how can you tell if a puppy came from a puppy mill or from a reputable breeder?

Question

If the puppy you are buying or adopting is supposed to arrive in a plane (bec of distance you can't visit the place where the puppy was born), and the puppy looks healthy, how can you tell if the seller is a reputable breeder or runs a puppy mill?

Answer 1

Many rescues in the area of the breeder you wish to buy from will do a kennel check if you ask them to and explain WHY you're asking for help. That said, a reputable breeder will NOT let you buy a puppy if they, or someone they totally trust, has not been to your house to do a home check. A home check ensures you are not going to be irresponsible with the life they brought into this world.

A responsible breeder has a contract that tells you you may return the dog at any time for any reason, and insists you don't ever put the pup into a shelter. The contract will insist you spay/neuter your pet, since it isn't being shown in conformation.

A responsible breeder only registers their dogs with a reputable registery, such as the AKC, the UKC, or the Canadian KC. (Thre are other reputable registeries, but those are the Big Three in the US) They NEVER use the Cont. KC, the APR, PDR, or other registeries that are disreputable. A key point for a disreputable registery is that they will register mixes.

These are a very few ways to tell if the breeder is reputable or not. There are plenty more, but these should give you a starting point.

Answer 2

well i suggest that you never buy a puppy that has to be shipped by plane.. for one its very stressful for a puppy when its taken away from its mother then on top of that your sticking it on a plane for who knows how many hours... buy a puppy that is close enough for you to go there and see the parents and the conditions its living in.. ask alot of questions.. a reputable breeder will know almost everything about the breed.. look at where the puppies are living.. if all the dogs are living in a back yard and there's crates and cages everywhere and it doesn't look clean then its a puppy mill..make sure you get all the papers registration papers vet papers.. and every reputable breeder will have a one year + health guarantee for every pup..

Answer 3

Ask them for references, check up on their memberships to organizations like the American Kennel Club, ask about awards and championships they won at dog shows and check on those, ask other breeders if they know of them, make sure they give you all the health information they are supposed to about the puppy's mother and father (the breeder of our puppy gave us a lot of paperwork about how the mother and father had been checked for various diseases and physical abnormalities that run in the breed), ask to see a copy of the contract they have for buyers of their puppies. If they act like you are from Mars when you ask for these things, they are not reputable. We didn't even have to ask; our breeder handed all of these things over before we had the chance. In our contract, there was also a set period of time for us to bring the puppy to our vet and have him say it was healthy. If it wasn't, they would take it back. Good luck.

Answer 4

99% of the puppies from a reptutabel breeder are going to have a "title" before or after the parent dogs names. With few exceptions they will be registered with AKC or UKC. Almost no reputable breeders will part with one of their baby pups without 101 questions that make you think you are adopting a baby (human). They bent your ear on tons for heath tests for thisng you never herd of. In fact its a definate caution sign that they would ship it to you by plane , I have heard of reputable breeders doing so - after tons of sterling references from local dog people, but its exceedingly rare.

Answer 5

unless you see the facility where the puppy was bred you cant tell. if your adopting it wont be puppy mills because they want more money than a small adoption fee. if you are buying from a breeder ask for referals from previous people they sold dogs to. any good breeder will be able to give you this

Answer 6

really since you are spending hundreds of dollars on the dog, it is worth it to visit the dog at the breeders home. it will only cost a couple hundred more, and since you are going to have the dog for ten-twenty years.
try fishing a little bit. tell them that you were thinking about coming out to visit the kennels and see their reaction. if they say sure whenever thats a decent sign. if they are like no it wouldn't be..... then RUN.
they should also give you a lengthy list of their credentials as well their show history and their dogs lineage.

Answer 7

Hello there and glad to see you are concerned
Best thing to do is to meet the mom and father first.....
if that is not possible
meet the puppies and their mom :)
Get a pup locally and dont look at the price :)
All the best :)))
P.S. If you already have your new pup, take him/her to the vet for a check up and spend loooooootsa time with him/her :)))

Answer 8

it isn't safe to ship pups they are put in cargo hold witht he other luggage. They don't regulate teh temperature .
A good reputable breeder would not ship on the plane if they truly care for the pups health.
Otherwise there is no way of knowing maybe if you get teh pedigree and there is a lot of championships and not way back either.
Good Luck hope it arrives safely.

Answer 9

if the puppy is healthy then they are most likely from a breeder than a mill. mills usually have wayy to many animals to take care of their animals, the puppy wouldnt be in good health if it came from a mill.

Answer 10

You couldn't pay me to take one of their dogs. They call them "English Bull Dogs". They say there are champions in the pedigrees, but I don't see any show pics, brags, or CH titles on their dogs. I also do not see where they mention anything about OFA certifications. Their stud fee is ridiculously low and you can "order a puppy". And the French Bulldog stud they are trying to sell is downright ugly. No way should he be bred based on looks alone.