Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
Hi and Welcome Everyone!
This is Sharda with Boston Terrier newsletter!
Before meeting with a good Boston Terrier breeder, you have to ask yourself whether you want a show quality pet or a domestic one, male or female, pup or adult. Here are some tips in spotting a good Boston Terrier breeder
PET OR SHOW QUALITY
Boston Terriers pets are primarily companion dogs but can also be bred as show pets. But if your breeder has “pet quality” Boston Terriers, it means that he does not intend breeding them but spaying or neutering them before putting them up for sale as house pets or companions.
This could be because this particular pup does not meet the Boston Terrier standard, due to a fault or two in its genetic makeup.
If you are looking for a show quality Boston Terrier, you need to work hard on your basics.
Begin by attending conformation shows and back it up by meeting your breeder and allowing him to scrutinize you as a potential pet quality owner.
To ascertain your commitment to this, he will ask you a wide number of searching questions before he decides that you do have all the qualities of a committed buyer or owner.
HERE’S WHAT YOU WOULD LOOK FOR:
HEALTHY BOSTON TERRIER PUPPIES
You probably don’t know that the hallmark of a good breeder is that he does not breed more than three to five different breeds.
As a result, the Boston Terrier puppies he raises are healthy, without any nasal or optic discharges, with pink gums. A good breeder will also have him take a series of shots before he is sent to his new owner at age 10-12 weeks.
CERF CERTIFICATES
A good breeder will have the vision of both parents of your prospective pup tested with certificates from The Canine Eye Registration Foundation (CERF). This will tell you if at the time of the examination, your pup’s parents suffered from any eye disease.
Though these are proof of the fact that both parents had undergone an eye exam, yet its validity is just for a year. So, when you check the pup’s records, look for a recent date on these certificates.
Having said that, it is equally possible that your pup may develop an eye disease in the future, say juvenile cataracts, which are so common among pups, and may show up when he is between four and seven years of age.
These are very critical yeas in the life of a pup as at this age, a professional breeder sets out to breed it.
Therefore, the question this raises is of the validity of the CERF certificate. What is its scope and how far reliable is it?
A CERF exam can prove that a test had been undergone. Second, it can also point to certain potential disease carriers, which can serve to help the breeder decide whether or not to breed him or not.
In so doing, the breeder maintains quality standards.
ORTHOPEDIC FOUNDATION FOR ANIMALS (OFA)
If your breeder has had the hips of your pup’s sire and dam X-rayed to check for possible hip dysplasia, then you’ve got yourself a good Boston Terrier breeder. Once this is done, your pup’s parents will be then sent on to the OFA to be further evaluated by three vets.
If they are found to have badly formed hip sockets and heads of femurs, they don’t make pup’s parents make the grade can be bred.
Whatever the reading of the OFA, the reports are held over till the pup is two years old. But your breeder can still show you the certificates to check for hip dysplasia.
TESTING FOR LUXATION OR LOOSE PATELLAE
Besides all the above-mentioned tests, your breeder will also have to get the kneecaps or patellae of the sire and dam examined for luxation or a loose or ill-fitting kneecap.
Your breeder’s vet conducts this test. After this, a breeder sends the medical report by his vet to the OFA who will issue the breeder a certificate of passing patellae.
This is necessary as a breeder must be able to prove to the prospective buyer that either the pup is in good health or that he suffers from certain problems with his patellae.
If you happen to be dealing with a Boston Terrier breeder who knows nothing of this test, you should not continue to deal with him.
Although this test gives you an indication of the health of the pup and his ancestors, it is no guarantee that in later life he will not develop any problems in the patellae.
But with this foreknowledge, at least you can minimize the problems.
I hope that you learned something from today’s Boston Terrier newsletter.
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker