What to Ask About

The choice of a breeder is critically important. You will want to have a friendly and comfortable relationship with him/her and be confident that help and information will always be generously given. We suggest you contact several breeders and owners as part of your research.

Some topics you will want to discuss with any breeder include:

• the reason they became involved in the breed;
• how many years have they been involved in dog breeding, in PWD breeding;
• how many litters do they produce in a year;
• what activities do their dogs participate in? Conformation, Obedience, Water, Tracking, Therapy, Agility, Flyball etc.;
• the general character of their dogs;
• the reason this particular breeding was done;
• can we see and meet the sire and dam;
• can we see the puppies parents pedigrees and individual health test results (Certificates for each of Optigen for PRA status, annual OFA ECR certificate, GM-1 status for Storage Disease, OFA (12-24 months for Preliminary, final evaluation at 2years)/OVC/PennHIP/BVA/FCI for hips required, elbows are optional, JDCM for Cardiomyopathy, Optigen for Improper Coat test, see HEALTH section of www.pwdcc.org for additional important information);
• what other hereditary diseases are present in your line or this breeding? (Addison’s Disease, IBC, Hair Loss, etc.);
• can we have a copy of the written contract of sale and the health guarantee to review before purchasing;
• can we have copies of the medical history of the pup;
• what health tests have been performed to date on the puppies;
• the training (crate and house) that the puppies will receive before leaving the breeder;
• the age at which the puppies will be leaving to join their new homes;
• the purchase price of the puppy;
• will the puppies be evaluated for structure and temperament prior to placement;
• will you be able to choose a puppy or will the breeder choose a puppy for you based on the evaluation of the litter;
• will the breeder provide you with feeding instructions including advice on the type of food to use;
• will the breeder be able to recommend training methods, reference materials, obedience schools and instructors;
• will the breeder be available for advice once you have taken your puppy home;
• are you a member of the PWDCC (Portuguese Water Dog Club of Canada, see www.pwdcc.org for Member/Breeder Code of Ethics)?

Some things to observe in your visit to a breeder:

• does the dam (and sire, if present) have the temperament and personality that you’d like in your dog;
• are the premises clean;
• are the dogs clean;
• are the puppies happy, active and appear healthy.