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Puppy Mill Problems

If you’re considering getting a new puppy there are a lot of options.  One of them is buying from a ‘puppy mill.’  A puppy mill is usually considered to be a substandard breeding facility that produces large numbers of puppies annually.  They may supply puppies of many different breeds.

Some of these facilities are licensed by the government and inspected by the USDA.  Care and conditions must meet certain criteria.  Others fly under the radar and go without inspections.  Inspected kennels may produce healthy puppies which receive vaccinations and are then trucked to pet stores at a young age.  Kennels which operate without inspections may sell directly to buyers.  Since they are operating without inspections it is more likely that the facilities are deficient and the conditions for the dogs are poor.  These are the ‘puppy mills’ you sometimes see in videos and on TV in undercover investigations.

If you buy a puppy from one of these poor facilities odds are that the puppy could have begun life with many problems.  The puppy is likely to be the victim of breeding from poor quality parents who may exhibit health and genetic problems, dirty conditions, cramped quarters, perhaps no early vaccinations or worming, and the list goes on.

All puppies are adorable, but a puppy’s mother and her health are extremely important.  So are his surroundings in the first few weeks life.  A puppy who gets off to a bad start in poor puppy mill surroundings can have health or behavioral problems that last the rest of his life.  It is possible to buy a healthy dog from these sources but many people buying from puppy mills have bought unhealthy puppies.  Some puppies may even die soon after purchase.

Puppies in pet stores may come from several sources including licensed commercial breeders and inferior puppy mills.  There may be no way to tell the difference in the pet store.  Even looking at the puppy’s registration papers will not tell you what type of breeder or kennel produced the puppy.  Purchasing a puppy in a pet store also encourages people to make impulse purchases which is never a good idea where a dog is concerned.  That cute little ball of fur may grow up to be a 100 pound pet who can eat you out of house and home.

If you are seeking a new purebred puppy consider going to a reputable breeder.  Contact the breed parent club for the breed and they can put you in touch with people who are expecting litters.  Reputable breeders perform health testing on their dogs before they choose which dogs to breed to make sure they are fit to breed.  Puppies raised in a home environment receive much more socialization, love and personal care than any commercially-raised puppy can ever receive.  Reputable breeders also carefully screen potential buyers and guarantee their puppies for health problems in the breed.

Breed parent clubs can also tell you about purebred rescue if you might be interested in a young adult or an older dog.  There are nearly always purebred dogs available in rescue looking for great homes.

Puppy Mill Problems courtesy Dog Articles.

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5 Tips For Spotting A Disreputable Dog Breeder

New dog owners should always make sure that their purebred pup comes from a reputable and responsible breeder. This is really is the only way to ensure that the animal will be free of any medical or behavioral problems. If a breeder you speak with displays any of the following 5 behaviors, he or she probably isn’t breeding healthy puppies in accordance with standards that have been set for the breed.

1. The breeder is willing to sell you any puppy you want, no questions asked.

All reputable dog breeders care about what happens to each and every puppy they breed, even after it leaves their care. Indeed, a good breeder will ask you many, many questions about your lifestyle, experience with the breed, house and property size, show or breeding experience, and any other aspect of your life that may affect the puppy’s future. If your answers to these questions are not satisfactory, then the breeder probably won’t sell the puppy to you. A good breeder will also require that you sign a contract in which you agree to: have the puppy fixed if you’re not going to breed it; notify the breeder if the dog develops any diseases or medical conditions; notify the breeder first if you are no longer able to care for your dog; and, do anything else the breeder feels is important for the health and well-being of the puppy and the breed. If your breeder doesn’t seem to care about the puppy’s future and only seems interested in payment, go to another breeder.

2. The breeder seems reluctant to answer questions about the puppy’s pedigree.

A reputable breeder knows all about the pedigrees of the puppies he or she sells. He or she knows who the parents were and can provide you with each puppy’s lineage, going back several generations. You will also want to register your purebred puppy with the American Kennel Club (AKC). The breeder is supposed to supply you with an AKC registration application with his or her portion already filled out. After you fill out and submit your part of the application, you’ll receive an AKC registration certificate. If the breeder you are dealing with cannot provide you with any documentation or registration papers for either the litter or the parents, be extremely wary.

3. The breeder does not seem too concerned with the health of his or her animals.

Any potential buyer of a purebred puppy should be able to see the facility in which the animal was bred. Do the puppies and other dogs there look healthy? If not, then the breeder may not be maintaining an appropriate standard of care. This could definitely affect the current and future health of the puppy in which you’re interested. The breeder should also have a record of the puppy’s health care, from birth to the present, and should be happy to provide you with copies. He or she should also guarantee that the puppy is free from any genetic disorders.

4. The breeder will not allow you to see the breeding facility.

Any reputable breeder will be happy to give you a tour of their facility. If the breeder you’ve chosen is not willing to let you see where your potential puppy comes from, the breeder may be running a puppy mill. Puppy mills are facilities that breed puppies only for profit, not for the benefit or love of the breed. Often, multiple dogs are crammed into one cage, the living conditions are filthy and the dogs there do not receive the proper nutrition or medical care. If the puppy you want comes from such a facility, it will most likely have serious medical and behavioral issues related to its stay there.

5. The breeder engages in questionable business practices.

If the asking price for your purebred puppy is significantly lower than other prices you’ve seen advertised for the same breed, there may be something wrong with the dog. Perhaps it comes from a puppy mill or has some serious medical issues. If the breeder also sells to pet stores, you can be pretty sure that he or she is operating a puppy mill. Reputable breeders usually concentrate on one or two breeds. If the breeder advertises that he or she has many different breeds for sale, then this is another indication that he or she may be breeding animals indiscriminately, without much concern for set breed standards.

5 Tips For Spotting A Disreputable Dog Breeder courtesy Dog Articles.

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