A Smart Buyer's Guide To A Healthy Puppy

Are you buying a:

• Airedale Terrier
• Akita
• Australian Shepherd
• Basset Hound
• Beagle
• Bichon Frise
• Bloodhound
• Boston Terrier
• Boxer
• Brittany
• Bulldog
• Bullmastiff
• Cairn Terrier
• Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
• Chesapeake Bay Retriever
• Chihuahua
• Chinese Shar-Pei
• Cocker Spaniel
• Collie
• Dachshund
• Doberman Pinscher
• English Springer Spaniel
• German Shepherd Dog
• German Shorthaired Pointer
• Golden Retriever
• Great Dane
• Great Pyrenees
• Labrador Retriever
• Lhasa Apso
• Maltese
• Mastiff
• Miniature Pinscher
• Miniature Schnauzer
• Newfoundland
• Papillon
• Pekingese
• Pembroke Welsh Corgi
• Pomeranian
• Poodle
• Pug
• Rottweiler
• Saint Bernard
• Scottish Terrier
• Shetland Sheepdog
• Shih Tzu
• Siberian Husky
• Vizsla
• Weimaraner
• West Highland White Terrier
• Yorkshire Terrier

Whether you're buying a family pet or breeding/show prospect, A SMART BUYER'S GUIDE TO A HEALTHY PUPPY is a shortcut to finding your new puppy:

• specific breed sheets listing summary of health concerns
• breed statistics from the American Temperament Test Society, Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, Canine Eye Registration Foundation and others
• how breeds compare to other breeds
• breed rankings for health concerns
• ongoing research for each breed
• state of the art testing that puppy's parents should have before breeding
• DNA testing available before puppy is 8 weeks old
• health clearances a puppy should have before purchasing
• testing available, importance of, and cost
• questions to ask breeders (equipping you, the buyer, with specific information)
• showing/breeding disqualifications and how you can save money
• step-by-step roadmap to find your healthy companion
• checklists for puppy, sire and dam

CONTENTS

• Foreword
• About the author
• Introduction
• Chapter One       "I just want to get a puppy"
• Chapter Two      Good news about today's advances
• Chapter Three    Start the search!
• Chapter Four    Are you buying a puppy to breed or show?
• Chapter Five      What makes him a "pet"?
• Chapter Six        Basic health concerns and testing available
• Chapter Seven    Breeders
• Chapter Eight
  • Checklists for your prospective puppy
  • Questions to ask the breeders
  • Health checklist
  • Puppy's health pedigree
• Chapter Nine    Check out breeder, kennel, sire and dam
• Chapter Ten    Organizations
• Chapter Eleven    Specific breed pages
  
  
• Chart 1     Some Problems Classified As "Elbow Dysplasia"
• Chart 2     Breed Specific Heart Problems
• Glossary
• Bibliography
• National Breed Club Websites
• Index
• About the Author's Dog

FOREWORD

This book contains the ultimate in tools and informative guidelines for anyone purchasing a new dog or in the position to advise others about a purchase. As a veterinarian, I am often asked what would be the best dog to buy. I have, of course, always inquired as to what they expect from a new dog. Will it be a companion for the entire family, primarily for very young children or a companion for retired empty nesters? Of course, the decision is much easier for dogs expected to perform chores close to their original purpose such as guarding your property, herding, hunting and retrieving or mountain rescue.

Once you have determined a type of dog you want, the tools and information in this book can revolutionize the way you and I purchase puppies. Jeanne has put together a very comprehensive plan to guide you in your search for the perfect dog. The medical information and research tools, as well as temperament information available, will empower you to minimize the likelihood of purchasing a dog with a problem or predisposition to a problem that can be both financially and emotionally draining. Health testing (already paid for by the stud owner and breeder) and a visit to your veterinarian for a pre-purchase exam can increase your chances of buying a healthy puppy.
Ross David Clark, D.V.M., Tulsa, Oklahoma

Dr. Ross David Clark is co-founder of National PetCare Centers Inc., which merged with Veterinary Centers of America (VCA). He received his doctor of veterinary medicine in 1963 from Kansas State.

Dr. Clark has served as practice management editor for Veterinary Economics Magazine since 1982, and he was president of the Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association in 1984. He served as president of the Kansas State Veterinary Medical Alumni Association 1990-1992. He also was president of the Western Veterinary Conference in 1998-1999. In December 2002, he was appointed honorary chairman from Oklahoma to the Congressional Business Advisory Council.

