How to find a GOOD breeder

breed only one, or maybe two breeds.

not breed to make money – in fact they will probably be lucky to break even.

probably have a waiting list, but definitely NOT have puppies available year-round

ask you a lot of questions, such as where you live, if you have children, your work schedule, and about other pets. This is not to see if you are "worthy" of one of their puppies, rather to make sure the breed is right for you, and even to match a particular puppy specifically to your family

provide you with a pedigree for both the puppy’s parents

guarantee the puppy’s health

not place a puppy in a new home before 7- 8 weeks of age

often keep at least one puppy from each litter for their breeding program, otherwise what was the point of the breeding?

take back one of their puppies or dogs AT ANY TIME – in fact they will ask that you return the dog to them if for ANY reason you cannot keep it

be responsible for each and every puppy they bring into this world, for the its entire life

offer you continuing support and training advice throughout the puppy’s life

insist that buyers of pet puppies spay/neuter their puppy, and have some method of enforcement

be involved with their breed(s) club, and other activities, such as showing their dogs, agility, obedience training

educate the buyer about any potential genetic problems in their breed. ALL breeds have them! If a breeder can only tell you that the puppy will be checked by a vet, then they do not have the information they need to breed healthy dogs

encourage all puppy owners to test their puppies for various health problems and report them back to the breeder so that the breeder has a broad, as well as a deep knowledge of what is in his/her lines

A reputable breeder produces a litter only after careful consideration of the physical qualities and temperament of the proposed parents, their individual strengths and weaknesses, how their pedigrees (ancestors) relate, and what the proposed breeding would contribute to the improvement of the breed. This is often a difficult and time-consuming process, therefore, it is not surprising to find that a responsible breeder considers the puppies as his/her "kids" and wants only the best homes for them.

If you ask most people how they would define a “puppy mill”, you might hear a description of a place that could have been seen on a television news program. Most people visualize endless rows of cramped cages filled with hundreds of dogs of various breeds whose pitiful lives exist only to produce litter after litter of puppies for resale through brokers and pet shops. Veterinary care, food and water, grooming, and even human contact is kept to a minimum, as all require time and/or money. Few people could argue that this situation isn’t a puppy mill yet, each year countless numbers of people all over the world fall victim to the practice of puppy mills.

The media and groups concerned with educating the general public on the subject of puppy mills have tried to establish a clear-cut definition of what constitutes a puppy mill. Large assortments of different breeds, numerous litters of puppies, and a lack of concern for the eventual outcome of a puppy are just some of the obvious characteristics of a puppy mill. Selling to pet stores is the most obvious sign of a puppy mill. In many schools of thought the term “puppy mill” encompasses a far broader assortment of breeders than what the media has portrayed.

But, a puppy mill isn’t just about a filthy situation or the number of puppies produced in a single year, or about where puppies are sold, but about a philosophy – namely the ultimate pursuit to make money. This goal doesn’t require a hundred dogs or even ten dogs; all that it requires is two dogs, a male and a female. The drive for financial gain overshadows all else, though this goal may not always be initially obvious to a novice puppy buyer.

While many people recognize that all puppies that end up in a pet store originate from puppy mills, some people are disillusioned in to believing that the neighborhood pet store is stocked with puppies from “local, reputable breeders.” Fast-talking sales people are quick to make the twisted claim that their store does not purchase from puppy mills but from local breeders. What they fail to mention is that brokers, who have been hired to round up puppies from commercial operations to fill an order, often transport the puppies. Some sales people will even discourage potential puppy buyers from taking the time to research breeders and to attend dogs shows and performance events by claiming that there is no need to look at show dogs when all they want is a nice, family pet. Once again the bottom line, no matter where the store claims to have obtained their puppies, is that: Responsible breeders do not sell to a pet store under ANY circumstances! Responsible breeders are cautious in screening buyers to insure that each puppy has a safe and loving home for a lifetime. A puppy mill is concerned about meeting the supply and demand of their buyers.

