Nagging Questions:
The Stuff You HAVE to Know
About Health Issues in the Breed
And How Honest/Open This Breeder is About Them

What health issues have you seen in the breed?

Any breeder who says none or can't give a solid answer should just be ignored. Either they are too inexperienced (and horrifyingly so) or too dishonest or both to be a safe source for a puppy. Granted, many health issues are not genetic in nature but every breeder should be aware of the general health issues that afflict their breed, safeguards (whether in care, management or health testing) to prevent and other aspects.

For most breeds, this opens the door to discussing topics like luxating patellas, eye issues, hip dysplasia, bloat and other problems that are specific to certain breeds or types of dogs but may or may not be testable or have a genetic component.

Of course any additional questions you might have on this topic will be enthusiastically fielded at DigitalDog's Forum .

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