What is a responsible breeder?
This is a difficult category to define, but there are certain minimum standards that are accepted as “responsible” by most who are active in the dog fancy. Following are some of the things a responsible breeder will be doing: • All breeding stock will be certified free of Hip Dysplasia by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). Elbows may also be certified as free of Elbow Dysplasia; this is a relatively new trend and some older dogs/bitches may not be certified. The breeder will be willing to supply you with copies of the OFA certificates. No bitch or dog will be bred before the age of two, (the minimum age for OFA certification). OFA does issue preliminary evaluations of hips and elbows, but actual certification will not be done before two years. • Breeding stock will be certified free of inherited eye disease annually by a Board certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist; the certificate is issued by the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF). • Bitches and dogs used for breeding will
