Choosing a St. Bernard
It is nearly impossible to find a purebred St. Bernard in a local pet store or animal shelter. You will most likely have to visit a few breeders to find the puppy of your choice. However, there are some very good reputable breeders and some that are not. It is important to get valuable background information when choosing your puppy to ensure you end up with the puppy of your choice. Always ask the breeder to meet the parents of the puppies. It is important to see how they react around strangers because your puppy will have received the same genes as its parents and is likely to be similar to them. It also tells a lot about how they are treated. If they are shy, they probably did not get enough human interaction. If they are aggressive, they were probably handled incorrect as puppies. Make sure to ask the breeder lots of questions such as:
If you are choosing a puppy from a good breeder, the puppies should be living in the home with plenty of human interaction. Although it might not be possible to meet the father of the puppies, the breeder will be eager to let you meet the mother. The mother should only be having one litter a year and the breeder should be raising a maximum of two litters at a time. Otherwise, the breeder will not have the time needed to take care of the puppies. The breeder should also offer health clearances. These will give you health information about the parents and grandparents of the the puppies and will tell you if there are any hereditary diseases present. They should also be happy to give you any references to previous customers if you want to ask additional questions from somebody who has already been through the adopting process with that breeder.
Additional information about finding the right breeder can be found at http://dogtime.com/finding-a-good-breeder.html
To find a reputable breeder in your province, visit The Canadian Kennel Club website at http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=36
- Where do the puppies live?
- How often are the puppies handled?
- How many litters do you raise a year?
- Can I have copies of the health clearances?
- Can I talk to somebody who has bought a puppy from you?
If you are choosing a puppy from a good breeder, the puppies should be living in the home with plenty of human interaction. Although it might not be possible to meet the father of the puppies, the breeder will be eager to let you meet the mother. The mother should only be having one litter a year and the breeder should be raising a maximum of two litters at a time. Otherwise, the breeder will not have the time needed to take care of the puppies. The breeder should also offer health clearances. These will give you health information about the parents and grandparents of the the puppies and will tell you if there are any hereditary diseases present. They should also be happy to give you any references to previous customers if you want to ask additional questions from somebody who has already been through the adopting process with that breeder.
Additional information about finding the right breeder can be found at http://dogtime.com/finding-a-good-breeder.html
To find a reputable breeder in your province, visit The Canadian Kennel Club website at http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=36