So, you want to buy a puppy, but you want to do it right.
That’s cool. Support good breeders all the way!.
First, a question. Is the puppy a gift? If so, remember,
pets should NEVER be given as gifts, and decent breeders will not sell a dog
for someone to give as a gift
How do you find a puppy without supporting a puppy mill?
Sometimes that’s harder than it seems. Aside from avoiding
those pet store pups and any that can be purchased over the internet, how do
you know?
Some mills are smaller, harder to see, but are still putting
profit above the welfare of their animals. On top of that, finding a good
breeder with a litter of puppies can take more than a year.
Not all breeders are great. Even some of those listed on
sites like the AKC breeder recommendation list don’t fall into the category of
a “good breeder.” The AKC doesn’t have the capacity to inspect every breeder
they certify and have acknowledged such.
Puppy Mill run out of a house
Some breeders might
look good from the outside but be running small puppy mill operations out of
their home or another location.
Some breeders may not
have that many dogs, but if they don’t care for the health of their females,
and breed them repeatedly for several litters, the breeder still fits in the
category of using the animal for profit.
Some breeders think they are doing everything right but
don’t health test. These breeders aren’t contributing to the future health of
their breed and therefore do not care about the welfare of the dogs.
Some breeders don’t want you to visit, or don’t want you to
see any of their other dogs aside from the mother. This is a big red flag.
Some breeders don’t want to offer you any guidance after
you purchase the dog. This is not necessarily a sign of a puppy mill but just a
sign of a breeder worth avoiding.
Ok, all these no’s probably aren’t helping you figure out
how to tell what a GOOD breeder looks like and how to find one.
A breeder you found online is neither a good or a bad one
although their website may give you some information about them.
The first sign that you have found a good breeder is if you
feel a little interrogated, politely of course. Questions you should be asked
include:
· Why do you
want a dog and this breed in particular?
· Who in your
family will be responsible for the pup’s daily care and training?
· Where the
dog will spend most of his or her time?
· How often
will the dog be left alone?
· Can you
provide both veterinarian and personal references?
· Will you
sign a contract to spay/neuter the dog?
· Are you
willing to sign a contract agreeing to return the dog should anything change in
your situation?
A breeder is going to want to know all these answers in
depth. They are also going to want to hear you ask questions. Some things you
need to ask are,
· How old are
the mother, father, and their parents? The mother and father should be 2 or
older and the parents preferably 5+.
· Do you
health test? Will you provide me with the results of these
parents/grandparents?
· Can I come
visit?
· When is your
next litter of puppies planned?
· Do you have
a waiting list?
· Can you
provide me with references?
· Do you breed
any other dogs? Breeders with multiple kinds of dogs are not likely to be good
breeders.
· Are you
willing to answer my questions after a puppy comes home with me?
· Do you have
a contract?
Molly O’Hara is the author of Callie’s Wag,
a blog dedicated to her puppy mill rescues and others like them. In addition to
her blog, she has regular bylines in two local newspapers regarding animal
topics, and often can be found under a pile of cats and dogs, trying to reach
her computer.
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