Quote:
Originally Posted by Lexxsmom  hey
For what a pup should come with, there is a HUGE list. They should come with their first set of shots, a pedigree and should be registered ( CKC, KC, AKC depending on where you are from) unless you are willing to rescue! Which is an awesome alternative. You should be able to meet the parents, look at the grandparents and see proof of health testing from all of the above ( tests for vwd, involved in a cardio program, hips, eyes, elbows certified etc).
I did my best but I'm SURE that the experts will fill you in! Goodluck! Dobes are the best. |
A quick note: by CKC here we mean CANADIAN Kennel Club. There are several "so-called" registries that count on people not knowing the difference - they were developed to get around AKC (AMERICAN Kennel Club's limited registration), and so puppy mills/byb's could sell "registered" puppies. These registries include CONTINENTAL Kennel Club (it's no coincidence they use the CKC abbrev.!), American Canine Association (ACA), American Pet Registry, Inc (APRI), etc. I would stay far away from anyone boasting/selling dogs registered w/ these registries - they are a joke and they are not the same as the AKC.
If you have any questions about breeders or registries or health testing, you can seach on here - there's a ton of info or start a new thread w/ your question if you can't find the answer.
Sometimes reputable breeders will have puppies available when you call for whatever reason or they may have young adults available as well (sometimes buyer has backed out, etc.). It certainly doesn't hurt to contact them. I actually "sort of" started looking a couple years ago, and a breeder I was seriously considering actually had pups available at that time, but I was not ready yet. Then a year ago, thinking I it might take up to a year to find my show pup (that I'd have to be on a waiting list), I started looking again. I actually wasn't planning to get a pup then (as I was going to wait until after my older dobe was gone), but there was a red show prospect bitch available. The pup was getting cropped that weekend. I had to think long and hard about this, because I wasn't really planning on getting a pup for at least 6 mos. But, I really liked the pedigree of this pup, this was to be the bitch's last litter and the pup was really nice..... so I ended up getting her a week later. So again, you never know!
You can also search on
www.offa.org to verify some of the health testing and look at vertical pedigrees, and search
www.dobequest.org - has info on dogs, pedigrees, health issues (it's no where near complete, but is a good starting point). Also a ton of info on
www.dpca.org (national breed club)
Good luck in your search!