BIJOU STANDARD POODLES
FINDING AN ETHICAL REPUTABLE BREEDER:
© 2009 Laura Turner
Because of our reputation of Breeding Ethically and Responsibly we get a lot of people contacting us for puppies.
Often when we do not have puppies available, we get asked if we know of any breeders that do have pups.
Bijou Poodles does not refer people to any other breeders because we have no idea
what other breeder's practices are. We only know and stand by the pups that we own and have bred.
How we do help people find a Breeder is to refer them to established Web Pages
where advertisers must register and are accountable for their ads
AKC, UKC Club Web pages and other unbiased sources of information so a Buyer can make an informed choice
for themselves, on where and who they would wish to purchase from.
We have also decided to put together this web site to help someone get started in their search
Every Breeder is different and may have different ideas on what is "good" or "bad" practices.
One thing that you really want to see no matter who or where the breeder is,
is that all the dogs and pups appear healthy, well cared for, happy, Social, groomed, toe nails short and clean.
A Breeder should also not house any more poodles than they can personally care for, and keep in good condition
If you are buying long distance you should be able to see current videos and or photos of pups and parents.
Breeders should also have employment outside of their home, to support their expensive hobby
We did take the time to put together some common considerations that a potential puppy buyer should look for in
their search for a pet puppy from an Ethical, Reputable Breeder that are listed below:
DEFINITION OF TERMS :
*Click on any underlined words to see a photo or be taken to a web page for better understanding
Ethical: Ethical behaviour respects the dignity, diversity and rights of individuals and groups of people.
Reputable: worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect, held in esteem.
Puppy Mill: Large-scale commercial dog breeding facility that operates under substandard conditions disregarding the well-being of dogs in their care.
Commercial Breeding Facility: Licenced persons who maintain 20 or more unsterilized adult females for the purpose of supplying pups to pet market.
Backyard Breeder: Person(s) having only a few Litters a year, not getting any title on their dogs, not OFA Health Testing their dogs,
they are not a member of any code of ethics breed clubs. They are just breeding for the purpose of $ Puppies for Profit $
Where and How are the pups raised ?
Breeders really differ in how they raise their pups.
Most often you may encounter some wooden or cardboard type whelping boxes,
wire or plastic pens in the living room, kitchen, laundry room or basement.
When raising a litter of pups there is a certain puppy and newspaper odour that is always present,
but strong Ammonia smell from urine and or extensive feces smell or dirty whelping areas
whelping areas that do not have a seperate area for the pups to learn to pee and poo, are not acceptable.
Although a lot of people still smoke, the puppy area and home should be smoke free environment
to not endanger the health of the puppies just like you would not smoke around a baby.
The area should be CLEAN with fresh absorbent material lining the bottom of the whelpin area.
The room should be bright, have lots of fresh air and
be exposed to the normal household noises to ensure the pups
are desensitized to a variety of stimulus and noises to develop properly.
Pups should have MINIMALLY enough room to eliminate (pee/poo) at one end
and eat and sleep at the other end, to start toilet training the puppies
and also teach the pups to grow up to be clean dogs
IDEALLY the pups should be contained in an area that provides
lots of room for play and eating and a "defined" seperate area to eliminate in, or acess to outside so the pups
learn to move far away from their -home- to eliminate. This also assists pups to start their toilet training early on.
Puppies should never be raised in wire cages/pens as not only is this uncomfortable but it doesn't teach the pups to be clean.
Pups raised wild in the house or bedrooms also don't have learning opportunities.
Do they complete ALL conclusive health testing ?
Reputable breeders will have all the parents OFA health clearances available for you to see
or numbers that you can verify online. Some breeders are not comfortable
displaying or giving you copies over the internet as they do not want them used by anyone else
so do take the time to verify the numbers of any OFA health clearances, which can be done on the
Orthopedic Foundation for Animals web page (top right).
If the dogs do not appear on the OFA web page...run...don't be fooled by breeders that say they
health test differently or the parents are healthy. OFA is the WORLD recognized standard for health testing and
only costs $300.00/dog in Canada, so very minimal cost for a breeder to invest considering the price of the puppy.
