Responsible Breeders

I think that you will get many opinions depending on the breeder and the purpose for breeding.
I think a responsible breeder, thinks first of the genetics and health and second on good looks.
I don't believe that only person showing their dogs are responsible breeders, only because i know of many "show" breeders( i used to show too) who care very little for the health and welfare of their dogs, and more about the ribbons and personal glory. I know show breeder who knownly breed dogs every heat, and knownly breed dogs that have fatal genetic dieseases...
So i believe that a responsible breeder is one who is educated on their breed, in both health and purpose. They do the required health test to ensure all their pups are as healthly as possible. They take responsiblity for the pups they produce for the life time of all the pups. They guarentee their pups health for one year or longer.
They are active in rescuing their breed. They only sell pet stock with a spay/neuter contract. They educate their pup owners for life. The follow their local /state laws in regards to dog breeding. They breed no more than a couple breeds at one time. They only have a few litters max a year and raise them within their home for the best possible socialization possiable. They invite all potenial buyers in their home, to visit the parents. They screen all potenial buyers heavily. They turn away more people than they accept.
 
Wow i could go on for hours..but that is a few topics

I think this covers the basics really wellhttp://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Fair/1901/chart.html

1.  Health testing, above all is, is most important to me.  Before titles, and how many litters have been bred in a year, HEALTH TESTING!!

2. Temperament is next on my list.  If I just want a pet, titles probably don't mean much to me (I'm speaking as average Joe Schmoe pet owner here), I just want a happy healthy family companion.  I want to see that the parents are good natured and have the proper temperament for their breed.

3. Titles...for me, parents need to have some sort of title.  Higher level performance titles are more important to me than the Ch, but I would take a pup from two finished parents, and work the puppy in obedience and other performance venues myself anyway (I do plan on showing in conformation).

4. Help from the breeder!!  If this is my first puppy of a certain breed, or even just my first DOG, I expect help from the breeder!  I expect to be able to call or e-mail with a problem and have the breeder troubleshoot with me if need be.

5.  Litters in a year....this is not overall of the utmost importance to me, so much as how many litters one of their certain bitches has had in a year.  Too many people focus on the number of litters the breeder has whelped in a year.  They need to focus more on the bitches in question, and also, how many dogs the breeder has!  If a breeder has 40 dogs, and they whelp 10 litters a year, that's one-two litters per 4 or 5 bitches, depending on who they bred to whom and when!

6.  Honestly, I don't want to purchase from somebody who keeps their dogs in kennel runs.  That's how you end up with spooks and dogs that have gone mad.  10-12 dogs is the limit for me, and I want to see them in the house.  I can deal with them being in kennel runs temporarily, or dogs being cycled in and out of the house is a bit smaller, but I want to see house pets, not just  "show dogs' that produce puppies.

My own criteria just for breeding/owning is this (it is in no specific order) :

1. No stud dog will be used for breeding until at least the age of 3.
2. No bitch will be used for breeding until 2-4 years of age, depending on that bitch and her maturity, but the at least 2 holds fast.
3. All dogs will have the health certifications I deem neccessary within my own breeding program, which is hips, elbows, eyes,  heart, and thyroid.
4. My dogs will be DM flash tested for their health and the safety of preserving the breed.  Too many GSDs are dying from DM
5. All breeding animals must have at least one mid level performance title in performance: Rally, Obedience, Agility, Herding, Schutzhund, or Tracking.  Obvoiusly it does not be ALL of the above, but one, or a  combination of any
6. In order for anybody to use one of my studs or bitches, the owner of the outside dog must have the proper health clearances, the minimum of which is hips and elbows, and the dog must have at least one performance title.  Beginner level is ok, but it must be there.
7. My bitches will produce 2-3 litters, and that is it for them.  No need for them to produce any more than that.
8. While I would love to have some champions, performance titles are more important to me, though I will be striving for dogs that are titled at both ends.
9 All dogs are kept in the house.  There may be kennel runs in the basement for dogs to sleep in, or crates on the upper level floor, but the dogs will be primarily house dogs, not kennel dogs.
10. I will not sell to anybody who will keep a pup of mine in a kennel run...well known breeder or not.  My dogs are pets first, performance and show dogs second
11. NO BAD TEMPERAMENTS!!!!  If a dog is a spook. it will NOT be bred.  Depending on the severeity, the dog will stay with me or be rehomed.  If a dog is aggressive (human aggressive, sometimes dog aggression just happens, or something happened to a dog that made it that way), a behaviorist will be brought in to evaluate the dog and help me work with it.  If the dog can be controlled and rehab, ti stays with me and is never rehomed.  If it cannot be rehabbed and is dangerous, it will be humanely euthanized
12. As far as contracts go, I prefer females not to be spayed until at least a year, and males neutered until two.  A vasectomy is acceptable to me, especially since the dog can fully mature since his testicles are still around producing much needed hormones, and the dog can't reproduce anyway.

i think xeph pretty much said it all   very impressive... and all i look for when looking to purchase

just to add to what Xeph said any "breeder" that advertizes puppies available year round is someone to run from.

