mb190e

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Feb 24, 2015
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Bruno
There is another thread about "opinions, please, about getting a new puppy" the thread took a turn about backyard breeders and reputable breeders which made me think of my story. I've always wanted and liked English Bulldogs, when I started searching for one about a year ago. I read up on all the problems and costs associated with them, how to only get them from a reputable breeder and if you're a good breeder that you don't need to advertise. So I started searching out breeders that I found online via The Bulldog Club of America. I filled out an application after application sent email after email, after three months of searching I found Bruno on the AKC website from a home breeder not what I would consider a backyard breeder.

Very frustrated after not getting any response from 7 or 8 recommended reputable breeders in 3 or 4 states over a 3 month period. I sent a couple emails, made a couple phone calls, my wife and I headed to Connecticut from New York. I think it was a little over three hours one-way. When we got there we met face-to-face with the breeder, saw the mother and the sister from a prior litter. talk to the breeder and how they breed boxers for 20 years but everybody wanted taller and taller boxers, they didn't like the taller boxers so they switched to English Bulldogs.

The breeder told us this was the first time he advertised on the AKC website he normally just advertises them in the local newspaper. We shook hands I paid $3000 and we went home with Bruno no application no background check. I think $3000 may be a little high but it was Connecticut. My vet who has examined him multiple times, can't believe what a good example of a bulldog he is and has actually recommended the breeder to another client.

So here we are about nine months later I still have only gotten 1 response from one breeder out of all the email and applications I sent, that was about a month after we already bought Bruno.
 

Mom of Tucker

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Jun 22, 2015
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[MENTION=13768]mb190e[/MENTION], the discussion you referred to was one that I had actually started. I will say this, after I have gotten my beautiful Sophie, I am still confused over what makes a reputable breeder and what makes a backyard breeder. Even though you say you purchased Bruno from a person's home, you considered them reputable. If you had not gotten him from her home, where do others sell them from?

I live in Texas, and I have discovered there are many EBs for sale, but how you know the seller is respectable can be another story. I got my Sophie from an ad on Craigslist, which we all know can be shady. However, there are some groups on Facebook that specifically advertise EBs.

I'm not sure I would be so concerned about those who advertise. Like some of the advice I received, go with your gut. You will know what questions to ask, and if the answers don't feel right, move on.
 

Donnam

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Nov 5, 2014
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Winnie
I will tell you what is a reputable breeder in my opinion. A reputable breeder usually, but not always, shows their dogs. They are interested always in improving the breed through their line. They occasionally breed their dogs and are usually interested in placing their best pups in show homes. I know reputable breeders who have kennels, but a lot of them keep their dogs in their home with them. They usually have show quality pups and pet quality pups, priced accordingly. They do testing of their dogs prior to breeding, whatever tests are recommended (i.e. hip displaysia, for instance), to make sure there are no genetic defects passed on to the pups. A reputable breeder will screen potential buyers very carefully to make sure their pup will go to an excellent home where the dog will be kept in the house and properly cared for. A good breeder will always insist that if you ever, for any reason and at any time, have to give up your dog, you will return him to the breeder. And it goes without saying that they provide the best veterinary care and don't let their pups go before they are eight weeks old--maybe later. I may have left some stuff out, if any members can add anything, please do. The reason these puppies are hard to come by is that people in "bulldog clubs" who show their dogs, know when these litters come up and some of the pups are spoken for before they're even born! These breeders usually have waiting lists for even their pet quality dogs.

IMHO there are shades of gray when it comes to backyard breeders. I told you how I got Winnie from a backyard breeder. The guy I got her from had taken excellent care of the puppies. They were in the house, it was clean, he had the mother, and according to him, neither sire or dam had any health problems. So far, neither has Winnie. This guy did not screen us, so I imagine his purpose in breeding was to make some money. I imagine he probably won't do it again for money, because by the time you provide the vet care and do all the work involved in raising puppies, you don't really make much money at all. I considered this guy a backyard breeder and I found him on Craig's List.

There are terrible backyard breeders too, and anyone would be able to recognize those (dirty pups under the porch in the backyard?) There are reputable breeders that breed to provide pet quality dogs to families and aren't interested in show dogs at all. And we've all seen the websites for the people who get the pups they offer from puppy mills.

