I've heard lots of stuff about so-called puppy-mills or farms, and want to avoid this kind of thing when looking for a dog. How do I know if a breeder is "legit?" Have any of you experienced problems w/this firsthand?
Ginnie
11-08-2006, 11:26 AM
It's kind of tricky but there are a few things you can do. Once is to take a look at their website and see if they are affiliated with the national club for their breed; that's usually a positive sign. Some breeders even put up contact information for people who have bought past litters, so you can talk to them. The best thing to do though probably is just call the breeder and get a feel for their personality and business; if you ask intelligent questions you can usually figure out if the person is a scammer or not.
blackridge
12-01-2006, 03:24 AM
Looking at someone's website is not going to tell you if they are a reputable breeder!
To find a breeder that you can have a relationship with you first need to contact them, ask questions, get references from them.
Visit their facility see how the puppies and adult dogs are kept, housed.
Ask for health clearances and a copy of their contract.
Deborah
www.blackridgedogs.com
PS...I am a reputable breeder of belgain sheepdogs and rhodesian ridgebacks!
CaptainCrunch
12-09-2006, 10:50 AM
all excellent advice....another clue is how interested the breeder is in your lifestyle. i know alot of really good breeders that have loooong questionaires that you have to fill out before they give you an application. they ask all kind of questions about your lifestyle. this is a good hint as to whether or not they actually care about the dog and not the money.
Woebgon
12-11-2006, 05:24 PM
In my opinion a reputable breeder is one who's dogs compete in AKC events. A reputable breeder should have pedigrees with many AKC Champions or performance event titles. The only way that quality of a dog can be proven is in the show ring or performance events. They breed to produce their next generation of "show" dogs, not to make money. The average reputable breeder looses money. According to an AKC estimate created from a survey of reputable "show" breeders, those breeders loose an average of $1700 per litter. I can tell you for certain that I'm well over that average.
With that said, remember that registration "papers," even those from AKC, mean nothing in regard to quality. All they tell you in the sire and dam were registered with a particular registery. They say nothing about how well it fits the standard for the breed either. With AKC at least the buyer can be assured that the puppy is purebred. Most of the other registeries can't even assure the buyer that the sire and dam are purebred.
The membership in local and national breed clubs should also be evident. When considering a breeder a buyer should contact a breed club for a copy of their Code of Ethics. Check the breeder's practices against that code. Many national and local breed clubs now have websites where the club's code of ethics and breeder members can be viewed.
MingtimeCSP
12-15-2006, 05:59 AM
I agree with Woebgon. Ask many question if they can not answer or help you find the answer run fast the other way. They have to be prepared to put promises on health etc in writing in other word a contract.
In addition to what Woebgon said; Reputable breeders only sell puppies to pet homes on a spay/neuter contract or spay/neutered BEFORE the pup goes to the forever home..
BEWARE the "breeder" who offers one price for limited registration and a higher price for full registration...This is NOT an indication of a reputable breeder..
ridgebackpack
01-07-2007, 04:13 PM
I have a page on my website that gives some info on what to look for, some of it is breed specific to my breed, but some is not. You can view it at
http://www.jakonaridges.com/badbreeder.html
The main thing I tell people when looking for breeders is find a breeder who does more with the dogs besides breed them. That can be conformation events, field events, obedience or agility. Do your research on what health issues there are in the breed and find a breeder who screens for those problems. Remember to ask to see the results yourself! A good breeder will have no problem showing you results, in fact they will be happy you did!
valwhalen
01-20-2007, 03:03 PM
Be sure the breeder states in their sales agreement that they will take back one of their dogs any time during it's life for any reason; i.e. rehoming.
avlavl
05-22-2007, 10:17 AM
is not easy. I found the one I bought my puppy from by attending a chow fun day and asked questions. These folks belong to a chow chow club which is legit, so seek out clubs and whatever breed you seek, see if they have any thing going on where you can meet and greet breeders of the breed you want. That worked for me extremely well. Please do not go on the web and google for chow chow - that is when you will bump into backyard breeders, puppy mills etc. Hope this helps.
Since posting this, my lil puppy I purchased has both hip dysplasia. I got the pup at 10 weeks, weeks later he began to show signs of pain and limping etc. bottom line. Took x-rays and the poor lil guy needed surgery right away on the left hip as it had no hip socket. Now the right hip will have to be performed in eight weeks. What a shame. This breeder has champions which my lil guy's parents are. Go figure. Where did this bad gene come from? I am sure it can skip a generation but one never knows do one. SOmetime I wonder if this pup was from the real parents or from some where else. You simply cannot be too trusting of breeders. They can do some funky things in which I think happened in my case. I was too careful in finding a purebred, show ring pup.
Mrs. B
05-25-2007, 05:50 PM
I'm looking to purchase a puppy late htis fall. I have actually been staking out web-sites of breeders in my area. i know you guys say web sites can be misleading. i actually just e-mailed a breeder with a lot of qustions and I am hoping to visit their location before the puppies are born or at least before I make my final decision. Is this playing it safe?
And what should one be on the look out for when visiting a kennel or home?
avlavl
09-11-2007, 05:02 AM
Beware of breeders. I thought I had a legit and reputable breeder but NOT. Make sure you visit their kennels. Make sure you have a contract with them indicating most importantly that the puppy you are purchasing is healthy and if later on if the puppy developes any serious problems that you are covered. i purchased a puppy who ended up with bad hips. I am getting a refund for the purchase of the puppy but not any medical expenses. That could be very costly. Breeders should have their mating dogs x-rayed for OFA and other problems that may stem from being unhealthy. Make sure the state you purchase your puppy from have a Pet Lemon Law. They will see that the breeder do the right thing in terms of refunding the monies you paid for the pup. Not all states do this. Hope this helps. I wished I had known all of this before purchasing my puppy whom I love so much.
snobird
09-16-2007, 09:21 AM
I do not show my dogs , but I will supply references to people all across the country that I have sold puppies to. I find that the greatest testimony is a happy customer. I have a contract that does state our request to have the puppy returned to us should the owner decide for what ever reason not to keep the dog, we also will replace a dog for a genetic problem that shows up, up to a year. Our dogs are all vet checked prior to sale and a health certificate accompanies each puppy. We request the buyer's own vet to do a wellness check within 72 hours of buying the puppy. Many times the buyers of our puppies are well known breeders themselves and are wanting to ad our bloodlines to their kennels. We will never knowingly sell to brokers or puppy mills. Our dogs are like our kids and we would never want them to have a life like that. We do not advertise show quality pups, but stress well adjusted, happy, spoiled and well socialized