What are characteristics of a good dog breeder vs. bad breeder? What's your take on adopting from a rescue..?

Question

While I fully encourage those looking for new canine companions to find their faithful pet at the animal shelter or a breed specific rescue, I also believe that adopting puppies from good/responsible breeders is an equally good route. I strongly discourage the sale of puppies at stores and inexperienced dog owners who want to "make a buck" with a couple of litters. I dispise puppy mills.

So, what do you think in terms of good vs. bad breeder and what is your opinion about adopting from a shelter/rescue?

I wrote this question with hopes that those who wish to breed their dog "just because" might read everyone's opinions; maybe some minds will be changed.

It makes me sick to my stomach...a neighbor of mine has a gorgeous GSD. They wanted to breed her... The sire....sad to say, is no where near the quality of the dam.. in fact, I thinks he's a mixed GSD. I want to scream at my neighbors!!! "A litter of puppies... you're bringing several puppies into this world... who is going to take in these pups? There's already plenty of what you're making! For Christ's Sake, go to our nearest animal shelter!!! Get a puppy there!!!" It's too late, though... Makes me sick.

Answer 1

A responsible breeder breeds for the betterment of the breed. They either show their mating dogs or have them evaluated by a show judge to ensure the dogs have outstanding breed characteristics to pass on. A responsible breeder also waits until the breeding pair is at least 2 years old and has genetic health testing done on the dogs before breeding to ensure no genetic defects will be passed on to pups. The responsible breeder will ask just as many questions of the prespective buyers as the buyers should ask of the breeder. A responsible breeder will take any of theur pups back for any reason for the entire life of the pup and will follow up on the pup after adoption. A responsible breeder will require a spay/neuter contract for all pet quality pups .
Shlelters/rescues are wonderful for people looking for pet quality pups and adults dogs alike.

Answer 2

I'm all for adopting, but some of these groups make it way too hard. My husband and I tried to adopt from a rescue group but I think we could have adopted a child with less questions. I realize they want the dog to go to a good and loving forever home, but it seemed like the homes they were looking for did not exist. They had so many questions and requirements I wonder how they find anyone at all. We ended up buying from a very respected breeder instead.

I think a good breeder tests all of the animals before breeding and if bad pups still results, those dogs are removed from breeding. A good breeder shows his or her dogs, because otherwise how can they know the dogs are of top quality? Therefore a good breeder only uses champion dogs for breeding. A good breeder doesn't breed for the sole purpose of selling the puppies. A good breeder is looking for another one or two champions from each litter and will sell the rest only because they can't realistically keep every puppy. They will meet with and evaluate prospective buyers. If it doesn't seem like the buyers have done any research a good breeder won't sell them the dog. A good breeder will also always take a dog back if he can't be kept for any reason and will be available for questions. I know I've called my breeder a few times to ask about grooming or behavior issues and she was always happy to hear from me. She knows if I'm asking it is because I care and therefore her beloved pup has a good home. A good breeder is also AKC registered.

Answer 3

Here are some tips on how to recognise a good breeder when you go to visit:
- you should be able to view BOTH the parents of any pups, and they should appear young and in good health
- breeders should provide pedigree details from the AKC, and be able to advise you on feeding
- they should also seem keen on getting you to take the pup to the vets and keep up with vaccinations.
- the house the puppies are sold from is a tell-tale sign - is it clean? it should be!
- pups sold from the back of a van are obviously the best indicator of a BAD breeder!

I'm not completely against getting pups from a decent, reputable breeder - however I always advise getting from a rescue shelter. The reason for that is basically that there are far, far too many unwanted dogs out there already, without people bringing more into the world. There are also a LOT of bad breeders out there, which sadly make the good ones share their bad rep.
As far as I can see, the only real advantage of choosing a breeder over a shelter is that you'd be guaranteed a puppy, often difficult in shelters where they get snapped up! There is just as good a choice from shelters, and they tend to come neutered, flea-ed/wormed, vaccinated, microchipped and sometimes even insured! Yes I know breeders provide pedigree lines, but whoop-de-do, that just means your dog is guaranteed to have whatever genetic defects come with whichever breed - and all breeds have them!

I would go to a shelter every time, and choose a poor little lost doggy that desperately needs a home.

Chalice

Answer 4

Anyone that thinks they are going yield a decent profit from breeding purebred dogs, breeds just because they happen to have a male and a female with no regard to the betterment of the breed, does not do health testing before considering a breeding, has pups available throughout the the year, does not guarantee the health of the dog, or maybe offers a guarantee and doesn't back it up, will not take the dog back regardless of situation or age (don't rescue their own), does not screen potential homes thoroughly, and will sell a pup to anyone that flashes the all mighty $ is a poor excuse for a breeder.

That should tell you what I think a good breeder is!

