Best way to find a healthy dog?

[CEvert]

Just wonder what checks do people do when looking for a healthy dog? I was reading various articles the other day and they were saying that even going to a KC registered breeder is no guarantee that guideline practices have been followed, and that people often take the breeders word instead of checking documents themselves.

[Twiddlebum]

Hi, it totally depends on what breed of dog you are looking for. I grew up with my mum breeding a type of dog (basset hounds) which is fairy unusual. From that I learnt that many breeders only use either their own dogs or a very small gene pool to breed. They pretty much all show their dogs so its all about competition and blood lines. If a breeder has a bitch and wants a litter then they generally pay a high price to use a champion stud dog. Problem with that is that everyone is using the same few dogs which ends up with interbreeding and loads of genetic problems. Mating a bitch with its grandfather for example is common practice!! Also breeding from dogs with known genetic problems is also very common.
What I'm trying to say is that in terms of health, just because a dog has kennel club papers that look impressive with loads of crafts champions on its breed sheet doesn't mean it will be healthy.....normally quite the opposite!!
Your bog standard crossbreed mutt is likely to be healthier as the gene pool has been opened up which greatly reduced inbred genetic disorders. (Pet insurance is cheaper for cross breeds for that reason!)

[Twiddlebum]

I have two working cockers (pure bred) but I made sure I got them from proper working gun dog training kennels. They rely heavily on their reputation to provide working dogs that are healthy into old age and have the correct temperament etc (rather than just what they look like!!)
My two are pets only and we don't work them but all people I know that have labs, retrievers, sprinters, cockers etc do the same. They are obviously more expensive that the usual dog from the paper but worth every penny in my opinion

[Twiddlebum]

Also breeders have been known to lie...... They may have put on the KC papers that they used a certain stud dog to sire a litter to hide the fact that they used a dog with known hip/eye/temperament issues because they are after a certain 'look' in order to win dog shows. Alot of these breeders/showers rehome the dogs after a few years so don't really care what happens to them health wise later on.
Its a very murky world!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

First research you breed thoroughly find out what testing is recommended by the kennel club and also there may be other testing that really thorough breeders also do, for example boxers good breeders have additional heart checks done.
Always ensure you see original documents for these tests not copies.

[Butterflylovers]

Wonder how many breeders actually do health checks.
I have heard stories where some breeders used copies of health checks when none have been carried out and naïve buyers simply took their words for it and they have been lumbered with less than a totally healthy dog.
As well as asking for documents and questions about the dog, you can also look for signs when you are there ...... do not be afraid to walk away if you are not satisfied.


pets.webmd.com/dogs/guide/choosing-healthy-puppy

[Scuttlebutter]

It's great that you are thinking carefully about this issue. There are some excellent resources to use and look at. A good starting point is the Pedigree Dogs Exposed blog - this discusses a lot of the progress being made in identifying and correcting breed specific health problems. link here The Kennel Club have quite a bit of information on their website - but you have to know where to look and what to look for. They have currently a number of breeds that they regard as high profile - these are breeds which even the KC recognises as having some major health problems and issues here - if you are interested in one of these breeds, you really must do your homework. The Dog Breed Health website is also a treasure trove of information with lots of stuff about COI for each breed and health issues/tests - strongly recommended. link