Buying Dachshund Puppies from a caring breeder!

• Each bitch is limited under KC registration rules to only having one litter a year for a limited number of years - Unscrupulous people have multiple litters going on at the same time and so they can make lots of money. Given the limit of litters imposed by KC these people simply add puppies from one litter to another litter and register them as having come from another bitch. You can often easily identify them when you see a reduction in cost for not having the pup KC registered (it only costs £12 per pup so why wouldn't they register them?). If you buy from these people the bitch is often almost permanently pregnant or nursing and at around four or five years old is quite literally finished! Not a very nice life at best and at worst simply horrific. What's being done to stop this? Currently very large litters are being investigated and DNA of parents checked against the pups but regrettably this is very difficult to police. Long term the KC is trying to get all responsible breeders to have their dogs DNA tested.

How can you Check? 

• Suspicious? Ask for the KC registration numbers and colours of the parents and check with the Kennel club.

• Ask for someone else connected with dachshunds that you can phone for a reference.

• See if it's possible to talk to someone who owns a puppy from a previous litter

• When you ring the breeder initially casually ask what colour the Mum and Dad are - when you visit are the parents you are shown the colour you were originally told?

• All genuine breeders can register KC pups online so ask them to show you the pups registered to them online (please note: not all breeders currently use this system) - each pup will show it's Mum and Dad if clicked on which should be what the breeder told you. Lots of entries under that person? beware and ask questions particularly if they are selling from a house - obviously if you can see they have lots of dogs then it makes sense to see lots of entries.

 

3. Price

The price for mini Long haired dachshund puppies varies widely across the internet up to £1500 (puppy farmers sometimes over charge to give the pup credibility!) for a pup I saw the other day. 

So what is the correct price?

 

4. PRA - (Progressive retinal atrophy)

Many people are unfortunately ignorant of PRA and as a result many mini smooth and long haired dachshunds are born with an easily avoidable genetic condition.

DON'T you be the owner of a Dachshund that goes blind four years after you have bought him/her! DO NOT EVER buy a puppy from a litter that doesn't have at least one parent PRA CLEAR! As you can see in the chart below a clear parent will ensure NO puppies are affected.

How does this happen?

• Miniature Dachshunds regrettably are VERY prone to PRA (CLICK HERE for information) so sensible owners always get their dogs tested if planning to breed from them. If the dog has PRA then they should NEVER EVER be bred from. Unfortunately many people are unaware of this serious issue and cause pups with PRA to be born. Some just can't be bothered as the disease often doesn't take hold for a number of years so many unsuspecting owners won't connect it to the breeder and put it down to old age when their dog suddenly goes blind.

How can you Check?

• Ask the breeder what the parents PRA is and then check the chart below to see if they have had a safe mating to avoid PRA.

• Ask the breeder if you can see the PRA certificate - if they can't find it ask for the parents KC number and ring the KC and see if it's been done they will have a record of it.

• If the breeder doesn't know about PRA walk away.

 

 

ONLY buy a CARRIER or a CLEAR. If the breeder can't say that the puppy will 100% be a CARRIER or a CLEAR - don't BUY! - DO NOT become obsessed with only buying a CLEAR they are extremely hard to find - a CARRIER is 100% perfectly fine and provided they are mated with a CLEAR you won't ever have any problems.

The Kennel Club provides updated lists of all Dogs PRA tested and their results - Ask for the Kennel name of a parents and you can make sure everything is in order by checking the links below and then checking the results of both parents with the chart above.

PRA Miniature Longhaired Dachshund Clears

PRA Miniature Longhaired Dachshund Carriers

PRA Miniature Longhaired Dachshund Affected

 

5. Dachshund Back Disorder IVDD

Some Dachshunds are prone to back disorder. Recent research suggests back issues are genetic and many owners have reported having back issues with every dog they buy from certain breeders. Ask the question have any of your dogs every had back problems?

The problem occurs when the inner jelly protrudes or herniates through the fibrous layer into the vertebral canal and presses on the spinal cord. This compression may be slight or severe and this will depend on the amount of protrusion into the canal.

Type 1 intervertebral disk disease usually occurs in dogs with short thick legs such as dachshunds. Although short legs are normal for this breeds it is basically the result of abnormal development of cartilage. The disks in these dogs become more like cartilage than fibrous tissue, this increases the risk of rupture into the vertebral canal. This can occur in these dogs at a fairly young age 3-6 years and sometimes younger and can occur at several sites in the back, causing considerable pain.

Type 11 intervertebral disk disease often only partial protrusion not complete rupture and mostly seen in dogs that do not have the short thick legs and are larger breeds. Usually appears in older dogs 6-10 years and develops more slowly and is less severe than Type 1.

