When choosing a pet, many owners want to make sure that the one they choose is a healthy reproduction of the parents. When purchasing an animal from a breeder, many people want to see the parents of the pup, calf, or kitten that they are considering purchasing. Depending on the reason for the purchase, as they may intend to breed the animal themselves, most just want to get an idea of temperament so that they can see what to expect when the animal they are looking at is fully mature.

This aspect of looking at the breeding is especially important because if there is a flaw in the breeding, it could mean that the animal will have health issues, personality issues like aggression, or not be eligible for being papered with the qualifying organization. The best example for this is with dogs. AKC is the qualifying organization that verifies blood lines in dogs, in order to verify the purity of their bloodline. If a dog has flaws in their breeding, and they are physically obvious, AKC will not paper those animals, as they can certify that the animal could pass down a clean reproduction.

Breeding flaws are exhibited in many different ways. Some of them include the fur, breathing, feet, hips, and personality. If the fur is splotchy, or has color patterns that should not be present, for instance, white on the paws when the pure bred certification claims all black. Breathing is a big part of the breeding. This is because many breeds develop cleft palate, which is when the sinus cavity is open to the mouth, and the animal has a difficult time eating and breathing. The other issue with breathing is a sinus cavity that is too closed. If you are interested in a certain animal, and the breeder is claiming it is pure bred, ask to see the papers on the parents. This will confirm things if you are unsure.