Advice on how to find an ethical CO breeder
This website is mainly created for people people looking to get a CO in North America.
So on this page I'm going to discuss the current state of this breed in U.S./Canada and offer some tips on how to find an ethical breeder.
At the moment there are probably around 10-12 CO breeders in U.S./Canada.
The vast majority of them are extremely unethical.
We are talking about so called breeders that lie, deceive, don't health test, breed with dogs that have (serious) genetic health issues, breed with dogs that don't have a correct temperament, breed too many litters, regularly sell to unsuited owners etc, etc. Yet have no problem charging between $2500 and $3500 for a single puppy.
But some of these "breeders" aren't even breeding themselves.
They are dog brokers, just selling imported puppies for a higher price, even though they represent themselves as breeders to potential puppy buyers, while others set up "breeding operations" all over the country.
The puppy buyers are the ones with real power though.
Please do your research, for your sake and for the dog's sake. Hopefully if enough people do their research and avoid buying from such unethical breeders, eventually we will have more good CO breeders in the U.S./Canada.
Here are some tips that could help you locate a good breeder:
Tip # 1. Ask a lot of Questions
Look for breeders whose main goal is to breed stable, healthy dogs, with a correct temperament as according to the breed standard.
Don't just go by the breeder's word though, if the breeder claims to health test his/her breeding stock, ask for proof.
If the breeder for example claims that all their breeding stock is HD free, ask to see xray results. And ask them to give you the name of the veterinary clinic that performed these xrays, so you can call and verify what their CO's were rated.
Or if they've been xrayed at all. You won't believe how much most CO breeders in U.S. lie.
A number of these breeders will actually put on their website in writing that they health test, when in reality they don't.
Basically any claim these breeders make, get them to show you a proof of such claim. If they can't/won't, run.
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Tip # 2. General issues to look out for
Preferably I would look for a breeder that on top of HD/ED screening, also tests for heart, eye and thyroid problems, but in this breed the puppy buyers are lucky if they can find a breeder that xrays for HD & ED.
Ask the breeder about any health issues in their lines and ask them if they can give you references from previous puppy buyers and their veterinarian.
Look for a breeder that is honest, forthcoming and doesn't minds answering many questions. But at the same time make sure the breeder asks many question him/herself!
You should steer clear of breeders that do not ask a lot of questions but are all too eager to sell.
Meet the breeder and his/her breeding stock in person at least once before you buy the puppy.
Ask them what are they trying to achieve with their breeding program.
Observe the character, the structure & the movement of the parents and observe the living conditions of all dogs (make sure at least the mother of the puppies is on premises).
How is the breeder socializing and raising the puppies?
A good breeder will work with you to give you a puppy that you want, a puppy that will best fit in your family, as not all puppies will have the same temperament.
How many litters a year do they have? A good breeder in my opinion doesn't breed more than 4 litters a year (preferably 1-2 litters).
Does the breeder work with contracts and are there any restrictions?
Health issues can occur even in the most well bred litters, there are a lot of (unknown) factors a breeder can have no control over.
So look for a responsible breeder that discusses all this and will be there for you if such unfortunate event occurs, and not turn their backs on you once the money is exchanged.
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Tip # 3. Breeder vs Broker
As I mentioned earlier, not everyone in North America who claims to breed CO's actually breeds them.
Some of these people are dog brokers. And yet they present themselves as breeders; they have these fancy looking websites where they brag about their non-existing breeding program.
When in reality they have other people who breed for them and supply them puppies or they import puppies from random litters from overseas, that they then resell here for a higher price.
Most of these dog brokers import puppies at a bulk rate from puppy millers in Eastern Europe (Russia included).
Others will tell you that they're doing a breeder friend a favor and just helping to sell a litter of puppies. Don't be fooled.
The resellers' focus is not the welfare of the dogs or you, all they care about is their own financial gain.
When you buy through a reseller, it makes it very difficult for you to learn about the focus of the puppy's breeder or finding out under what kind of conditions your puppy has been raised.
The dog broker/reseller will typically tell you anything you want to hear so they can sell you a pup.
But you won't know the real truth regarding living conditions, health, soundness and temperament of your puppy's parents.
