Signs of an Untrustworthy Breeder
While there are many animals in need of loving homes in shelters all over the country, sometimes when you have your heart set on a specific breed, a breeder is the best option for becoming a pet parent.
However, since breeding is a business, you may notice that many breeders are participating in some pretty unethical practices. It’s important when you are looking into potential breeders, you choose to only work with ethically minded breeders.
Here are some of the most common signs of untrustworthy breeders.
Unknowledgeable About the Breed
A good breeder should be a resource for you with extended knowledge about the breed. That way, if you have any questions about your new fur baby, your breeder can be a trusted source of information.
If you ask your breeder a question they can’t easily answer, tell you to do your own research, or get irritated by your questions, it might be best to find a new breeder.
They Don’t Interview You
When you seriously inquire about buying a dog from a breeder, they should have a lot of questions for you. A quality breeder doesn’t want their dogs just going to any random home so they will often ask questions regarding your lifestyle, home environment, and goals that you have for your dog.
A good breeder will care more about their dog having the best possible life than making money.
Selling the Puppy Too Young
From what we have learned about the ways that puppies develop, we now know that it is best for a puppy to remain with its mother until at least 10 weeks old. This is best for the puppy’s development and socialization skills.
If a breeder is trying to sell a puppy before 10 weeks old, and especially before 8 weeks old, this will definitely be a red flag.
Glamorous Websites
Often, breeders with glamorous websites that have pictures of puppies posing next to designer items are trying to appeal to consumers to buy their puppies.
Most reputable breeders often have a very bare-bones website because they don’t care about attracting certain buyers. If the website or social media posts of the breeder seem more like advertisements than personal photos, this could be a sign of a puppy mill.
Won’t Take a Dog Back
If a breeder is in the business because they genuinely love and care about their dogs, they would have no problem taking a dog back if they thought it was what was best for the animal.
If the breeder won’t take the dog back, it could be a sign they are only in it for the money.
Having Tons of Available Puppies
While this one can be tricky to navigate, most breeders won’t have more than a few litters per year in order to keep the health of their animals at the forefront of their business. If a breeder always has an abundance of puppies available, this could be a major sign of a puppy mill.
Lying About AKC Registration
Being recognized by the AKC is usually a sign of a reputable breeder. However, the AKC only recognizes pure breeds and not designer breeds like doodles. So, if a breeder claims to be AKC certified while breeding mixed dogs, they are lying and therefore are not trustworthy.
However, just because a pure breeder is advertising an AKC logo, they could still be lying. A quick way to confirm if a breeder is AKC recognized is by asking for a pedigree and an AKC registry number for their dogs.
They Don’t Do Health Testing
This may be the biggest indicator of all whether or not you should trust a breeder. Breeding dogs should all go through genetic testing and puppies should be evaluated by a vet for common and breed-specific conditions. A trustworthy breeder would then share this information with potential parents.
If the breeder seems hesitant or unwilling to provide health documentation, this could be a red flag that they have not gone through the necessary health screenings. Also, if a breeder tells potential dog parents that they need to cover the cost of the tests, this is another red flag for potential parents.
They Don’t Follow Up
If you have already brought your puppy home, a reputable and invested breeder will check in every once in a while to make sure everything is going well with your new puppy.
They have invested a lot of time and energy into your puppy and they want to see them doing well! Here are our best tips for bringing home a new puppy to make the transition as easy as possible.
Overall, a good breeder is one that is going to exhibit genuine interest in finding the perfect puppy to fit your lifestyle. Not only can buying a dog from a puppy mill means supporting unethical businesses, but it can also come with a host of other problems for your puppy later down the line.