Dr. Clark is author of Medical, Genetic and Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats and editions I and II of Medical and Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs. He also is the author of three management books and hundreds of articles on practice management. His most recent book, Mastering the Marketplace - Taking Your Practice to the Top, was published in 1996. He is currently working on the third edition of Medical and Genetic Aspects of Purebred Dogs and second edition of Medical, Genetic and Behavioral Aspects of Purebred Cats.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Cook's dogs have varied in size from Toy Poodles to Mastiffs. She began showing dogs and teaching all-breed obedience classes in 1977. She obtained many championship and obedience titles and judged match conformation and obedience. She established her "Legendary" kennel name in 1983, writing nationally published articles on temperament, socialization, training and health screening. Jeanne established national health registries for Mastiffs (vWD in 1988 and thyroid in 1991). A member of Mastiff and Doberman Pinscher clubs, she enjoys leisure time with Dobermans, "Gator," and "Maudie." Jeanne is employed as a legal assistant at a Denver law firm and continues to teach private and group dogtraining classes. She has authored a second publication titled Colorado's Health Testing Breeders ( 2005) which is an all-breed directory of breeders and stud dog owners who health test their dogs and puppies.

website: legendary.ws

INTRODUCTION

America is in the midst of a puppy buying revolution. Puppy buyers are discovering there is more to buying a puppy than just handing over their money and hoping for the best. Educated puppy buyers are smart consumers and they expect more for their dollar. Concerned breeders are able to use the latest DNA and other state-of-the-art testing to breed the healthiest puppies possible. All-breed kennel clubs are offering health screening at dog shows. In addition, national breed clubs are gathering health information to assist both the puppy buyers and the breeders. Smart buyers can take advantage of this health screening to save heartache and veterinarian bills.

Whether you're looking for a puppy to show or breed or a family pet to love, this book is for you. Dog trainers, breeders, veterinarians and "dog people" in general can use it to assist newcomers in finding the right puppy. A Smart Buyer's Guide To A Healthy Puppy gives the status of 50 popular breeds and what breeders and breed clubs are doing to improve their health. Before you buy your puppy, this book will acquaint you with the latest methods for health screening. A Smart Buyer's Guide To A Healthy Puppy provides translations from complex medical terminology to easily understood language.

CHAPTER ONE

Because I have been in the dog business for over 27 years, people often ask me what they should look for when buying a puppy. They want "the bottom line". Many buyers don't want to spend a lot of time researching the breed. They tell me "I just want to get a puppy." I've compiled this book listing 50 popular breeds, important health information and specific health concerns to ask breeders about in an attempt to give puppy buyers "the bottom line". So, whether you're looking for "just a pet for the kids", or a puppy to show and breed, you need to know what to look for. Before you buy your puppy, this book will acquaint you with the latest methods for health screening. Concerned breeders are able to use the latest DNA and other state-of-the-art testing to breed the healthiest puppies possible. I will show you how to take advantage of the health screening that caring breeders do for their breeding/showing stock that can often get you a "pet" for half price. Although you have visions of a cute healthy puppy, you need to watch for certain things in order to end up with a nice family dog who can live a long healthy life.

In 1979, as I searched for a Golden Retriever puppy for my 6 year old son, Zach, I didn't realize the importance of health screening. I was beginning a divorce, my children were young and we were on a limited budget. With the pain of divorce, my kids (and I) needed the healing of a snuggly Golden puppy. I was in a hurry. I didn't need a puppy with fancy bloodlines to breed or show. I just needed a companion to sleep on my son's bed every night, and to help my kids feel secure, and I needed it now. I found an ad in the newspaper from a first-litter breeder (no health testing, no contract, no guarantee). We picked out the one who ran all the way across the back yard to my son and took her home that day. Zach named her "Sally Wonder Sunshine Girl". She was adorable, healthy and everything we had been looking for - for almost a year. When Sally was 11 months old, she began to limp and favor her rear legs. I dreaded taking her to the vet. Her hip x-rays showed severe dysplasia (malformation of the hip joint on both sides) and surgery was not an option. We ended her pain by putting her to sleep. Our hearts were broken! Zach said, "How can I ever be happy now that Sally died?" SO YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE BONDING - YOUR KIDS WILL ALSO HAVE THEIR HEARTS WRAPPED AROUND THIS LITTLE PUPPY YOU ARE SEEKING.

