Here’s a subject that will be answered differently by every breeder. For some breeders it’s a touchy subject especially if they’re not exactly breeding appropriately. For many breeders the things I plan on bringing up here will be very much disliked because too many breeders are breeding to make a profit without even reporting their income to good old Uncle Sam.
· AKC Registration Papers
· AKC Four Generation Litter Pedigree
· Health Guarantee
· Sales Receipt
· Puppy Information Package
· Annotation of Puppy Food and schedule of feeding
· Copy of the Shot Records for the puppies 1st set of shots from an actual Veterinarian not Breeder.
It is very important that puppies are tested for known genetic disorders within the breed. It’s obvious that not all of these tests can be conducted on a 6 – 8 week old puppy so it’s very important to know the overall health of the breeding sire and dam as well as the tests conducted to all the breeder’s adult dogs. Some of the more popular disorders associated with Bull Terriers are:
· Deafness – A Baer Test is utilized for checking to see if there is any hearing impairment. Unfortunately many veterinarians do not offer this testing due to lack of testing equipment. Additionally other veterinarians will mandate the puppy to be at least 6 months old before attempting to get an accurate reading based on their growth and development.
· Skin Allergies – Intradermal allergy tests is a specific test utilized to test dogs to see if they have any allergic reactions which cause skin problems and itching. This is an extensive test averaging 1 hour at which time the dog is sedated and receives 60 injections made into the skin. The price of this test is $250. It is not a recommendation to have this test conducted on puppies simply to provide verified proof that each puppy from the litter is free from skin disorders. However, it is a good idea to thoroughly look over both parents of the litter to ensure they show no signs of allergies or skin problems. Most skin allergies in Bull Terriers are caused from food and improper diet. My experience is that foods containing high volumes of grain can trigger allergies in some dogs. We have rescued a few Bull Terriers that had serious skin allergies that we learned were caused from the food they were eating. After putting these dogs on a no grain diet and supplementing their food with a couple squirts of salmon oil it cured their skin conditions within a few short weeks. Obviously this may not be the answer to all allergies and intradermal allergy testing may be warranted for some dogs where proper diet isn’t the cause.
Some may suggest Serum-Based tests for allergy problems which is a simple blood test. However, this test does not require any expertise and has the disadvantage of resulting in false positives which can cause treatment for an allergy that doesn’t exist.
· Kidney – A complete blood chemistry profile test including a blood count is the only way of accurately testing for kidney problems. The most common test for kidney disease is called Creatinine Test. Kidney disease is often a hereditary factor for kidney problems within Bull Terriers. A urinalysis test is another practice used for determining kidney problems. Similar to Allergy Testing, a proper and professional Kidney test is not a simple procedure. A common sign of kidney problems within a puppy is drinking excessive water as well as dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhea.
· Liver – When conducting blood tests for genetic disorders it is important to test for Portosystemic Shunts to ensure there are no liver problems. There are a few types of shunts but Congenital Shunts can be found at birth. It is recommended that a bile acid test be run before and after eating to determine if liver shunt is detected.
· Heart – During a puppies health check a veterinarian will let you know if they detect a heart problem. Heart mummers and weak heart rhythms will be indicators to a veterinarian that further tests are required for diagnosing heart disease. If a concern is apparent it is recommended to have an x-ray conducted. In the event abnormalities are found it will then be necessary to conduct a proBNP Test and/or EKG.
The above listed ailments are the ones most prone to the Bull Terrier breed. The most important factor when health checking a litter of puppies is finding a veterinarian who is familiar with the Bull Terrier breed and thoroughly tests them for known disorders and medical ailments.
*Note – Not all Veterinarians will accept the word of a breeder that appropriate shots were conducted and that their vaccinations were kept at appropriate temperatures and not expired. Many Vets will require the puppy to have all his or her shots retaken unless proof that the vaccinations were administered by a certified Veterinarian.
· A well organized and informative website that provides answers to most every question that a consumer looking to purchase a puppy would want to know.
