Why DNA certificates are important to Pet buyers

by Debra Amszi

I have seen and heard some disturbing news of a breeder that recently sold pups as AKC registered collies and listed parents with the AKC but not knowing or having tests to know the true sire. The breeder has admitted they do not know, but has not tested the complete litter to register each pup correctly and has a buyer upset. The buyer of course will report this to the AKC but the AKC needs $500 up front to go to the breeder to find out if there is a problem. If the breeder lucked out and used the correct parents then the accuser will not get the $500 back. I do not know if the AKC will hunt down every pup in the litter to test in this case but I hope they are thorough. I have heard that nothing has been done and might not involve the AKC and this breeder will continue to practice this way because I know of other unethical things this breeder has done to a close friend.

I love collies and when I want to buy a collie as a companion to love, train, and for activities then I will spend good money to make sure it will grow up to be as I expect. Otherwise I would have gotten a mixed breed or an almost collie type for a much lower adoption fee.

 I want a true collie. I want a collie because collies do not have that sharp dog smell; I want a thick long coat, a long graceful nose, a proud stance that makes me feel good, a friendly loving personality, the famous kind expression that will warm my heart, a healthy strong build and bones, and other things that are known for collies. I want my collie puppy to grow up with all these qualities.

There is a saying that there is no perfect pure bred dog. None will be the perfect standard or look and act just exactly alike so the parents of my puppy are important to me. I will not buy a collie puppy for my one or few most important companions without knowing or seeing the parents. All puppies are cute but the important thing is what they will grow to be. So the only way to tell how a puppy will be as a grown collie is to know the parents….and the breeder.

Male dogs will do anything to get to a female in heat. Fences can be climbed, jumped, knocked down, and dug under by even a collie but only if the male needs to get to a female in heat. Collies do not normally bother trying to get out of fences and small flimsy fences do well keeping a collie in, but when an unfixed male wants a female in heat they are not a normal collie. 

Also did you know that not every female will come in heat at exactly 6 months apart? Sometimes it can be 4 or 5 months and other times it can be a year or more, so the breeder can NOT know for sure when the girl can get pregnant!   There are only a few times the breeder knows a few things but NEVER can the breeder know for sure all the time. So leaving females in with the males is risky and a clue the breeder is taking a risk.

Did you know that a female will not always have the tale tale sign of plentiful bleeding that we count on for knowing if they are in heat? Did you know that an experienced male will not show he is interested in the female till she is exactly ready to breed and will get that done fast and then be satisfied and will not show interest in her afterwards? How then does anyone really know which parents are the true parents of a collie puppy?  If a breeder has more than one male you have to wonder some, you really do have to wonder. Also remember that outside dogs should not be able to get to a breeders kennel or they might not even have full blooded collies. So the breeder should read their own DNA reports also.

Did you know that two different males can sire in the same litter? Yes, some or one pup can be from a different male than the rest of the pups. Ever wonder why all the breeders do not post the DNA certificates on their websites to each of their collies?  You can read these DNA certificates yourself very easy. Just remember that each collie will have only the DNA colors/digits that are included in their parents DNA certificates.  If a breeder posts their parent and keeper child DNA certificate on the website then it will be available to the world to match it up. Also each buyer can get their own puppy his own DNA certificate and then match to the breeders DNA certificates posted for the parents on the website. Just a thought.