Angel Rock Staffordshire Bull Terriers

Angel Rock Staffords

Reputable vs. Ethical

More tips for choosing your next canine family member

by Cheryl Ellicott

I very seldom have litters of puppies available, and homeless rescue-SBT dogs are exceptionally rare, so chances are that I won't be able to help you find your next Stafford. But here's a little information to help you choose a breeder...

reputable: Having a good reputation.

reputation: The state of being held in high esteem and honor.

ethical: Adhering to ethical and moral principles.

moral: Concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles.

When I don't have puppies available, or when my waiting list is full, I'm often asked if I can recommend a reputable breeder.

Can I? Yes. I can probably recommend a dozen or more reputable breeders.

But will I?

No.

Why not? Because many of those reputable breeders are not people that I believe can produce a quality puppy. And among those that I think can, if I haven't yet spent time with their dogs and LIVED WITH a puppy that they produced, my opinion of their breeding program is (at best) an educated guess.

When choosing a breeder to work with, don't rely entirely upon someone else's opinion or recommendation. Remember, there's a big difference between reputable and ethical. And for myself, I also require that a breeder be knowledgeable, experienced and accomplished.

If you're wondering what's wrong with choosing a breeder according to reputation, think back to junior high school.

If you think people grow up and leave their immature, cliquish ways behind, think again. Adults don't always have the opportunity to show they haven't changed, but throw a group together in a hobby, fancy or other small community and you'll experience a real sense of deja' vu.

Among the breeders of a particular breed, reputable is a matter of politics and popularity, not ethics. And this popularity is all about people - their clothes, their hair, what they own, who they know - not usually about the dogs. If it IS about the dogs, it's more along the lines of . . . the bone, the ears, ooh that profile, look at the side-gait etc.

This is all well and good, but bone, ear, and profile will mean nothing at all if your dog is sickly, spooky tempered and dim-witted, hyper, or neurotic etc. making it a pain to live with.

If you're looking for a quality dog, look beyond reputations, look beyond who's popular, what's popular and honestly define quality.

Does quality = wow-quality? If all you want is a dog that makes people say WOW when you walk him, then go to any dog show and choose your breeder by what you see on the end of their leash.

But if quality is more than looks (and what looks good to a newbie could be the most foul-tempered, stupid and unsound/crippled dog out there!) then you need a breeder who has knowledge, experience and accomplishments -- someone who has produced good all-purpose dogs. (hint: an all purpose dog is intelligent, calm/stable, affectionate and healthy.) On top of that, you need an ethical breeder; someone driven by MORALITY instead of popularity.

When speaking of breeding dogs, many people are confused about what's moral and what's not. To see if you understand the concept, here's a little test.

A moral breeder will:

A. provide each dog with their own couch and private garden, show them Disney movies, feed them holistic dog-cookies and give them massages twice a week. This breeder will produce a litter no more than once every three years (and this person will produce no more than 10 litters in their entire lifetime).

B. ensure that he/she has a variety of dogs available to breed to, so that he/she can engineer compatible pairings - to avoid producing dogs with unsuitable temperaments, unsound bodies or any congenital health problems. Since expertise takes time and experience to acquire, this breeder will have been involved in this breed for many years, studying pedigrees, meeting other breeders and dogs, and hopefully has a good understanding of genetic inheritance through study and/or experience raising other types of animals etc.

If you answered A., your puppy-buying experience will be like playing Russian Roulette. You MIGHT end up with a good dog . . . you might not. Choosing this breeder is like choosing a hairstylist who never went to beauty school and gives a hair-cut once every other year. :)

The correct answer is, of course, B. In addition to finding someone who has produced good dogs (not someone who purchased a good dog and then ran around the country showing it at dog-shows) you'll want to find someone who's honest and ethical. Someone who will do what they believe is RIGHT and best for the future and health of the breed regardless of current fads, and regardless of whether or not it wins them any popularity contests.

Remember, you can't simply take two great dogs, breed them together and get great puppies. Breeders need to know the strengths and weaknesses of each dog, and more importantly, what's BEHIND them (the strengths & weakness of their ancestors), and what traits each has or will produce. Additionally, some lines are compatible and some are not. And within lines, some dogs are compatible, whereas others are not. Since the average "breeder" or fancier stays involved in the breed for just seven years, this means most breeders have not taken the time to really get familiar with these things.

Breeding dogs isn't the same as just owning dogs. When choosing homes for my puppies, I'm happy if I find someone who may provide their dog with his own couch and private garden, show him movies, feed him holistic dog-cookies and give him a massage twice a week. This is a very caring owner!

But being a good owner does not equal the ability to produce quality puppies.

If you want a quality-bred dog who'll be a joy to know and love, then go slow, be smart and always take recommendations and rumors with a grain of salt.

I hope this helps you in your search!

Cheryl

Oasis staffordshire bull terrier rescue and rehoming assistance in spokane Washington Breeder of quality Staffordshire Bull Terriers Bred selectively for soundness of body, mind and soul. Staffordshire Bull Terrier breeder with emphasis on stable temperaments, affection and athletic health. Staffords for home and hearth. Breeding quality English StaffyBull puppies conforming to grand champion ancestors type with special attention to breed preservation. Striving to produce a dog superior in agility and athletic ability who is a loyal, loving pet. Staffordshire bull terrier is the nanny dog, hearth terrier children child’s pet and ultimate family pet. Puppies available only occasionally and only by prior reservation to approved homes only - maintaining the sound stable strong muscular agile athletic affectionate gentle loving loyal protector who is intelligent beautiful and of solid build. The English StaffyBull, or sometime knowns as staffy or staffies are the ultimate nanny dog of the UK.

Angel Rock - Classic British Staffords

STAFFORDSHIRE BULL TERRIERS

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