How To Pick a Breeder.
Puppies are a family member, do your research for a quality one that will work for your family. Find the breeder your trust, and then wait for the puppy you like. Not all breeders are equal quality. Look for a breeder who is in one of the two far right columns on this chart. Any breeder from the first three columns is not in it for the quality of the dogs they are producing. If the breeder breeds mix breeds at all, they are not in the two right columns as those breeders will only produce quality and that doesn't come in a mix.
I am a reputable experienced breeder that is willing to mentor any breeder in my breeds that wants to be a top quality hobby breeder and work with dozens of breeders who are. (check out my friends puppies pages) |
What to look for and ask when looking for a breeder of a quality puppy
Things to take note of:
How to avoid scams: (yes there are people with fake sites and stolen photos who take $ for puppies they don't have and then disappear with your money)
Shop from the AKC marketplace on the AKC website, akc.org. These breeders all exist and their puppies are officially registered. (Note; not all good breeders list their litters, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it can weed out the fake ones.). While all puppies listed are real litters, doesn't mean they are quality. Check the puppies from Breeders of Merit first. Also, be sure your looking at an AKC breeder ad and not a pop up scam add stuck in the middle of them.
Things to take note of:
- Do their puppies appear healthy, clean, and happy?
- Is the breeder an AKC breeder of Merit? BREEDER of merit has requirements to qualify, and breeders with this meet higher standards. If the breeder has been breeding over 5 years and or has produced over 50 puppies and not been awarded the breeder of merit status, then why? Cause any breeder dedicated to improving the breed would have qualified by those numbers/timeframe.
- Is the breeder easy to talk to? (are you actually talking to the breeder, or an employee or third party??)
- Does the breeder sound knowledgeable? (Does the breeder understand words such as topline, shoulder layback, strait legs, ear set, and basic structure/movement of there adult dogs).
- Is the breeder knowledgeable about training, coat care, and breed traits?
- Does the breeder show their dogs to AKC CHAMPIONSHIP, or at least some of them? (When looking for a family pet, the championship is not needed, but having it on one or both parents helps to ensure the puppies should grow up to look like and be of quality for the breed they are.(This cost the breeder $3k-10K to get that championship))
- Does the breeder do appropriate health testing for there breed(s)? For example: Havanese should be tested for HIPS, ELBOWS, LCP, KNEES, HEART, HEARING, and EYEs YEARLY. MINI size poodles should be tested for HIPS, ELBOWS(optional), KNEES, HEART, PRA(blindness), and EYEs YEARLY. An annual exam and shots at the vet is NOT health testing. AND doing only 1 or couple of the test doesn't consider them fully tested according to CHIC and parent club.
- Does the breeder post the parents full AKC names on there website? Giving full names you are able to look up the OFA health testing and many times pedigrees too. Better yet, they should post results or links to them. If they don't post registered names, is it cause they are not registered dogs, or perhaps they don't want you to google there dog and find they don't do the testing they want to claim they do.
- Are the puppies registered? AKC? or another substandard registry that give papers to anyone with any claimed pedigree. AKC DNA test sires and verify's the pedigrees accuracy.
- Do the puppies come with a Health Certificate? IN FLORIDA THEY MUST BY LAW! (This is a good reason to shop from Florida no matter where you live)
- Does the breeder guarantee the puppy? If so, for how long and, can you understand the contract terms? ALWAYS read the contract. If it's not posted on the website, ask for copy. Make sure you agree to the terms as some breeders have huge strings attached with co-ownerships on pets, fines and penalties for not following there rules. Or, they may say they guarantee puppy, but nowhere in the contract does it say so. READ Contracts.
- Will the breeder let you come to their property? It is not nesseccary that a breeder let you inside the home/kennel/etc. and show you around, as this only exposes puppies and adults to any germs you may have picked up at another breeder's home or pet store when stopping for supplies. If they do invite you in and ask you to wipe your feet, wash your hands, or restrict you from touching a puppy, this is ok, as this is for the protection of diseases someone might bring that could harm your potential future puppy and littermates. If they won't let you know the address or they make you meet them somewhere, question, why is this? Do they have something to hide?
- Does the breeder flow with answers to your questions or gotta hesitate or google answers?
- If the website has 100's or 1000's of puppies listed, you know that they can't be all by one person and its most likely the person your contacting never met the puppy your asking about as they are paid to answer phones, not raise puppies, so be careful that they not telling you what you wanna hear since they have not met the dog your discussing.
- Does the breeder know each puppy personally? Each parents personally?
- Does the breeder live with the dogs or on another property or even state? (a good breeder lives amongst ALL of there dogs, not far away from them)
- Do a video chat or FaceTime with the Breeder to view puppy ahead of a visit.
