What pet owners want!

[DrDenise]

I really want to get some topics started, so how about hearing from everyone what they are looking for in a breeder, and the puppies they have! How can we educate potential puppy people so they know what to ask for, what to look for, what health certifications they should have knowledge of, etc.!

DrDenise

[Mike Jordan]

Originally Posted by DrDenise

I really want to get some topics started, so how about hearing from everyone what they are looking for in a breeder, and the puppies they have! How can we educate potential puppy people so they know what to ask for, what to look for, what health certifications they should have knowledge of, etc.!

DrDenise

What pet owners want... how much time do you have? Oh, you mean you aren't asking what we want with our existing dogs? Drats. I was hoping you were going to solve all our problems.

It's great to see you on here, Denise. I was telling Sue that if you have any of your past words of wisdoms and pointers that you want to put in a Sticky post so it stays up at the top, or we can create a kind of FAQ list that can be added as comments come up. This software has a lot of flexibility and features... more than I'll probably ever use. So if there is anything you need or would like to see, let Sue or I know.

And welcome.

Mike

[CarolCorley]

Writing strictly from the perspective of a pet owner, I want a dog who will bond to me and my family and become a treasured family member. I want him to be very intelligent, cute, energetic but not over the top, playful, responsive to training (bidable, I think they call it), structurally sound and healthy, and especially to have a stable temperament so that he can be trustworthy around children, and tempermentally/conformationally to standard. I also want him to be "protective," to the point that inappropriate people will think twice about bothering me simply because of his presence. I don't want him to mount an attack, but to warn off. And I want him to have his own personality.
But most of all, I want him to be a valued part of the family and to enjoy doing things with the family.
Carol

[Mike Jordan]

Some of the things you mention, Carol, are what I have seen in our Bouviers. Not all of them to the same extent unfortunately. I think Chevelle was a prime example of all the traits you mentioned, plus a few more. Her puppies picked up many of the traits she (and Sam) had, some stronger than others and some not so strong.

I wonder how much of how a Bouvier turns out is already in them and how much has to do with their environment from birth. I know an experienced breeder can watch their puppies after birth and get a good idea as to the temperment and other abilities... for instance Sue saw that Red had the potential to be a agility dog because even as a puppy she was walking along the 4x4's we had in their box rather than going over or around them. Or the puppy that is more laid back from the group and doesn't get aggravated by them might make a good service dog with a very even disposition. Or the bully that tries to dominate the other puppies that is probably going to need a little stronger socialization and training.

So much of who a Bouvier is starts the first day they are born and continues for years. This is why Sue has always preferred to leave the puppies with their mother longer than many breeders do. Chevelle was still teaching her babies right up till they left. Sam would always denie he was at fault in any way for the little ankle biters until they got older and they were able to play more to his liking.

If we had the time, money, space and energy required to raise more Bouviers, it would have been interesting to see if a few more of our litters would have turned out as well as some of our puppies did. Starting off with good stock is a big part of it (and with Sam and Chevelle, we had two of the best) but I think the environment after they are born also plays a bit part in it.

Mike

[Carin]

Hello Dr Denise,

What I think people should know before they decide to get a Bouvier puppy are the following things...

1. Why do they want a Bouvier? - for the looks? the charactere?
2. What do they want to do with their pup? - do they want to have a household friend for life? do they want to train (agility - ipo - obedience)do they want a guarddog? do they want to show? do they want to breed?
3. Do they have the time to raise a pup?
4. Do they have the time and willingness to take care of the coat of a Bouvier?

5. Deciding which breeder they want their puppy from.

I personally think that choosing the breeder is very important. and I would surely recommend people to go and see a few breeders before a litter is born, to get to know the puppies parents and see if the parents are what they expect in a Bouvier.
Asking what medical tests are done on the parents and what the results of those tests were. (HD -Elbows - Heart - Eyes)
ask to see the pedigree of the parents, and will the pups get a pedigree?
How and where are the puppies raised?
are the pups born in a kennel? or are they born inside the house and are they raised in a kennel or in the house? (is the enviroment of the pups clean?)
What does the breeder do to socialize the pups?
Does he/she let the pups get to know the household sounds? (TV -Radio- Vacuumcleaner etc..)
Does the breeder go out with the pups (when they are vaccinated) to show them as much of the outside world things and sounds as possible? ( cars - children - other animals - people of different ages and skincolours etc...)
Is the breeder willing to help out with problems that might occur once the pup is with his new owner (advice in feeding - raising - medical questions)

These are just a few things I name when people ask me how to decide where to go look for a bouvier puppy.

I hope you get an idea of what we recommend in Holland. Since I am a Dutch breeder/owner, and I hope my english is good enough for you all to read. Im sorry if it is not perfect but I'm Dutch....

Best regards
Carin Gouma
The Fremery Bouviers
Holland

[Sue]

Hi Carin, and welcome to the forum.

Your list is very much like mine. Too often I get calls from people who saw a Bouvier and thought it was a cool looking dog and now they want one too, even though they have no idea about the nature of Bouviers, the care involved, or whether the dog will fit into their household. Those calls usually lead into long conversations.

I also suggest that people see as many adult Bouviers and puppies as possible before they commit to bringing one into their lives, and that they talk with as many breeders and owners as possible. I always suggest they choose a breeder they would enjoy being friends with for many years, because a good breeder should be a part of their lives once they take a puppy home.

It's important for people to understand the health issues in the breed, know what conscientious breeders are doing to try and reduce the incidence of genetic disease in their dogs, and learn to use the tools that are available to try and evaluate the health status of breeding dogs. I am willing to coach people in using the tools and to help them obtain and understand pedigrees (I have a large database of pedigrees and health data here that I have been building for many years).

Thanks for offering so many excellent questions to help puppy buyers choose a good breeder.

Your English is just fine for this Forum Carin.... and certainly MUCH better than my Dutch!

Again, welcome!

Doeiiiii!
Sue

[kathyh]

Here in Iowa, there aren't a lot of bouviers and, apparently, at one time, there were some out of control, agressive ones, since I frequently hear things like "this isn't anything like the bouvier I met at X" (when meeting my bouviers).

That assumption has, in this area, kept the demand down

When someone asks about getting a bouvier, I first emphasize the work involved as well as the expense (the grooming--I keep my shaved down--, the size and the implications for vet bills and training), and the fact that it takes a lot of time and training to have a bouvier like the ones I have + knowing where to get a "good one".

I also emphasize that there is quite a lot of variation in temperment and that you need to really do your homework. And, of course, we talk about health issues but usually we don't get that far.

By the time I get through, most people are completely persuaded that bouviers are not the breed for them... and if not, then, I help get them in touch with various resources and breeders.

In one case, the kids loved Zach but I persuaded the parents they'd be better off with a less maintenance-intensive dog and that there was no guarantee that just any bouvier they found would be like Zach (who is very gentle and good with kids). I emphasized that not all bouviers find little kids "fun".

In the 20 years I've been in Iowa, I only know of one person who ended up with a bouvier because of knowing me and she is a good, responsible dog person I'd already known for quite a while. In fact she has a litter mate to my SophieRose!

Kathy/Iowa

PS Sorry not to have been online but had a hard drive melt down and have been rebuilding my laptop for the last week or so.