Please only buy your new Bull Terrier from a reputable breeder.

Most reputable breeders are currently charging $1000 for as Bull Terrier pup if for some reason you are quoted more ask questions to why this pup is priced this way. Eg. parents show/breeding history are they tested etc.

If the breeder is selling every pup in the litter please ask why. Are the pups not quality enough to keep or did they only breed this litter for money. If answer yes to these questions be careful. You are either buying a inferior Bull Terrier or of someone who has no interest in breeding for the right reasons.

Bull Terrier pups change so much from puppy to adulthood the best pup at 8weeks may not always end up the best dog when matured.

If paying more for the best pup in the litter is the breeder willing to offer refund/replacement and costs if the pup doesn't end up show/breeding quality.

If you are unsure on what you are looking at in a puppy it may be advisable to get a second opinion on wether the pup is going to end up a quality dog.

Do not buy a puppy unless the breeder is ANKC reg.

A reputable breeder will be a member of ANKC and will abide by it's code of ethics.

All reputable breeders will sell puppies with ANKC papers(Main or Ltd.) not just a copy of the parents pedigree. Only with pedigree papers can you guarantee you have purchased a purebred puppy.

When inquiring about a puppy from a reputable breeder be prepared to answer lots of questions. Reputable breeders want to find the best home for their puppies and the best puppy to suit your home.

Reputable breeders have Bull terriers best interests at heart, they seek to improve on what they have and aspire to producing quality dogs and bitches that are within the Bull Terrier standard. They aim for consistency in type, temperament, structure and soundness. They desire to protect the breed from the unscrupulous.

Reputable breeders will guide and mentor you as the have their puppies best interest at heart.

Reputable Breeders care as much in ten years time about the dogs they produce as they did when they were born. They have a vested interest in any dogs they produce, for their lifetime, not just the time in their care. This also means taking back or assisting to re-home any animal they have bred, should the dog be unable to remain with its owner, for any reason.

Reputable breeders do not need to discredit other reputable breeders, in order to justify their own breeding program, nor do they need to discredit or harass their "competition" they are confident that their own dogs can stand on their merits and that their results will speak for themselves.

Reputable breeders can acknowledge and admit faults in their own dogs just as much as they recognise the good points. Therefore they can move forward and improve. In saying this a reputable breeder can also recognise a good dog from other breeders therefore allowing the breed as a whole to continue to move forward.

The Backyard Breeders' and Puppy Millers' Big Book of Old Excuses
© Denna Pace 2001

1. When called on bad breeding practices, ALWAYS claim that you are merely an innocent posting as a favor to a friend or family member.

2. Point out that everybody you know breeds this way, therefore it must be okay.

3. Claim that "snobby show breeders" are only criticizing you because they want to corner the market on puppy profit.

4. Claim that a Champion in the pedigree is just as good as 56 Champions in the pedigree. Not that it matters, because you doubt that there is such a thing as a dog with 56 champions in the pedigree.

5. Claim that you are just trying to produce good pets, therefore good pets are all you need for breeding.

6. When asked about health testing, enthusiastically point out that your bitch had a health checkup before breeding.

7. Be sure to mention that you do not need to run such health tests as OFA, CERF, thyroid, cardiac, patellae, etc., because your dogs look healthy and had no visible problems at their last vet checkup.

8. Point out that these tests cost too much and would cut into your profit margin. Be sure to champion the right of poor people to breed dogs.

9. Confidently assure worried rescuers that no puppy you produce, or any of their puppies or grand puppies or great-grandpuppies will end up in shelters because you have a bunch of friends who have told you that they'd like a pup from your bitch.

10. Point out that you don't need Championships or working titles on your dogs because you are breeding for temperament and your dog is really sweet.

11. Silence those annoying people who ask about your health guarantee by assuring them that buyers can return any sick puppies and you will replace it with another pup as long as it got sick within a certain amount of time of sale and as long as you don't think the buyer did something to make the puppy sick.

12. If your breed or line is rare (or you have a "rare" color, or believe your breed or color is rare), be sure to remind everyone that you do not need to show, temperament test, or health test your breeding stock because you are doing the world a service by continuing this "rare" breed/color/line.

13. No matter what anyone else says, claim that you obviously know what you are doing because you've been breeding for a long time. Point to the hundreds of puppies you've pumped out over the years as proof.

14. If this is your first attempt at breeding, make sure to remind everyone that you HAVE to breed your dog because how else are you going to learn how to breed?

15. Assure everyone that your dog does not need to be shown because you were assured by someone at Petsmart/the park/the vet's office/a friend that your dog is a perfect example of the breed.

16. Always remember that "rare" colors, oversized or undersized dogs, and mixes of popular breeds are great selling points. Anyone who doesn't think so is obviously not in tune with their customers' wishes.

17. Claim that your dogs are better because they are not inbred, as inbreeding obviously produces sick/stupid/deformed dogs. If breeding poo [as in "Cock-a-Poo," "Peek-a-Poo," etc.] dogs or other mutts, always point to "hybrid vigor" as proof of your dogs' superiority.

18. Remind everyone that you do not need a waiting list because your puppies are cute.

19. Assure everyone that your puppies will not end up in shelters because they are cute.

20. Claim that YOUR breed never ends up in shelters in your area, therefore your puppies will never end up in shelters.

21. If asked why you think your dogs are breeding quality, point out that they "have papers." Extra points awarded for using the phrase "ANKC Certified." Double points if those papers come from the Continental Kennel Club.

22. If you sell a sick puppy, always blame the owners for making it sick. If the owners are clearly not responsible, blame their vet. (see #11)

23. If presented with irrefutable evidence proving you wrong on any excuses you have used, pretend your server did not receive the post/e-mail.

24. Claim that none of the rules of ethical breeding apply to you because you only intend to have one litter and therefore aren't a "real" breeder.

25. If all else fails, tell everyone who criticizes you to "get a life."

Written by Denna Pace .

ANYONE WHO STATES ANY OF THE ABOVE 25 EXCUSES FOR THEIR BREEDING PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM

WHAT IS A BREEDER

A Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment.

A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives up the dreams of a long, luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all important show into this years "vacation."

A Breeder goes without sleep (but never without coffee!) in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterwards, over every little sneeze, wiggle or cry.

A Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight.

A Breeder's lap is a marvelous place where generations of proud and noble champions once snoozed.
A Breeder's hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a puppy's wet nose.

A Breeder's back and knees are usually arthritic from stooping, bending, and sitting in the birthing box, but are strong enough to enable the breeder to show the next choice pup to a Championship.

A Breeder's shoulders are stooped and often heaped with abuse from competitors, but they're wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations.

A Breeder's arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of puppies, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer.

A Breeder's ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked about) or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver), often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the whimper of a sick puppy.

A Breeder's eyes are blurred from pedigree research and sometimes blind to her own dog's faults, but they are ever so keen to the competitions faults and are always searching for the perfect specimen.

A Breeder's brain is foggy on faces, but it can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM computer. It's so full of knowledge that sometimes it blows a fuse: it catalogues thousands of good bonings, fine ears, and perfect heads... and buries in the soul the failures and the ones that didn't turn out.

A Breeder's heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting... and it's always in the right place!

Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are BREEDERS!!

-Author unknown 

All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.