03/10/2022
Over the course of my career as a dog trainer, I’ve worked with a lot of breeders. Selecting puppies for my clients, networking and building relationships, and learning what I could do to improve my puppy training programs.
I’ve seen so many good, responsible breeders with fantastic dogs and wonderful programs that I would LOVE to work with again! But I’ve also seen a whole lot of unknowledgeable/uncaring/irresponsible breeders who it seems are mostly in the puppy business for the money.
RESPONSIBLE breeders know a puppy is going to be a life-long commitment and make it their business to place their puppies in the best suited homes.
IRRESPONSIBLE breeders will often place their puppies with anyone who’s willing to pay the adoption fee, regardless of how good or bad the placement might be in the long run, for the owner or the puppy.
When you’re looking at breeders for your next puppy, here are three markers that might mean the difference between a RESPONSIBLE breeder and an IRRESPONSIBLE breeder:
💡Are the breeder’s adult dogs health tested?
A RESPONSIBLE breeder takes the time to make sure the dogs they’re breeding are stable, structurally sound, and very good examples of their breed. A good breeder isn’t going to be breeding bad-quality dogs, in the fear of PRODUCING bad-quality puppies!
A good breeder’s dogs should be healthy and genetically sound, having been given such tests as OFA certification/PennHip certification for hips and elbows, genetically tested for hereditary issues, OFA thyroid, Cardiac, and usually much more.
Their dogs might also have won titles and awards that attest to their workability, trainability, drive, and body conformation.
A good breeder knows that healthy, sound dogs produce healthy, sound puppies.
An IRRESPONSIBLE breeder will usually try to do the very least they can to convince people to buy their dogs. You might see OFA clearances among their breeding stock but it’s unlikely they’ll have done the work to fully screen each of their dogs. In most cases, the stud dog they use will have most, if not all, the health clearances, while the female they bred the stud to has next to nothing, besides maybe a clean bill of health from the vet.
💡Are the breeder’s adult dogs well-mannered, clean, and obedient?
While the health of a breeder’s dogs is important, the proper care, socialization, and training they put in is crucial. Puppies raised around stable and obedient adult dogs have a HUGE advantage to puppies that are not. Puppies will often emulate the bigger dogs they are exposed to and will very quickly pick up their behaviors - both good and bad - simply through observation and practice.
A RESPONSIBLE breeder’s dogs will look well cared for and should leave you with a dream-like feeling of what owning your own adult dog of their breed might be like. If the breeder’s dogs are friendly and pleasant to be around, that will probably make you want one of your own that much more.
IRRESPONSIBLE breeders usually don’t care to invest the time or resources it would take to make their adult dogs look or act pleasant to their prospective buyers. Oftentimes they’ll try to not even show you your puppy’s mother or father and just sell you on how cute the puppy is.
Good breeders love their adult dogs and take pride in their appearance; bad breeders view their adult dogs as a way to make a quick buck.
💡How well do you know the breeder?
RESPONSIBLE breeders almost become part of your family when it’s all said and done, sort of like an aunt or uncle, or close family friend. They’re someone you’ll want to reach out to for advice, to share some good news with about your dog, or someone you just want to send a picture to now and then to show how their sweet puppy is growing up. Good breeders make it their business to know as much about you as possible before they give you one of their precious puppies, and most of them hope you’ll show just as much interest in their breeding program and achievements, as well.
An IRRESPONSIBLE breeder is going to give you as little information about themselves as they possibly can as they try to sell you a puppy. Even then, the info they do give you might not be completely accurate. They’ll often show little interest in who you are and what you do, and will have very little, if any desire to stay in touch with you after you’ve paid for your puppy. In fact, a lot of irresponsible breeders will hope you never reach out to them again, unless you want to buy another puppy.
Knowing the difference between a responsible breeder and an irresponsible breeder can help you in your search for a good puppy to become your next best friend.
This puppy will be your companion for a long, long time, maybe even the next 13 years if you’re lucky! With that big of a commitment in your future, it might make sense to do some work to ensure you’re not only getting a good puppy, but that you’re also getting it from a good, responsible breeder.
