# Am I asking breeders too many questions?



## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I think I might ask the health tests/documents question as an open ended "What do you test for, and have you certificates" rather than list everything out. It throws the ball back ino the breeder's court, and means they can send a quick reply - "X, Y, Z, and certificates available for X and Z". And the replies - especially when little or no health testing is done - can be very revealing. I would also concentrate on the tests recommended by the Poodle Breed clubs in Canada/US, depending on where the breeder is based, with extra brownie points for anyone testing over and above the recommendations. If the breeder has a web site, the test results for their breeding dogs will often be shown, along with the pedigree (and you can do a lot of background research once you have the registered pedigree names of the puppy's parents).


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## 3dogs (Nov 3, 2010)

You are doing just fine asking about heath testing & clearances. If they are "reputable" breeder then they should be more than happy not only to answer your questions but be proud that they have done the testing. In the US you can do a prelim search on OFA for submitted test results, not everybody sends their results in but a good place to start.


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## kcp1227 (Jan 25, 2013)

I had a very nice phone conversation with a breeder the other day. I had emailed her a couple of months ago and never got a reply, but when I called her this week she answered all of my questions and more. I asked her if any health issues had appeared in her lines and she was very honest and didn't sugar coat anything. She told me about some confirmation flaws that she had in a previous breeding and explained line breeding to me and why she rarely does it. I was very impressed with her and wouldn't hesitate to buy a puppy from her. All that to say that a breeder that you would want to buy from shouldn't hesitate to answer your questions, even if they have some health issues in their lines. They should want to find their pups the right homes to go to as much as you want to give that pup a home. You should be able to know going into it that x may be a problem later on. You may think about calling these breeders instead of just emailing them. I was nervous, and I wish that I had written everything down before I called, but we learned more about each other over the phone than we would have over email. She actually requires a phone interview before she places you on her list. They'll know you're serious, and you'll know if their hesitant to answer questions. Good luck with your search!


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## CT Girl (Nov 17, 2010)

A reputable breeder is happy to show off all the health testing they do. Keep your questions focused as they may not want to invest a lot of time into someone they don't perceive as a viable prospect.


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## PoodleNoodle (Apr 21, 2013)

kcp1227 said:


> I had a very nice phone conversation with a breeder the other day. I had emailed her a couple of months ago and never got a reply, but when I called her this week she answered all of my questions and more. I asked her if any health issues had appeared in her lines and she was very honest and didn't sugar coat anything. She told me about some confirmation flaws that she had in a previous breeding and explained line breeding to me and why she rarely does it. I was very impressed with her and wouldn't hesitate to buy a puppy from her. All that to say that a breeder that you would want to buy from shouldn't hesitate to answer your questions, even if they have some health issues in their lines. They should want to find their pups the right homes to go to as much as you want to give that pup a home. You should be able to know going into it that x may be a problem later on. You may think about calling these breeders instead of just emailing them. I was nervous, and I wish that I had written everything down before I called, but we learned more about each other over the phone than we would have over email. She actually requires a phone interview before she places you on her list. They'll know you're serious, and you'll know if their hesitant to answer questions. Good luck with your search!


It's quite true. They'll answer all your questions if you call them. Most breeders take a very long time to respond via e-mail.


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## PoodleNoodle (Apr 21, 2013)

CT Girl said:


> A reputable breeder is happy to show off all the health testing they do. Keep your questions focused as they may not want to invest a lot of time into someone they don't perceive as a viable prospect.


They tell me about their tests but when it comes to asking them for documentation on these tests, so far I haven't gotten one document attachment from any breeder. =(


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

PoodleNoodle said:


> They tell me about their tests but when it comes to asking them for documentation on these tests, so far I haven't gotten one document attachment from any breeder. =(


I think it's safe to stick with PCA references then you don't have to "guess."


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## PoodleNoodle (Apr 21, 2013)

liljaker said:


> I think it's safe to stick with PCA references then you don't have to "guess."


What if the breeder is canadian? I have a breeder who is a verified member of Canadian Kennel Club for almost a decade with a good standing history.

What kind of research material can I get from websites like PCA? Am I able to search up members and their registered dogs?


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

I don't think you can offend a reputable breeder by asking too many questions. It tells them that you are serious about a poodle and will respect you for it.


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## liljaker (Aug 6, 2011)

Are you looking for a pet or a show dog? Also, breeders are very busy, too, and some have puppies and are showing, grooming, and generally busy so I can see why they don't sit at their computer. I would not expect a return call that day or even the next day, etc.


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## taem (Mar 5, 2011)

IMHO it's best just to find a breeder you can trust 100%. I felt that way about the breeder I picked and it made everything easy. Every litter she does, all the health tests are posted online and I can peruse the ancestry out to more generations than I care to know.


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