Welcome to Genesee Valley Kennel Club web page.
“Message from our President”
GVKC members are encouraged to volunteer to help people find a breed of dog (purebred or All American) to join their family. Below are listings for the general public to use to gain help in this endevor.
GREAT DANE
Autumn Royal Great Danes
Ophelia Lehman
Springwater, NY 14560
Information
Breeder-Harle, Merle, Mantle & Black
MASTIFF
Hrothgar Mastiffs
Traci Weaver
Wyoming, NY 14591
585-943-9793
Information
Breeder
Rescue
For additional help please contact our breed help member Sonny Kurtz at 585-880-5366.
ADDING A PUPPY TO YOUR FAMILY? SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT!
Congratulations on making the decision to welcome a puppy into your home! It is an exciting time for you and your family and the beginning of a rewarding and life-changing journey.
As you consider this very important next step, we encourage you to think about the following questions. Your responses will help guide you in your decision-making process, and (we hope!), help you choose a puppy that will be the perfect fit for you and your family.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF AND FAMILY MEMBERS:
- Do you have young children in your home or perhaps young nieces and nephews who visit often?
- Is there an elderly family member living with you?
- Is there a special needs family member who may have challenges interacting with a rambunctious puppy or a young large breed dog?
- Who will be responsible for helping care for the puppy?
- Are you prepared to socialize your new dog outside of the home?
- Training is critical in order for your puppy to thrive. Do you have sufficient time to devote to training?
- Do you have a safe area for your puppy to exercise – whether a fenced yard or walkable neighborhood? Does your family enjoy lots of activities or do you see yourself more likely to cuddle on the couch watching television with your new family member? Have you considered the amount of daily exercise certain breeds require?
- Have you researched veterinarians in your area and looked into the expenses relating to owning a dog including food, grooming, medical care and training?
- Do any of your family members have allergies? While there are no allergen-free dogs, some breeds that are “hypoallergenic” may be more suitable for your family’s circumstances.
- Are you considering participating in sports and/or companion activities with your dog? All breeds are welcome to participate in the many different activities available, but certain breeds may be more suitable for specific activities. For a list of opportunities visit https://webapps.akc.org/event-search/#/search
- Are you considering participating in conformation? Conformation is limited to purebred dogs since the purpose of these competitions is to evaluate the structure of a given breed for breeding. It’s an exciting world! Check out these various organizations for more information: American Kennel Club (AKC), United Kennel Club (UKC) and Canadian Kennel Club (CKC).
HOW DO YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT DIFFERENT BREEDS?
Each AKC-recognized breed has a national (i.e. “parent”) club which will serve as a good starting point for your research. Parent clubs generally maintain a website which will provide detailed information about the breed as well as additional resources such as a breeders’ list. See https://www.apps.akc.org/club-search/#/national for more information about parent clubs. Breed-specific information is also available through other associations such as the CKC and UKC, as well as all-breed dog clubs. Additionally,if you have an opportunity to attend an all-breed dog show, or a “meet the breeds” event, you will have an informal opportunity to meet various dog breeds, talk to breeders, and learn more about breeds of interest.
Your research will help you understand about the breed “standard” which identifies specific characteristics of that breed (e.g., muscle development, bone structure, size, color, temperament, exercise requirements, etc. ) that are important to maintaining the traits and heritage for which a particular breed was originally bred. You can read about the ideal “structure” of every AKC recognized breed on their web site: www.akc.org.
CHOOSING A BREEDER
Now that you have a pretty good idea of the breed(s) that will most likely fit your lifestyle, it’s
time to focus on a breeder. You might want to start out researching breeders at the AKC.org breeder referral contact page. We also encourage you to reach out to your local kennel club, (we love to talk dogs) as well as the national parent club for your breed of interest.
Breeders are special people and although all have a love of dogs in common, each has their
own personality, experience, knowledge and approaches. Some breeders may breed several litters a year while others may breed every few years. All share the goal of making sure that their puppies are placed in loving forever homes. As you talk to breeders and get to know them, it’s Important that you find a breeder that you are comfortable with is someone you can easily communicate with.
Make a list of BREEDER questions:
- Where is your kennel located? Do the dogs stay in the house? May I arrange a visit?
- How long have you been breeding? How many litters have you whelped?
- When is your next breeding planned? How long is your puppy list?
- How many puppies are likely to be in a litter?
- What health testing protocols do you follow?
