Ask the French Bulldog Breeder
Since this section gets the most questions, we've asked two columnists to join us.
Pat Pearce has been involved with dogs as a breeder for over 10 years, and she has been rescuing dogs for more than 30 years. You can visit Pat's website at http://fidoknows.com
Kathi Liebe breeds Frenchies under the StarCreek prefix. She fell in love with the breed in 1999, when she first started showing. Visit Kathi and her StarCreek Frenchies at http://www.starcreekfrenchies.com/
Current Questions and Answers - December 5, 2007
Deposits on Un Born Puppies
> I have found a Frenchie puppy I want to buy. The breeder says to send
> her a deposit and she'll ship the puppy right away. How do I know if
> she is a legitimate breeder? I have read about people being scammed.
> The puppy is really affordable because the breeder/owner got
> transferred overseas and can't keep her dogs there due to the weather.
> She only wants me to pay for shipping. What should I do?
Kathi Writes:
These days it is very difficult to buy a puppy sight unseen from a breeder. There are alot of breeders out there who put together very legitimate looking websites! They can talk to talk and know what to say to make you believe they are reputable. They may belong to clubs and you think that makes them reputable, but that is not always the case.
SO...if you cannot go to the breeders house and see their dogs and how they are raised and housed, then try to find someone who knows them, or has bought a puppy from them. GET referrals and ask around!
THERE are alot of mailing lists (ed note: check out our mailing list links) where you can ask people for references on breeders, etc. The frenchie community is a small one and everyone who is a reputable breeder is very willing to help you find a pup, even if it is not from themselves. Most reputable breeders will help and refer you to others if they do not have pups. YOUR breeder should be someone who will be there for you for the life of that puppy you are buying, and they should ask you alot of questions as well as you asking them alot of questions.
So, I cannot tell you exactly what you should do, but you should definitely do your research before buying from any breeder!
Ed Note: Check out our tip sheet on how to choose a breeder, and how to avoid being scammed. The 'we are overseas missionaries who can't keep our puppy' scam is infamous.
Getting Started as a Frenchie Breeder
How do I start being a breeder? I think I would be good at it. I love
dogs very much. I have had French bulldogs for almost four years and
know a lot about them. Can you help me?
Pat writes:
If you are serious about being a breeder, the wisest thing for you to is find an established French Bulldog breeder who is willing to mentor you. You can write to breeder on e-lists or go to shows and meet some. When you find someone you respect and who has knowledge and is willing to work with you, even it is long distance and by email & telephone, you can begin.
You will want to find as nice a female as you can possibly afford. And by nice I mean, meets the French Bulldog Standard, passes her health tests, ears, eyes, spine and hips as a minimum... And if at all possible talk with her breeder about the line that she comes from and what traits you should be aware of - both good and not so good. And you want to make sure she has a good temperament.
You want to be very careful not to double up on any undesirable traits in the line (make sure the stud & his line don't also carry any of the same undesirable traits)
And you need to think about WHY you want to breed. It is not a task to be undertaken lightly. You will want to breed the best you can, try to better the breed with your breeding.
And you have to realize that with the joy of a new litter, there will be a lot of expense, progesterone testing, Artificial Insemination, and a carefully timed Cesarean section. There are nutritional requirements for the bitch before, during and after the pregnancy. And there WILL BE lots of heartache. You will lose puppies - at birth and later for reasons that may or may not make sense. And you can lose your bitch. She can die during the surgery for the section, or from shock or embolism after, or from infection post section. It doesn't happen often - but can and does. Then you have a litter to hand raise.
And for you personally - it is a great commitment. First if you work you will have to plan to take time from work for the section, and then for at least 10 days to 3 weeks after - depending on things... unless you have a work place where you can safely take mom and babes with you. And sleep will be a rare commodity for the first several days at best and longer if there are complications.
I don't tell you these things to dissuade you, but to make you fully aware of the consequences of your decision. I believe that many reputable breeders would gladly take a new person to mentor if the new person is truly committed to the breed and is aware of what is involved in the decision to breed your sweet little girl - knowing that your decision may cost her her life.
Pat
I'd like to Offer my French Bulldog at Stud
I am a proud owner of a 2 yr old pied Frenchi.
I have recently been asked to breed him with a black brindle female of
the same age. I was hoping to find out what I should charge for a
stud fee and if I should be entitled to pick of the litter or what the
common recompense was.
Please advise, thanks
Pat writes:
There are several questions that should be asked before you decide to breed your dog. First does he meet the French Bulldog standard? Has he been shown? Have you had him tested to see that he hears, has good eyes, has a good spine and has good hips? Does he have a good sound temperament.
You have to ask WHY the other person wants to use your boy at stud. and hopefully the answer is not "just to have puppies". or 'my girl is such a sweet girl, I'd like to have one of her puppies". These are not really good reasons to breed. There is a lot of expense and long term care involved with raising a litter of French Bulldogs. including a carefully timed Cesarean section to bring the pups into the world.
Has the owner of the bitch had her girl tested to see that she is worthy of being bred, and that the two dogs are compatible and will produce puppies as good as or better than they are.
Reputable breeders spend a great deal of time in research and long study to decide exactly which male will the BEST mate for their girl. The hope is the mating will produce puppies that are better than the parents, are healthy, have good temperaments and have good conformation.
As far as the stud fee is concerned a lot of different things determine the stud fee. A dog that is not a finished champion is usually $350.00. A finished champion's stud fee can be $500.00 to $1500.00 or even more. I personally will not use a stud if the stud owner wants a puppy back as stud fee.
But before you consider breeding your dog you should determine if he is sound and will make a favorable contribution to the breed as a sire.
Pat
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