- ALWAYS pick a breeder(person) your comfortable with, seems knowledgeable, and then pick one of there puppies rather then picking the closest or cutest markings.
How to avoid scams: (yes there are people with fake sites and stolen photos who take $ for puppies they don't have and then disappear with your money)
- Go thoroughly through the website, is it involved? Full of info? Detailed? Has it been around awhile? Or is it simple site with only a couple of pages, no parents AKC names, puppies date of birth, and rather quickly thrown together?
- When viewing a pedigree, how many generations are with that kennel name? (Example: Honor havanese has some pedigrees now with 3-5 generations of dog's names starting with HONOR.) An established breeder who shows their dogs will have good dogs and often generations showing their accomplishments by having their kennel name in many generations. And the best ones have CH in front of there names.
- Ask for multiple photos of a puppy. If they cannot supply multiple photos they could be sending you stolen pictures that are not even of the puppy you are interested in. A good breeder will send multiple images for you to look at. If they have several pics on the website it is likely a real puppy. But one cute pic and not willing to provide more photos or videos is a very red flag that its a scam.
- Some websites have a date they created at bottom, if it is freshly new and they claim to be doing it long time, ask more questions.
- Do they have a location online, at least a city?
- Will they let you fly in to visit or do they sell only to people willing to ship a puppy cargo? If the shipping cost is under $250-300 then its likely scam. NO airline does free shipping, its a scam.
- Will they allow you to visit without putting down money??
- Always speak at least on the phone to your breeder at least once, don't just send money to unknown possibly foreign scammer.
- Never send payment of funds by western union/gift cards/and be weary of wire transfers.
- Does the website have a pop up instant online chat? If so, it is not likely the breeder themselves. It is either a scam saying what you want to hear and making sales of dogs that don't exist, or it is agents. Buy directly, not thru websites that operate like this. (most these are scams or online puppy mills)
- Watch out for SPOOFING too. Even I have been spoofed by scammers in attempt to get your funds sent to them. (Again, this is another reason to confirm by phone call first)
- Get your potential puppies parents akc names, ofa health test results, and then you can feel more confident in getting a legitimate, healthy, purebred, quality dog. Championships add to the knowledge to know they will be more correct and beautiful too.
- Video chat or FaceTime with the Breeder and the puppy. Then you know the person and puppy are real.
- Beware, there have been people who copy my or others websites, ideas, contracts, and even steal pics and copy email addresses(Spoof) to gain your trust off my reputation.
- whatever you do, do not send money without speaking to a human unless you were referred and trust the breeder. There are too many fake sites robbing people of money for puppies they don't have just for quick cash and disappear with your hard earned money. Do your homework and feel comfortable with your breeder choice before jumping to send money for a cute photo(that might be stolen)
- Being AkC does NOT mean puppy is quality or raised clean and healthy. Puppy mills register dogs too.
- Championship means better quality, but not if its in the 3rd generation.
- OFA and CHIC numbers for health testing means healthy parents for best chance at a healthy puppy.
- If the contract breeder has does not allow you to return dog later if you could not keep him/her, then is the breeder in it for the dogs or the money?
Shop from the AKC marketplace on the AKC website, akc.org. These breeders all exist and their puppies are officially registered. (Note; not all good breeders list their litters, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it can weed out the fake ones.). While all puppies listed are real litters, doesn't mean they are quality. Check the puppies from Breeders of Merit first. Also, be sure your looking at an AKC breeder ad and not a pop up scam add stuck in the middle of them.
Third Party Puppy sites: They are basically ONLINE PUPPY STORES.
There are many websites and companies that will list breeder's puppies (all breeds) for sale. They are brokers and know how to market, sell, and advertise another breeder's puppies. They NEVER SEE, TOUCH, SMELL, or MEET the puppies. Usually they have an office of trained individals to tell the buyer what they want to hear so they can make a sale.
How it works:
Breeders and puppy mills complete a form on the advertiser's site for each puppy they wish to sell. The breeder posts the photos of the puppy/puppies they have available. The breeder writes the information about the puppy. The broker then takes that information and re-words it to make it more appealing to the buyer. But, that is basically all they know about the puppy you are calling about. They don't allow you to know who the breeder is and you won't know until your puppy is SHIPPED to you. The breeder is then paid what they wanted for the puppy and all other costs (the puppy is marked up) goes to the broker/3rd party seller. The breeder has little right to know where their pups are going and if they are going to quality homes. They don't know who the buyer is until after they pick up the puppy at the airport. You always want to meet with and talk to someone that has actually had their hands on the puppy, knows the parents and bloodlines, and isn't pushy for money right away. If the person on the phone has not touched the parents and puppies, dont buy it from them.
