Mid-Atlantic Hound Association

Buying A Hound

Which breed of dog to buy, and from which breeder to buy it, are two extremely important considerations requiring careful research and serious thought. The process of successfully determining the best breed, and the best puppy of that breed, for you and your family requires a thorough investigation. As you interview Hound fanciers and breeders you must somehow ascertain who is representing the breed’s good and bad points equally and which breeders are sufficiently experienced and conscientious. In order to assist you in making the best possible decision for your particular situation, consider the points listed below

When you inquire about a puppy, the breeder will interview you. In order to assure both your happiness and that of the puppy, the breeder will try to discover if you and a Hound puppy would make a good match. Simply wanting a Hound and being able to afford to purchase one does not insure compatibility. They want to know that you can house and raise the puppy appropriately and that the puppy will have one permanent home for his entire lifetime.

You will talk to and buy the puppy from the breeder who raised the litter and owns or co-owns the mother (or the dam). Conscientious breeders don’t trust other people to screen puppy buyers for them and would never offer a puppy as a prize or for an auction. All breeders will immunize their stock and be able to explain their recommendations for future immunizations and the rationale for those recommendations.

The breeder will know the ancestry of the puppies. Not just parents, but grandparents and beyond. Not just titles and colors, but strong points and weak points of personality and structure.

The breeder will tell you what genetic screening is necessary for that breed, and will be willing to discuss problems and show proof of genetic screening.

You won’t see multiple litters of multiple breeds. One to three breeds is typical, and one to three litters a year TOTAL is typical. You will see evidence (photos, books, possible awards) of long term interest and activity in the breed. The puppy’s environment will be clean with ample room for exercise. Puppies permanently confined to a small area can’t grow normally and are difficult to housetrain.

The puppies will not have been separated from their littermates at less than 6 weeks of age. Many breeders consider 7-8 weeks the ideal age to go to a new home. When you look at older puppies and adults, be certain they have had enough individual attention and separation from one another, that they are more bonded to people than to other dogs.

All matters discussed and implied will be written down in a contract. This applies to all conditions of sale as well as those of a "deposit". The breeder should be there to help and advise you throughout the life of the puppy. The remedy for all guaranteed conditions which are not fulfilled, by both the purchaser and seller, should be clearly stated. Many breeders will ask you to bring the puppy (or dog) back to them at any age if for any reason you can’t keep him.

Unless you are very serious about becoming a student of your breed and a conscientious breeder, you will be encouraged to take a spay/neuter agreement or an AKC non-breeding registration. The breeding of dogs is a responsibility that shouldn’t be entered into lightly. The prevention of overpopulation and haphazard breeding is the responsibility of the person selling the puppy.

The breeder will insist that you prepare an appropriate place at home for your puppy before you take your puppy home. They will give you thorough personal instructions on puppy feeding and care, and a record of vaccinations and worming. In addition, it is always recommended to take your new puppy to your veterinarian within a week to ten days of bringing it home.

If an AKC registration application is not yet available, the breeder will furnish you with the registered names and numbers of the sire and dam, the birth date of the litter and name, address and phone number of the breeder as the AKC requires.

The most complete source of information about how to contact breeders would be the national breed club for the breed you are interested in. For example, if you are interested in Afghan Hounds, then the Afghan Hound Club of America could be of help in locating Afghan Hound breeders. Contact information for breed clubs can be found at the AKC home page www.akc.org .