I once had a litter of boxer puppies. I had gotten the dam form a reputable breeder who wanted my girl to have a litter. She did all the testing on Suede prior to breeding, she picked the sire and was totally involved in the whole thing, even came in the middle of the night to deliver the pups. I took care of the puppies in my home, provided all the vet care and screened and placed the pet quality pups in good homes. Was this litter a backyard litter? I don't think so, but some might say so.

I guess what I'm saying is that you can get a good puppy from other places besides the reputable breeder I described in the first paragraph. Not everyone on Craig's list is a scam artist. But you have to ask questions and you have to be very careful. And like Ginger said, go with your gut, [MENTION=13768]mb190e[/MENTION].
[MENTION=14393]Mom of Tucker[/MENTION] Ginger, where in Texas do you live? By the way, Sophie is adorable!
 

Cali Doll

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Nov 20, 2014
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Bella
Donna said it perfectly, IMO.

I contacted several breeders that I found from the Bulldog Club of America'srecommended breeders list. One of those breeders contacted me and told me of another breeder who had pups available. I contacted him and I got Bella the very next day.

He shows his dogs and keeps the pups/dogs in his home. I felt very good about getting my girl. The breeder complimented me on the questions I asked of him.

Since I wasn't familiar with bullys, I really wanted to get a dog from someone who cares about the health of their pups. Buuuut, I also believe that there are backyard breeders who have healthy pups. I think you have to go with your gut in these sorts of situations.
 
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mb190e

mb190e

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Feb 24, 2015
125
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Bruno
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I do think that some of the reputable breeders help create a demand for backyard breeder pups. Let me start off by saying I totally understand breeders wanting to make sure that their pups go to a good forever home, but a four-page application justifying why I am a caring deserving person to adopt one of their pups and the breeder remaining a co-owner of the pup, I think is going to little too far.
 

Mom of Tucker

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Jun 22, 2015
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Sophie (2015), Jasper (2020), Tucker (2015-2020)
[MENTION=13140]Donnam[/MENTION], thank you for that excellent explanation of a reputable breeder. It is very complex, for sure. I'm glad I have my two babies who both seem to be healthy so far! Sophie is a little doll, but she will give Tucker a run for his money when she gets bigger! She is a scrapper, lol.

I live in Shiner, where they make the good beer! :cheers2::cheers2:
 

Mom of Tucker

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Jun 22, 2015
456
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Texas
Country
United States
Bulldog(s) Names
Sophie (2015), Jasper (2020), Tucker (2015-2020)
I do think that some of the reputable breeders help create a demand for backyard breeder pups. Let me start off by saying I totally understand breeders wanting to make sure that their pups go to a good forever home, but a four-page application justifying why I am a caring deserving person to adopt one of their pups and the breeder remaining a co-owner of the pup, I think is going to little too far.

Oh my! I agree! And on top of that, sometimes the cost can be through the roof as well.
 

Donnam

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Nov 5, 2014
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Bulldog(s) Names
Winnie
@Donnam, thank you for that excellent explanation of a reputable breeder. It is very complex, for sure. I'm glad I have my two babies who both seem to be healthy so far! Sophie is a little doll, but she will give Tucker a run for his money when she gets bigger! She is a scrapper, lol.

I live in Shiner, where they make the good beer! :cheers2::cheers2:

Yeah, the good beer! Well, remember that is just my option about what a reputable breeder should be. It's a shame that there is no way to certify that anyone is a "reputable breeder." When someone wants start breeding dogs, it is up to them to learn all they can about their breed, and hopefully get some kind of training and knowledge from other well established breeders. If there is some kind of formal training one can get to become a knowledgeable breeder, I've never heard of it. And I suppose you get to be a "reputable breeder" by earning a good reputation. But even those guys start out as a "backyard breeder," don't they?

Cali [MENTION=13235]Cali Doll[/MENTION], you did the best thing you can do to find a good breeder. I recommended to someone on The Pet Help Forum yesterday that they should look up breeders on the AKC website and the Bulldog Club of America site to find a good breeder, and I think that's the best way probably to start looking.

I still believe that breeding should be left to "reputable breeders." It is such hard work and complicated, and a huge moral responsibility to be a breeder. Out of the 8 boxer puppies in our litter, one was returned to me after 3 years from California. His owner could no longer keep him. It was what I wanted because you feel responsible for the babies you bring into the world forever. I found him another great home, but wow, what a responsibility!
[MENTION=13768]mb190e[/MENTION], Unfortunately, the demand for bulldog puppies is much greater than the numbers of puppies produced by reputable breeders. And there is the rub!
 

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