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Need advice, saw some Brittany pups today...amateur breeder

4.3K views 34 replies 22 participants last post by  Bowguy  
#1 ·
The wife and I went to check out 9 Brittany puppies today from a first-time breeder (amateur). The sire and dame are both pure-bred with AKC registry and lineage records etc... . Sire is an excellent hunter (did not get to see him, aside from pictures, as his owner lives in Virginia). Dame had a great temperament, obedient, and from what I saw had a high predator drive.

My main motivation was to take my wife to test out her allergies to the breed, along with the possibility of getting one of the pups if we both liked what we saw. Long story short, we both liked the puppies, bonded with one male in particular, but I am having second thoughts. Every piece of advice I have ever read regarding getting a hunting dog starts with "select a reputable breeder" and that makes me wary to pull the trigger on any dog from this amateur. Also, neither dame or sire has been cleared for hips, etc... They could be both excellent, but without that piece of paper it is obviously a disadvantage to buying from an amateur.

I guess I am looking for some solid advice here. We are looking for a family/hunting dog out of this decision and we could possibly have a great experience with a puppy from the litter we just saw. The tougher decision might be to wait a little longer for a litter from a pro breeder, which I would be willing to do, however the wife will not be happy in the mean time.

Apparently it is an unspoken rule that you cannot bring your wife to look at puppies without her expecting you to get one of them. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
 
#3 ·
It is always a gamble to buy a pup from a unproven breeding. However that does not mean the dogs won't be fantastic. But the fact that they don't have health clearances is a major red flag. One it means the breeder isn't really that responsible to begin with and two you end up taking all the risk. You didn't mention if there was a health guarantee even though there was not health clearances. If there isn't a guarantee then don't even waste another second thinking about it and walk away. Now even with a breeding that has health clearances there is no guarantee your pup will be perfectly sound but it sure stacks things in your favor. Best of luck
 
#4 ·
There are many part time breeders that produce good pups but how do you sort out? For me I like an established breeder who participates in a hunting game. AKC field trials. Hunt tests or navhda. Being active in a group shows me they are training and working towards bettering the breed.

Health is another issue. I prefer a dog with papers so hips are tested and the line is tested and established. Also did the breeder offer any guarantees for clean bill of health?

There are many good backyard dogs but for me I prefer to buy into solid genetics and pay for experience. Heck the puppy ends up being the cheapest part of the whole deal. Birds, training and equipment cost way more.
 
#6 ·
Regarding a health guarantee I did not ask, didn't even to know to ask. The owner did not mention anything about one, but I will ask now.

Another issue I had a question about is...isn't there a law in PA (puppies are from PA) about the transfer of a puppy prior to being 8 weeks old? The puppies are a little over 4 weeks right now and the owner seemed to think they would be ready for pickup in like 2 weeks. I didn't want to tell her she was wrong, but I figured I would look into it according to PA laws etc...
 
#14 ·
Stick with a reputable and established breeder. This is going to change your family dynamic for the next 12-15 yrs. Put in the time and due diligence now to help ensure those years are as enjoyable and rewarding as possible! Also, I wouldn't even consider a breeder unless you can verify his references.
 
#17 ·
DeuceNDucks, thanks for your thoughts. After I posted this originally I got on the phone and talked to 3 local breeders. All were very informative and helpful. Very glad I did talk to them. One lady breeder even said I "made her day" because I was asking the right questions instead of making the easy decision and getting the pup from a random person/amateur.
 
#18 ·
I have been the owner of 3 Brittany's. All of them were from "amateur" private breeders. My first was a female from a great bloodline. Many Field and Dual Champions. When she was about two years old, I took her to a North Jersey Brittany Club shoot to retrieve trial and she came in 1st place. I won't go into long stories about the next two but all I can say is that bloodline is very important. Some "pro" breeders have limited bloodlines which is not necessarily good. You can get a dud from reputable breeder. I saw a high priced Shorthair head for the hills after the first bird was shot over it. All of my dogs were GREAT family dogs and I would not hesitate to make them part of the family. Look at the Sire and Dam's bloodline on their AKC papers. Make sure they have some champions in there and not a lot of repeat breeding. Good Luck!
 
#23 ·
Sent email to backyard breeder, not going to be getting one of her puppies. I have been making some calls around to local breeders, but if anyone can point me in the right direction or knows of a reputable litter coming around in the next few months I would be interested in talking to them.

Thank you for all the advice.
 
#24 ·
A dog is a dog. He is either going to hunt or he isn't. My best bird dog ever was a yellow lab we picked up for 300 bucks from a lady whose dog accidently bred with her sisters dog. Neither dog had an ounce of hunting experience. We got him as a family pet and he turned out to be awesome in the field. I have had others the same way. The dog I currently have now I got suckered into the philosophy that I needed to get a "hunting" dog. I did a ton of research and found a pro breeder that I felt comfortable with. went to the house saw the walls plastered with credentials and awards. Met the sire and dam. Dropped my 1600 dollars and brought home the most retarded dog that has ever been born. Yes he hunts but he will never hold a candle to my great free or cheap dogs. We are convinced he has serious mental issues. As Bloodtrails said you don't need papers to kill birds.
 
#26 ·
You can have the smartest hunting mutt in the world but if it's 2 years old and has hip dysplasia, all you have is a furry coffee table. Nothing is guaranteed, but buying from a reputable breeder and possibly from proven litters can increase your chances of getting a healthy and trainable dog. It took me two years to finally pick out my pup from a breeder who I felt comfortable with. Don't rush into it.


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#29 ·
Your looking for a Family/hunting dog. The Brittany is a good decision. Not everyone has the means to get a pick from a top world class breeder. You can get a very good dog at a very good price from an amateur. Most pro breeder started as amateurs unless they took over their daddy's kennels. Do a little home work, if both dogs are pure bred check the blood lines and papers. I know guys that have payed top dollar from far away breeders and wound up with disappointing dogs. My rule is don't buy from anyone you can't poke with a stick. :prod:
If you are a typical NJ hunter there are only 15 stocking days, the average guy go's out for 2 hours, that's a total of 30 hours hunting a year. The other 8,730 hours a year he is your pet, companion and best friend. Spend your time and money on socializing and obedience training, you'll have a great family/hunting dog.
 
#30 ·
Give steve DelRossi a call at quail hollow kennel located in Salem Nj. Very friendly, he is a breeder and trainer of brittanies. He Has been training and breeding Britts for over 35 yrs. we purchased a pup and he trained our dog and we are extremely happy. If you are looking for a family / gun dog he can help you. If nothing else he will talk to you about any questions you may have regarding Brittanies. I think you breed the best to the best and HOPE for the best! What ever you decide I wish you the best of luck. Steve is a great guy my kids call him Uncle steve because he tries to explain things to them so they also understand.
There is a lot of advice and opinons here do your research and make educated decisions and you will be fine!!!!
 
#32 ·
Hey look some of these guys are giving good advise , some not so good. AKC registered doesn't mean shit, but the fact they have a bloodline , an established strain n have what you want bred into them from usually line breeding, means the chances of a bitch throwing a buncha good pups increases substantially. Yes check the health, you need to watch the dogs run and see what you want. I'll be honest get a smaller breeder that's keeping most the litter n get one from him. Anyone strictly selling pups has motives. The mutt stuff, there may be a couple that can hunt but they'll never out hunt a well bred dog n certainly can't reproduce themselves. Tell your wife to chill and go watch some dogs