1. I don't want to show my dog? Why should I buy from a breeder?

If you want a high quality pet and the best buy for your money, you need to deal with a breeder. There are different levels of “breeders”, and you need to know the difference so that you can make the best decision for you and your family.

First, there are show breeders. Show breeders breed to the highest standard of excellence. They usually do every genetic test necessary for the breed. Show breeders go to all the shows to achieve their Championship goals. Often, this involves hiring professional groomers and handlers, not to mention the expense of showing. Show dogs establish the standard for the poodle breed.

Next, there are professional breeders. I am one of these. Our goal is to produce the best quality PET stock possible, using “show” standards to keep us mindful of that goal. Following the guidelines set forth by the Poodle Club of America, we also do genetic testing. Because we scrutinize what we do and adhere to defined breeding practices we are producing a superior pet.

Everyone has seen unbalanced Poodles that look like “wiener” dogs - very long backed and short legged. These dogs are of poor quality, lacking the “poodle prance” for which the breed is famous. These are poodles in name only. As wee pups they may be cute, but their long puppy coats are masking a poor quality product.

Next, is what I refer to as the “occasional breeder”. These folks usually have a couple of family pets that they occasionally breed. They can be a great place to get a pup IF they have started with top quality stock. I have set-up many families that enjoy this breeding practice. I have chosen the best two dogs for them to raise, with the intended goal of breeding. Thus, they are set up to win! More often than not, however, their stock is not of the quality necessary to consistently produce high quality pets.

Last, are the strictly “pups for bucks” breeders”. We are all seeing the stories on the news of the puppy mills and puppy smuggling rings.