If a potential puppy buyer recognizes that pet stores are a direct link to puppy mills, they often end up at the home of a “backyard or kitchen breeder” in hopes of finding a reputable breeder. While there exists a certain amount of controversy in terms of placing commercial kennels and the backyard breeders who owns just a male and a female in the same category, much of the general philosophy between these two groups is similar – making a profit.

Backyard breeders often acquire an AKC registered, pure-bred dog and decide that they can recover the cost of the dog by breeding the dog once or even twice. Some believe that breeding a bitch makes it a better pet or that since so many people adore their dog, they will produce cookie cutter versions of their pet. Still others want their children to witness the “miracle of birth” despite placing the dog at a potentially serious risk when monitored by a completely uneducated dog owner. A backyard breeder may be a seemingly nice person with good intentions but with little regard to what encompasses being a responsible breeder.

Backyard breeders don’t often screen for potential genetic defects, have a firm understanding of the breed standard, or breed to improve the breed. Many do not provide sales contracts, which outline health guarantees, spay/neuter agreements, and return policies. Knowledge about the breed, its unique characteristics and health concerns, is often very limited also.

The sport of breeding and showing dogs isn’t cheap. Entries and travel expenses, crates and grooming equipment, as well as quality food, proper veterinary care, stud services, cesarean sections and phone bills quickly add up not to mention time and energy and a lack of sleep. Being a responsible breeder is about studying pedigrees, having a vision of what the perfect dog looks like and about making a commitment to the breed beyond the next few years.

Sometimes a disgruntled loser can be heard whispering out of the side of their mouth “Oh yeah, she won today but, she’s nothing but, a puppy mill.” People can be labeled behind their backs despite being a successful breeder having bred numerous champions. Why is this? How could a well-known dog show person be considered a puppy mill? Sadly, their peers have viewed their business conduct and breeding ethics as not having the best interests of the breed in mind...just the best interest of their pocketbooks.

When a breed becomes popular, many times people capitalize on the sudden opportunity when demand far exceeds the supply. The focus of a breeder’s philosophy may shift from producing the next great show dog, which emulates the breed standard, to producing and selling as many puppies as possible. The rationalization that selling pet puppies will pad the bank account and finance the show dogs begins. A second breed may be introduced for the sole purpose of supporting the first breed.

Evaluating breeders in terms of being ethical and responsible is far more subjective than objective and often hinges on what the definition of an ethical breeder is to the person who is the evaluator. A fine line can often exist between two with many shades of gray along that line. Knowing where a breeder stands isn’t always obvious to the naked eye, so it is important to ponder what your own definition of a puppy mill is to avoid becoming another statistic.

From what resource would you have the best chance of finding a nice healthy pet with lifetime of support from it's breeder? I feel it is odds on from the hobbyist show breeder. While anyone who produces a planned registered litter is a dog "breeder", some hardly fit the traditional meaning. Today we need to define breeder farther. Please remember there are honorable and less than honorable people in each group and that AKC papers are not a guarantee of quality.

Commercial Breeder, USDA licensed (Puppy Mill or Puppy Farm)- These are wholesalers, the government considers this agriculture, they produce a product to sell for profit and that is their only reason for raising dogs. To do so they must keep costs down, so puppies are only guaranteed to arrive live at a broker's or pet store and so ends their involvement. The dogs get the bare minimum in quality of care and food. Genetic testing for heath problems is rare. Some raise their dogs in clean kennels or on wire floors in raised cages (like rabbits) and so are in reasonably good condition when they are shipped. Puppy factories seldom socialized the pups so many have behavior problems. The adults are livestock. Once they produce as many litters as they can they are usually either killed or sold at auction. The worst puppy mills are too horrible to describe here, suffice to say, short cuts in costs often lead to suffering and abuse. Most puppies are sold to pet shops. The new scam in larger cities, are "Breeders Outlets" and clever "home" retailers that advertise in the local paper to hide their puppy mill origin, watch out for one phone number advertising several breeds.

