How to Tell if a Breeder You Found Online is Good

Good breeders don’t generally sell puppies online. Puppy mills and some backyard breeders do. Some good breeders may have websites, but they won’t have pictures of puppies with prices next to them – generally, they won’t discuss price at all. Here are some things to keep in mind while browsing breeders on the Web: Good breeders will not always have puppies available, because they breed on or two litters a year, at most. Good breeders will not breed dogs who have not competed successfully in something – conformation, field trials, herding trials, earth dog trials – whatever is appropriate to the breed. “Champion lines” is a meaningless come-on, bait for the unwary. Puppies from good breeders will have champions in the first two generations – parents and grandparents. A good breeder will want to know everything about you, your dog experience, your living arrangements, how you’ll provide for you new family member’s needs. They will probably want to meet you or have someone they know in your area visit your home and see if it’s a good place for a puppy. Genetic health guarantee: If it’s for one or two years, it’s a fraud; quite a few serious genetic problems just won’t show up that early. If it requires you to return the dog in order to collect on the guarantee, rather than just giving you the option of doing so, it’s a fraud, because they know that almost no one will do that with a dog they’ve had even a few weeks, much less months or years. Good breeders care where their puppies are going, and that they’ll be safe and cared for and loved in their new homes. If you can buy a puppy online and have it shipped to you, with no check on your suitability except whether or not your payment clears, you are not dealing with someone you want to buy a puppy from.