Selecting a Dog or Breeder vs. Rescue

Puppies from responsible breeders are more likely to be healthy and active

Saving a dog and providing a home for a rescue dog is wonderful and applaudable. But there are also good reasons to buy a dog from a responsible breeder. If you are interested in a dog sport or if you have specific ideas on how your dog should be, a responsible breeder might be a better way to go. Finding the right breeder is not easy and a lot of homework needs to be done before committing. Here are some red flags that should make you be very cautious:

– The place breeds more than one particular breeds
Sometimes two breeds compliment each other but usually it is advisable to pick a breeder who specializes in one single breed.

– The breeder has more than 20 dogs or more than 6 litters per year
Some professional breeders have more dogs, including retired breeding dogs or they have a team looking after the dogs. Many times though, a breeder who has over 20 dogs and breeding all of them, simply does not have enough time to thoroughly look after them and giving them the interaction and exercise they need.

– The dogs are not registered or are registered at a registry who is connected to puppy mill
The most popular registry in the United States is the American Kennel Club (AKC). There are breed specific registries who are perfectly fine and professional, but some registries like the Continental Kennel Club (CKC – not to be confused with the Canadian Kennel Club) or the UKC, who are not members of International Canine Organization are preferred by puppy mills. Registering a litter of puppies results in additional cost for the breeder, but the cost is not very high considering the cost of responsible breeding. By registering a litter of puppies, people can trace the heritage of their dog, which is part of finding the perfect breeding pair. If a breeder tells you that you can have a puppy with or without papers and asks for more money if your puppy should come with registered papers, run. This is a very clear sign of irresponsible breeding.

The breeder should ask lots of questions, for example what your plans for the new dog are

– The breeder cannot or will not show you both parents
Not every responsible breeder has both parents on premises. In fact, many excellent breeders only have the female or the male and search for the respective counterpart a very long time. They select the pair very carefully and the female or male could even be in a different country. But you should be able to see at least the mother of the puppies.

– Buying a Dog over the Internet
While buying over the Internet is not necessarily bad, it is easy for a puppy mill to pose as a legitimate professional and responsible breeder. They will show you pictures with happy and healthy puppies playing outside in the grass, a healthy mother lovingly nursing the litter and the whole human family petting and working with the dogs. Don’t be fooled. Often times, these dogs are not even theirs. Of course they will not show you the crates and cages or the sickly looking females who are forced to pump out litter after litter. There are States who are known to have more puppy mills than others. These States include Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri. This does not mean, of course, that there are no responsible breeders in these States! But by doing your homework, you will be able to weed out the bad breeders.

– Fail to Provide Breed Specific Health Tests and Certification
Some breeds are prone to specific health issues. Hip Dysplasia is only one example. There are breeds who are more likely to develop eye or skin problems among many other issues. Breed organizations very often require health tests for the canine parents which show issues early on. Responsible breeders abide by these requirements and will show you the test results if you ask for them. Similarly, some sport dog breeds are required to go through certifications before breeding. Inform yourself about the breeding requirements of your favorite breed and don’t be scared to ask the breeder for proof.

Check the dog for any skin, eye or ear conditions

– Breeder does not ask you any questions
Responsible breeders care about their dogs and try to find the best home possible for their puppies. Don’t be put off if they ask you tons of questions about you, your personal life, the way your house or apartment looks like, what you intend to do with your dog, if you have experience or what your work hours look like. Instead be suspicious, if the breeder does not care at all or does not seem to listen to your answers. A bad breeder just wants to sell the puppies and will not care where they end up. Responsible breeders may want to be part of the puppy’s life or at least stay in contact. Often they may include a stipulation in their contract and return a deposit money when you test your dog for breed specific health issues at a certain age – because they care. Irresponsible breeders will repeat breedings even though they do not know if the puppies produced by the last breeding, suffer from health issues completely avoidable by selecting different parents. This is also why no responsible breeder will ever sell their puppies in a pet store. No matter what you may hear when you enter a pet store, all these puppies are from puppy mills, out for the quick buck.

Rescue organizations require homework as well. Not every rescue organization is legitimate. Some will only take puppies from questionable backgrounds and pretend to have rescued them, only to sell them to you for a high ‘adoption fee’. Adoption fees are necessary to support rescue groups who’s volunteers donate their time and own money. These fees include boarding, health care and often times neutering and micro chipping dogs. Most breeds have their own rescue group who concentrate on these specific breeds, but there are also many legitimate rescue organizations who care for all type of dogs, young and old, pure bred and mixes. When considering a dog from a rescue group, look at all the dogs this group cares for. Do they only have puppies? Can they tell you where these dogs are from? Do they have volunteers fostering these dogs, do they have a boarding facility or is one person hoarding 50 dogs in the backyard? Are they a legitimate non-profit organization? Do they require a home check or do they ask you to meet them at a parking lot somewhere to transfer the dog to you? Are they able to give you enough information about the dog’s temperament and traits? You can also go directly to the shelter and see if they may have a dog who fits you perfectly. Shelters, especially in Southern California, are always full and sometimes have literally hundreds of dogs looking for a home.

With your homework done and a portion of luck, you will find your perfect canine companion, whether from a breeder or the rescue.