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Things you need to know before adding a new dog to your family or picking a breeder.

We have always believed that one of the most important jobs of being a breeder was educating the general public about swissys, whether someone ever buys a puppy or not. Jon and I have also felt that it was important to educate future puppy buyers about the different types of breeders out there. I won't name names or talk about a breeder's breeding choices if I do not agree with them. But I will try to tell you about some things to look out for. The information all over our website is here for you to use it. That is why you have seen time and time again on our website topics about OFA, CERF, AKC, our national club, The Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Club of America and our regional clubs.
If you are like most new people to swissys, you just started out looking for a puppy. You had no idea everything that would be involved in actually finding a decent puppy. Is it so very hard to find a decent breeder and therefore a decent puppy? No, of course not. There are a lot of great swissy breeders out there. But as swissys have grown in popularity, the types of breeders of swissys has grown also.
 
 
 
Danger signs to look for in breeders: Be wary of a breeder talking badly about another breeder. Be wary of a breeder trying to talk you into showing a puppy that you only wanted as a companion. Make sure deposits placed on a specific litter will be returned if you do not get a puppy out of that litter. Have that in writing, if possible. Be alert to danger signs.

 Always ask to see a copy of the contract before paying for a puppy or putting down a deposit. Some breeders offer no guarantee at all. After you get your puppy, that's it, you are on your own. Some give money back for a show prospect that does not turn out as show and some give money back if your dog has to have surgery for an hereditary problems when surgery is required such as OCD.

You want a breeder that will stand behind their dogs. Some breeders will be there to help for the life of your dog, some are great salespeople but after you get your puppy and they get their money, its like they never heard of you. Just like with buying anything, do your homework and buyer beware. If a breeder will not stand behind their dog it is a good sign that they don't care about the health of the dogs they are breeding.

There are good breeders out there and bad, look for signs to help tell the difference. You have breeders that have been breeding for ten years or longer, some that are highly respected in the Swissy community, but some knowingly  breed dogs that have Epilepsy, Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Dysplasia or OCD and other genetic problems and they either try to hide it or make excuses for it. If you breed a dog with Hip Dysplasia or Elbow Dysplasia its offspring is twice as likely to have this problem. Everything is supply and demand, demand that your breeder only uses dogs that pass all health clearances. Only when more puppy buyers demand this will more breeders start using healthier dogs.

Health

Health is one of the most important aspects of a dog. Every breed has certain health problems associated with that breed. You first need to know what health problems the breed you want has and what your breeder is doing to screen for these problems. Most health problems are genetic and passed down from the parents, so a breeder should do everything they can to help cut down the chances of your puppy having these problems. While no one can guarantee your dog will not have any health problems, a good breeder can cut down the chances of your dog having these problems by doing health clearances.

 

 

Health Clearances

What are health clearances? Health clearances are tests you can have done by a certified vet for certain problems. First is Eyes. Every breeder should have their dogs eyes CERFed. CERF  stands for the Canine Eye Registration Foundation.. A certified vet will check the eyes for cataracts, double eye lashes and other problems. Once the dog's eyes pass, the owner will get a certificate stating that the dog's eyes are clear from CERF. Ask to see the certificates on all health clearances, do not take anybody's word for it. Eye CERFS need to be retested every few years. One test is not for the life of the dog.

Hips. With Swissys and any large breed dog these are very important. Every dog that is bred should have their hips either PennHiped or OFAed. OFA stands for Orthopedic Foundation for Animals . A certified vet will x-ray the dog's hips and send them into OFA, and they will check the hips and grade them. If the dog has good hips, the hip grades excellent, good and fair are within normal limits and are given OFA numbers. If they have a problem or do not pass, they grade them as either  borderline, mild, moderate and severely dysplastic . A dog that does not get an excellent, good or fair grade should never be breed. The better a dog's hips are graded the less chances puppies from this dog will have hip problems. I am not saying the puppies will not have hip problem. But a puppy from a dog with borderline or mild hips has a greater chance of having hip problems. If a dog has been OFAed you can go to the OFA web site and put in the dog's name and it will tell you if the dog passed and what they graded. If the dog did not pass it will not be on there unless the owner tells them to put it on there.

OFA has been around since 1966, and has evaluated over 1.8 million dogs and their accuracy rate is very high.