- Does the bitch (mother and sire (father) live with you and if not, what information can you provide about the sire?
- How do you socialize the puppies you breed?
- How do you decide which puppy will be matched with which family?
- Will you be going to any dog shows near me this year?
- May I see a copy of your contract?
- Contracts serve as an agreement between the buyer and the breeder. Some are very simple and others more detailed. At the very least, there should be a clause that places responsibility on the breeder to take the puppy back if for any
reason you are not able to keep the puppy or dog, at any time. Other considerations include expectations around spaying/neutering the puppy, health guarantees, and AKC registration requirements. There is no “standard” contract. Just be sure you understand it completely and if not, ask questions! Don’t be afraid of a contract – it’s to help assure your new puppy has a long, happy life!
DEVELOPING A RELATIONSHIP WITH A BREEDER
Your breeder will likely have questions for you, too! Since some of your
answers may require some research on your part, don’t be afraid to respond that you don’t
know yet and ask for the breeder’s suggestions.
Your breeder knows what kind of environment their breed needs and wants to place their puppies in their forever home! You can use this time to get to know the breeder better and let them get to know you. You will learn that there can be a long timeframe between selecting a breeder and getting a puppy. Breeders generally know how many litters are planned each year and often have long waiting lists. Depending on the size of the litter, there may not be a puppy available right away.
If your breeder is active in conformation or dog sports, you may find it exciting to follow their accomplishments on Facebook – or better yet, attend a dog show in person!
Questions YOU may be asked by a prospective breeder:
- Who lives in your family?
- Are there other animals in the home?
- Do you have a fenced yard?
- What kind of activities do you enjoy? Will your dog be a part of those?
- Have you considered what kind of food you plan to feed? (Kibble, freeze dried, kibble, combination…). Nutrition is paramount to the long term health of your dog. Your breeder will send you home with the same food your puppy has been eating and advise you to slowly make a transition to your nutrition plan. Your veterinarian should be a part of this, and other decisions regarding your puppy’s health.
- Where will the puppy sleep? Will you crate train?
- Have you considered what preventative treatments and vaccinations you will choose? Are you inclined to use a holistic approach or will you be using a traditional vet?
- What ideas do you have to socialize your puppy? Are you aware of the two fear periods in the life of a puppy? (Read about these fear periods that are genetically programmed at about 8-11 weeks and again at about 6-14 months). As your puppy matures never let your growing bundle be subject to repetitive fear! If you see this in your pup, seek help in how to best keep this fear from developing into fear aggression!)
- Are you interested in showing your puppy?
- What are your thoughts on neutering/spaying?
These conversations will help you develop a general “feeling” about each breeder. From these initial conversations, you may wish to narrow the breeder list to two or three individuals. During a phone call, ask each breeder the same set of questions, and of course, if you are able, try to meet each one in person, at their kennel and/or at a dog show. You will know which breeder(s) you feel most comfortable with. This will be/should be a long time relationship. Breeders are special people. They are connected to each puppy they bring into this world and they will be with you through that puppy’s life. Once you have selected a breeder, stay in touch!
You have settled on a breeder, NOW WHAT ….
How do you choose which puppy in the litter you will bring home? In most cases, you don’t! All those conversations you have had with your breeder have created a “picture” of a beautiful canine relationship. The ultimate decision of matching each puppy to a family is made by the breeder who now should have a good sense of the kind of puppy that will best fit into your family and lifestyle. At about 4 weeks, the breeder is likely to start “placing” each pup from the list of puppy homes she has put together. When the puppies are 7-8 weeks old, they are generally “graded” against the breed structure which includes temperament and other characteristics. At that point, your breeder may decide that some puppies will be placed in “show homes” while other puppies will be placed in “pet” homes. Finally comes that phone call you have been waiting for – this is your puppy!! Now the real fun and work, starts! Rest up – you’re going to need it…and now your Breeder can get some sleep!
Finally, while the information shared above has been written from the perspective of our all-breed dog club, we love all dogs! We especially love our purebred dogs because we believe in:
- Preserving and celebrating the historical journey of our breed
- Acknowledging and supporting the original “job” of our breed
- Supporting ethical and responsible breeding practices including health testing
- Maintaining the standard of our breed
If you have decided to adopt from a rescue organization, rather than a breeder, please let us know if we can help. In addition to the many reputable rescue organizations across the country, many breed clubs also maintain rescue networks. Thank you for rescuing should that be your choice.