hi i have questions to ask you

Question
im just wondering why do breeders breed to a standard when dogs arent used for the fuction that they did a long time ago anymore?


where do breeders get the puppy contract?



how do i know if the dogs are free from any health problems and diseases?


hope to hear from you soon

Answer
Hi Lauren

I can't answer for all breeders but for our breed, there is no real call to send our dogs out for bull-baiting, or for example controlling the rat population, or for city dwellers having their dogs bring the livestock home.   

A standard is only a guideline or blue print for a breed. And to show a dog it must fit within the standard.  If a breeder is not entering the show ring, there is no need to breed to type.

Puppy contracts can be tailored made by individual breeders, examples can be found in some books, or traded between breeders.

Health testing can be done for a reasonable fee by a number of speciality labs, in Canada we use Health Gene. They can do DNA profiling, test for markers and a host of other traits.

If I had to guess, I would say the majority of breeders do not health test their animals.  The is the reason we now see a higher rate of cancers, thyroid conditions and other health related issues.