Thank you Aubrey, for your reply.
I do appreciate it.
Yes....Josh was our inspiration, and Frankie is from Josh's kennel. Although Cole is our first show male and is now almost 6 yrs old...Frankie, our youngest and newest, is actually our first from Josh's breeder. However, in the "top lines" many are integrated, both here in the US and in Europe. Cole's sire happens to be Frankie's grandsire, but they came from two different kennels, who obviously have a history of working together to produce the dogs they have.
Anyway...I'm not a breeder. Just wanted to clear that up.
The relationship you describe is extremely important. A breeder should be there to support their puppy owners as well as the puppy, for the life of that dog. Unfortunately, that's one of the biggest complaints heard from people who get their first pup from wherever. The breeder isn't there for them, has no desire to have a lifelong connection, and certainly doesn't want to hear anything negative.
Clearances are also important. That shows the breeder is making an effort to do the right thing. There are no guarantees, and every breeder will have problems they don't expect pop up, but good breeders do try to choose good matings so that the odds are in their favor, and they're not producing puppies with genetic health problems.
There are a few more things that quality breeders do, in addition to the above, and they are:
1) Know pedigrees and lines (often have them memorized), which gives them information about a dogs relatives and ancestry that they're considering pairing their girl with. This is important for not only determining what the resultant puppies may look like, but what health and/or temperament issues might pop up from 5-10 generations back.
2) Actually putting their hands on the male to feel what the flaws are (they can be felt better than seen in many cases), and make sure that they won't be made worse by mating the pair. They're looking for a complimentary breeding...something that can potentially offset their girl's faults and vice versa.
3) Show their dogs. The reason is so that they can get multiple opinions from multiple sources and know they're not suffering from "kennel blindness" (everybody loves their dogs and thinks they're the BEST ever) and that, yes, their dog does meet the standard and is considered by others to be of breeding quality. The whole purpose of dog shows is to enhance the gene pool by acknowledging dogs that meet the breed standard.
4) Work their dogs in Newf-specific working events, such as draft and water work. If a breeder isn't able to do this due to time constraints (remember they have dogs to care for and usually have families and jobs as well - plus they show which requires travel), they should encourage their puppy buyers to do so. This "tests" the line for the ability to do the job they were designed to do. For example, If you have a whole litter who won't put a toe in the water or swim easily for long periods of time...something's wrong, which could be either temperament or structure. If, once they're grown, they can't pull a cart for a good distance, with proper weight in it...something's probably wrong with the structure. A good breeder can see the structural faults, but if their puppies are spread out and the don't have the opportunity to physically see and touch that dog as it grows, working a dog will surely bring any problems to the forefront.
5) Mentor their puppy buyers in all things Newf. Anything the puppy buyer wants to do with their dog over the years... the breeder is there to help, or to guide them to the "experts" who can help. They have a huge network of people who can help with grooming, training, handling, etc etc. They are an invaluable resource for the life of your dog.
These things (plus so many more) are the things that separate the " top quality" breeders from a nice breeder who gets clearances, loves their dogs, treats them well, and who's there for their pup's owners.
And Aubrey, I know you have a good relationship with Moose's breeder and are getting a "replacement" puppy for the issues he has, but you also said you'd like to have a Newf from a top kennel. So instead of getting a replacement, and your breeder is willing to refund the price you paid for Moose, that money could go towards making your dream come true. It's not disloyal, and yes it sounds like your breeder has been there for you and Moose, which is great, but you may want to think about where you want to go next with the breed.
I do wish you the best...and all of the new puppy owners. I just want everyone to understand that owning a dog from a "top kennel" doesn't have to be only a dream. Don't get stuck. Keep moving forward, and you'll be surprised at how achievable that dream is.
