Pet Forum

We've all heard about really bad dog breeders. I'm talking about the breeders that are anything but animal lovers. They treat their dogs as nothing more than a business. They run puppy mills where dogs are bred for a bare minimum of cost. They treat their dogs cruelly, inhumanely, and only keep them alive long enough to have more pups. They cheat their customers, send you puppies that are sick, or don't send you the puppy that you paid for at all. I don't know about you, but I want to avoid these BAD dog breeders at all costs. I will gladly pay double for a puppy that came from a caring and responsible breeder. With that in mind, here are some tips and questions you should ask to avoid the really bad dog breeders that you will likely encounter during your search for a loving puppy:

1- Does your breeder respect veterinarians, trainers, groomers, breeders, and other peer professionals in the dog world? Beware of breeders who are paranoid or hostile towards other professionals. One cannot operate competently in a vacuum, and in general, good breeders are socially well-networked. They are liked, like others, and respect competent professionals in their field. A good breeder should make the effort the know other good breeders.

2- Has the breeder or will the breeder allow you to temperament test the litter? While puppy-testing is not especially predictive of adult temperament, it's an attempt to gauge a puppy's personality so that it can be best matched with a new owner.

3- Do you like the temperaments of the puppies' parents? Remember, temperament is genetic! Avoid puppies from bitches that demonstrate any aggression or shyness. Specifically inquire about possessiveness, inter-dog aggression, defensiveness about being handled, etc. Accept no excuses for undesirable behavior.

4- Are the premises clean and orderly? Are the breeder's dogs healthy in appearance? It can be a messy proposition to raise a litter of puppies, but puppies should not be wallowing in waste, covered with fleas, or otherwise appear neglected.

5- Does your dog breeder offer pet insurance? All breeders should be supplying free pet insurance, which covers the puppy from the moment he goes to his new home. This service is free to breeders – insurance companies provide the cover, as hopefully it will lead to the new owner purchasing lifetime cover after the six-week period.

6- Never use Western Union or Money Gram to purchase a pet. Most scammers use Western Union to steal hundreds and even thousands of dollars from innocent people. Another safe method of payment is an escrow service. An escrow service guarantees that you are going to receive the puppy that you are expecting to receive. An escrow service will “hold” the money in a secured account until you have received your puppy. Once you have received the puppy and verified its health condition, then the money is sent to the dog breeder. If you do not receive your puppy the money will be returned to you.

These are just a few suggestions on how to avoid a bad dog breeder. If you have any others to offer, that you have personally experienced, that would be great!

I just want to add that I will never buy a pet from an online seller again. We bought a puppy from a breeder that advertised online a few years ago, and it was a disaster! Long story short, the breeder sent us a very sick puppy, and he did not handle it right at all.

I've had an experience like this before as well. The puppy looked healthy the first day he arrived here but after a few days he wouldn't eat and he just wanted to lie down all the time. After a few more days he finally passed away. I can't imagine why people would be cruel to animals. Anyway, thanks for the tips glenn! It will sure be helpful for those who want to buy a puppy.

Oh...we keep hearing about this all the time.
Its kind of cruel isn't it.
need to check the credentials of the seller before buying a dog

It is tough to know everything you need to know to purchase a dog over the internet. I have been burned as well and I breed as a hobby. I do not ship my dogs and most of the buyers come to my home to get the pups and see the parents and where they are brought up from birth. My dogs stay in my home with me are my pets and my babies and are treated as such.
It pays to do your research before buying any dog from any source. Pet stores can be one of the worst places to buy a dog as well because they frequently buy from puppy mills or worse