised in the house with lots of socialization and acclimation to the sights, sounds and smells they can expect to encounter everyday? And are they kept with their mother and littermates for at least 7 weeks? Without this critical intervention, puppies can have temperament problems that can be life long.

14). Is the breeder willing to provide you with references of other people who have bought puppies from him or her? If so, call them! Most people are more than willing to brag about their puppy!

15). What written material will the breeder provide you when you purchase a puppy? It should include a contract that covers both the breeder’s guarantees to you and your commitment to keep the puppy safe, vaccinated, in good condition and of course to spay or neuter at the right time. It should also include a copy of the pedigree and all the clearances and photos of the parents. Many breeders also give books, articles or videos explaining dog and puppy care.

16). Lastly, if there are puppies currently available, do they seem healthy? (No discharge from their noses, no loose stools, eyes bright, clean puppies AND environment, activity levels high.) Have they had their first shots and been wormed? Have they been vet checked? Also, how many puppies are available? Most responsible breeders will not tackle more than one litter at a time! Also they will specialize in one or at most two breeds – not “Over 100 breeds available!”.