Thank you for this detailed information. I'll read it again more carefully later today but two things stand out to me,
The first is
And they asked me do I want show quality as I kept on asking about all the necessary health checks. Then I was told these checks are done in all of their puppies,
I really have to wonder about a breeder asking you if you want show quality just because you mention health testimg. Health testing is a given for quality breeders. That just seems more marketing ploy than conscientious breeder to me.
Health "checks" on puppies are helpful but this is not the proper health testing to be discussed. If the breeder starts immediately talking about "checks" on puppies when you ask about health testing, I'd be concerned. That testing is done on the breeding parents. A health "guarantee" on a puppy doesn't have much behind it to back it up without the parents having been tested and cleared for the known breed issues. Again, not knowing or asking which breeders, but puppy "health checks" without the genetic and other testing proven done on the parents is usually a sign of a not great breeder.
The second is
BTW, I know it's my criteria for the poodle made it so difficult to find one - red/apricot female toy/mini. And they ask for higher for these colors.
A conscientious, quality breeder does NOT charge different prices for colors. Doing that is another marketing ploy to increase their profit. A conscientious, quality breeder is not looking to make a profit when they breed.
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Here's my personal chacklist for a breeder:
My ideal breeder is someone who is doing this because they love the breed. They want to see each new generation born at least as good as the previous, ideally better. They provide for every dog in their care as if that dog is their own. They will be there for the new family, and stand behind that pup for it's lifetime, rain or shine, with or without a contract. They will know the standards and pedigrees of their chosen breed, health and genetic diversity of their lines, and breed to better them. They will know of the latest studies in health standards for their chosen breed and variety.
They will have as many questions for me as I do for them. They invest in their dogs. They don't expect the dogs to support them.
Breeding Program
! to maintain, improve, strengthen the breed
by breeding to standard, for health and genetic diversity,
and will prove their dogs meet these standards by showing or competing
or by breeding from titled parents. It's not the title, but what it shows
! focus is on quality, never quantity
! they do not cross breed
Breeding Parents
! registry information available
AKC Registry Lookup
Dog Search
! not too old or young for breeding
! not overbred
see
Asking questions from a breeder
and
Frequency of Breeding a Bitch
! genetic health testing done appropriate to breed and variety
! other health testing such as eyes, hips
! results of testing on own website, OFA site or testing lab
see
Health Related Publications - Versatility In Poodles, Inc.
and OFA Lookup
https://www.ofa.org/look-up-a-dog
Living Conditions
! in home with family
! breeder allows, even encourages home visits
Puppies
! routine and urgent vet care, immunizations, dewormings
! socialization
! first groomings
! registry papers
! they will not require spay/neuter before physical maturity
! health "guarantee" generally favors the breeder, not the buyer.
health guarantee is no replacement for health testing of dam and sire.
beginning housetraining is a bonus
temperament testing is helpful
Advertising
! individual website to detail history of breeder, goals for their program
! information on dams, sires, puppies
! no trend pricing for color, gender or size,
! no marketing gimmick terms like "teacup" "royal"
! Anything not found on the website should be provided by breeder before buying
If a breeder wants me to believe that they believe in their dogs, they won't stop the investment when it comes time to find the new families. If they want to cut costs by using free advertising sites like craigslist or listing on retail marketplaces like puppyspot or puppyfind, or other classified ad sites such as newspapers, I wonder what else they've cut costs on.
Contact a few breeders to introduce yourself. Even if they don't have or don't offer what you're looking for, it can be a close knit community. They may know where to refer you.
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and this thread to give additional and corroborating insight on finding a quality breeder:
Buying A Puppy Safely
We have many discussions on here as to what constitutes a really good breeder, and rightly set our standards very high. In an ideal world, everyone would be prepared to research carefully, to build a relationship with an excellent breeder, and be ready to wait as long as it took for the right...
www.poodleforum.com
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Here's the resources to check on health testing of the breeding parents
AKC Registry Lookup - by kennel name or dog name or registry number
Health Testing Criteria - Parents Are Tested Not Puppies - Additional Testing
Versatility In Poodles, Inc.
vipoodle.org
Toy Minimum Testing Criteria
prcd Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) DNA testing from an approved laboratory
Eye clearance by the Companion Animal Eye Registry (CAER)
Patellar Luxation OFA evaluation
Here is where the results are registered by the breeder
OFA Lookup - by kennel name or dog name or registry number - Orthopedic Foundation for Animals
Our dog search tool allows you to search parents and relatives of your potential new puppy by dog name, breed, disease type and more. Look up a dog today!
www.ofa.org
To find specifically what you're looking for, it seems you'll need to expand your search area.
If you haven't already looked thru the Breeder List I linked before, I'd go thru all the toy/mini breeders on these multi lists to see who's breeding the color you want and contact them regardless of location. This is not to necessarily get a pup from them but they may know of breeders nearer to you that have what you're looking for:
Multi State
ANSWER ALL 3 QUESTIONS TO JOIN!!! PLEASE note we do *not* allow advertisement for litters that do not meet and *PASS* CHIC minimum testing. Of course the more testing the better. *Things not...
www.facebook.com
Breeders here all do appropriate health testing.
Poodlesonline .com
PoodleBreeders .com
Standard, Miniature and Toy poodle puppies and adults for sale. Featuring health conscious poodle breeders in the USA and Canada. Many beautiful photos and information about available puppies.
www.poodlebreeders.com
Poodle Variety Breeders
pending
Good Dog .com
Find a Poodle puppy from reputable breeders near you and nationwide. Screened for quality. Transportation available. Visit us now to find your dog.
www.gooddog.com
Find a Poodle (Non-standard) puppy from reputable breeders near you and nationwide. Screened for quality. Transportation available. Visit us now to find your dog.
www.gooddog.com
pending
United Poodle Association
Visit the post for more.
unitedpoodleassociation.org
pending health ck and update - suggested by PF member
"I have contacted a couple poodle clubs who gave me very important information on what to look for in a breeders. My next plan is to contact the referral people state by state on these poodle club."
Very good idea. Note that a wait list is very typical if you want a puppy from a conscientious, quality breeder doing the right things to ensure the best puppies and the best for the breed. These breeders may only produce 1-2 litters a year and mini and toy litters are quite small. Anyone who pretty much always has puppies available, with a few good larger scale breeder exceptions, is not likely to be investing much in their dogs since that cuts into their profit.