There are legitimate websites that breeders can list their puppies on and you will always see a link to contact breeder directly. Third party brokers/websites hide the breeders name and contact information so that you can't find out who the breeders are. Legitimate websites that list the breeders and give contact infomation are fine to use, but it is up to you to weed through them to find a breeder you can trust and feel has quality puppies and yes scammers use them too.
If the website has several hundred puppies available, you can bet the person posting them probably never met a single one, they maybe glorified puppy mills or third party sites listing for anyone that wants to give up a cut of price for there service or pay a listing fee.
There are many websites and companies that will list breeder's puppies (all breeds) for sale. They are brokers and know how to market, sell, and advertise another breeder's puppies. They NEVER SEE, TOUCH, SMELL, or MEET the puppies. Usually they have an office of trained individals to tell the buyer what they want to hear so they can make a sale.
How it works:
Breeders and puppy mills complete a form on the advertiser's site for each puppy they wish to sell. The breeder posts the photos of the puppy/puppies they have available. The breeder writes the information about the puppy. The broker then takes that information and re-words it to make it more appealing to the buyer. But, that is basically all they know about the puppy you are calling about. They don't allow you to know who the breeder is and you won't know until your puppy is SHIPPED to you. The breeder is then paid what they wanted for the puppy and all other costs (the puppy is marked up) goes to the broker/3rd party seller. The breeder has little right to know where their pups are going and if they are going to quality homes. They don't know who the buyer is until after they pick up the puppy at the airport. You always want to meet with and talk to someone that has actually had their hands on the puppy, knows the parents and bloodlines, and isn't pushy for money right away. If the person on the phone has not touched the parents and puppies, dont buy it from them.
There are legitimate websites that breeders can list their puppies on and you will always see a link to contact breeder directly. Third party brokers/websites hide the breeders name and contact information so that you can't find out who the breeders are. Legitimate websites that list the breeders and give contact infomation are fine to use, but it is up to you to weed through them to find a breeder you can trust and feel has quality puppies and yes scammers use them too.
If the website has several hundred puppies available, you can bet the person posting them probably never met a single one, they maybe glorified puppy mills or third party sites listing for anyone that wants to give up a cut of price for there service or pay a listing fee.
Pet Stores:
Pros:
Pet stores then mark up the puppy tremendously. They pay very little for each puppy and make huge profits.
Cons:
Pros:
- They have large variety of breeds and puppies.
- They may guarantee the puppy.
- You can visit and play with the puppy, some will have pedigrees and papers for them,( not usually AKC.)
Pet stores then mark up the puppy tremendously. They pay very little for each puppy and make huge profits.
Cons:
- You have no clue what the parents look like, their size, personality, etc.
- due to high exposure of germs even healthy puppies are subject to antibiotics they don't need. This has caused humans to get sick from there new puppy.
- You have no clue where they came from or how they were raised. (Some are from puppy mills but to make you not realize this, the pet store will tell you they come from "breeders." Some come from "backyard breeders" (a term used to refer to a breeder that just puts a boy and girl together with no concept of health or quality.)
- You will never find a top quality breeder who allows there puppies to be sold in Pet Stores. Quality breeders find their own buyers and meet the families that will be loving and caring for their puppy. Some come from clean small backyard breeders but they don't know how to sell their litter they created so they let a pet store do it for them.
- Never will a pet store admit they are shipped in from puppy mills, many don't resemble the breed they claim to be, or the age either.
- No breeder in the two right columns above would ever sell there puppies to a pet store, they only sell them themselves to approved homes.
How to tell what category a breeder is from:
- Commercial Breeders are breeders that usually have lots of staff, website designers and can take cute photos and raise the puppies in a commercial facility (sometimes more then one location) away from the house with staff doing the work. They owner may or may not even know the dogs by name or even met them. They are usually cared for by staff with little knowledge or training, no knowledge of quality or breed standard, kept fairly clean, and somewhat social. They are rarely health tested or shown and usually have no quality pedigrees. They may or may not be purebred. They might have lots of breeds or just one. They will appear professional and usually the person you call is not one of the puppy caretakers or the owner and says what he/she is trained to say.
- Backyard Breeders are people who acquire a boy and girl (not always same breed or registered) and breed them. No care to quality, health, size, or traits, stickly for purpose of making puppies. They usually can't answer much for questions and not helpful after the purchase. They may not even know or abide by the county and state laws. They usually have one boy and several girls. They may have found the dog on the streets or purchased from pet store, or from a good breeder(but rarely unless they have more litters to afford a good stud for the pet quality girls)
- Puppy mills as we know are facilities full of dogs, usually lots breeds and mutts, and they are not always clean, well kept, or even the breeds they claim to be. They usually sell to pet stores or some now advertise on puppy spot and Greenfield puppies or similar websites using skilled web marketers to do the marketing for them and pay a percent of the puppies cost for that service. Thus coming off like a reputable breeder but really a puppy mill in disguise.