I called her breeder from the newspaper ad "Too bad, no guarantee, no refund". I could have lived with losing the purchase price, but my kids suffered. I learned from our experience and contacted a long-time Golden breeder, Mrs. Enloe, and we were added to her waiting list. Mrs. Enloe offered health guarantees and her puppies' ancestors had been x-rayed for normal hips. We bought our Sally II "Goldenloe Sally Centipede", who became a wonderful family member and lived a long and healthy life.

In 1982, I wasn't aware of problems with patellar luxation (kneecaps slipping out of position). We bought Daisy, a Toy Poodle, for Bridger, my 7 year old daughter. Before Daisy turned one year old, she sometimes yelped when she jumped off the couch or Bridger's bed. Surgery can repair slipping kneecaps but the cost in 2005 is $600 per kneecap. Now, a puppy buyer can have a 6-8 week old puppy checked for patellar luxation before purchase which will prevent this kind of expense.

Fortunately for dogs, health screening is becoming widespread. Experienced breeders educate novice breeders and so on. I wasn't aware of testing for eye problems until Mary Ann Deines, the breeder of Lady's I'm a Natural Man ("Charlie"), my Bullmastiff, picked him up one day to take Charlie and his littermates to Colorado State University for eye exams. I later became aware of Golden Retriever breeders testing for von Willebrand disease and thyroid testing. I used that knowledge to establish a national Mastiff registry for von Willebrand disease in 1988. I established a national thyroid registry for Mastiffs in 1991.

Painful lessons learned: from then on, if I owned a dog, I tested it for potential health concerns. Before I bred to a dog, I tested it. If I produced a litter of puppies, I tested them all before they were sold. However, most breeders then did not test for things such as eye problems. So when I bought Mastiff puppies from other breeders, I had to build my lines from non-tested dogs, test them myself and cut defective dogs from my breeding program, sometimes taking financial losses. In 1985, I bought Trapper, an 8 week old puppy with a gorgeous head from out-of-state top winning champion show lines for $1,200. The week he arrived, I had his eyes examined by a canine ophthalmologist. At the start of Trapper's CERF (Canine Eye Registration Foundation) eye exam, I heard the doctor tell his assistant "Get the camera". This was not good! There was an eye problem that deserved pictures. This puppy had a (non-life threatening) hereditary eye problem that would not give him trouble, but indicated he should not be bred. This was certainly a moment of truth for me. Since few people were doing eye exams, I could have ignored Trapper's eye problem, kept it a secret and bred him. But I couldn't have faced myself in the mirror. In good conscience, I neutered Trapper and sold him to a pet home (quickly reducing his value from $1,200 to $600). Unfortunately, his top winning champion lines had not been eye tested so that his outstanding head could have been passed down to future generations. Today, prospective puppy buyers have the benefit of buying puppies that have had their eyes tested by 8 weeks old. Also, they also have the benefit of generations of eye testing.

Disappointing and painful experiences such as these might lead you to ask, "How widespread is genetic disease in purebred dogs? John C. Cargill's review of 1987 AKC registrations revealed that eighty-six percent of the 2.4 million puppies eligible to be registered that year were from breeds with serious genetic defects. Through breeding that stresses looks over health, some breeds have degenerated into veritable blockbusters of hereditary illness. Veterinary geneticist W. Jean Dodds notes that by 1986-87 fully seventy percent of all Doberman Pinschers who were tested for von Willebrand's disease tested abnormal. Two years earlier sixty-three percent had, and a decade before that fifty-five percent of the breed tested abnormal for the disease. Dr. Dodds has also reported that a third of all the country's hemophiliac dogs are German Shepherds."1

Some people attempt to avoid what they perceive to be "purebred" problems by buying mixed breed puppies. Unfortunately, you aren't necessarily going to avoid health problems by getting a mixed breed. They still have the genes from both of their respective breeds. Puppy buyers today need to know there are advantages to buying purebred dogs. At least with a purebred puppy, you can benefit from the health testing that many breeders are using to produce healthier dogs. Health screening can detect a health problem before it is passed on to the next generation.

So, what can a puppy buyer do?

What you learn from this book can save you many times over the price of this book on your future vet bills .

It is better to be informed up front than to pay money you didn't have to spend later!!! That is, if you only knew...



