Are you looking for an English Springer Spaniel puppy on the internet?
You have come to the right place because
I've got some "tips" for you that will help you find
the very best Springer puppy for you and your family.
Hello. My name is Sasz and I will be
your teacher today.
The first thing I want to stress is the
importance of buying your Springer Spaniel
puppy from a reputable breeder. How, you may ask,
do you know who is a reputable breeder
and who is not.
As you surf the internet for English Springer Spaniel
breeders, watch out for flashy web sites that are ONLY all about
selling puppies. Reputable breeders will have a
web-site that offers educational information with links
to our parent club’s web-site and to local dog club web-sites.
Here are a few easy "Red Flags"
! Reputable Springer breeders do not mass produce puppies.
Any breeder who has puppies available more often than twice
per year should be approached with caution. A breeder
who offers puppies available in intervals of months should be
considered a puppy mill. Even if these breeders claim to
have championship pedigrees, health checks and guarantees,
frequent breeding is a RED ALERT that they are breeding for profit.
! Advertising Springer puppies for sale is in itself, a warning sign.
When the breeder offers to arrange for shipping (air flight arrangements)
or if they take credit cards or PayPal, that is a definite sign that
they produce puppies as a product.
No matter how one paints the picture, puppies for profit is the definition of a Puppy Mill.
! If the dogs are not registered with the AKC.
Even if they are registered with AKC, that
is no indication of the quality of the dog.
Be careful. Other "registries", which were
created for puppy mills and backyard
breeders, use very similar letters.
! If a breeder boasts' having "rare colors"
such as "lemon" or "tri’s" . Lemons
are an undesirable trait and tri’s
are not rare.
! If the Springer puppies are allowed to go to their new
homes prior to 8 weeks.
! If the mother and father have not had their
hips certified by the Orthopedic Foundation
for Animals and had their eyes examined
by a canine ophthalmologist within one year of the litter.
! If the breeder doesn’t ask you any questions.
If the Springer breeder uses any terms like
"Triple Champion" or "Blue Blood". The only
terminology for an AKC Champion is
"Champion" with initials "Ch" or "GCh" in front of their registered name.
A few champions that are generations back in a pedigree does not
constitute a "championship pedigree."
The web-sites whose only focus is selling English Springer puppies
could be considered backyard breeders. These are not
reputable breeders. Backyard breeders "produce"
as much as 67% of all the dogs born annually in this country.
Of the 52.9 million dogs who live in the United States,
approximately 2.9 million of them are killed in shelters
annually (AVMA, 1998, and AHA, 1998).
How do we stop backyard breeders?
You can stop them by not buying from them.
If they cannot make a profit from their "crop" of
puppies, they will stop their breeding factories and
seek their fortune from some other unscrupulous means.
Where do you find a reputable English Springer Spaniel breeder?
Start by going to our Parent Club web site,
and read the valuable information available there.
( Wait...don't go there yet! )
Be sure and click on the Spaniel Manual. This manual
has great questions that the potential puppy buyer
should ask breeders. It also lets you know the
questions you can expect a breeder to ask you. Yes,
quality breeders interview prospective puppy buyers
as if they are adopting one of their children.
You should welcome this interview process.
Also, on the parent club web-site, there is a
Springer breeder referral link where you can get a list
of members who have agreed to abide by the
ESSFTA Guidelines for Responsible Breeders.
BE PATIENT !
Reputable English Springer Spaniel breeders may not always
have puppies available. You might be placed on a waiting list.
Don't expect to go "pickin up paw-paws and put'em in your basket".
A Pet Store or Backyard Breeder will display their "product"
in a window or a batch of pictures and offer a choice
on a first come, first serve basis.
your shopping cart might be empty when you get to the
check-out counter.
Remember, reputable breeders have spent years producing
a family of healthy happy dogs. They have invested countless
hours and many sleepless nights caring for the litter.
Reputable breeders breed for themselves first and not for
profit. So please keep this in mind when a breeder makes
the carefully considered match of puppy for you.
Why, you may ask, would you want to buy a puppy from
a "show breeder" or a "field breeder", if what you want
is just a family companion? Because showing dogs and
achieving a title of Champion is the only genuinely
objective way to measure the dog to the Breed Standard.
Only those dogs who meet the Breed Standard
should ever be considered for reproducing.
Even though you do not want a show dog, you deserve
a pet that is the end result of a carefully planned litter--
a pup which received the same care as a potential champion.
(see the Breed Standard from our Links page)
"Pleazzzzze !!!! Take my advice."
Take the time to find a Reputable English Springer Spaniel Breeder.
Don't forget to consider a Springer in need of a loving home from the
ESRA (English Springer Rescue America)
Our Links page can take you right to their web site where there are
photos of Springers who would love to be adopted and
share a lifetime of happiness with you.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Sasz