Is that really something you want to pay thousands of dollars for?
Basically buying a puppy from a broker is like buying a puppy from a puppy mill/pet store.
No reputable breeder will ever work with a broker to find homes for their puppies.
But as I wrote before, these puppy brokers don't really represent themselves as puppy brokers.
They actually pretend like they have a breeding program going.
So you have to ask these breeders for the exact names of the dogs they plan on breeding and where they are located. And get all that in writing.
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Tip # 4. Papers vs Pedigree
It is generally agreed that dog papers equal registration papers.
Yet there are some CO breeders in N. America who will try to play dumb; they promise you a puppy with papers.
They put on their website with bold letters that "they breed with champion lines and that their puppies can be registered with UKC, AKC FSS, ARBA".
But then after they've recieved your payment (of about $2500-3500), they give you a puppy with just a basic veterinary health certificate.
And when you ask them where is the puppy's promised pedigree, they act like you're the one who's crazy.
They'll say (this actually happened to someone I know) that when they told you that you'll be getting a puppy with papers, they meant you'll be getting a puppy with a basic vaccination and worming record.
And in the case with puppy brokers, they will tell you that if you really want the pedigree for your puppy, you should just contact the breeder overseas from whom they imported the puppies, and pay whatever they ask for the pedigree.
A breeder you had neither contact or contract with.
So now the broker has your money and you are expected to pay even more money on top of that huge sum you've already paid, and get your own pedigree papers from a third party that you don't even know.
You then realize that you just payed $3000 for a paperless puppy that you can't register anywhere, can't show etc.
To prevent this from happening to you, get everything in writing before you pay for the puppy.
With reputable breeders all this can be found in the puppy contract.
A reputable breeder will send you a copy of the puppy contract for you to read and sign before you agree to buy.
In the contract it should clearly state whether you are getting a puppy with a Certified Pedigree or not.
Some breeders chose to ask less money for a paperless puppy and more money for a puppy with papers.
That's their prerogative, but that too should clearly be stated in the puppy contract.
If in the contract you just see the words "papers", your alarm bells should go off.
Because if you want a pedigreed puppy, then in order to avoid being ripped off, don't deal with a breeder who doesn't specify in writing that the puppy will come with a Certified Pedigree .
Also, please keep in mind that CO's have not been recognized by either AKC (American Kennel Club) or the CKC (Canadian Kennel Club).
Lately I've seen quite a few people advertising their CO puppies as being registered with the AKC.
That is a huge red flag because CO's can't be registered with the AKC. So either the "breeder" is lying, or they're being ignorant.
CO's have been accepted for recording in the AKC Foundation Stock Service, however as it clearly states here: https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/groups/foundation-stock/
FSS breeds are not eligible for AKC registration.
In U.S. the CO is recognized by the UKC (United Kennel Club) and the ARBA (The American Rare Breed Association).
And this is where CO breeders in U.S. register their CO's.
The CO is recognized by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), the largest canine organization of the world.
Keep in mind that only puppies born in FCI countries (U.S. and Canada aren't FCI countries) can actually have FCI pedigrees.
So if a "breeder" from U.S./Canada tells you that your puppy will come with FCI papers, you're dealing with a dog broker.
More on FCI papers in the next section.
Last, but not least, please remember: registration papers are not a guarantee of a healthy puppy.
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Tip # 5. What to watch out for when you are Importing
There are both pros and cons to importing. So if you decide that you will rather import a CO puppy from Europe, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
In Europe there are a lot more ethical CO breeders, but there are a lot of bad breeders over there as well.
You can use tips # 1. and # 2. to help you locate a good CO breeder overseas.
In certain European countries, while their Kennel Clubs obligate registered breeders to xray all their breeding stock for HD (sometimes ED too), they do allow the breeders to use a dog with mild HD/ED in their breeding program.
As long as the other dog is HD/ED free.
But again, please remember what I wrote in tips # 1. and # 2. and always ask for proof of breeder's claim.
*So the pros about importing from Europe would be: more ethical breeders that health and temperament test and unlike the majority of CO breeders in U.S./Canada, the reputable CO breedres in Europe have a huge amount of knowledge on the breed.
