PUPPY BUYER GUIDE

What goes into fundamentals of responsible breeding include:  

1. health tests performed on the sire and dam prior to breeding, with the results publicly viewable on the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) website;  

2. post-natal care emphasizing high quality nutrition, socialization, exercise and cognitive stimulation;  

3. requiring that  buyers sign a contract which includes certain stipulations, including that the puppy be returned to the breeder if at any point in the dog’s life the buyer is unable to care for them,  

4. and providing prospective buyers with a 3-generation pedigree that allows them to research the puppy’s lineage.

Red Flags

• Asking for money before you meet the breeder

• Breeder can instantly give you a puppy, little to no wait list

• No health testing

• Breeder is not involved in any dog sports (they are breeding simply for money)

• Dogs imported from other Russia (unable to provide health tests for family tree)

• Read reviews... they are all over reddit

• Do NOT buy from Pet Store (health certificates can be forged)

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Health Testing 

Responsible breeders have the sire and dam undergo certain health tests that are certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and then publicly viewable on the OFA website.  Before you seriously consider any puppy from any breeder, you should see the puppy’s pedigree and search the OFA website for the health test results of that puppy’s dam and sire, grandparents and great grandparents.  It is also desirable to know test results of aunts and uncles.    

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Samoyed testing currently focuses on three areas:  hips, eyes, heart.  Hips:  according to the Samoyed Club of America (SCA), prior to breeding the sire and dam should be evaluated via a hip radiograph (x-ray) submitted to OFA or PennHip.  Hip dysplasia is an inherited, polygenic disease in which the ball and socket joint is malformed.  It can be extremely painful and debilitating.  Early onset hip dysplasia can present in young dogs, usually after four months of age.  Symptoms can present later in the dog’s life, due to osteoarthritis.  Eyes:  SCA advises that all Samoyeds who are going to be bred should have their eyes tested annually, by a veterinary ophthalmologist.  SCA also advises that all Samoyeds who are going to be bred should also undergo the genetic screens for x-linked progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and retinal dysplasia/OSD.  Cardiac:  SCA advises that, prior to breeding, all sires and dams be evaluated by a veterinary cardiologist to minimize the risk of passing on congenital cardiac abnormalities to their offspring.

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"CHIC" Number & Report

Sponsored by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals, the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) is a database resource which participating breed clubs, including the Samoyed Club of America (SCA), support to assist in establishing protocols for breed-specific health screening and recognizing dogs tested in accordance with these protocols.  A Samoyed is issued a “CHIC number” after all the Samoyed-specific test results are entered into the database and if the dog owner allows the results to be made public.  The collective CHIC data is provided quarterly to the relevant parent breed club (for Samoyeds that is SCA). 

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Issuance of a “CHIC number” does not mean that the dog’s test results were good (i.e. “normal”).  The CHIC number means only that the tests were performed and are public.  In addition, the dog must be permanently identified via microchip or tattoo.   Simultaneous to the issuance of the CHIC number, a CHIC report will be released consolidating the test results, the dog’s age when the tests were performed and the test results.  These test results are invaluable to puppy buyers and can be accessed on the CHIC website by using its multi-faceted search function.

The “CHIC-testing” regimen for Samoyeds currently entails the following exams:

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1. Eyes - by a boarded ACVO opthalmologist.  Dog must be at least 1 year old and the test must be performed every year.

2. Hips - OFA, OVC or PennHIP evaluation

3. Progressive Retinal Atrophy (X-Linked PRA) DNA test

4. Cardiac evaluation - congenital cardiac exam by canine cardiologist

5. Retinal Dysplasia (RD)/Occulo Skeletal Dysplasia (OSD) - Optigen DNA test for RD/OSD with results registered with OFA.

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Useful Articles

• Hip Dysplasia

• Genetics of Inherited Eye Disease

• Vertical Pedigree

• Puppy Stages of Development

• Vaccinations & Worming

• Dr. Jean Dodds' Vaccination 

• Timing Puppy Vaccinations

• Non-Core Vaccinations

• BEFORE you Bring Your Puppy Home 

• Crate-Training Your Puppy 

• Pet Insurance?

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*Special thanks to the Potomac Valley Samoyed Club for letting us use there great puppy buyer information guide*