Provide safe nurturing conditions for their dogs and for any dogs they place with other owners - Because the welfare of BMDs should be the paramount goal of any breeder.
Learn about your interests and goals in dog ownership - Because if the breed or individual dog and its owner aren't well suited to each other, the dog could develop behavior or health problems causing the owner and the dog to be discontented.
Know their family of dogs well and will not place a dog before they know if a dog is a good match with the lifestyle and expectations of the buyer - Because every family of dogs possesses unique traits and has its own particular management concerns which affect the dog's suitability for its owner.
Be committed to developing and sharing information on BMD health and management issues - By having a resource, who can offer valuable dog management advise, you can save time and money, and maximize your effectiveness training and-caring for your dog.
Believe it is important to have extensive information on the health, structure and character, plus any other useful information about their dogs and those dogs' ancestors, before undertaking any breeding - Because you are more likely to get a dog that will live a long life in good health, if breeding dogs are paired to maximize family strengths and minimize family weaknesses
Will never tell you that their dogs come from pedigrees with no health problems - The fact is, ALL BMD pedigrees contain dogs with good and problematic traits. A breeder who is able to assess and represent an accurate picture of their breeding program is realistic and honest
Will try to gather and share pertinent genetic information on their breeding dogs, which includes providing, upon request, copies of certifications for hips, elbows, eyes, heart, thyroid, and von Willebrands disease as issued by recognized registries such as OFA, GDC, CERF, etc... - When dogs produced, from a well executed breeding strategy, undergo genetic screening, the information can be applied by the breeder to make breeding choices that minimize faults in ALL dogs, both future breeding animals as well as those placed as non-breeding pets.
Will not sell breeding/show stock to owners who are not seriously interested in pursuing those objectives - Breed/show stock often cost more and require a considerable commitment of time and resources by both the breeder and the owner
Provides you with a pedigree of the puppy, including health, structure and temperament information on the parents and ancestors - Because the depth of pedigree information that a breeder has and provides allows both the breeder and you to have a firmer grasp of what can be expected in puppies and adult dogs
Provides you with a written contract before there is any exchange of money, including a deposit - It is important for you to have a written record outlining the breeder's and your responsibilities, including definition of what kind of dog and services you are paying for.
Will clarify, to your satisfaction, any unclear contractual obligations or any notable conditions which could act to nullify or change any guarantees - Allows you to be assured that the contract you will sign, at the time you get your dog, is a workable and acceptable agreement between you and the breeder.
Provides you with copies of AKC registrations for both the sire and dam - Proves your puppy is a purebred BMD, and further, that the parents of your dogs were registered as breeding stock animals with the AKC
Takes pride in how their dogs are kept and will have no problem with you scheduling a visit to their property - Allows you to meet the dogs and their owners so you can see
the conditions and assess the character of the breeder and their dogs
Will never sell pups or dogs to agents, brokers or pet shops - Because the
resellers' focus is not the welfare of dogs but is for the resellers' financial
gain Accept lifetime responsibility for dogs they place, including assisting in
re-homing a dog if necessary - No breeder should ever be responsible for adding
to society's burden of unwanted, homeless animals.
Will provide veterinary references and/or references of people who already own dogs from the breeder. - Vet references or references from people who have actually bought dogs from the breeder allow you to get someone else's view of that breeder.
Should always try to be available to answer questions and encourage you to share information and comments you have about your dog - Provides you with a breeder who cares about the kind of dogs they produce and one who is interested in helping you with your dog.