Which Breeder ?
It's difficult to know which breeder to buy from when searching for your new Malamute, so here are a few pointers to help you. If everyone researched thoroughly into their breeder, puppy farmers would not have a business ! Don't be fooled, there are LOTS of good breeders out there, don't think that the ones that have the biggest flashiest kennels, or breed the most and advertise the most, are the best !
Showing has nothing to do with snobbery and everything to do with proving the quality of your dog, under a Judge, to ensure it meets the Kennel Club Standard for the breed. If people do not Show, how do they know that the dog they have even resembles a true dog of that breed, and if it even comes close to the set Kennel Club Breed Standard ? Simple, they cannot !
You should ask these questions on the phone, before you even entertain visiting them. It is lengthy, but will ensure you purchase a healthy, well bred dog, without filling the pockets of unscrupulous breeders who only breed for money and give false guarantees !
Why have you bred this litter ?
- Breeding should be to better/improve your lines/the breed, for Working and/or Showing. Anyone who breeds just for the money (who don't show or work their dogs) are unscrupulous breeders or puppy farmers.
If they don't work or show their dogs (which would prove them worthy to be bred from) and they make excuses for such, HANG UP !
How often do you breed ? How many litters have you bred this year ?
- If they breed often, or advertsie all the time, or always have puppies of different ages, they are not breeding for the good of the breed or their dogs.
- NO breeder should be breeding more than 2 or 3 litters per year maximum, and that should be from different dogs and still for the above reasons. This can be checked with the Kennel Club in the BRS publication.
Do they Health Test their dogs ?
- Malamutes need to be Hip Scored with a result of less than 13, and they should be Eye Tested CLEAR Yearly before being bred from. Both of these tests results can be obtained/checked with the BVA (British Veterinary Association) or the Kennel Club. You need to ask the breeder for the 'Kennel Names' of the parents of the litter. (If they are reluctant to give you anything on the phone, you have your answer !)
How old is the Dam & Sire ? (Mother/Father of puppies)
- The Dam should be OVER 2 years of age and the Sire OVER 18 months, before being bred from FOR THE FIRST TIME. Again with the parents kennel names, this can be checked with the Kennel Club, to see if they've had litters previously.
- A Puppy should NEVER leave it's mother until it is at least 8 weeks old, NO LESS. Any breeder that offers you a dog under this age, should be avoided.
Do you place Endorsements on the Pups Registration ?
- EVERY Good breeder places Endorsements on Pups Registrations. These are Breeding restrictions, which means that your pup has to prove himself worthy of the breed, and heath wise, before the Restrictions will be lifted. Again, if everyone did this, Puppy Farmers would not be in business ! If they don't endorse, then they are promoting breeding from all dogs, regardless of quality and health !
Are you willing and able to take back my dog, in the unlikely event that I should no longer be able to keep it ?
- Any good breeder will do this AND will openly insist on this. Those that cannot take back dogs or refuse to, should not be breeding.
How many dogs do they own and why ?
- Again if they do not Work and/or Show their dogs, then their only reason for breeding from the dogs must be money !
Do they offer Lifetime Advice & Support ?
- ANY good breeder should be there to offer lifetime support and advice to your puppy even when it's 10 years old or older ! (Note : If your breeder only has 1 Bitch (the mother of the litter) then it's unlikely they can offer advice on 2 dog household problems, males and females together etc, dog dominance, and other multi dog household issues that can arise)
Their Reputation & Licencing !
- A Malamute breeder that boasts of being Reputable etc, should be able to give you the name of at least a couple of other Malamute Breeders that will back them up, that are also reputable themselves, that follow the above criteria !
- A Licence is required by a Breeder who breed dogs as a business, but not "hobby" breeders who sell occasional puppies as they are outside the scope of the licensing regulations. A Licence does NOT guarantee Health/Quality etc of ther dogs, it is bought from your local Council.
Are they Members of their Breed Club ?
Breed Clubs offer advice and support, hold Shows and Seminars and take care of Breed Rescue. If a breeder is not a member, ask Why, and again if excuses are made, think twice !
A GOOD Malamute breeder does NOT need to boast of excellent quality/health etc, as they will show/work/health test their dogs !
A GOOD Malamute breeder does NOT advertise in FREEADS papers or on online publications ! They usually have a puppy list as people are prepared to WAIT for a good healthy/sound/quality pup !
A GOOD Malamute breeder will only breed PUREBRED dogs and not crossbreed them with another breed ! Afterall, if you have a good quality dog, WHY would you want to ?
A GOOD Malamute breeder will want you to visit their premises and inspect the parents, the puppies, see the pups interacting with mum and will expect you to vet them as much as they vet you. If a Breeder offers to deliver a puppy or meet you somewhere, it is probable that they don't wish you to see their premises.
See the PAPERWORK Page to get a gist of what to look for and which explains a few things in layman's terms.
