posted 07-03-2003 09:08 PM         

I have heard one of the best ways to meet GOOD breeders is dog shows. Any other advice? I need a dachshund puppy! :-)
I have contacted a couple via email and they just stop responding to me. Am I sending bad vibes thru the internet? lol

posted 07-04-2003 01:00 AM         

Hope that helps a bit. I work at an animal shelter.

posted 07-05-2003 01:33 PM         

Above are some of my favorite sites providing excellent info on breeders. As you go through them you will see common things a reputable breeder should abide by. It is important to meet the breeder and view the conditions where the dogs live, as well as make note of the breeder-dog interaction. This will tell you a lot. One crucial thing is to compose a list of questions (take from these sites if needed) to ask a breeder. Reputable breeders usually have a waitlist, so be prepared to search in advance and do not settle for the first breeder you meet, meet several. Be strong resist the temptation of cute puppies on the ground, especially if something doesn't feel right with a particular breeder. Avoid large scale & commercial breeders, they have no morals or concern about pumping the world full of puppies - don't be afraid to ask how often a breeder breeds and how many litters they have per year.... usually more than one or occasionally 2 per year is a huge red flag. Remember the BYB's are getting smarter with their answers too, so rely on your gut feeling.

Most of all if you are seeking a breeder make certain they have **health tested and certified** their breeding animals free of congenital hereditary diseases - ask to *see* their certificates (a tested dog is issued one), and you are looking for a correct dog who conforms to type, so a breeder involved in conformation and performance (or working ability) is your best bet. Another excellent way to help ensure you find a good breeder is by contacting the national or regional breed club, listed on their site is usually a breeder member directory and the boards contact info - contact the board members and ask for some recommendations.

posted 07-06-2003 02:31 AM         

Dachshund.org online magazine http://dachshund.org/ (they have both breeder and rescue listings)

Doxie club of America (they also have both breeder and rescue listings) http://www.dachshund-dca.org/

Doxie rescue of North America http://www.drna.org/

Coast to Coast doxie rescue http://www.c2cdr.org/

If you decide to get a dog from a breeder, it would be a good idea to ask about back problems in their lines, and I'd question them further if they claim they have had no problems whatsoever. A dachshund with proper ribbing (you should only be able to fit about 3 fingers between the last rib and the thigh in a properly ribbed doxie) will have more support for their back than one with poor ribbing, thus less likelyhood of them "going down" in the back at some point. If they can't explain why their dogs are sound through their backs, then I'd go somewhere else. Also, if they HAVE had dogs with back problems, I'd ask what was done with those dogs, and how they've changed their breeding program to eliminate those problems. I'd look for fit dogs, well muscled and athletic, though that may not matter as much if you just want a buddy for tv watching.

Temperament is important in a doxie, and because of the huge amount of people BYBing doxies, you may come across some with bad temperaments. The doxie should NOT be fearful of, nor outwardly aggressive to people or to other dogs. That said, some are very confident little dogs, and will not hesitate to jump into a scrap or even to start one if they see fit. Steer clear of people who's doxies "bark at strangers when we try to take them on walks", or "may nip if you try to pet them". It could be just a matter of socialization (or lack thereof), but better to be safe, than to end up with a dog with serious behavioral issues.

Also of concern are the coat colors/patterns of doxies... dilute (fawn, blue, isabella, etc) colored dogs can end up with color dilute alopecia, a disorder in which most of their hair may fall out. There are also some patterns which shouldn't be bred together because the resulting pups may have serious structural deformities.... dapple (known as merle in other breeds) crossed with dapple usually results in some pups being "double merles", which often have severe deformities, missing or demormed eyes, internal organs, and compromised immune systems. Dapple crossed with piebald (also known as "dapple-pies") is also a mix of patterns which can result in health problems for the pups. Some dapples only have a tiny amount of dappling, which may fade away (or be covered by darker "shading") by the time they're 6-8 weeks old, so it's important that the breeder can recognize patterns early on, and that they chart them accurately, especially if the pup may be used for breeding at a later date.

In addition to the back problems, doxies can also have luxating patellas, allergies, and heriditary eye problems.

Here is our doxie, Annie. My aunt got her from a local petstore, and though we've been lucky so far on the health part, we've battled numerous temperament issues. When she first came here, she was fear aggressive... we worked through that. She also didn't like kids, at all... we worked through that (she's now pretty much bombproof around kids). She also didn't/doesn't like other dogs... we're still working on that, but she's definitely made progress. She's got a LOT of prey drive, and for the first year or so she lived here, until we found some outlets for her energy and drive, she was not much fun to live with. She gets at least 1/2 hr of obedience work/hard play every day, usually more.