If they do not have health clearances from OFA to show you then chances are they failed OFA (in which case results are not made available to the Public)
or are again, only breeding for profit not caring about what the health of their pups will be.
Do their Dogs have a Championship in ~Any~ Association ?
Reputable breeders wish to show and gain a Championship Title in order to prove that
Physically their Dogs MEET the Breed Standard according to a Professional Licenced Judge
and therefore that their dogs are "physically" worthy of being reproduced.
Poodles have been "excused" from a show for being too shy and not having the correct Poodle Temperament
Poodles have had their ribbons "withheld" because they have not met the physical criteria meeting the Breed Standard.
A dog/Poodle MUST meet the Standard Poodle Breed Standard both mentally and physically to obtain a Championship Title
Any breeder can make claims that "everyone says their dogs are great looking", or "so and so said my poodles are amazing" or "we don't require it"
but ONLY a Championship title proves that a dog has the temperament to allow strangers to go over them
and not be shy or timid and that the dog is physically sound, MEETING the breed standard, without a doubt to the WORLD.
This is also a sign that the breeder is breeding with specific goals in mind, not just breeding ~Pups for Profit~
Poodles require an extensive show coat to be shown in AKC or CKC which usually only Professional Groomers/Handlers can maintain
There are many "tricks" that the pro's use to better enhance their poodles that a novice just will not know about to compete on the same playing field.
AKC or CKC Show Poodles are also usually kept "confined" and protected from anything that could damage their precious hair/coats.
However UKC allows Poodles to be shown in a "Sporting Clip" which allows breeders who have poodles that
live normal lives, to be shown to their Championship and shown ONLY by the dog's Owners, no handlers.
Showing in a "Sporting Clip" is a bit harder to show a poodle in, because the coat follows the body
so there is no hiding any faults to the public observing. Judges do go over a dog "hands on" to evaluate Poodle Physical Structure.
UKC also will disqualify a dog for use of any sprays, colouring, chalking or hair peices (cheating).
UKC also has a "0" tolerance for unsportsmanlike conduct.
So the autmosphere at a UKC show is very positive and welcoming, with strangers very willing to help you out.
Do they compete in any Working events?
Agility, Rally, Obedience, Tracking, Field , CGC to name a few
and have the Working Titles to prove that their dogs are mentally worthy
of being reproduced. Anyone can say their dog has "abilities" or "brains" but only a Working Title
from Licenced Professional Judges proves this without a doubt to the WORLD.
Achieving a working title, also shows that a Breeder has specific goals in mind for
breeding and not just to produce pups, for an already flooded puppy market.
In order to have a dog reliably follow commands in an uncontroled enviroment by their owner
takes a TON of "one on one" time spent with their dog. A breeder that has achieved working titles on their dogs
spends a ton of time with their dogs so a working title is a good sign that a breeder cares and works with their dogs.
IF a Breeder doesn't have ANY titles (working or conformation or temperament) on their dogs
they are referred to as "backyard breeders" because those breeders only breed not caring
if the dogs they are breeding are physically or mentally sound or even if they meet the Poodle Breed Standard, so what and why are they breeding ?
Only breeding to produce $ Puppies for Profit $
Why did the Breeder choose those Parents to breed together?
Reputable Breeders will be able to tell you in detail what qualities of each parent and
What aspects of the pedigree that they were working with and what goal they were working towards.
Having Champions in the "background" or a "imported" lineage are not redeemable qualities to breed.
Reputable Breeders will have more than a two line answer and for sure.
Do they have experience (at least over 5 years) in the breed ?
This is so that you know they can offer insightful advise and help you
out down the road with any problems you may have.
Also so that you know they will still be breeding to honour any guarantees that they offered.
Do they have an application and wish to know about you, your family and the environment that the puppy will be living in ?
Reputable breeders want to know a great deal about you before having you to their home or placing a puppy with you.
Beware of breeders that invite you to come out to their home on short notice and
without asking any information about you to find out if you would be a suitable owner.
This is usually so that you will come and buy from them before you can find out more information about them and their dogs
because they hope that you will fall in love with and buy the puppy once you see it.
Are their parents and pups Registered ?
While you might wish to purchase ~just a pet~ registration papers is your ONLY proof
that the puppy you are purchasing and investing time and effort into, is a purebred and will adhere to all the qualities
that brought you to that breed in the first place.
