Samantha is the owner of Foxfire Beagles and she is a Canadian Kennel Club preservation breeder. She really focuses on not only how she can make the Beagle breed better, but also on how she can help educate others about what breeders like her do.
We talked about what it means to be a responsible breeder, what sets her work apart from others, and, if you do decide to shop for your next dog, how to make an educated choice that will best set your family up for success.
This isn’t a “adopt verses shop” conversation, but a conversation about what she does as a preservation breeder to set her puppies up for success and important questions you should ask any breeder if you decide to buy your next dog.
FoxFire Beagles – Thunder Bay, Ontario
We also made reference to programs like the Orthopedic Foundation Association (OFA) for checking a breeding dog’s health certificates, Puppy Culture and AviDog for young puppy raising protocols, and American Kennel Club national breed clubs as sources for finding more information about a breed you are interested in.
Time Stamps for easier review:
6:15 – different kinds of breeders
9:53 -How Samantha researched for her puppies
12:40 – Puppy Culture
14:18 – Health testing and papers
22:03 – How do mix/cross breeds work for testing and genetics
26:17 – Considerations on responsible breeding programs
29:30 – Genetics in health on diversity
35:13 – How Samantha is her own client
39:48 – Dog sports and temperaments
43:30 – Goals and finding a puppy
47:18 – Her relationship with her breeder
48:02 – Breeders picking puppies for owners
53:45 – How to start searching for your responsibly bred puppy
59:35 – Red flags to investigate when you see
1:05:30 – Social periods/fear periods
1:09:50 – Things to help puppies thrive in socialization
1:22:40 – Worth the wait/closing remarks