Lhasa Apso Breeders – 5 Bad Signs to Watch For…

You need to know which Lhasa Apso breeders can be trusted, and which ones are giving you a run for your money. If you are going to get a purebred, you need to ensure the breeder you choose is reputable and is well experienced at breeding Lhasas. After all, obtaining a “true” Lhasa, one that is healthy and meets the breed standard, should be important to you, regardless if you plan on showing your dog or not.

The following are 5 warning signs to watch for when investigating breeders –

• The Breeder is willing to sell you a dog with no questions asked. Reputable Lhasa Apso breeders are not willing to give the dogs they breed to just anyone. This is because they care about the future of every dog they breed, and want to ensure that each pup is being left in the hands of a responsible owner and is going to a good home.

A good breeder will want to know everything about you. They will want to know your previous experience with dogs, how much you know about the Lhasa Apso breed, and about your current lifestyle. If a reputable breeder is not satisfied with your answers, he or she may not think you are an acceptable owner for one of their dogs and may very well decline your request for a pup.

Therefore, any Lhasa Apso breeders that take no interest in the reasons why you wish to purchase one of their dogs, or does not take the time to learn about your previous dog experience, only care about your money, not the breed. Stay away from these breeders.

• The breeder conveniently avoids questions regarding the pedigree. A good breeder will be able to provide you with information about the sire and dam of the litter, and will likely introduce you to one or both if you request it depending on the circumstances (I.E. whether or not they are on the premises). Nevertheless, regardless if you see the parents of the litter or not, a reputable breeder will know everything there is to know about the dogs they breed. They will be able to provide you with a pedigree that should go back several generations.

A decent Lhasa breeder will also provide you with an official registration form for the kennel club of your nation.

Any breeder that does not provide you with proper documentation or cannot answer questions about the sire and/or dams lineage should not be trusted.

• The breeder is very casual when it comes to the health and wellbeing of his/her dogs. A healthy and happy puppy is a good sign of a decent Lhasa Apso breeder. The puppies you see should be happy and friendly, and shouldn’t act fearful or timid towards humans. Furthermore, puppies from ideal Lhasa Apso breeders will smell and look clean, have their first shots from the vet, and have health certifications.

Should the Lhasa look unkempt and the breeder cannot provide proof that they have taken their dogs to the vet for checkups or had them certified, this is a bad sign and you should go elsewhere. Remember, Lhasa do have hip dysplasia in their genes, therefore, a reputable breeder will have the dogs they breed certified by the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals).

• The breeder is encouraging you to purchase the dog without showing the breeding facility. It is imperative that you see the area where the pups have been brought up. Dogs should not be crammed in cages or one small area. The premise should be clean of feces, urine and any other dirt. You need to find out what the pups are fed, how they are socialized, and if they receive the right medical care. Any good breeder will gladly show you the facility where they keep their dogs.

If a breeding facility looks dirty, is cramped, or you are not permitted to see the facility, these are all signs that the breeder is only after your money, and could be operating a puppy mill.

• The breeder has questionable business ethics. Find out what the standard price is among Lhasa Apso breeders. If you find that some breeders have lower prices than others, find out why. A lower priced dog usually means that the dog is lacking registration papers so it cannot be registered with the national kennel club, or the dog is from a puppy mill.

While a dog that doesn’t have registration papers may not be the sign of a bad breeder if all other aspects check out, those that price their dogs lower because they are mass produced in a puppy mill likely suffer from serious health problems.

In addition, a good breeder will breed no more than two different dog breeds, and he/she will not sell their dogs to a pet store. Selling to a pet store is a sure sign that this breeder runs a puppy mill.

Always remember, if a sale sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Therefore, although all puppies are sweet looking, it’s not worth it to buy a dog from untrustworthy Lhasa Apso breeders. A dog that has been bred without discretion is prone to major health problems and is a heartache waiting to happen.