What to look for in a "classifieds" dog
At what ages do signs of the various genetic diseases crop up and can a non-vet pick up any indications of genetic problems while checking out the dog at the sellers home? |
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| There are some good breeders here who can give you great advice on getting a puppy. My initial response would be not to go through a classified ad but to look for breeder recommendations from others who own OES> |
I'm half afraid to ask why you ask  Are you planning on testing yourself? Because, no, most of these things cannot be easily caught by the lay-person, or even a regular vet, at that age. (you need specialists to check eyes (juvenile cataracts etc), hearing and cardiac issues, for starters) Hypothyroidism, allergies and hip dysplasia all show up later in life. As do most temperament problems.
If you actually see the litter in person, you risk exposing yourself to the "awww" factor (all puppies are cute - period) and then the next thing you know, you forget yourself, forget to ask the breeder to see the parents' OFA (hips) and CERF (eyes) certifications she insists she has but can't seem to find...,you forget to ask whether the puppies were BAER tested (hearing) or had their eyes checked and...it's just impossible to look at a litter of puppies and not lose your brain. I know so many otherwise sensible, intelligent, educated people who have fallen prey to this syndrome. Almost no one is immune to PAS (Puppy Awww Syndrome). Even worse if you don't like the conditions they are in. Then you (the universal you, not you personally) buy that cute little guy and convince yourself you "rescued" him, when, in fact, all you (universal you, of course) did was signal to his breeder that the demand is there, so she repeats the litter or whatever and the cycle continues. I do enjoy reading classifieds and trying to translate. AKC registered - wow! - there are nothing but Old English Sheepdogs in their pedigree! 
Both parents on premises - though it is nice to have both parents on premises (so you can meet them) and some times reputable breeders are able to use one of their own dogs (i.e. males), more often than not the right mate for their bitch is not under their kitchen table but halfway across the country. Often both on premises means they bought a male to breed to whatever female(s) they have so they can keep on churning out puppies without worrying about stud fees or trying to find someone who would let them breed their bitch to their male. Championship bloodlines - OK, what does this mean? Short answer? Usually not much. Go far enough back, you're going to find CHs in all our dogs pedigrees. Eh, and so? If the breeder could document that they came from 5 solid generations of documented OFA hips good or excellent parents, now I'm starting to get a little impressed, with or without the CH bloodlines. health guaranteed - that's very nice, but covering what? For how long? What is your recourse if your now 8 mos old puppy that you love more than life turns out to be severely dysplastic and needs two new hips? Do you have to give him back and they'll give you another one? (with the same genetic risk, here we go again) Or will they refund your money so you can apply it towards the cost of his surgery? Or...? Read the fine print any use of the term snow capped, blue eyes or differential pricing for same - run for you life!!!! I can guarantee you this breeder is not a remotely serious breeder - and I'd be looking very, very carefully for BAER certs on those puppies to make sure they aren't deaf Just a few that come to mind. I'm sure there are many more. Anyone else care to translate or clarify any other key phrases? Kristine |
| Kristine - excellent run down of what terms breeders use to advertise their dogs and what they really mean.
I hesitate to bring this up but, one other I would add is OESCA member. Having boght a dog from an OESCA member who has shown signs of hip displaysia (in the xrays) and having to hear about it after the fact when the sire was diagnosed as having the condition from a third party who had a dog with a more severe condition, I would question whether OESCA "membership" indicates a good breeding program. My dogs are both wonderful, my girl just has excellent hips and comes from a wonderful breeding program and a breeder who is always available to help me with the important stuff. |
| Sorry...need to clarify, I'm thinking adolescent to adult dogs, maybe 1 to 2 years old, not new puppies. Surely some of the various genetic problems start to crop up by a year? |
chowderdawg wrote: Sorry...need to clarify, I'm thinking adolescent to adult dogs, maybe 1 to 2 years old, not new puppies. Surely some of the various genetic problems start to crop up by a year?
Yes, hip dysplasia mainly. Will you see it without x-rays? In some cases it is severe enough by that age that you can guess something is wrong. But only an x-ray will confirm. Allergies - you may be able to see some signs that suggest the dog has allergies. Hypothyroidism? Probably not. Few seem to exhibit the "classic" symptoms, and you don't live with the dog so wouldn't know what is "normal", so, again, only testing... Temperament is more apparent, so that's a definite plus. Kristine |
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