Answer 5

I have bought from breeders and got good dogs and not so good dogs.
I will not every buy from a breeder when there are so many unwanted, purebred dogs in Rescue, not pounds or shelters but legitimate rescue groups for just about any breed. Yes, we have a lot of questions we want answers to. Reason you ask? So we know that our dogs are going to a great home and will be well taken care of. There should not be a problem answering some questions on a Rescue group application by anyone who is a great pet owner. Most of the questions are common sense ones and not the least bit intrusive. Dog to be kept where when you are not home? What are your feelings on crate training, obedience training? Do you have a yard and is it fenced? How high and what kind of fence? Request 2 personal references and phone numbers? Name of your vet and phone number? Will you agree to a home visit by our representative?
These questions are very important when you want to adopt from a Rescue group.
I don't see why someone would complain about them.

Answer 6

I don't see not a thing wrong with buying a pet from a good breeder gosh there's so many really great breeders in the world that care about their dogs babies. Always check out the breeder and the place that's housing both parents and the babies before you buy one.
I bought my very first dog Cinnamon from a breeder 16 years ago. She was a cocker and lived almost 15 years she was wonderful. But now I prefer rescuing dogs because they need a good home and lots of the dogs are abused/neglected and abandoned and I just wanted to give a few (3) a good chance at a better life then they was used to. I rescued them but in a lot of ways though they have rescued me too.

Answer 7

Adoption is the way to go. We have adopted 2 dogs now. Both dogs would have been put to sleep if we had not saved them. Puppy mills should be outlawed. The majority of them are in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Also the Amish are really starting to run a lot of puppy mills. For every cute puppy in the pet store there are two dogs being used and abused.

They are kept in small crates their entire life. When they bark the owners will jab rods down their throats to tear out their vocal chords. The average breeder dog's life span is around 4 years. Please at least think about adoption first. Look in your area shealters. There are so many dogs and cats that need good homes.

Answer 8

A good breeder is someone who takes full responsibility for their puppies for their entire lives. Someone who is willing to back those puppies' health, temperament and safety for a lifetime. Someone who doesn't care if the dog is a show dog, bed dog, pet, agility dog, whatever, but that the home is good for the dog.
They should ask you more questions than you ask them, they should do a home check and frequently check in to be sure all is well. If there is a problem, they should be willing to step up and try to help resolve the issue without any grief. They should be doing all the recommended health testing for their breed and participate in some sort of competition that reflects how well their dogs fit their breed standard, be it showing, coursing, sledding, hunting, etc.
Just try to get that kind of service from a pet shop!
As far as adopting from a shelter, I think it is the perfect way for many folks to find a good pet for themselves and their families. The main drawback is that there is no chance of ever knowing the history of the dog's life, health history or parentage. But many great pets have been shelter dogs, so if that is what suits your life, go for it!!

Answer 9

A good breeder is someone who breeds to improve the breed. They are trying to create the perfect show dog or working dog. They DO NOT breed simply because they have two "purebred" dogs, two AKC dogs, or a nice and beautiful dog. They also do not breed with the purpose of making money or creating pets.

A bad breeder is someone who breeds for ANY other purpose than advancing the breed. Basically, throw a stone on here at any given time and you'll hit half a dozen backyard breeders or puppy mill breeders. Bad breeders also rarely test for genetic issues, rarely remove breeding dogs who have had poor quality or sick puppies, rarely screen potential owners, and do not show or compete. Bad breeders are the ones who scream about "Starting Somewhere" when confronted and start calling people derogatory names when presented with facts and statistics (see Y!A member "China").

Bad breeders think it is their right to breed. Good breeders consider it a privilege.

As far as rescue dogs - I own a dog (actually, she owns me) from breed rescue. She's a puppy mill dog whose family worked and schooled full time. She was crated 12 hours a day and they finally came to the realization that it was terrible for her. I got her at 7 months old, fully vetted, mostly potty trained, partially obedience trained, spayed, and so full of love. On her first night here, she marched up on the couch, laid down, and basically announced she was home. At bedtime, she followed us upstairs, jumped on the bed, and crawled right under the covers and slept the night through. I couldn't have asked for a better dog. I am thankful every day that she chose to come home with us.

Answer 10

Well, I have always gotten my dogs from breeders whom I have dealt with for many years. These people have in the breeding business a long time and know what they are doing. I really hate it when people say that you should only get a dog from the pound or a rescue. These places do not have the types of dogs I need and in order for me to get them i have to go to a breeder and pay good money. I have never had an interest in mutts and I need to know what to expect out of a dog when it matures, hence my reasoning for going to the breeders. I have contacted the rescue groups of my breed and was told flat out that they do NOT place their "precious" dogs in a working home or environment. Since I have no interest in pets and I am a working home, I have no interest in their dogs. That attitude kind of ruined the whole rescue experience for me.