Registration papers also protect you from purchasing a puppy from someone who did not have legal rights
or permission to breed their dogs. You certainly do not want your puppy seized from your home,
should there be any legal battle in the future and because of legally binding contracts and DNA testing, this is very possible.
Can you meet mom and dad when you pick up puppy ?
All breeders should be able to show you mom,
but many breeders use studs that can be located a great distance away.
In that case you should ask to see photos and or video of the sire.
Keep in mind mom might have a bit of a lack lustre coat and be
a bit protective or timid with strangers being around her babies.
But she should be healthy, have clear eyes, tucked up (no hanging breasts), be well kept, mat free, clean coat (although with hint of puppy smell)
and appearing happy around her owners, who she should trust.
Reputable breeders do not generally have people out to see very young pups due to potential exposure to deadly diseases.
Some breeders might not even allow visitors before the pups have been immunized by at least one vaccination.
Buying Long Distance
If you are buying long distance you should be able to view photos and video of mom
Photos and video of dad and photo and video of pups easily and quickly.
The breeder should be able to share with you what you should be able to expect in their pups
Judging by the parents and or previous litters the sire and dam have produced.
Do they have a Photo Pedigree or Pedigree or COI for the pups?
Most reputable breeders have generations of photos of the dogs in their lines
because they have been breeding with an eye on their history as well as the future.
If you are looking for a ~pet ~ breeders may not wish to share a pedigree with you
Because of the ever increasing ~oodle~ breeders trying to obtain purebred poodles as a pet and for pet price but, to breed
Breeders should be able to show you photos of parents and grandparents
and be able to easily tell you what the COI is on the litter.
Do they sell with ~limited~ or on ~non-breeding~ Registration/Contracts ?
Reputable breeders are VERY select in who they sell to with breeding rights
because the choices you make with the puppy ~they~ bred will reflect back on their and their dogs reputation.
Reputable breeders care about the pups they produce and do not wish their pups to be indiscriminately bred
even if it means loosing a sale because they put their pups and dogs welfare above all else.
Reputable breeders may even offer to pay for Pediatric Spay or Neuter a savings for you of $300.00-$1,000.00 by their experienced Vet.
Limited Registration means that you have agreed that the puppy you are purchasing will be unable to be bred
and will be enjoyed as a loving family pet and will be registered in "your" name.
Limited Registration means that the dog is registered but no litters produced by that dog are eligible for registration.
If you wish to breed, you should purchase a puppy with "unlimited" Registration
sold with a Breeding Agreement Contract.
so that your puppy will be able to be bred and that all resulting pups will be able to be registered.
Unlimited Registration does cost a lot more because of the increased value
of the puppy as a result of the ability to be bred.
Before you consider breeding you may wish to view this page on Breeding Concerns
What is the Breeders Guarantee ?
Most Reputable Breeders have 1-2 year health guarantee on the pups that they place.
Some Breeders offer a Lifetime Guarantee but make sure to read the fine print on what that covers.
Guarantees are usually for ~replacement~ only of any sickly puppies or pups that would come down with
congenital disorders or inherent illnesses that the Breeder has health tested for.
Things like medical bills after purchase are the Buyers responsibility.
All pups should come with a Health Certificate from a licenced Vet attesting to the health of your puppy.
Make sure you have fully read the contract or guarantee and that you are FULLY aware
Of what is covered and what is not.
When does the Breeder want payment?
Reputable Breeders have a great deal of interest in their upcoming litters.
Most breeders will require a non-refundable deposit to secure your position on a
waiting list on an upcoming breeding. If you choose to put a deposit on a litter
make sure this deposit is refundable should the puppy you wished not be born.
Deposits help breeders be assured someone is serious about their purchase.
Deposits range in price from $100.00-$200.00 with balance being paid before the puppy
Is sent home or shipped. Shipping is an additional price and should range between $250.00-$450.00
Do they peddle their pups and dogs on multiple forums, message boards or free classified ads ?
Ethical and Reputable Breeders are established and generally do not have to advertise on forums or classifieds.
