There is a lot of information you need to have when choosing a breeder for your first or next Kooikerhondje puppy. In order to help you choose the right breeder, we have gathered information on what you should know, ask and do in order to make the best selection.
To get you started, follow the link to the the article Questions You Should Ask A Kooikerhondje Breeder.
The first months of life for a puppy are incredibly important. Most of their impressions about the world around them are formed during this time. Golden Gate Kooikers does not ship our dogs. You should question a breeder that does.
We recommend that you look into getting a puppy from a breeder that spends a lot of time with his puppies and does early stimulation of the litter.
A great resource for breeders and future Kooikerhondje owners is the book A Breeders Guide to Raising Superstar Dogs, by Jerry Hope.
We have recently started to incorporate and use knowledge from http://www.avidog.com
Many breeders we work with and including us, have used the principles in Mr. Hope's book in the raising of Kooikerhondje litters.
Get to know your breeder! If you can, visit their kennel.
Understanding the temperament of your dog can go along way in helping with your human/dog communication. We, and the breeders we work with, use temperament tests such as the one linked here to predict the performance of the dog. Many experienced dog handlers from working and performance homes have used this exact test to help them in the selection of their puppy. We will continue to use such a test in our own breedings.
We are now also tracking the development of our offspring through a wonderful tool:
The C-BARQ (or Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire) is designed to provide dog owners and professionals with standardized evaluations of canine temperament and behavior. The C-BARQ was developed by researchers at the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society of the University of Pennsylvania, and is currently the only behavioral assessment instrument of its kind to be extensively tested for reliability and validity on large samples of dogs of many breeds. The current version consists of 100 questions describing the different ways in which dogs typically respond to common events, situations, and stimuli in their environment. The C-BARQ is simple to use, and can be completed by anyone who is reasonably familiar with a dog's typical, day-to-day behavior. On average, it takes from 10-15 minutes to complete.
The C-BARQ is available to veterinarians, behavioral consultants, researchers, shelters, breeders, and working dog organizations.