But there are just more breeders in general and a lot more lines to chose from over there.
Importing usually costs about the same that you would pay for a puppy from a breeder in U.S.
*And then these are the cons (some of which only apply to people living in U.S.): the CDC has changed its importing regulations last year. Now you can't import a puppy into U.S. from a non rabies free country, unless this puppy is at least 4 months old and has proof of rabies vaccination, received 30 days prior to arrival.
For more on the new import regulations, please visit: http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/dogs.html
So it's even more important to find a breeder in Europe that you can trust to properly socialize and take care of the puppy until it's old enough to fly to U.S.
Puppies born in rabies-free countries on the other hand, can still be imported at 2 months of age.
Here's a list of rabies-free countries: http://www.cdc.gov/animalimportation/rabies-free-countries.html
Other cons regarding importing is that it's harder to just go visit a kennel in Europe (because of the distance).
But also, please beware of breeders from some Eastern European countries that will try to charge you more for a puppy simply because they think you're a rich foreigner.
Not all of them do this of course, but some do.
On average a well bred, pedigreed CO puppy in Eastern Europe costs anywhere between $500-800 without the shipping (the price depends a lot on just how well known the kennel is).
Although there are a few kennels over there that are so popular that they can charge up to $1200 for a puppy without the shipping.
But, any breeder from over there charging you over $1500 for a single puppy (shipping price not included), is just trying to rip you off.
Another thing to remember when you are dealing with a breeder from overseas, make sure that the puppy will come with a certified FCI export pedigree.
If you're dealing with a breeder from Russia, here's an example of what a certified RKF export pedigree looks like (RKF stands for Russian Kynological Federation, they are members of the FCI)
First page: http://animal-store.ru/img/2015/050203/0403967
Second page: http://www.vomavensisrottweilers.com/images/Isar_Pedigree_for_web_site_this_one.jpg
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Tip # 6. Avoid breeders that don't breed for correct temperament
CO's are not a breed for everyone, they are one of the most protective breeds out there.
So there aren't that many suited homes for this breed.
Because of this some breeders have decided to soften down the breed. They deliberately select for softer dogs.
What's the damage you may ask?
The damage happens when people get a CO thinking they're getting a wonderful property/livestock guardian, only to find out that their CO is too friendly towards strangers and/or turns tail from every large predator.
There have also been reports of breeders who try to soften down the breed, regularly producing fearful, anxious CO's.
And then there are breeders in this breed who, while they don't deliberately try to soften down the breed, just don't care if their CO has the correct temperament or not.
They don't care if they're producing unstable CO's that are more dangerous to family members than to predators.
These breeders only care about breeding massive, hairy CO's so they can attract more buyers and sell more puppies.
But also, think about this. What happens when someone gets a CO that is too soft and thus has the incorrect temperament for the breed, but this person thinks that's how the breed is supposed to be, likes it and decides to get another?
Only this time they get a well bred one.
All of a sudden they find themselves with more dog than they can handle and bad things happen.
In situations like these, it's usually the dog who has to pay for the human error.
Breeders who feel that CO's should be softened down, shouldn't be involved with this breed. The breed standard (and then in particular the previous breed standard which can be found here: http://www.arba.org/caucasian-ovtcharka.htm ) is very clear about the temperament.
If they are not going to respect the breed standard, then they should start breeding a different breed.
There are so many large, fluffy breeds out there that aren't as intense as CO's.
CO's should be bred and owned only by people who truly appreciate the nature of this breed.
If you are going to pay thousands of dollars for a CO, wouldn't you want one with sound structure and correct temperament, one that can actually do the job they were bred for?
If you come across a breeder that tries to sugarcoat this breed and just tell you what you want to hear, rather than tell you both about the pros and the cons of owning a CO, run.
One more thought: don't buy a puppy from a breeder that tells you CO's need protection training first in order to guard.
This breed was bred to guard naturally, on instinct, without any guidance from its owner.
So above all, it is truly important to only get a puppy from a breeder that selects for this correct instinct.
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Last but not least, getting a dog is a full time commitment.
You are going to be responsible for that dog for the rest of his/her life, so think this through and don't just fall for that cute, teddy bear look of CO puppies.
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