- Hobby Breeders are typically small breeders who specialize in only 1-2 breeds and are usually health testing, showing, learning, improving, and aiming for the highest quality they can, most will have a mentor they work with for advice. They breed AKC registered puppies (unless rare breed) They want to be helpful to the buyers and keep track of there puppies. There are usually lots of breeders in this category in every purebred breed if you look around. They may or may not have websites as that is another whole talent that doesn't come natural to breeding. If they own Champion show dogs (not just champion pedigrees), are breeder of merit, and can verify the health testing, then they are likely a hobby breeder.
- Reputable Experienced Breeders typically breeding for many years, have many generations of dogs, lots of champions, specialize in only couple breeds, and willing to help mentor both the hobby breeders and the buyers. usually have tons of knowledge about the dogs, health, looks, personality, and good at matching the moms to the dads and puppies to the buyers. They will usually stand behind what they produce and aim for a solid good reputation. They will usually breed only healthy quality purebred puppies with intentions of making the best dogs and good name for themselves. Majority of there buyers come from word of mouth. They can pop off answers to most any questions quickly with knowledge. These breeders started as hobby breeders and after so many years of being mentored and learning aim to make a difference in the breed and mentor others.
- SCAMMERS do not have any dogs for sale, just cute simple website with puppy photos ready to go puppies, no knowledge, staff to answer phone trained to get your money and then block you. Websites are usually paid google ads, no parents photos, and entire site is lies as they have no dogs, You can usually google parts of there website wording and find duplicate sites they have in other breeds or wording/pics stolen from real breeders. Any money spent with these people will result in no puppy at all as there never was one.
Purbred vs. Designer Dog, aka, MUTT
Puppies are cute!! Mixed or purbred, puppies are CUTE! But what will you have a year later? With a purebred puppy you're more likely to know the size, temperament, and looks of what your puppy should be like when grown. and with CHAMPION parents they are most likely to resemble the breed well. With mutts you can get shedding, hypoallergenic/non-hypoallergenic, and you CAN get the health problems of ALL the breeds involved in your Mix. Just like human siblings can get different traits form each parent in looks, colors, personalties. So don't think they will all look alike with best of each, cause I know plenty of humans that didn't get best of both parents. There is no such thing as Hybrid Vigor, both are "CANINES"(hybrid means TWO DIFFERENT species, they are BOTH CANINES). Your cute, irresistable puppy could turn into a problem, it could shed, be hard to train, have allergies or get a look completely different from what you had hoped for. Just because your neighbor's cavapoo mix is cute and don't shed, doesn't mean the littermates wereas well, nor one you find from another breeder selling them. There is no consistency in mixes. Doodles are poodles mixed with other breeds, a MIXED BREED DOG with an outrageous price tag. If you're seeking a second or third generation doodle, you found a poodle with something else mixed in the background. Designer dogs are a gimmick to profit from the making of mutts. See this video here before considering getting the so called designer mutt: Watch this video. And anyone that purposely breeds these mutts is from one of the first three catorgies on that chart, because noone that breeds to improve the quality and health of dogs would mix them.
Puppies are cute!! Mixed or purbred, puppies are CUTE! But what will you have a year later? With a purebred puppy you're more likely to know the size, temperament, and looks of what your puppy should be like when grown. and with CHAMPION parents they are most likely to resemble the breed well. With mutts you can get shedding, hypoallergenic/non-hypoallergenic, and you CAN get the health problems of ALL the breeds involved in your Mix. Just like human siblings can get different traits form each parent in looks, colors, personalties. So don't think they will all look alike with best of each, cause I know plenty of humans that didn't get best of both parents. There is no such thing as Hybrid Vigor, both are "CANINES"(hybrid means TWO DIFFERENT species, they are BOTH CANINES). Your cute, irresistable puppy could turn into a problem, it could shed, be hard to train, have allergies or get a look completely different from what you had hoped for. Just because your neighbor's cavapoo mix is cute and don't shed, doesn't mean the littermates wereas well, nor one you find from another breeder selling them. There is no consistency in mixes. Doodles are poodles mixed with other breeds, a MIXED BREED DOG with an outrageous price tag. If you're seeking a second or third generation doodle, you found a poodle with something else mixed in the background. Designer dogs are a gimmick to profit from the making of mutts. See this video here before considering getting the so called designer mutt: Watch this video. And anyone that purposely breeds these mutts is from one of the first three catorgies on that chart, because noone that breeds to improve the quality and health of dogs would mix them.