Type 111 intervertebral disk disease this is a fairly rare, type of disc rupture and is most damaging and traumatic. The disc material herniates severally and may actually enter the spinal cord, so causing severe damage. This may result in some areas of the cord dying. The damage may be so severe that the only humane option is euthanasia.

Signs of canine back problems or disk disease - Type 1 usually starts quite quickly and is usually severe depending on the amount of pressure on the spinal cord, there may be pain in the region of the neck, weakness or paralysis in some or all the limbs. Pain is the main sign of this disease and may be steady or occasional, sudden movement causes excruciating pain. Type 11 intervertebral disk disease - usually develops much more slowly over several months, with pain, weakness or paralysis in some or all of the limbs.

Treatment
IVDD can result in permanent paralysis and incontinence if not treated.

Medical treatment of this disease consists of anti inflammatory medication and strict rest (in a cage) toileting your dog on a lead. Surgery is a possibility in serious cases to relieve the pressure on the spinal cord, recovery after surgery ranges from fair to good depending on certain factors. Other options are hydrotherapy, massage, acupuncture, herbal homeopathic treatments, and to assist if paralysed a dog wheelchair. It is critical to seek veterinarian help immediately, if you think your dog has a back problem, your vet will discuss with you the treatment options available in your dogs particular case.

Click here for more detailed technical information

 

6. Genetic Disorders - Double Dapple

Tri Colored Puppies - BEWARE - White markings - BEWARE. Breeding dapple to dapple can produce Double Dapples and they can have very serious genetic issues that can cause puppies to be born without eyes, deafness and other body abnormalities. Double Dapples are not accepted by the Kennel Club UK or USA Clubs. Quite a few Breeders in the U.S.A do breed DOUBLE DAPPLES. Currently in the UK this doesn't happen with responsible KC breeders. The reason breeders risk trying to breed a Double Dapple is that they will eventually get a normal perfectly healthy dog and that dog will look truly stunning (see picture below) with additional white patches over the normal single dapple. Double dapples can be bred by mating two dapples - the pups from that mating will be normal colours, single dapple and double dapple. If two double dapples are bred together then all the pups will be double dapples. From time to time red and cream dapples loose their dapple over time and are mistakenly then taken for shaded reds, creams and thus bred with single dapples, so it is important to try not (unless you fully understand the risks and implications) to breed single dapples with reds or creams just in case these dogs have lost their dapple colouring.

The big PLUS? of a double dapple is it will always produce all dapple litters NO MATTER WHAT COLOUR THE OTHER DOG IS so essentially this issue is more about disreputable breeders being greedy given dapples normally fetch more money than base colours and those who are prepared to maim a few dogs for the sake of pretty colours. We do not breed double dapples not would we encourage anyone else to do so.

Double Dapple	Dapple	Black/Chocolate and Tan	SAFE?	Pups from Breeding - Note % is a guide prediction and may or may not be correct!
	X X As of 1st January 2010 no dapple to dapple matings will be allowed to register pups with the KC		NO	25% Base colour, 50% Single dapple, and the issue in this equation 25% Double dapple which may or may not have health issues but more likely than not. This mating could of course have no doubles in it but the possibility is there so you shouldn't do it.
XX As of 1st January 2010 no dapple to dapple matings will be allowed to register pups with the KC			NO	1100%  double dapples which may or may not have health issues but more likely than not.
X		X	SAFE	1100% single dapple
	X	X	SAFE	50% Base colour, 50% Single dapple
Double Dapple	Dapple	Red/Cream	SAFE?	Pups from Breeding - Note % is a guide prediction and may or may not be correct!
	X	X	MEDIUM	50% Base colour, 50% Single dapple - This mating contains the risk that pups may go unidentified as dapples and thus cause a dapple to dapple mating at a later point in time. It is our personal recommendation that the ONLY SAFE OPTION with pups from such a litter is that from a breeding point of view they should always be regarded as dapples even though they don't show visible signs of being dapples - see Phantom Merle. When the merl dna test finally becomes available we would recommend any pups that DON'T look like a dapple from a litter containing a dapple parent be tested regardless of appearance. At that point should they test negative they may safely be regarded as non dapples.

 

Click here for additional Dachshund breed council information

 

 

7. Location

Many puppy farms are based in Wales so lots of puppies for sale from a welsh address often indicates a puppy farm. Some time ago there were changes in various local laws that made puppy farming in Wales favourable, it is still an area where puppy farming largely goes unchecked. Triple check everything is in order before buying from a breeder in Wales. Other remote areas should also be view with suspicion.