Just read the article on Berners in Dog Fancy (GREAT ad, by the way,
guys. Truly nice.) and have a question for the breeders out there:
I get concerned when I see ads for Berners that say "puppies available".
I'm not quite so concerned when I see breeders' ads that say "Is the
Berner the right dog for you?", etc. I am not a breeder, nor do I want
to be, but I am concerned about the future of the breed. I know that the
expense of a Berner puts most people off who aren't pretty serious about
getting a dog. But how do you, as breeders, determine whether a buyer is
good enough for one of your puppies, and how often do you find that you
will refuse a sale? I'm sure this varies, as there are plenty of people
in it because they love the breed, and others in it who want to make $$.
Not that we don't all like money, but I prefer buying from a breeder who
WILL turn buyers away because she's/he's concerned about what happens to
the dog when it leaves.
We got all of our guys from Julie Steinheimer at Heart of Hope Kennels,
and she was pretty crafty at interviewing us without us knowing. Later,
when we were out for a visit, we actually saw her turn away someone who
seriously wanted a puppy because she felt she just wasn't right for the
breed.
So I'm curious about this. As breeders, what do you guys do to "protect"
the breed from a bad matchup as best you can?
Andie Reid
Mother of the Monkey Dogs Tugboat and Steamboat who polished off a
banana between them today. (They LOVE bananas)
Wilmington, NC