PennHip started in 1983. PennHip and OFA both test for Hip Dysplasia but do it in completely different ways.  PennHip does not give a passing or failing grade, they just give a number. So the danger of it is some will get a failed reading form OFA and get and use PennHip to say their dogs hips are ok.  The accuracy rate for OFA and PennHip are about the same. But you can PennHip at six months old where the accuracy rate is much less than doing it at two years of age. That is why OFA will only do clearances at two and above, you can have them tested younger that is called a prelim. Getting a PennHip done costs about three times as much as getting a dogs hip's OFAed so there is no reason not to get an OFA on a dogs hips. If a breeder wants to do both PennHip and OFA even better. But I would be leery of someone doing just PennHip.

Some breeders do not test their dog's hips. They might tell you its not important and they have been breeding for years and they have never had any hip problems. Run don't walk from these breeders. There is no reason not to have your breeding dogs tested. The only reason not to test is you're either afraid and know your dog will not pass or they do not want to spend the money on the test. But if they are willing to ask you to put out money for their puppy, they should be willing to spend the money to make sure they are only breeding healthy dogs.

Elbows. Elbows are just as important as hips. Elbows are done through OFA. If they are good they are called normal. If they have problems they are called either a Grade I or Grade II or Grade III Elbow Dysplasia. It is my opinion that only a dog with normal elbows should be bred. While some argue that it is ok to bred grade 1 elbows. I feel you should only breed from the best stock and breeding dogs with grade 1 elbows increases the chances of your puppy having elbow problems.

Patellas, or kneecaps. Very few swissys have problems with patellas. Some breeders do screen their dogs for patellas though.  
 

Cardiac and Thyroid.  Generally, swissys do not have many issues with either of these. Some breeders use these two tests, most do not.

You can read about all of these health problems and tests at the OFA web site.

Epilepsy. All lines of Swissys have the chance of having Epilepsy, but it is more prevalent in some lines more than others.

Bloat. Canine bloat, or gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV), is the number-one cause of death for several large and giant breeds. If this painful disorder is not treated within one to two hours, it is life-threatening. Twenty-five percent of bloat cases are caused by gastric dilation. The stomach fills with gas. The increased pressure compresses both ends of the stomach, preventing the gas from escaping. But most cases--75 percent--are due to gastric volvulus, where the stomach actually twists, crimping and cutting off the inflow and outflow from the stomach. When the stomach gases cannot get out, they expand. Affected dogs drool saliva because they cannot swallow. Also, they cannot belch or vomit, which would help relieve the mounting pressure from the stomach gases. The pressure causes the abdomen to become distended. When tapped, the abdomen can sound like a drum.

Do Swissys have more health problem than other breeds? After reading all of this you might think so, but no. Swissys do not have any more problem than other breeds.  A lot of these problems are in a smaller percentage of swissys compared to other large breeds.

Temperament .

You should never hear a Swissy growl at you. Swissys talk. They woo woo and make all kinds of noises. All that is fine and dandy, but if you hear a growl, you need to watch that dog. A dog that growls may or may not be aggressive. Growling can also be caused by fear, anexity, nervousness, pain. Being a little reserved/alert around a stranger is to be expected from a Swissy. But you should never be made to feel threatened in anyway. This is NOT the temperament you want running around your home playing with your children. If you go to a breeder's home for a visit, and one of their dog's growls at you, do not be reassured by that breeder that the dog is just not having a good day (whatever excuse they use) You want to see happy, well adjusted, confident, BUT loving dogs. Watch how the dogs interact with the breeder, that is always a good clue.

 

Puppy Buyers Beware. 
Some breeders will only sell a puppy, or show puppy on the basis that you HAVE to breed your dog and give them back so many puppies. Sometimes, they even expect you to GIVE them these puppies. If you have no plans on showing and breeding, you should NEVER be MADE to breed your dog just to fatten your breeder's pocket. The breeder will not be up late at night with your dog while she whelps a litter, he will not loose anything if your bitch dies while whelping. He already got your money for the dog to begin with. Now he wants MORE??  Say no to GREED and look for a better breeder. One who is only interested in you as a home for their wonderful little puppy. Not a breeder who is looking for a puppy pyramid.
 

Puppy Prices. An average price range for Swissys is between $1,500.00 to $2,500.00. What you should get for this price, is a sire and dam with AKC papers, AKC championship title some type of temperament test. Papers showing health clearances passed (hips, elbow, eyes CERFed at the minimum). Puppies should have their first set of shots before you get them. We have all our puppies microchiped before they go to their new home. Health certificate from your breeders vet saying the pup is healthy. A breeder that will be there long after the sale to answer any questions or to help with any problem that may come up. Some type of health guarantee. See all papers BEFORE paying a deposit or paying for your puppy. You can verify AKC registration and championship on http://www.akc.org/ and verify health clearance at http://www.offa.org/ .

 

 

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