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Questions to Breeders

BlackShadowCaneCorso

Super Moderator
Staff member
Okay since the last corso post on here caused some debate, lets see how the masses feel about it.

How do you feel about breeders that are evasive, or get upset about answer health/temperament/showing/breeding questions?
 

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
I'm going to be a rebel and answer even though I'm not a breeder lol. I do what I want! Evasiveness or flat out refusal to answer any questions I have shoots up giant red flags. Plus I think its kinda silly to be like "well I don't have to explain myself to any breeder" when you have who knows how many potential puppy buyers reading your posts.
 

BlackShadowCaneCorso

Super Moderator
Staff member
No worries Smart, it isn't just a question for breeders but for all the folks, buyers and breeders alike. Looks like on the person's FB page they might have gotten a little rant out so thought perhaps the people here would like to express their view points on it.
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
No a breeder either lol, but...Playing devils advocate, general questions about a breeding program, dogs, or goals for the breed in general would be fine. My issue would be people fishing for information to tell another breeder. I know of some dane breeders who work in which the "guts" of their program are kept under wraps, in fear of deformation.
 

BlackShadowCaneCorso

Super Moderator
Staff member
No a breeder either lol, but...Playing devils advocate, general questions about a breeding program, dogs, or goals for the breed in general would be fine. My issue would be people fishing for information to tell another breeder. I know of some dane breeders who work in which the "guts" of their program are kept under wraps, in fear of deformation.

Can you give me an example of this without bringing out too much info that might identify anyone? I am curious about this as I don't know too much about the corso world that is under wraps, seems the more you try the more that comes out.
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
Can you give me an example of this without bringing out too much info that might identify anyone? I am curious about this as I don't know too much about the corso world that is under wraps, seems the more you try the more that comes out.

Kind of hard since I don't know what they keep behind "closed doors" however my guess would be "experimenting" with their line or .ie breeding outside the standard. Others might be doggy political beliefs. I know with my breed there are strict set of rules "10 commandments" one must follow to be considered a reputable breeder. Even when breeders do the "right" thing they are still hammered by the masses. Its quite sad.
 

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
No worries Smart, it isn't just a question for breeders but for all the folks, buyers and breeders alike. Looks like on the person's FB page they might have gotten a little rant out so thought perhaps the people here would like to express their view points on it.
Well that rant was my amusement for the day. The sad thing is a lot of people don't know what a backyard breeder is or what a good breeder is. It's always the "well I dint plan on showing or breeding so what does the health testing matter". I wasn't too bright and have gotten a couple dogs from byb, but now I know better. However, when someone brand new to mastiffs or even dogs sees this "bullying" they don't look at what's behind it and see that we have people trying to protect the breed, it's just all a bunch of nosy bullies who are acting like children.
 

Duetsche_Doggen

Well-Known Member
Delivery plays a role too, granted its hard on the interwebs but some peeps can be down right snotty. Not saying here but on other boards. So newbies take it as offense and the opportunity is loss.
 

Smart_Family

Dog Food Guru
Delivery plays a role too, granted its hard on the interwebs but some peeps can be down right snotty. Not saying here but on other boards. So newbies take it as offense and the opportunity is loss.
Yep this is always a problem on the internet since we lose the ability to tell tone. Sometimes I have to retype something several times so it doesn't come off as completely bitchy when in reality it's just something I'm passionate about or have said a bazilion times.
 

thelady_v2010

Well-Known Member
One CC breeder admitted to experimenting with a litter. I think the breeder regretted it because they were heavily questioned AND it wouldn't be that hard to figure out what litter it was.

Scenario:

Which is more important, genetics or socialization to make a stable dog?

Solution:

On a repeat breeding, do not socialize puppies whatsoever, instead give the bare minimum of food and vet care

Result:

All puppies from both litters turned out to be perfect. Won't say what litter was the experiment out of respect to the owners of said puppies, but I am sure it isn't hard to figure out.


And no, I won't say who, don't want to be accused of contributing to any gossip mills. It was said on an open forum and I am sure it still exists there.
 

cookiedough39

Well-Known Member
Breeding is a business RIGHT???? Well if you start a business you have to have a business PLAN. Why you get defensive about answering questions that should have been in your PLAN from the start. If I have a product and I'm trying to get it into a store like Wal-Mart it would be foolish of me to get evasive when they ask questions about my product. Call me crazy but questions about your business (breeding program) should be fairly easy to answer because they should have already been asked by yourself as the business owner.
 

coreyc

Well-Known Member
Breeding is a business RIGHT???? Well if you start a business you have to have a business PLAN. Why you get defensive about answering questions that should have been in your PLAN from the start. If I have a product and I'm trying to get it into a store like Wal-Mart it would be foolish of me to get evasive when they ask questions about my product. Call me crazy but questions about your business (breeding program) should be fairly easy to answer because they should have already been asked by yourself as the business owner.
Well said cookies to you I mean kudos:D
 

Cody

Well-Known Member
One CC breeder admitted to experimenting with a litter. I think the breeder regretted it because they were heavily questioned AND it wouldn't be that hard to figure out what litter it was.

Scenario:

Which is more important, genetics or socialization to make a stable dog?

Solution:

On a repeat breeding, do not socialize puppies whatsoever, instead give the bare minimum of food and vet care

Result:

All puppies from both litters turned out to be perfect. Won't say what litter was the experiment out of respect to the owners of said puppies, but I am sure it isn't hard to figure out.


And no, I won't say who, don't want to be accused of contributing to any gossip mills. It was said on an open forum and I am sure it still exists there.
I know what you are talking about, and to be honest I don't think that the breeder was heavily questioned, but she was questioned and she should have been. If the pups in the second litter did not turn out, were sketchy was she prepared to do what was necessary to fix the problem. I believe that was one of the only questions that she was asked. What was she going to do with the litter of pups that she isolated never handled, never socialized, never stimulated if they started to display fearful tendencies'. I am not going to state my personal feelings on her experiment, but I do agree with the line of questioning that was asked.
 

thelady_v2010

Well-Known Member
And, I agree that questions should have been asked. And maybe the dog owners should have had full disclosure? IDK. All her dogs are always perfect.
 

HayleyMarie

Well-Known Member
If I was contacting a breeder and they where being very evasive and not wanting to answer questions. To me that is a red flag and I would walk away. I think breeders need to be upfront with their breeding program even if it is not the norm, be open about it and I believe people might be more open about it even if its not the norm. If they believe in their breeding program, they should be proud of it and open about it and have a reasoning behind it. But that is just my opinion :)
 

ruthcatrin

Well-Known Member
IMO (as a puppy buyer) a refusal to answer questions about your dogs, and their health, and your line and your goal for your line is a HUGE red flag.

If you don't show be honest about it. If you only show casually be honest. Apollo's mother doesn't have any titles of her own, and honestly I don't care. His daddy has enough titles to share, and her sibs and pups from her first two litters all have plenty of their own. The timing was never right to show her, and so she never was.

If you have a "private goal" for your dogs that you don't want to discuss thats up to you, but you'd better have a "public goal" that you can discuss cause if your only reason (that you're willing to give me) for picking a particular pairing is "cause they'll make pretty pups" I'm headed to go take a closer look at your competitors.