Most ethical breeders wouldn't even consider breeding unless they plan on keeping a puppy
and have a list of loving homes lined up for the expected available pet puppies that will not be kept by breeder.
Most reputable breeders advertise in Annual magazines and or established web sites
or Club web pages where breeders need an "account" in order to advertise and breeders will be held accountable for their ads
unlike forums or free classifieds where anyone can advertise under any name and then disappear with no accountability.
Reputable breeders also usually place their pups based on referrals and word of mouth, not even needing to advertise.
Of course everyone needs to start out somewhere when they are first breeding, so those individuals should have "their" breeder
that they bought from, acting as a mentor that will refer puppy people to them. Reputable breeders will only sell to
people that they believe will have their pups best interest at heart and usually will share common goals and ethics with.
A new Breeder acting on their own, is just an accident waiting to happen and is going to have troubles.
The highest compliment any breeder can receive is to have a puppy buyer come back to them for their next puppy.
When people contact us saying they already own the best poodle or they met a great poodle, I encourage them to find out
who that breeder was or to return to their old breeder as you know and have met what they have.
Do they have References?
While a lot of breeders are not comfortable giving out names and numbers of their
Past puppy people because of confidentiality and also those people don't wish to get 20 phone calls a day either,
most Breeders will be able to provide written references
and photos from past puppy people and their families.
Most reputable breeders have many references and updated photos of the pups as adults
they have placed from puppy people that have kept in touch.
Do they have Full Time Employment outside of their home ?
Reality is that Breeding with goals in mind and having high standards for their Breeding Program is expensive.
Most Reputable breeders have full time employment just to afford their hobby.
Having full time employment also allows a Breeder to make good choices for their breeding program with no comprimises
that otherwise they might not do if puppy money pays the household bills.
Reputable breeders have major expenses involved in proving their dogs
are quality worthy of being reproduced starting from the initial cost of their dogs purchase.
Health testing, training and lessons, courses, memberships, championing their dogs
titling their dogs with working titles and just maintaining their dogs (grooming, feeding etc),
is expensive and an ongoing expense to keep up with.
Even raising a litter to be healthy, happy, clean, well socialized all takes up time and money.
Expenses on a 10 Puppy Litter can well add up to $7,000.00 to $8,00.00 depending
on what the breeder does with the pups, how pups are raised and what Breeder spends on their pups care.
Are the Poodles you meet in good condition ?
You should see Poodles with unmatted coats that smell and look clean.
Nails should be short and maintained.
Females should be tucked up and not appear to be out of shape or fat
Ears should be mat free and not smell of infection
Poodles (without pups) should be eager to see you and or meet and greet new visitors.
Temperaments of Standard Poodles differ with each breed and or lines.
You may meet extremely hyper, barky, jumpy, pacey poodles
or you might meet poodles that come over and wag their tails politely sniffing you in greeting.
It is up to you if you wish to own and entertain a higher engery poodle that might be ideal for agility or field
or a calmer more reserved poodle that would do well in obedience or therapy work.
Is the Breeder easy to deal with ?
You need a good rapport with your breeder because should their be any problems
Or even just questions in the future you want a breeder that is going to be approachable and quick to respond.
Most breeders understand that buying a new puppy is an often scary and
Exciting time in a persons life and they will be happy to answer any and all questions
you may have, even if you are ~just looking around~ usually within 24 hours.
Reputable Breeders are usually not available on the weekends because they are away at shows or conferences
so it is best to contact them on a Tuesday or Wednesday if you wish a quick response.
Some Breeders just do not have the time for phone calls to be constantly interrupting their
Training, Grooming, caring for their dogs and or puppies or even just waking them after shift work.
If you are corosponding with a breeder just by emails, make sure that they have an established web page with a domain name
This is so that you know they are accountable and established.
Emails are a great way for a Puppy Buyer to keep track of which breeder said what, or which breeder had what available.
Beware of the "breeder" who only wants to "speak on the phone" and then spends all their time bad mouthing other breeders
or "boo hooing" about their personal issues
This is a manipulative ploy used by BYB's when they are cornered about their bad breeding practices, to stop your questions
and have you feel sorry for them instead so you buy from them.
