Is
the breeder in front of me a “serious one”?
This is a very important question that you should
ask yourself before you even consider buying a puppy from
a breeder. Sure breeders can say that they abide by all the
AKC guidelines and that they are members of such-and-such
dog clubs, but are they really? Some breeders only breed dogs
to make money. And believe me, breeding popular dog breeds,
such as Pugs, can mean serous dough.
These are a few things that you should ask yourself (and your
potential breeder) before buying a puppy:
1. Why is this person a breeder? Is it merely
for money or is it really the love for the breed that keeps
him/her going? Breeders that merely do it for the money tend
to care less about the well-being of their dogs and more about
how much they actually make. After just a short chat with
the person in question, you will probably sense if they do
it for love or money.
2. How can you be certain that they are abiding by
AKC guidelines? Well, you can’t, but do your
homework anyway. Go online and see if you can find any information
about the breeder. Maybe someone has written something nice
about him or her, or maybe somebody
has complained… Also, ask for references. If
other customers have been happy with the breeder, you will
probably be too. Last but not least, check with a veterinarian
in the area and see if they know anything about the breeder
in question.
3. Are they keeping their business a secret?
Many breeders do not tend to let people know that they breed
certain kinds of dogs? WHY, one should ask! Serious
breeders who take good care of their dogs are more than likely
very happy to answer any questions you might have and are
never afraid of letting people know what they are doing. A
great way to check if your breeder is "an underground
one" is to just google him
or her... lots of listings usually mean that he or she does
not mind the attention (Remember: secretive breeders are not
always bad ones - some of them might just be keeping their
extra income from good old Uncle Sam).
4. Visit the breeder’s home or kennel
and see if the grounds are nice and clean. Also, avoid
breeders that have too many dogs – these might be puppy
mills (even though they are members of a prestigious dog club
or say that they abide by AKC guidelines). Remember:
AKC does NOT endorse or recommend specific breeders!
5. Avoid breeders that are not knowledge about
the breed and breeders who do not give you a refund
if any genetically-linked illness occurs (or at least will
help you deal with the problem appropriately).
6. Avoid breeders that do not ask YOU about your
home, lifestyle, family etc. Serous breeders always
want to make sure that their puppies end up in loving,
caring homes.
7. Last but not least, trust your instincts!
If you sense that the breeder is not serious, go somewhere
else. Or even better: visit your local
shelter and see if you can rescue a dog instead. I
mean, what can be better than giving a four-legged friend
a new, great life and a cozy place to live for the rest of
his life!
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