The Answer to Guaranteeing Good Health & Longevity.
Pssst. There isn't one.
Run, don't walk, away from anyone who tells you otherwise.
Run, don't walk, away from anyone who tells you otherwise.
Here are our personal guidelines and requirements.
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Know what you want. Do you want a show dog, a working dog, or a pet? Dogs bred for special purposes may not suit your personal needs. If you're looking for a purpose-bred puppy, be sure the pedigree is saturated with high-level titles and know what to watch out for.
Know the Puppy's Genetic COI. Genetic COI has been demonstrated in recent research to be related to a dog's projected longevity. Know the difference between a pedigree COI and a Genetic COI. MORE
Know the Parent Dogs' Test Results for at least five clinical tests (clinical tests are done by a veterinarian, not a DNA laboratory). We want to know both parent's results for:
Be an informed, reasonable puppy buyer. Realize one thing above all: the genetic problems our breed faces are everywhere. If a breeder has a breeding dog that dies of DCM or is impacted by another genetic disease, or sells you a puppy that suffers the same fate, it does not mean you are dealing with a bad breeder. It means you are dealing with a Doberman breeder. Know, going into the purchase of a puppy, that simply by choosing a Doberman, you also accept the risks inherent to the breed.
We hear buyers say, "Don't buy from that breeder. They have a page with dogs that have died of DCM." In our minds, that's backward thinking. We prefer breeders who have 'in memoriam' pages on their websites listing the dog that have died and what they have died of. These pages indicate that you are probably dealing with a transparent breeder. Not seeing this does NOT mean the breeder hasn't lost dogs to DCM and other genetic diseases. It simply means they are not sharing that. |
Learn Pedigrees. Today, pedigrees are arguably still the BEST indicator of a puppy's chances at health and longevity (and success in its purpose). But don't be so quick to be impressed by a few old dogs on a puppy's pedigree. All pedigrees have that. Look deeper. Look not just for longevity, but heritable longevity. That means digging into the pedigree. Look not just at the dogs on the pedigree. Look at their siblings, their aunts, their uncles, and their nieces and nephews. Look for successive long lived dogs. Remember you want to find heritable longevity, not just individual long-lived ancestors.
Find a Transparent, Open Breeder. If a breeder tells you they don't have problems with DCM (dilated cardiomyopathy) or cancer in their lines, move on. They either don't know their pedigrees well enough or they're fudging. Neither option is good. Keep looking. There are good, transparent breeders out there.
Know the Parent Dogs' Test Results for at least five Genetic Diseases. We want to know both parent's DNA results for:
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