(heck, lets face it, everyone has hardships they can choose to overcome or not or are currently going through
but there is only one ill reason a person would launch into this, with a Puppy caller)
Lets face it. If a breeder had Poodles that they were proud of and were worthy of being bragged about,
that breeder would be focasing their time on telling you all about their dog's and their dog's accomplishments.
Not on their preceived or contrived deficiencies of others breeding the same breed (their competition).
Usually a person will end the communication and discover that none of their questions about health testing or what
titles or goals that breeder has, were ever answered if they spoke to a BYB.
If you are going to speak on the phone with a breeder, make sure you have your questions written down to refer
to and keep asking those questions until you get your question(s) answered.
Do they have a web page ?
Most breeders have web pages for you to refer to.
Reputable breeders will have web pages offering a ton of information about THEIR dogs and THEIR puppies.
Web pages are visible for the world to see. Breeders are held accountable for the photos and information that they contain.
Web pages should ~at least~ have photos of their dogs stacked (standing) so that puppy people
Can see fully what that Breeders dogs look like. Web pages should contain photos of their pups, but also
Of those same pups all grown up. This shows that a Breeder is keeping track of their breeding program
And will also assist you in determining if they produce the type of dog that you are looking for.
Everyone can pump a web page full of generic information and links,
but an Ethical, Reputable Breeder will focus on their own information and their own dogs, pups, plans and goals for their breeding program.
Reputable Breeders go to a great expense and effort to make extensive easy to navigate web page available
to assist buyers with making an educated purchase because they feel that offering this information is Important to assist Puppy People.
Breeders will also have the price of their pups available on their web page.
This way you know upfront what you could be expected to pay for a puppy and that everyone is paying the same price no matter
what their employment or income is on their Puppy Application, or what type of car they drive up to the breeder's house in.
What is the Breeder's home like ?
No matter where the breeder lives you want to make sure that their home and yard is clean and smoke free.
IF a breeder can't even keep their household clean, or their home maintained,
you can just imagine the condition that their dogs are raised in when you are not there to view pups.
Ideally you should deal with a Breeder that owns their home.
Renters can be very transient and disappear with your money over night.
*Conclusive Health Testing ALL Breeders should be doing*
Hip Dysplasia: $35.00 to OFA certify
(Breeders should submit hip, patella, cardiac, elbow, thyroid at the same time Vet charge will be $300.00)
OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals the world recognizes OFA and they also offer certified preliminary Certification Prelim Policy
OVC (Ontario veterinary college)
PennHip (Pennsylvania Hip Improvement Program)
Hip Dysplasia Information
Sample of OFA reports
Elbow Dysplasia: $35.00 to OFA certify
(Breeders should submit hip, patella, cardiac, elbow, thyroid at the same time Vet charge will be $300.00)
OFA Hip/Elbow Application
About Elbow Dysplasia
Patellar Luxation $15.00 to OFA certify
(Breeders should submit hip, patella, cardiac, elbow, thyroid at the same time Vet charge will be $300.00)
OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals Application
Information on Patellar Luxation
Congenital Cardiac $15.00 to OFA certify
(Breeders should submit hip, patella, cardiac, elbow, thyroid at the same time Vet charge will be $300.00)
OFA Cardiac Application
Information on Congenital Cardiac Disease
Thyroid Disease $15.00 to OFA certify (most labs charge $15.00)
(Breeders should submit hip, patella, cardiac, elbow, thyroid at the same time Vet charge will be $300.00)
OFA Thyroid Application
Information about Thyroid Disease
vWD (Von Willebrand's Disease) $119.00 to Purchase (OFA 'used to' certify)
VetGen Lab Application
VetGen Lab
About vWD
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy in Toy and Miniature Poodles only !)
Information about PRA
Order PRA Test from OptiGen
NE (Neonatal Encephalopathy) $55.00 to purchase
VetGen Labs
Information on NE
NEwS - (Neonatal Encephalopathy with Seizures) $40.00 to purchase/certify
OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (NEwS)
Application Form
Information about NEwS
DM (Degenerative Myelopathy) $65.00 to purchase/certify
OFA - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals Application
Information on DM
Juvenile Renal Dysplasia $152.55 to purchase ($99.00/20)
DOGenes Inc *Breeders, this is a newer test available to us !
