Dorsetdog - Breed puppy availability

The National Breed Clubs hold a register of breeders who have pups available.

The following is the most important thing that you need to read before obtaining a dog

The word "Breed" refers to the type of dog, i.e. Cavalier King Charles Spaniel or Poodle.

The word "Pedigree" means a dog whose parents and lineage are all of the same pedigree breed, i.e. a Cavalier produced purely from generations of cavaliers on both the mother's (Dam) and father's (sire) side without contamination from other breeds.

Just about every pedigree breed has health issues identified with them, but a large number of dogs within the breed will not have those health issues. You should research health issues for your chosen breed, and then choose a caring breeder.

Responsible breeders of pedigree dogs follow a code of ethics, and carry out health checks before breeding to see if the dog is ok to breed from at that date.

These medical tests can include MRI scanning, along with heart tests by experienced cardiologists and eye tests by experienced optometrists – and all of this costs the breeder money.

The examined dogs are all micro chipped, to ensure that the dog tested is the dog that gets the certificates.

Puppies advertised in your local paper may well be from a mating where neither dog has been health tested.

The reason why a pedigree dog costs more is due to the Breed's code of ethics and medical testing. Remember that the breeder will have to travel some distance to get their dog scanned and tested, as these tests are not carried out by the local Vet.

Breeders of pedigree dogs who follow the code take great care in choosing the stud for their bitch, in carrying out the health tests on the bitch, and even greater care in selecting the potential owner for their puppies.

If you respond to an advert, and the seller advises that you can pick it up this afternoon for £xx, then you know that what you are buying has not come from health tested animals, and the seller does not care about the puppies or even care about the breed.

A caring breeder will interview you, and ask about your home environment and life style. If you take offense at these questions then you clearly are not suited to own a pedigree dog. In return, you should ask the breeder as many questions as you like. Any breeder who refuses to answer the most simple questions should be walked away from.

If you go looking for a crossed pedigree breed, such as a poodle and a Labrador for example, then you will have to consider the health issues of both breeds. It is doubtful that a mating of two pedigree breeds will have been health tested to those breed's Code of Ethics, so you do not know what issues the breeding pair might be passing on to their offspring.

A caring breeder will enter in to a contract with you, and ask that if something goes wrong or your circumstances change, that you return the dog to the breeder – even years down the line. Someone who refuses to consider taking the dog back is probably just a back yard breeder who is out for profit from their poor dog.

Go here to read more on pedigree breed's health problems

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/

And

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/health-and-dog-care/what-we-do-for-dog-health/breeding-resources-and-health-schemes/

If you are buying from a Breeder whose dogs are registered with the Kennel Club - then you can check online if the parent dog has been health tested here

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/services/public/mateselect/test/Default.aspx

The Kennel Club has a facility to find a puppy of your breed choice here

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/find-a-puppy/

Breed rescue contacts

Cavalier rescue www.cavalierrescue.co.uk/index.htm

CKCS Club www.thecavalierclub.co.uk/start.html

West of England CKCS www.cavaliers.co.uk/westofeng/rescue.htm

The West of England rescue covers quite a wide area. It includes Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and parts of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire. They are a very hard working band of dedicated people led by our rescue co-ordinator Miss Gillian Greenall. Helpers are always needed. Gillian has to cover many miles to collect dogs and if anyone can help in any way she is always grateful for the offer. If you need to re-home your dog or would like to give a loving home to one of our rescue dogs please contact.