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| If no, why not? 2. Are you a member of a regional/local Wheaten dog club? If no, why not? At this point, you should strongly consider another source for a Wheaten puppy. 3. Are you a member of any dog club? If no, you definitely do not want a puppy from this person. Those breeders who do not belong to a dog club are breeding for all of the wrong reasons. Dog club members are made up of those folks involved in conformation (dog shows) and performance events such as obedience, rally and agility. If it is three or more litters, ask why so many litters! This is also not a good sign unless it is a long established breeder that co-owns show dogs with other people. If this is the case, many times the co-owners do not want to whelp a litter so the bitch goes back to their breeders home to whelp. 5. What health tests do you do prior to a breeding? The answer should be hips/eyes/full blood and urine panels. Ask for a copy of the health tests. If the breeder is unwilling to share the results, walk away! 6. What health tests do you require of the Stud Dog prior to breeding? The answer should be hips/eyes/full blood and urine panels. 7. How many litters has the dam had? Due to the genetic issues with no known mode of inheritance, no dam should be bred more than three times at a maximum! 8. How many litters has the sire sired? Again, due to the genetic issues with no known mode of inheritance, a sire should not be used frequently. 9. Do you ship puppies? Again, it is important that you not purchase a puppy from this type of person. You need to see the environment in which the puppies were raised and not rely upon a couple of photos. You want to see the condition of the dam and other dogs in the house. You want to interact with the dam to get an idea of her temperament because that will give you an idea of the temperament of the pups. 10. Will you place a puppy under 8 weeks of age? A huge NO! Puppies should not be taken away from their dam that early. From 4 weeks on the dam is teaching the puppies correct behavior and her influence is very important. The majority of reputable hobby breeders will not place a puppy prior to 10 weeks of age at a minimum. 11. If my life circumstances change and I can no longer care for my Wheaten, will you take it back? The answer should be yes. Responsible hobby breeders are responsible for any dog they bred throughout the lifetime of that dog. |
| The best way to meet local Reputable Hobby Breeders is to attend dog shows in your area. You can find a list of upcoming dog shows by searching on the AKC website. AKC EVENT SEARCH Select your state and breed - Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier This will give you a list of upcoming dog shows to attend. |
