Dog Lingo
- h/c = health certificate
- t/d = tails and dewclaws
- pic = photograph (universal)
- Dewclaws = The little claws on the side of a dog's foot. Poodles have these removed at 3 days of age.
- Umbilical hernia = An "outie" belly button as a result of a weakness in the abdominal lining at the umbilical site. This can be caused by damage during birth, or it can be inherited. Usually minor surgery to repair. Common in shih tzus and pekingese.
- Inguinal hernia = A round or pecan shaped lump just under the skin located in the groin (upper inner thigh) area. Often more serious than an umbilical hernia; should be surgically repaired as soon as detected.
- Cage leg = A physiological condition exihibited by dogs confined to small cages or pet carriers for extended periods of time. The dog, whether in the cage or outside of it, will circle almost continuously, rarely able to walk in a straight line. Many never recover, and move in a circular fashion for the rest of their lives. Sometimes a tilting of the head is associated with cage leg.
- Teacup = Marketing term coined by some "breeders" to increase the value of runts.
- Dog rescue = Removing a dog from an unbearable situation, seeing to its medical needs, having it spayed or neutered.
- Dog theft = Not to be confused with "dog rescue".
- Getting a dog for free = Not to be confused with "dog rescue".
- Dog adoption = Involves filling out an application, having references checked, being interviewed, and paying a nominal fee to help reimburse the rescue person or organization for veterinary costs for this and other needy dogs.
- "Raised with children" = Can also mean "tormented by children" if young children are allowed unsupervised access to the litter.
- "Clean and modern facility" = Dogs are kept in kennels or cages at all times. Puppies are raised in metal cages and cared for by kennel employees. This sometimes also implies that the kennel is "automated" (automatic food and waterers), which means less direct interaction with humans.
- Show breeder = An individual who competes with his or her dogs in AKC sanctioned conformation shows, achieves championship titles on the dogs, breeds the dogs, and sells the puppies for profit. The term "show breeder" does not guarantee the conditions underwhich the breeding dogs and puppies are kept are good, or even humane.
- CH sired = The father to the dog or puppy is an American Kennel Club champion.
- CH dam = The mother to the dog or puppy is an AKC champion.
- CD = Companion Dog; first level of obedience titles, listed after a dog's registered name. This title can be considered more meaningful than a conformation title because the dog must display intelligence and trainability to earn it.
- Hobby breeder = Usually owns less than 10 dogs, has a job or other means of support, breeds dogs for personal reasons and/or for extra income. Sometimes a "hobby breeder" is also a "show breeder". Often has limited time to devote to the dogs/puppies due to employment away from the home.
- Kitchen breeder = Someone who raises a few litters per year strictly for extra money. Usually does not have much knowledge of the breed raised, offers little or no guarantee of puppies, and has poor quality breeding stock.
- Professional breeder = Breeds dogs for a living. Has knowledge of the breed raised, proper care of the dogs, and should be a source of information before and after puppies are purchased. Should guarantee the health of their puppies for diseases and congenital defects, and should have a reasonable return policy. Should have a sincere love for the dogs they raise.
- Puppy mill = Not to be confused with "professional breeder". Breeds dogs strictly for income on a large scale with little or no regard for the quality, medical needs, or maintainance of the dogs in their care. Has little or no knowledge of genetics or breed specifications for the dogs they raise. Usually has a number of different kinds of dogs, depending on what the individual feels will sell the best. Advertising will quite often include the words, "Due to popular demand..." or "Will ship anywhere". Note: no operator of a puppy mill will consider themselves such as long as they know someone who takes worse care of their dogs than they do.
- Puppy broker = Buys litters or selected puppies from various kitchen breeders or puppy mills to be resold to pet stores. Usually has an arrangement with their sources to buy puppies on a regular basis at a set wholesale price. Puppies are often sold to brokers under age and with no vaccinations to reduce expenses.
- Health certificate = Issued by a licensed veterinarian. Should list vaccinations, fecal exam results, de-worming medication, and comments regarding any imperfection found during the course of the examination.
- 48 hour vet check guarantee = Gives the buyer of a puppy 48 hours to take it to their own vet for an examination at their own expense. Puppy may be returned to the breeder (at Buyer's expense) if the puppy is imperfect. This is how some "breeders" get out of spending money on their puppies. They count on the buyer to feel sorry for the puppy and keep it.
- Lifetime or "welcome back" return policy = Seller will accept return of the puppy for any reason and at any age.
- Incubation period = The length of time after expossure to disease that it takes for symptoms to become evident. This is one of the reasons why a 48 hour guarantee is of little use. Some diseases do not cause a puppy to get sick for a week or more after initial expossure.
- AKC = American Kennel Club
- CKC = Continental Kennel Club
- UKC = United Kennel Club
Free pedigree generator software. Click here.
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