· Puppy Purchase Application. A good breeder will care deeply about their dogs and want to ensure their puppies are going to appropriate homes. Breeders usually have some type of application form to fill out prior to accepting a deposit.
· Photos of their Kennel facilities. Don’t believe the breeders who tell you all their dogs stay inside their homes unless they authentically have only 3 or 4 dogs. Most breeders won’t post any pictures of their dogs living areas or kennels because they know many would consider them to be poor and provide the consumer with the “Backyard Breeder or Puppy Mill” image.
· A reputable breeder will invite you to their kennel to show off their dogs and proudly display the health of dogs and their living conditions.
· Plenty of Photos of their adults along with a description about them. Is there a good mix of colored Bull Terriers? Breeding too many white to white bullies can cause genetic disorders.
· An actual four generation AKC pedigree for each dog. Don’t be fooled by breeders who build their own pedigrees. A scanned copy of the AKC 4 generation pedigree eliminates any doubts of inappropriate editing and false advertisement. Nothing beats the original document!
· An actual AKC DNA Certificate for all Studs. Most people don’t realize the importance of conducting DNA tests on their breeding dogs. It’s one thing to claim the dog to be of the pedigree listed on his AKC papers and another to prove it.
· Referrals - It’s always good to receive a referral from other people who have purchased a puppy from the breeder. Many breeders will include feedback from customers on their website.
· A thorough explanation of their Health Guarantee should be depicted on their website.
· A reputable breeder will provide rescue service for the type of dog they breed and devote towards placing those dogs in homes where they’ll be taken care of and loved.
Here’s something that many people never even think about. Is the breeder selling puppies without accounting for the income? Is it bad thing if a breeder sells their puppies and doesn’t claim the income when tax time comes? I guess if the breeder rarely had a litter or if the cost of the puppies were relatively cheap it could be considered “under the table” income much like the kid selling lemonade in front of his house for 25 cents. However, it doesn’t take a genius to realize a breeders’ income from a litter of 8 puppies selling for $1500 per puppy. Let’s say that breeder only had two litters the entire year. That would equate to $24,000 which in all reality is about what some people make annually working full time. The truth is, any breeder charging money for a puppy should be claiming this and if they are, is it a business? Does the pet store charge tax on a puppy they sell and do they pay taxes on the sales of their pets? Actually many states do not require breeders to have a business license. However, claiming the income during tax time is a different story. Just because a breeder doesn’t have an actual business because the state doesn’t deem it necessary doesn’t mean they can pocket the sales of their puppies without having to pay taxes. However, MANY breeders do and still charge high prices on their puppies without any concern.
Many breeders will shun the idea of having a “breeding business” and try their best to say anybody that has a breeding business is only trying to make money by breeding dogs without any care of breeding healthy quality puppies. In all actuality the opposite is true because if it was all about making the most money the way to do it would be to simply pocket the entire amount of money through the sale of every puppy, stud service, etc.
Any way you slice it, if you’re selling puppies you have to be legal and pay Uncle Sam for your earnings regardless of how many litters you have a year.
Here’s a funny note – Most breeders would be mad that I brought this subject up because they are opposed of the reality behind legally selling puppies and do not feel it should be considered a small business. However, they’ll be the first to give you their business card when they sell you a puppy. Odd how that works.
If you want to test integrity and values ask the breeder if they are licensed and insured by the state to sell puppies and whether they are claiming the income earned from the advertised litter. I’ll bet you most will say they don’t have to do that if they’re a private breeder. Then again that private home breeder may very well be selling 9 champion puppies at $4000 for each puppy. Nothing wrong with pocketing $36,000 without paying taxes, right?
*** Please note, these are my views and opinions. We know where we stand as breeders and pride ourselves on our breeding practices and honesty. The above information was not written as a tool to gain popularity for us. We actually don’t have very many litters available each year. However, we provide this information to you so you can use it in the pursuit to find a top quality Bull Terrier puppy from a reputable breeder. Please feel free to build yourself a questionnaire from the topics listed above and present it to any breeder you research in your pursuit for a Bull Terrier puppy. ***
