Signs of a Bad Breeder

Let it be known I will be a rescue mom and advocate for life.

However, if you must, absolutely must, have a puppy, or a "breed" dog, and for some unknown reason cannot find a rescue with the dog you want (even those obnoxious "designer" dogs [read MUTTS] have their own rescues now too) here are some tips to follow.

Keep in mind while it says Charleston SC, there are AKC chapters all over the US.

Taken from: Signs of a Bad Breeder | Lowcountry Dog.

Signs of a Bad Breeder
by svilardo2 on Thursday, July 8th, 2010 at 8:00am | filed in Health and Wellness

The best part of waking up, is puppy hair in your cup. Ok, so that isn't quite how the original jingle went, but no one can deny that waking up to that cute little puppy face is one of the best things ever! While many people choose to adopt a dog or puppy from a shelter, many people also choose to purchase their puppy from a breeder.

There are numerous red flags that are signs you are about to enter into a potentially dangerous and expensive situation. Let's take a quick look at some of the signs of a bad breeder.

Advertising
Very rarely do top quality breeders put ads in their local newspaper or advertise litters for sale via signs on street corners. Quality breeders often have waiting lists for their litters because of customer satisfaction and word of mouth referrals. Advertising is not needed.

No Knowledge
Bad breeders have little to no knowledge of the breed of dog they are selling or the genealogy of the parents. Without proper knowledge of the lines of descent, your new puppy may be prone to genetic diseases, blindness, hip displaysia and many other physical and psychological issues. If the breeder can not show you paperwork of the puppy's parents, provide you with health information from the pup's linage, offer health guarantees or answer basic questions about the breed, go elsewhere.

Good breeders will not only offer up a wealth of information about their dogs and litters, but will want to know about you as well! If a breeder doesn't ask you any questions about you and your family at all, they are not truly interested in their pup's welfare. Good breeders are so invested in their breed and their dogs that they want assurances their litters all go to good homes.

Setting
Many backyard breeders have a filthy, large pen or over-crowded crates where the puppies and, at times, the parents are kept. Some bad breeders won't even allow you to come to the puppies' home, offering instead to come to you. This is a huge red flag. Bad breeders often claim the dogs are "raised in a home" when they are not. It is so important to view the pup's home environment, and you must be prepared to walk away if you don't feel good about what you see. At all times, resist the urge to buy a cute pup from a pen in a parking lot.

Both the Publisher of Lowcountry Dog, Leah England, and I have fallen desperately for the poor conditions in which backyard breeders can keep their pups. It's easy to feel you are rescuing a dog from a horrible place when you buy from such a breeder. More than 6 years ago, before beginning Lowcountry Dog, Leah and her family fell in love when they spotted their puppy and couldn't say "No" though their brains told them otherwise. "It was totally an emotional choice. Once I saw her, I knew I couldn't leave her there. Though I loved my dog fiercely, I see now it was the wrong choice. I provided funds to a breeder who continued her sloppy breeding practices, and helped her to continue producing litters with countless genetic issues" says England. My flat-coated retriever ended up with thousands in vet bills because she was wounded by the mother and malnourished, while Leah's pup struggled with genetic temperament issues that despite years of expensive training and lots of love, she was never able to overcome.

Contrast this with quality breeders who will not only show you clean dog runs and outdoor exercise areas, but will show you the dogs' sleeping places, even where the dogs play in the home and with whom they play (children, friends, etc.). You should also be able to meet at least one of the pup's parents (usually the mother) and get contact information for the owners of the litter's sire. Meeting the parents is a wonderful way to see what your pup will be like when full grown.

Over-Breeding
Another sign of a bad breeder is over-breeding. Most good breeders limit themselves to one or two litters each breeding season. Beware the breeder who is not only breeding multiple types of dogs, but breeding upwards of 5 litters at a time. You don't want a breeder who is cranking out litters for profit at the expensive of good breeding practices.

Presence and Recommendations
Bad breeders usually don't have much presence anywhere except the newspaper classifieds, events that allow the sale of dogs and street corner signage. Because of the costs and the ability to track the poor conditions and abusive treatment to puppies, many bad breeders will not set up websites or be involved in local groups like the Charleston AKC and breed specific clubs. If the breeder is not an active part in his or her community and does not provide you a with a lengthy list of referrals from people happy with their puppies, don't purchase from them.

So those are a few things to watch out for when trying to avoid picking a bad breeder. Make sure you ask plenty of questions and be prepared to walk away and say "No." When my wife and I bought our first full blood puppy (from a good breeder), we spent over a year talking with the breeder before making any decisions. We did plenty of research and even called around for other satisfied customers. Finally, we studied up and put our breeder's knowledge to the test. The Charleston Kennel Club is a good source if information on quality breeders.