Next time I'll start off a lot differently.
Original post:
My bf and I have flipped back and forth between getting a dog from a shelter/rescue, or buying a purebred dog. Obviously if I'm buying a purebred dog I want to check out the breeder. I've sent a couple breeders my list of questions, and most have answered all of the questions, one was extremely detailed in their answers and seemed to really appreciate the questions, and then I got a response that really turned me off.
This was my original e-mail to the breeder:
Hi,
My name is 3dayz** and my boyfriend's name is G**. I believe he has already spoken to you. We are currently researching different breeders and breeds of dogs for our future dog. G** and I have been looking for a house since October in ****, B.C. Once we find a home, we would like to get our first dog together. G has never owned pets due to his Mom's allergies, but my family has always owned animals. As a child my family had a small dog named Peppi. We had her until I was 23 and we had to put her down. She was 17 yrs old and had developed some bad hip issues along with a collapsing trachea. We were afraid that she might choke one night or when we were at work and wouldn't be able to help her. I am a strong believer of putting down an animal "a day too early rather than a day too late". I hate to see animals suffer needlessly. My Dad has two rescued labs, and my mom has two cats. I also have a horse, Gunner, who I've had now for 5.5 years. I ride and train competitively in dressage and jumping events.
I've read through the "Is a Chesapeake Right For Me" and
am comfortable with much that was included in there. I understand through my
work with horses that you have to be the pack leader at all times, and that they
need exercise for both their body and mind in order to stay "sane". However, I
am looking for more information on their temperament. I know that the document
said that they will receive affection but do not seek it, can you give me some
more information on this in particular? What is a typical day like for you with
your dogs?
I also have a few questions for you about your breeding
program. Actually more than a few, but I am a very strong believer in supporting
good, educated breeders that are working to improve the breed, rather than
"backyard breeders".
At what age did you first breed each bitch and how many litters have they had in total?
How many litters do you get out of each bitch before retirement?
What age do you wean your puppies and how do you manage the weaning process?
What do you feed your puppies?
Do you
require a spay/neuter contract and how at what age do you require the
alteration?
Are the
puppies socialized?
What type of health guarantee do you offer on the puppies?
Do you line
breed/inbreed?
What do you
breed for? i.e. performance, show, working dog, pet quality
What do
you think are the advantages of the bloodlines you
breed?
Have your bitches had hips, elbow, eye, patella, shoulder, thyroid, or cardiac OFA tests done? When were these performed and what were their results?
What OFA testing do
you look for in your stud dogs? (If you don't use your own, If you use your own,
what testing have you done on yours?)
Have your bitches or their ancestors ever experienced distichiasis, gastric torsion, bloat, or epilepsy? Do you look at the stud dog's ancestry for these?
What is the temperament of your bitches?
What is the health and temperament like of other dogs and bitches in their line/pedigree?
What activities do you do with your dogs? (outside of any showing)
Do you do any therapy work with your dogs? If so, what kind?
If for any reason we can no longer care for the dog, will you take the dog back?
Can we contact you throughout the life of the dog if we encounter any health problems or need advice?
What is your specific goal for your next litter? (temperament, shoulder structure, etc..)
This was the response I received:
This e-mail to me just seems to say "F*** You". This breeder had already raised a few red flags for me, but this e-mail just completely threw me off. I've never had a breeder respond like this to one of my e-mails.
Was I completely out of line with my original e-mail? Unfortunately I couldn't get his website to work for me so I couldn't view all of the information on it, so it is possible that I may have asked some questions that were already answered on the website.