Backyard breeder - Starts with a family breeding their beloved pet. The majority of purebred dogs come from this category in many popular breeds and the majority of purebred dogs in rescue or destroyed in pounds. Their reason to breed is honorable but uneducated; they think it will be fun (wait till the thousandth dirty newspaper or the midnight visit to the vet), They think they can make back the purchase price of their dog (The hobby breeders who do it "right" lose money on most litters), they want the kids to see a birth (At 3 AM most kids are not interested), because their friend or relative wants one too (They don't consider what they will do with the other six dogs they brought into the world, if no one calls off the ad in the paper).Most don't get involved enough to know if the dog is breeding quality and breed to the closest male they can find. Some are sold as registerable when papers were lost, and the litter never be registered at all. The majority are sold locally through newspaper ads and the responsibility ends with the sale. Often they do not have the knowledge to properly raise a healthy socialized litter or to help the new owner with any problem that might arise. Some backyard breeders turn into small time unlicensed puppy mills, keeping a few bitches to breed for profit without consideration of quality or health concerns, and selling them locally.

A retail pet shop, no matter how clean or well run, will only have stock from the above two sources. If they say their dogs come from local breeders, it will be of the backyard variety. The sales people can not know each breed like a hobby breeder knows their own. Many do not care if the breed or individual puppy will be right for you, most will be more than willing to make the sale. The average pet store's commitment to the dog is a 48 hour guarantee at best.

Large Show or Working Breeding Kennels- These are normally very responsible in their breeding practices, They are breeding for top quality, but may expect a profit and produce numerous litters for the show and pet market. They do not make their profit by cutting costs, but by increasing their price based on their reputation for quality. They do genetic testing and raise puppies well, but not quite with the "in home raised" attention a hobby breeder can give. Sometimes I feel they do not have the time to properly mentor the people to whom they sell pets and show/breeding potential dogs. When people, new to the dog show sport, get frustrated if they don't instantly win, they breed the dog to "get their money back" adding to the backyard category. These large operations are quite responsible for the dog, but some are less than willing to take them back as older dogs because of the numbers involved and add to rescue problems. These breeders sell their own dogs, pets may be sold on spay/neuter contracts with warrantees. They often advertise in the national dog magazines.

Hobby Breeder- Very responsible or they don't rate the designation. Their dogs are their pets as well as show dogs. Often their "kennels" include the couch or bed. The hobbyist feels the only reason to breed is to strive to produce the ideal dog of their breed. They breed "the best to the best" no matter how much time, research, money and effort it costs.They are creating a work of art and have thoroughly educated themselves.Having champions in the pedigree proves nothing toward breeding quality of an individual. Therefore they breed a dog only after they prove themselves in their field, be that a show Champion, a hard pulling sled dog, or a good sheepdog or retriever. They do all available genetic screening for known health problems in their breed. They spay or neuter any dogs that produce health problems, no matter how beautiful, or how much they have won. They breed to the written standard of excellence for their breed, not to a showring fad. These breeders are committed to every dog they produce for life. Expect pet quality to be sold on spay/neuter contracts only to protect the breed and written guarantees to protect you. Many only sell their puppies by referral, although some do advertise in the paper or magazines. They would not trust their mother to screen a prospective home, let alone a retail pet shop.When you have located a hobby breeder expect to be grilled about your home and life and maybe to wait a awhile for a puppy. You may even run into resistance when you ask about buying their dogs. Best to ask price last, it may well depend on how good of home they think your family will be! The hobbyist is surprised if they break even on a litter because they invest so much "doing it right". When you do acquire a puppy from a true hobby breeder you will be joining a new family, Dog-in-laws.

So how do you find the quality kennels and Hobby Breeders? Your local kennel club should have a breeders list. A list of the clubs are available from AKC on the internet. Or call the AKC breeder finder number, 1-900- 407-PUPS. Also visit the dog show calender at AKC's site, at Infodog or inquire with your local kennel club to find a dog show nearby to attend. It is a great place to find out more about the breed you are interested in and talk to the breeders. The extra effort will be well worth the time invested.