I would add one more thing.  A reputable breeder doesn't have to advertise; there are waiting lists for his/her pups. If puppies appear in the paper, the breeder is a BYB pure and simple.

ORIGINAL: lorib
I would add one more thing.  A reputable breeder doesn't have to advertise; there are waiting lists for his/her pups. If puppies appear in the paper, the breeder is a BYB pure and simple.

 
Actually I would disagree with this.  Because of the difficult time Joe Q Pulic has finding responsible sources for dogs, a lot of clubs and breeders are starting to broaden their exposure.  It's not common, but you can see breeders list "club member" and "OFA" in an ad now.  I think they have wised up a bit that the general public does not have the first clue on how to search for a dog and if they can catch them in the most likely source the public will search first, they are just adding an opportunity to educate and possibly take away from the BYB's. 
 
I'm all for the clubs advertising and I wish more state level clubs would advertise every week in the major papers.  It's a personal choice for the breeders and I can see the drawback because of  the stigma......but I think it would be great to see the responsible breeders take over the ads section of the papers.  Jam that section with listings about health testing and titles....perhaps we'd see a decline in BYB's making a buck. 

Breeders have to advertise somehow, here in canada we have a Dogs In canada Annual magazine that is the mag that you get from the CanKC, like the AKC Gazzet(sp?).  Many breeders advertise in there, some of the top kennels in fact, this dog is #1 __________ in Canada, or CKC AKC Int. Ch_______________ etc.  But every add I have looked at has puppies occasionally written in it as well.

I've always directed people who were looking for papered dogs to talk to a trainier in their chosen sport.  Before all else, for most people temperment and health is key. A disreputable breeder will hide instances of genetic illness.  These are breeders to run from fast. Many breed clubs have a genetic regstration program (as mentioned previously).  This is a wonderful tool.  ersonally, i prefer breeders who keep their dogs in their home with them as opposed to kennels.  But that is a personal choice. []
 
So for me... when i do get a papered stock dog.... I'll be looking to my herding trainier and some of the people in my sport I respect for advice. There are some member of my local ASCA dog club that have dogs that are of the particular style i'd like. If they did not breed their dogs, then who did? What made them choose that breeder?  The qualities that were listed previously are all very good indcators. I would look for a breeder that had a right of first refusal clause in thier contract. This says that if you need to not have the dog for any reason you contact your breeder first.  Also, a health guarentee.  But again many things to keep an special eye out for are breed specific.
 
Good luck! What breed are you looking for?  It may also be wise to contact your choosen breeds affiliated rescue to keep you in mind if a papered dog comes through.  It does happen....

To add to the other great qualifications above, a responsible breeder takes their dogs back if the owners can't keep the dog--whatever the reason, whatever the age.  Their dogs should never be a burden on rescue.  Also, something I'm implementing, all pups should be microchipped prior to leaving.  I used to allow the new owners to be primary contact with me as secondary but I've had a change of heart.  In the future, I will be primary just in case years down the line that wonderful home decides to dump the dog without contacting me I still run a chance of getting the dog back.  And last, good breeders check in from time to time, see how the dog is doing and make sure there are no health issues--that's one very easy way to keep track of the health of your line.  Check in every year. 

A puppy pack is important, general info on the breed, a copy of the breed standard, a pedigree, exercise guidelines, suggestions for supplies, info re: local and national  breed clubs, health info, vet record, and if applicable, information on how to get into activities relevant to your breed.  An FAQ would be good too, like in mals, people do a lot of research but the first time their dog 'blows coat' first time mal-owners immediately think there's a really bad health issue.  If you've ever seen it, you'd know why, it's total release of undercoat  and some guard coat but scary if seeing for the first time.  

I do feel reputable breeders are those who breed toward a standard.  They don't have to show their dogs per se, but they really should be breeding toward that perfect dog, the standard--whether it be on a conformation level or a performance level (and those generally go hand in hand) is less important.  Otherwise it's just breeding to make more dogs and make money, no good. 

I like to see pet pups go off on Limited registration and what I do is I register the dog's name as the new owners want it, the papers get sent to me and I make sure the Limited dogs are in fact, on limited registration, spellings are correct, etc, THEN I sign them over to the puppy owners and they can register the dog in their name.  My mentor taught me this one because she had too many errors come back on her paperwork.  

All the items mentioned are very important, but perhaps we are overlooking the one that I found most important.  Education...a good breeder wants to educate the puppy owners for the best possible outcome for both family and animal-to that end, they may recommend joining breed clubs, participating in activities like obedience, agility, tracking, etc.  They will give you a heads up on the unique medical problems that may affect your breed and what to be watching for with your veterinarian.  They may well be able to offer information on specialized vet services geared to a specific breed or problem area.  They do keep up with puppy families and know how each of their pups fared-healthwise, performance-wise, and longevity.  They can provide a resource for questions and problems, by phone, letter, e-mail, or perhaps even visitiing one another.  The reputable breeder doesn't just sell you a puppy and disappear from the horizon.  In fact, many of the reputable breeders I have known, remain good friends and sources of advice, even though the pups in question have long since crossed the rainbow bridge.