Medical History

Question
I am talking with a breeder (not a puppy mill) about purchasing a black/rust min pin from  blue and tan and red parents. When I asked about medical papers from mom and dad she said that she didn't give papers out on the parents, but would refer me to their veterinarian, or other community veterinarians that would tell me she raises healthy dogs. She also gave me a 48 hour health guarantee so that I could take it to a vet and get it checked out. (it comes with puppy shots).

Is this an OK practice? or should I be weary. I have already put down a deposit, and am worried about the health of the dog.

Answer
I would run, not walk, from this breeder, Amanda. Dobermans, as a breed, are susceptible to many different diseases and disorders, including:

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
Cancer
Chronic Hepatitis
Wobbler's Syndrome (Cervical Vertebral Instability - CVI)
von Willebrands Disease (vWD)
Hypothyroidism
Color Dilution Alopecia, which affects blue and fawn dogs


She may take >>excellent<< care of her dogs, and love them dearly, but a responsible doberman breeder will have done tests on her breeding stock (and hopefully the parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents of those particular dogs as well) to rule out many of these problems. A responsible doberman breeder will be happy to show you the results of the tests required to prove that her dogs are free of these diseases and disorders - not just tell you to ask her vet if her dogs are healthy. By law, the vet cannot tell you if anything is wrong with a client's dogs, just like if you were to go to her Doctor's office and ask if she had anything wrong with >>her<<. If she is unwilling to produce documentation showing that her dogs do not have (or produce puppies with) DCM, CVI, vWD, thyroid problems, and color dilution alopecia, then I wouldn't buy a puppy from her. Period.

In addition to health testing, a responsible breeder also participates in activities such as showing and/or performance venues like Schutzhund. Does this lady do anything with her dogs, or does she simply breed them?  

A 48-hour health guarantee really means nothing, except that the puppy was not sick when it left her property. That covers her butt if the puppy does develop one or more of the aforementioned disorders. She's not liable because the puppy was fine when you took possession of it.

If you can get your deposit back, do. If not, count your losses and move on. Find a breeder that is active in showing and/or working his/her dogs, and who is proud to provide proof that his/her dogs are healthy and produce healthy puppies. In the long run, you'll come out ahead.