Your puppy Search

As a self employed groomer ...from time to time I ask customers where they have purchased their pets.  Most of the time they are not from reputable breeders, some are from pet stores, some from puppymills.
They always have the same answer " well we just wanted a pet....it doesn't matter".  It does matter. Perhaps  it is ignorance.  Therefore I am going to provide information  that may help you  decide if it matters or not. I have also added what I feel is small tidbits that may be harder to find on the net.

the Main thing you want to know is WHY is the Breeder Breeding?
 Are they breeding to fulfill a selfish personal goal  ?
- they want to  make a few extra bucks
- they think raising bloodhounds it a good experience for their kids
-they love they bloodhound and want another just like her
-they feel bloodhounds are rare in their area and all their friends want one

The Bloodhound is one of the oldest breeds. They are Noble and dignified dogs that deserve to be treated as such.  They are wonderful dogs but not for everyone. People who carelessly breed them and place them in unsuitable homes are ruining the breed.

when researching any breed one of the main things you should research are the potential health issues of that said breed. Bloodhounds for example  ; hip/elbow displaysia , heart issues,  bloat/torsion, allergies, skin issues,  epilepsy , eye problems and cancer are the main potential issues. So without  replying on the hope that people are honest how do you investigate the health of someones dogs?

Most all reputable bloodhound breeders in North America submit health Clearances through OFA.  The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.

The Mission of the OFA

To promote the health and welfare of companion animals through a reduction in the incidence of genetic disease

The OFA is guided by the following four specific objectives:

The OFA Databases

The OFA databases are core to the organization’s objective of establishing control programs to lower the incidence of inherited disease.  Responsible breeders have an inherent responsibility to breed healthy dogs.  The OFA databases serve all breeds of dogs and cats, and provide breeders a means to respond to the challenge of improving the genetic health of their breed through better breeding practices.  The testing methodology and the criteria for evaluating the test results for each database were independently established by veterinary scientists from their respective specialty areas, and the standards used are generally accepted throughout the world. The OFA databases are listed to the left of this page and are expanded as more tests become available.

For Bloodhounds the tests that recommended are; Cardiac, hip, elbow, eye certification. Some check Patellas  and as of recently there is a new test For DM. for more information see the OFA site.

Scientific breeding

For the most part Reputable breeders and Backyard Breeders of bloodhounds have one thing in common . They Love Bloodhounds. Some backyard breeders do a lot of Damage to this breed with their ignorance.
One thing there is NO excuse for is not Testing dogs through OFA.  At times a dog will not pass one thing or another, I cannot  give a list of what is ok and what is not.  This choice depends on many factors and it is the ethics and chance the breeder is willing to take but people MUST test to know what they have  and puppy buyers can make their own choice if they too are comfortable with the results from the clearances.
Although OFA is located in the U.S anyone can use it. You simply see a vet preferably one who has experience with x-raying hips and elbows through OFA .  For xraying  hips and elbows the cost is usually 300$ seding the results in costs 25$.  If people cannot afford this they shouldn't breed PERIOD! OFA is also a public Database so the results are viewable to anyone.
The goal in any reputable breeders breeding program should be to preserve and improve their said breed. As scientific breeders we must use the tools available to use such as OFA to ensure our goals are met.  We cannot let our hearts get in the way  and breed dogs who are not worthy of breeding  as far as; health conformation, temperament,  or genetic integrity. Most reputable breeders have read and understand the basics of genetics. A breeder should have accurate in depth information about their dogs and the 8 generations of their pedigrees.

Understanding Pedigrees and how to research them

A pedigree can tell you a world of Knowledge if you know what you are looking for.  There is vast information on pedigrees of dogs who have been shown more so than backyard bred dogs. Let's use my boy Jereth as an example.

All reputable breeders have their kennel names in the registered name of all puppies they produce. An exception I can think of  is in France where you have to purchase a kennel name. Jereth's Grandmother Royale was registered as just Royale. Later on this breeder got a kennel name  so Jereth's father was Bastian (du Hameau Jouas). Some breeders use litter themes, this makes things fun and also helps sort out litters better. Other countries are assigned a different letter for every year such as in Belgium this year is  J  therefore all the puppies will be named names starting with this letter.

CH LongScent Legends Labyrinth at Boru

this name tells me first that this dog is a champion by the CH infront of his name. Secondly it tells me there are 2 breeders on this litter Longscent and legends bloodhounds. the at Boru part indicates he is with me. When you see a Name in a pedigree you can always research it. An example google Legend's bloodhounds. When you see a dogs name in a pedigree you can also search that name on the OFA database or the kennel name so you can see if the dogs have been tested and what the results are.

A few years ago a friend of mine created a pedigree CD for the american bloodhound club.  It has hundreds of pedigrees on it. you can keep clicking forward going behind ancestors . For Jereth I once kept clicking back on his ancestors and the furthest I could go was a dog Named Ol ship wreck who was born in the 1800's.

