How do you find a good breeder of Airedales?

Dear Jubilee,

How do you find a good breeder of Airedales? I see ads in the paper and the dogs are much cheaper than the dogs with the breeders that I am told to call. How can I determine who is a good breeder and who is not?

Searching In Sarasota

Dear Searching,

We usually recommend that people look for a breeder who is a member of the Airedale Terrier Club of America (ATCA). These breeders breed their Airedales to the official Airedale standard, and they test the conformation of their dogs in the show ring. As members of the ATCA, they sign a Breeder’s Pledge to be listed in the club’s breeder database, and they are bound by the club’s Code of Ethics. If you go to www.airedale.org, and click on Your Dog, then on Choosing a Breeder, you will find these documents as well as some good tips on how to choose a responsible breeder.

 My advice to you would be to ask any breeder that you consider getting a puppy from the following questions:

Ask to see a pedigree. It is not important that there be a lot of champions (although the champions indicate that the breeder is having their dogs' structure evaluated by outside judges, not just for appearance but also for sound structure and movement); it is important that the breeder know almost as much about the dogs behind the dogs they are breeding as if they had owned the dogs themselves. This means the breeder has spent a lot of time figuring out who they are breeding and why; what qualities of structure, health, temperament, etc. they want; it also means that they know the genetic possibilities that can crop up in dogs of their breeding.  

Ask about the health of the dogs in the last three generations on the pedigree – ask lots of questions about the health of the three generations preceding your puppy, the temperaments of these generations, how long they lived, etc.

Ask the breeder what the OFA ratings are on the dogs in the pedigree: (you want a puppy whose parents are Fair, Good, or Excellent), OFA is the organization that reads the x-rays of the hips on these dogs to determine if they have canine hip dysplasia (CHD) or if there is a tendency towards it. You can also check on the dogs yourself by going to http://www.offa.org/search.html . On this page, you indicate the condition (hip dysplasia), the breed, some part of the dog’s name (you can use the kennel name), and what years to search. This way, you can check whether a breeder does OFA or not. If they do not do OFA, then you want them to have done PennHIP. Whether they use OFA or PennHIP, ask the breeder to show you the official certifications for both parents of the puppy.

Ask how they determine if their breeding dogs and their puppies are structurally sound. Here you want to know what kinds of evaluations were done on the puppies to determine what tasks they may be best suited for, what characteristics were noted in their temperaments, and what qualities they might be expected to have as they mature. Ask what outside evaluations have been done to judge the quality of their breeding dogs. Ask them to describe what they look for in a dog that they are going to breed – even if you do not know what to look for yourself, you will recognize if the breeder knows what to look for. 

Ask whether the puppies were whelped in the home and how long the puppies were reared in the home. If they were not whelped and raised in the home, ask what has been done to ensure that the puppies are prepared for living in your home.

Ask what kind of work they do to socialize the puppies, get the puppies used to new situations, and get them eager to work with people (you can read about the work we did with puppies at www.jubileepuppies.blogspot.com.)  The period between five and eight weeks is a critical development period in puppies, and they need to be with their littermates to go through this period. They also need a lot of new things in their environment every day.

 Ask if they will take the dog back at any time in its life if your situation should change. All responsible breeders guarantee that they will do this. Most guarantee a refund for a certain length of time and after that, they will still find the dog a new home to ensure that the dog goes into a good home for Airedales.

You want a breeder who tells you, without your having to ask, that they want the dog back if for any reason at any time you cannot keep it. You want a breeder who cares what kind of life these little puppies are going to have and who wants each puppy to have a very good life for its whole life. If a breeder tells you that it is not possible to guarantee taking the dog back if your circumstances change, that breeder is telling you that they don't care what happens to that dog if you need to rehome it. They also don't care if Airedale Rescue, a group of overworked volunteers, has to take it in and rehome it. And finally, they are telling you that they don't have a very large network of Airedale breeders that they are in contact with on a daily basis—such a network helps people home dogs that can no longer stay in their homes. We don't see this very often, but in every case, the people took the puppies expecting the dogs would be with them for life. When emergencies come up, they at least do not have to worry about what will become of the dog.

Be alert to the questions the breeder asks you: you want a breeder who wants to know about your home, your expectations of the dog, your life style (eg., active outdoor people, more sedentary, etc.) -- all of these things help that breeder to know (1) if their puppies will find a good home with you, but more importantly (2) which puppy will best fit into your life style. If you are active and get a puppy that doesn't enjoy a lot of activity, or if you are more sedentary and you get a whirlwind of energy, well, you can see what I mean. Good breeders are looking for a good fit between the puppy and its new family. In fact, really good breeders will spend quite a bit of time talking with you on the phone before they ever meet you. Then they will want to meet you, and finally, they will pick out which puppy they believe will best fit your needs and requirements. We spent close to 20 hours per family in order to ensure that each puppy went into the right home for its temperament and its energy levels.

Ask if you can call the breeder at any time with questions that come up as you and your puppy get to know each other. That breeder should be available to –and should want to –answer questions –good breeders prefer you come to them than go to someone who doesn't know their lines.

Good luck,
Jubilee