I am looking for a Briard. What questions should I ask breeders?
• Are you a member of the national club? If not, why not? Most breeders in the U.S. are members of the Briard Club of America, which has a code of ethics members must abide by. If a breeder is not a member, especially if it is somebody who is breeding large numbers of litters, this may be a warning sign that something is not right. • Are the parents of this litter champions? It is usually not very difficult to put a championship on a Briard, and most breeders in the U.S. are involved in showing their dogs. Don’t be too impressed by claims of “champion lines” or by champion grandparents or great-grandparents–if both parents of a litter are not champions or currently being shown, find out why. • What health tests have been done on the parents? At a minimum, both parents of a litter should have been xrayed free of hip dysplasia. It is recommended that the hips be certified free of dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and that you see the OFA certificate on both parent