When breeders do not know information about their dogs grand parents how can they be making sound breeding decisions when they have no data to base it on? I often See adds for puppies where people write " Brightons Bloodhounds or Brightons lines!"  For your Information  Lily Inkeringill (breeder of Brightons in England) has not had a litter since 2002!  A lot of backyard breeders have gotten their hands on this line. Because their dogs are usually not Champions or Championship material they find a "Name" in their pedigree and exploit it.  This is a classic case of riding on someone else's  Coat tail.  I do not care what name brand you throw at me please to all the same investigations into the breeder and their program.  90%  of all bloodhounds in north America go back to Brightons or a Brighton dog within 8-10 generations of their pedigree.  I am very proud to hbave some of the lines I do in my pedigrees. For instance Jereth has a grandfather who is the second most winning bloodhound in the show ring in the U.S . I do not use this to sell puppies!

 
Show, Obedience & Temperament Titles

Let's address the question of "What good are titles?". I hear many people say "Why does it matter if my dog's parents have titles? I just want a pet - titles are just a lot of fancy stuff for show dogs." First of all, it *does* matter. Seeing titles lets you know that the breeder of your dog is interested in MORE than just the breeding of dogs - it lets you know that they are serious about improving their breed, not just taking advantage of it. Please, do not be fooled by the claim that this dog has "Champion Lines" or "Champions in the Pedigree". Seeing a few champions two or three generations back does NOT tell you anything about your dog's breeder, except that they haven't done any showing themselves. Knowing that the mother and father of your new pet are conformation Champions ("CH") increases your chances of getting an adult dog that looks the way the breed you chose is supposed to look - and looks are no doubt part of the reason why you *chose* that breed. Knowing that your new pup's parents have an obedience, therapy or CGC title lets you know that your pup came from dogs with more than just looks - that his parents were smart, intelligent examples of the breed you're going to spend the next ten+ years of your life with.

There are different titles for conformation or obedience a dog can obtain through various dog organizations. While it is not necessary for the parents to have any, titles do suggest that the breeder is interested in promoting and improving the breed. There is a saying that "A balanced dog has a title at both ends" - you see, show titles go at the front of a dog's name, and obedience, temperament and therapy titles go at the end of a dog's name. Therefore, a dog with titles at both ends is sound in mind AND looks. Here's an example of an imaginary dog:

BIS, BISS, AKC/CKC Ch. Boru's just an example MXT, CGC

This dog has the following titles:

BIS - this is an UNOFFICIAL Abbreviation for "Best in Show" - it means the dog has won an all breed best in show.

BISS - this is an UNOFFICIAL Abbreviation for "Best in Specialty Show" - it means the dog has been judged the very best dog of it's breed at a show held for that breed ONLY.

American Kennel Club Conformation title (AKC Ch) - means the dog is a Champion in the USA. Canadian Kennel Club Conformation title (CKC Ch) - means the dog is a Champion in Canada. See below for the explanation of "UD" and "CGC".

You can learn more about any of these activites in the news group rec.pets.dogs.activities - It covers such Dog events as showing, obedience, agility, etc.

To learn more about Conformation Showing (Which is how a dog becomes a Champion), click here

Champion

The designation "Champion" (May be shortened to "Ch") means a dog has competed against other dogs of the same breed and has been deemed structurally a good example of the breed. A dog may obtain Championships in more than the country he or she is owned in. Hence, a dog may be known as Am, Can, Berm., Ch So and So's Old Yeller. This indicates the dog is a champion in America , Canada and Bermuda. Dogs competing at a higher level - sometimes referred to as "Specials" - may have such unofficial designations as BIS or BISS - BIS means the dog has won an all breed Best In Show, BISS means a dog has won a Best In Specialty Show (Held for just one breed).

Cost can reflect quality

Bloodhounds can be over priced and of poor quality or poor quality or you can see the low price reflects this. If you see a Bloodhound for 500$ be sure that somethings got to give. I would like to share my costs from my first litter so you can see how much money I made NOT. You do not make money breeding when you take the proper steps. It is easy to profit from a litter when you do not show, when you do not do any health clearances, when you breed out of convenience.

My first litter
 
I spent a few thousand showing Anya to her Championship, when you consider entry fees, travel and accommodations.
Health clearances xrays 300.00
cardiac 60
eye certification 40

On the breeding

800$ -spending a week in Wisconsin
400$- Progesterone testing
450$ surgical insemination of frozen semen. (sire was born in 1988)
60$  for ultrasound to confirm puppies
400$ in whelping supplies and materials to make whelping box
100$  for xray at day 45 to get a final count
 2000.00$ in lost wages for time off
800$ for first set of shots
130$ for microships for puppies
1000.00 in food and milk replacer . This amount could have been more, while nursing Anya was fed sardines, tuna, and other rich foods . I fed the puppies Orijen puppy food which is 60$ a bag and I went through 2 bags a week
45-50 $ per puppies for registration
$1500 stud fee for stud owner
200$ A few of the puppies stayed longer so I paid for their second and third sets of shots
1200$ keeping Esme

Total  9930.00



I sold my puppies for 1200.00 each  they were CKC registered . CHampion sire and dam with very few non Champions in the pedigree. The high volume breeder in Alberta sold her puppies for 100$ less.  If you cannot afford 1500 for a puppy sometimes breeders may have older available puppies for less or you can consider rescue but please do not settle for unethical breeders.