Over the years I have encounter a multitude of families and each have their own reason for wanting a dog, but we have to be diligent when looking for a companion and have to make a thoughtful decision free of impulsive acts (even though we all share a love for the breed we have to make the effort to find the best sound pet to become the lifelong companion) Below is a little information to help educate you when looking for a breeder;
Research, research, research……..
Just the thought of puppy breath and the pitter-patter of little paws through the house could be enough to cloud judgment when selecting a Weimaraner puppy/breeder (DON’T LET THIS HAPPEN) and please don’t settle because you are not able to wait a little longer for the ideal puppy. Almost every notable responsible breeder will have a waiting list (IT’S A FACT) and unfortunately adopting a puppy from craigslist or other classified web ads may not be the best approach for buying a puppy. Why? You might ask- well because these people are breeding and producing puppies without suitable homes lined up, and if no thought is given prior to breeding and setting up an interest list then how do we know that these dogs have been screened, evaluated, and proven to be breeding candidates? How do we know this was not an accidental litter that could be inbred? How do we know that these dogs are genetically healthy? How do we know- so many variables of the unknown are frightening to say the least, and if there are puppies being sold on these websites there is a good chance that the owners are not informed or making the right decision as to why they think their dog was a good candidate for breeding. I know this may sound crazy and unconventional but when you are looking for a companion for your family wouldn't you want the peace of mind in knowing your dog’s history, ancestry, and origin…. Time and time again I get emails from people who had an unfavorable incident with a craigslist puppy and the untimely death from disease or needing to be re-homed due to unsound temperaments.
Pay attention to details………
Finding the right breeder will be time consuming, but also rewarding. Google is a wonderful resource for breeder information and cross checking someone(if you want to know how many breeds are being bred by a breeder Google their phone number). The American Kennel Club has a website designed as a tool for owners, breeders, and enthusiast. www.akc.org would be a good start to identify local clubs, state clubs and nationwide breed specific clubs. These clubs adhere to strict guidelines and encourage responsible breeding. In addition to that, seek out local breed meetups in your area, this will let you meet a variety of weimaraners and get to talk with the owners to see where they acquired their dog and how their overall experience was with their breeder and how their dog developed.
When you find a few breeders of interest.........
Talk with them as much as possible, ask many questions about the breed to see their level of knowledge and commitment. Be sure to ask for copies of the health guarantee prior to deposit placement, read through all their documents and ask questions because some breeders may try and outline a very thin contract which will release them of any real responsibility when it comes to congenital or hereditary conditions that may become present. A huge read flag would be a limited or time specific guarantee(like for example: 6 months) this to me would cause me to rethink that breeder because everyone knows that certain conditions are not made present or even detectable until a few years(like hip dysplasia) At the very least you should have a 2 year warranty for skeletal/joint issues as you can only preform OFA certifications at 24 months of age(OFA preliminaries can be done sooner but are not going to be as reliable). Ask for references(both veterinarian and previous puppy owners), also ask to see their home, and parents of the pups(unless a stud dog was used then the female should be present at the least). More read flags; not allowing you into their home, not being able to allow you to meet the parents, insisting on delivering the puppy, or lack of information about their dogs and health history...
This is a small section of information to help aide you in the adoption process, more information coming soon............