There are many sources for one to get a puppy, such as the kennel or the pet store. But if you want to get a healthy, sound, purebred collie puppy, especially if you have show aspirations, you must seek a reputable breeder to get the best results.

Responsible Collie Breeders do not breed their collies frequently. Only when a mating pair of collies is certified as fit and possess good temperaments that guarantee the future offspring to be as healthy will breeders do so. Breeders will also breed their collies only when a sufficient number of homes have been evaluated and deemed appropriate for the new puppies.

As there are no hard and fast accepted rules on how a standard breeder should behave and operate their business, you should seek advice and talk to as many breeders as you possibly can to make a better informed decision. There are many types of collie breeders in the market. Learning more about the breeders will enable you to understand the consequences of your choice.

A good breeder will have the collies checked for diseases, collie eye anomoly, collie specific genetic disorders, and have all relevant information regarding the pair’s lineage and health documentation. Should a breeder find no problem in the history of the pair, you should still personally confirm the details to be sure. One way is to ask for the contacts of owners who have bought offspring in the past to check if there were any problems. This should not be difficult as responsible breeders always maintain a close relationship with their customers. Don’t be offended if your breeder wishes to keep in touch with you!

Reputable breeders have certain requirements that you must have before qualifying as a potential collie owner. These are usually in the form of written contracts with a spay or neuter requirement. This limits the registration of the puppies for breeding. This is done both for the protection of the breeder as well as acting a control for possible overpopulation. Limiting the pet-quality collie’s ability to breed also ensures that the collie’s rich heritage, genetic line, and inbred traits do not fall into the hands of unscrupulous buyers who’s only wish is to produce puppies for profit, without thought of the qualities collies must have before continuing their line.

For most breeders, the person who wants his collie pups must also have a secured backyard and be prepared to attend certain obedience classes such a puppy kindergarten. It allows you to be more aware of possible difficulties you’ll meet during the first few months of the collie being with you. This is very important especially for first time dog owners.

Responsible breeders will ask more of you and have more requirements than that if you buy from your local pet store. They are always anxious and do everything within their power to ensure that their puppies have great “forever” homes, full of love. This is what makes responsible breeders different from others who are not. This additional requirements are not meant to be obstacles to the ownership of the a collie, but simply to ascertain that owners are fully aware of the huge responsibilities involved in taking care of the life that the breeder has, until this point, carefully cared for. Needless to say, irresponsible breeders are mostly not concerned about the health or welfare of the dogs and are just in it to turn a quick profit.

One of the most critical factors in identifying a good breeder aside from the health and food given to the pets is to check on the condition of the mother after birth and the way the puppies are being taken care of. A good way would be to pay a visit to the breeder occasionally to check on the puppies’ condition and the mother’s living quarters. Dried fecal matter, bloated tummies, bloody stool, fleas, concrete floors, and a matted mother are all signs that you may not want to obtain your pup from there since future collie health problems and breeding conditions often go hand in hand.

Another good quality of a responsible breeder is the voluntary assistance provided to the new owners of the puppies. Should the placement of the puppy be less than satisfactory with the new owner, the breeder will ask that the owner return the puppy and the breeder will source for suitable homes for the pup, as the puppy’s life is of utmost concern to the breeder. Any breeder worth his stay will not want a pup he was once responsible for to end up in a local collie rescue or (heaven forbid) a kill-shelter!

Remember, Professional breeders and Ethical Breeders are not one in the same. Professional breeders may not all be ethical! Be sure to do your research thoroughly.

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Author:

Moses Wright is a an experience dog lover with 3 beautiful dogs. He likes to help fellow dog owners stop their dog behavior problems. You can get a free copy of his book filled with easy-to-use yet effective tips here: http://www.dogsobediencetraining.com/dogger_enews.htm

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