TUBA

An Animals Prayer I ask for the privilege of not being born... not to be born until you can assure me of a home and a master to protect me, and a right to live as long as I am physically able to enjoy life... not to be born until my life is precious and men have ceased to exploit it because it is cheap and plentiful.  ---Author Unknown

Are you sure the BLOODHOUND is the RIGHT PET for YOUR FAMILY?

General Care that is required for the bloodhound.

HOW TO FIND A REPUTABLE ETHICAL BREEDER

The first place to start is with the American Bloodhound Club (ABC), which is recognized by the AKC and is responsible for the preservation, protection and welfare of them. ABC has appointed people to serve as regional breeder referral representatives.  If you're looking for a bloodhound puppy, please contact:

Primary Breeder Referral
            Advisor
          Eva Dunkel
       email: REDunk@aol.com



Bloodhound Rescue


Common Medical Conditions Found in Bloodhounds
By Dr. John Hamil, DVM

The above article is excellent and will help you be able to ask breeders some questions about the health of the parents and relatives.

An ethical/reputable breeder carefully screens the sire and dam prior to breeding by completing health clearances, researching pedigrees, etc. as they want to insure they are sound, fit and healthy. They will not only consider genetic diseases, but also such things as allergies, skin problems, temperament, etc. They have probably raised and watched over the sire and dam since birth.

As you can see you are going to be asking as many questions of the breeder as they will be asking of you. If I can be of any help, please feel free to email me. We are not breeders, just owned by two very loving bloodhounds and are PET OWNERS who have done a lot of research.
 

Questions to ask the Breeder:

1.) How long have you been into bloodhounds?
2.) What other breeds do you raise?
3.) How many litters have you produced or been listed as breeder of in the last year?
4.) Where are your dogs kept in the daytime? evening? (are they in the home or kennel)
5.) How many bloodhounds do you currently own or co-own?
6.) Are you an ABC member?
7.) Are you a member of any local kennel clubs?
8.) Are you USDA or state licensed?
9.) Who is your veterinarian and can you get the name, address and phone number and would you have a problem if I contacted them?
10.) Can you provide me with three names, phone numbers and addresses for references for other breeders, show or pet owners from previous litters?
11.) Is there any history of bloat in your line?
12.) What health clearances are done on your dogs?
13.) Are your dogs CHIC or OFA'ed, get the Sire and Dam's name and check.
14.) What is the AKC registered number for the sire and dam, age, color?
15.) Is there any cardiac issues? (Congenital heart disease runs in  the genes of dogs as it does humans.)
16.) Have there been any temperament, allergies, epilepsy, eye issues, hip or elbow problems in your breeding program?
 

Most of your ABC breeders who have web pages are going to provide you with a lot of the answers to the above questions. The reputable breeders have done a lot of work and will proudly share the information with you. They have spent hours researching not only the pedigrees, but the genetics, and other issues such as temperaments. Temperament: Genetic and hereditary factors play a major role in aggression, but temperament is not considered a hereditary or genetic disorder, nor is it included in the contract.

 Medical and Surgical Considerations regarding bloat in the BLOODHOUND by Dr. John Hamil

PICKING THE RIGHT PUPPY

Color:
The colors are black and tan, liver and tan, and red; the darker colors being sometimes interspersed with lighter or badger-colored hair, and sometimes flecked with white. A small amount of white is permissible on chest, feet, and tip of stern. To see pictures of the three colors.

 
Sex: Male or Female
The ethical and reputable breeder will match you with your new puppy based on the information you have provided to them.

Cost:
A healthy puppy from a reputable breeder will run around $1,000-$1,200.

You can find one cheaper, but by the time you have done any of the following:
1.) one surgery (hip, eye, elbow or for bloat)
2.) lifetime medication for an eye disease, epilepsy, skin (mange) or chronic ear
3.) allergy tests
4.) special food due to allergies
5.) surgery or stitches to treat the human who has been bitten due to bad temperament

As you can see you can easily spend an extra $60-100 per month on medications/follow-up, up to several thousands for one surgery and now you have the most expensive bloodhound out there. I have seen many puppies listed on the internet for $2,000 to $3000, whose sire and dam have no titles; no health clearances; a 3 day guarantee and the contract protects the breeder versus the puppy.

Other considerations:
The ethical reputable breeder is going to be there to answer questions, make suggestions, offer solutions for the lifetime of your bloodhound. If you live close enough they will be there to mentoring you in the show ring. They are going to be selective on who will raise one of their puppies. They take the code of ethics very seriously and understand they are responsible for the lifetime of all puppies they have indirectly brought into this world.

They understand that unexpected events happen in life (divorce, loss of income, family crisis) and if you are unable to keep your bloodhound, they will always have a home for them.  Pet quality puppies will be sold on an AKC limited registration requiring the dog to be neutered or spayed.  The reputable ethical breeder NEVER has breeding stock, a pair of adults for sale or offer stud services. If you are getting your first bloodhound puppy and are wanting to show, the ethical reputable breeder will want to co-own that puppy with you, since it will not be spayed or neutered and neither party really know the potential of the puppy until it has reached maturity.

BREEDING
If you are thinking about the price of your puppy or about breeding your bloodhound try:

VIRTUAL BREEDING FIRST

No Puppy Mills

Lemon Laws

Checklist for Responsible breeders

On The 8th Day God Created Bloodhounds

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