This book will pay for itself the first time you ask a breeder about one of these specific questions.



For just $19.00
you can enjoy this incredible value!

Did you ever have a vet visit cost less than $19.00? Why don't you avoid a few by becoming informed...


Book Reviews "A Smart Buyer's Guide To A Healthy Puppy is a must for anyone who is serious about how to select the best sources for acquiring a purebred puppy. This can also be a helpful manual for those who are developing an interest in breeding dogs as a responsible hobby." Ted Terroux, trainer (30 years), Ted Terroux's Canine College, Lakewood, CO

"I have worked with pet people for over 35 years and have seen multiple instances of buyers being ripped off. I would like to see people get more information so they get a healthy dog when they buy one. This book gives the information necessary before buying. I heartily recommend it!" Doris Fellows, trainer, breeder, Pom Poms & Whiskers, Golden, CO

"It is very well written and most obviously well researched. I especially liked your sections on the testing and what is involved as well as the information on breeders and what to look for in a reputable breeder. It is imperative that people purchase a pup from breeders who test their dogs to help ensure a healthy long lived dog whether it is a pet or a show dog! I wish I had seen your book 12 years ago when I bought my first Mastiff who turned out to have PRA and was blind by age 5!" Karen Flocker, New Beginnings Mastiffs, Gilbert, AZ

"I had no idea how many things there were to take into consideration when looking for a breeder to find a healthy puppy. This book was an amazing resource. It provided health screenings that should have been done and all of the questions to ask potential breeders. Several breeders commented how knowledgeable I was and said I asked great questions." Joani Mauro, puppy buyer, Broomfield, CO

"This is a good book for novices as well as people educated in the dog world. It covers a range of topics." Sandi Larson, pet owner, prospective puppy buyer, Missoula, MT

"Jeanne's book provides the canine professional with quality, no-nonsense information that he can use to improve the over-all health of his breeding lines, and guides the pet owner with understandable background search information useful for finding a healthy friend for life. You'll learn more about canine health testing from this book in 10 minutes of reading than in years of heartbreaking personal experience. Don't pass this one by -- you'll regret not having it on your ready-reference shelf." Dorothy Olson, breeder, exhibitor, pet owner, Fort Collins, CO

"This guide will lead you to a lovely, healthy puppy. Cook writes clearly and succinctly. Her advice will save readers thousands of medical dollars and many tears. The links in the book lead to expert sources that would take hours to find on your own. I highly recommend this wonderful aid!" R. Eno, San Antonio, TX

"This is a wonderful "bible" for anyone interested in purchasing a puppy, especially if they're considering a new breed. Great guidelines for what to ask a breeder and what to do once you take your puppy home. Also invaluable to educate your veterinarian about a breed he or she may have little experience with. Dog and reader friendly." Sandi Atkinson, CO

"We have waited long enough for a compendium of facts such as this that will enhance an intelligent buyers ability to make a better choice, and thereby avoid the pitfalls for many wonderful dogs that were picked out by someone handing a puppy to a prospective buyer and they fall in love. It also encourages buyers to research good sources of puppies from competent AKC hobby breeders. Many puppies picked out on the spur of the moment or from an incompetent breeder (just out for the bucks) ultimately suffer a future that is sad due to the poor match that made between buyer and pup. Good breeders are doing all that can be done to eliminate many genetic disorders such as Hip Dysplasia, eye problems, etc, and this book makes that evident. Anyone can fall in love with an adorable pup, but buyers remorse can set in shortly due simply to the fact that not every dog is for every person or family, and the results are sometimes horrendous, with the dog getting the short end of the stick. Jeanne has performed a terrific service to enlightened buyers. Her data is current, effective and thorough. We have read many pet books, but this job is A #1 Professional, and hopefully will make better matches for those willing to read it. Good Job, Jeanne." Shell Styles, Whitegold Bichons, Centereach, NY

"I found this book to be wonderfully helpful and I am glad I bought it. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to buy a new puppy." Connie Larson, Colorado

"As a former breeder of German Shepherds, I immediately thought how grateful a new puppy buyer should be to have such a wealth of information at his or her fingertips. Having good information about reputable breeders and health screening is the first step in assuring a happy, healthy companion and avoiding potential heartache. I commend Jeanne Cook for her dedication." Emilie Hansen, Denver, CO

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Last updated on: Thursday, May 17, 2012