I am looking for a Briard. What questions should I ask breeders?
cribbed from the article by Dianne Schoenberg
- Are you a member of the a briard club? If not, why not? Most breeders are members of the Briard Club or Briard Association, who have codes of ethics members must abide by. If a breeder is not a member,
- Are the parents of this litter champions? It is quite difficult to make a Briard into a champion in the uk, and most breeders in the UK. are involved in showing their dogs. Don't be too impressed by claims of "champion lines" or by champion grandparents or great-grandparents-.
- What health tests have been done on the parents? At a minimum, both parents of a litter should have been x-rayed free of hip dysplasia. It is recommended that the hips be certified free of dysplasia by a recognised authority and that you see the certificate on both parents. .
- Tell me about the temperament of the parents. See the section about temperament above. It is recommended that you meet both parents if it's possible.
We would add to the above list:
- Have both parents been tested against Night Blindness? The only way to eradicate this disorder is for both parents to be clear. 1 clear parent and 1 carrier parent can still produce carriers of night blindness. In our opinion breeders are wrong to breed from known carriers. The only way to eradicate night blindness is for both parents to be tested as clear.