If you've found your way here, you no doubt have been looking at LOTS of sites featuring Newf puppies.
I'd like to give you some information about what all those terms mean, as well as some of my own opinions. Take the time to read through these if you are looking at breeders. It may give you some insight into what to ask about, what you are really getting with that puppy, and what type of breeder you may be dealing with.
If you don't know what the terms used in the ads mean, you dont know what you're really looking at, do you??
Some common terms used in ads are:
PEDIGREE- a pedigree is simply the family tree of your dog. ALL dogs have a pedigree, even a mutt.....remember, a pedigree is simply a list of who the dogs parents, grandparents, great grandparents, great-great grandpaprents etc. are. So a 4 generation pedigree goes back 4 generations, and a 5 generation pedigree goes back 5.
The term "pedigreed dog" means ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, since ALL dogs are technically "pedigreed dogs".
SHOW or CHAMPION LINES-Show/Champion lines means that SOMEWHERE in the dogs pedigree there is a dog that had finished his/her CHAmpionship. Show lines can man many things. It can mean excellent dogs from an excellent breeding, it can mean a few champions here and there in the pedigree, or it can mean 1 champion on the mothers side 4 generations back (which means absolutely NOTHING) Show/Champion lines DOES NOT mean quality, it DOES NOT mean the parents were show dogs, it DOES NOT mean the dogs are healthy. It all depends on how close the "show lines" are, how many Champions are in the pedigree, how well the pedigree was thought out etc. I have seen MANY a puppymill breeding advertised as "show lines" because there was a Champion or two 3 or 4 generations back. This is something that the puppy buyer REALLY needs to undersand when looking at puppies. A puppy which has a CHampion here and there in the pedigree is NOT the same as a puppy who has mostly Champions in the background. That DOESNT mean that the puppy who doesnt have many champions in the background wont be a loveable, wonderful addition to the family, but just be aware that breeders who list as Show/Champion lines when there are only a handful of Champions scattered in the pedigree are being deceptive.
CHAMPION SIRED- Champion Sired means that the puppys Father was shown to his Championship
CHAMPION DAMMED-Means that the puppys Mother was shown to her Championship
AKC REGISTERED- Again, ABSOLUTELY does not mean quality. AKC registerred simply means that the puppies mother and father were AKC registered dogs. It means nothing as far as health is concerned, nothing as far as quality is concerned, nothing as far as the breeders knowledge, conditions dogs are kept in etc.HOWEVER, and this is a BIG however, seeing another registry (with the exception of UKC or the foreign registries) almost always means it is a puppymill registry. So...if you see AKC it DOESNT mean quality, but if you see APRI, ACA,etc instead of AKC , it probably means a very low quality dog. Clear as mud now??
AKC INSPECTED- All this means is that the breeder has produced more than 7 litters in a year, or a complaint has been filed with AKC etc. The only time AKC inspects breeders is when they breed more than 7 liters a year or if a complaint has been filed. AKC inspections deal mainly wih the record keeping of breedings and puppies and proper identification of breeding animals. An AKC inspection doesnt ensure the facilities are nice, clean, the animals are taken care of etc, since (like USDA below) AKC's has VERY low standards to pass an inspection..
USDA REGISTERED- This should be a HUGE red flag. When a breeder says they are USDA registered, 99,9% of the time it means they are a commercial breeder. The ONLY people who have to be USDA registered are those who sell puppies to pet shops, dog brokers (those who sell other peoples puppies) or large scale commercial breeding facilities. Personally, I dont know a SINGLE reputable Newf breeder who is USDA registered.
USDA INSPECTED-All USDA registerred breeders are inspected. USDA has VERY minimal requirements to pass inspection. Basically, the dogs must be given food, water, shelter and necessary vet care.
HEART SCREENED- This is a BIG DEAL for Newf puppies. Heart screened by WHO?
All Newf puppies should be heart screened by a VETERINARY CARDIOLOGIST. This is NOT THE SAME as having the pups listened to by a general practice ("regular") vet. As a breed, Newfs are predisposed to a heart defect called Sub Aortic Stenosis (SAS). Dogs cleared of SAS can produce it in their pups, and all lines of Newfs can produce SAS. SAS can run from mild (no problem for the puppy/dog-normal life span etc) to Severe (most dogs die before age 3). As a breeder, the BEST way to monitor whether or not you are producing heart problems is to have ALL pups screened by a Cadiologist before going to their new homes.
DESIGNER BREED-Basically, a very expensive dog that years ago was lovingly known as the "mutt" or "Heinz 57". "Designer Breeds" arent really "breeds" at all. They are crosses between 2 or more purebreds. In my opinion, purchasing a "designer breed" puppy is a BAD, BAD idea, and here's my opinion on why:
Designer Breeds are a combination of 2 or more purebred dogs.So, where do these 2 dogs come from?? They ARENT coming from reputable breeders of the breeds involved.
Can you imagine a reputable breeder of ANY breed saying, "sure, you can use my dog to breed to another breed of dog entirely" Not going to happen! So....what you get is a mixed breed dog bred from 2 purbreds of different breeds that were most likely not good representatives of their respective breeds to start with! What a bargain!!!!
RARE COLORS- Ahh..The rare brown and white Landseer...rare gray and white...rare cream...Do you want to know what those "rare colors" REALLY are? They are simply the result of recessive genes. Nothing more, and NOTHING RARE ABOUT THEM!! Do you want to know why you dont see those colors very often? Its because they ARENT RECOGNIZED COLORS OF NEWFS!!!! Know what that means?? That means that reputable breeders DONT BREED for those colors because they are not recognized in the Newfoundland standard. Reputable breeders DONT breed brown and Landseer (or brown recessive and Landseer recessive) together...therefore...they DONT GET brown and whites!!! Nor do reputabe breeders breed gray and brown to get "creams". SO....when you see the "breeder" advertising that "rare color"...what you are really getting is a backyard breeder NOT breeding to the standard, or a breeder who doesnt even know enough about their pedigrees to know what colors they carry. Would you want a puppy from either type of breeder??
ON SALE, PRICE REDUCED, ETC ETC- Reputable breeders DO NOT "put their puppies on sale" There are several VERY good reasons for this.
#1- Most reputable breeders have people waiting for their puppies, and have NO NEED to "hold a sale" on the ones that they cant place.
#2-Most reputable beeders dont breed continuously, so they dont have more pups than they can place or care for.
HIP CHECKED, ELBOW CHECKED, OFA SCREENED-All of these may mean that the hips and or elbows were checked. It DOESNT MEAN that the hips/elbows PASSED those screenings. The breeder should be able to supply proof of joint clearances. If OFA was done past the age of 2, the clearances will be on OFA's site under the dogs name.
Of PennHip as used, the breeder will be able to supply you with the PennHip report. OVC is also sometimes used, and is done out of Canada.
CHIC CERTIFIED- CHIC certified means the dog has had the recommended health screenings for its breed. A CHIC NUMBER DOES NOT MEAN THE DOG PASSED-IT SIMPLY MEANS THE SCREENINGS WERE DONE AND THE RESULTS MADE PUBLIC.
