Recognize Unethical Breeders by Asking These Questions
Finding the best puppy to bring in your home is a very important decision. If you went through all the aspects of such a choice and you still want to enjoy the companionship and unconditional love of a dog, you should be careful who provides your puppy. You see, not all dog breeders are responsible breeders that have a set of ethical aspects in their mind.
Why is this so important? An ethical dog breeder will be able to offer you a healthy puppy that will grow into a beautiful dog. On the other hand, if you get your puppy from an irresponsible breeder, you may end up with a dog that has severe health problems.
For a dog owner, seeing his beloved companion sick and suffering is the last thing on the list, so it is definitely worth doing some research before choosing the breeder of your future puppy. Thus, here is how you can recognize unethical breeders.
What to do if you find it hard to trust a dog breeder or you don’t want to take any risks
Considering that there are many dog breeders out there, it can be a real hustle to actually find a reliable dog breeder. You need to pay attention to a lot of details and even the smallest aspect that escapes your sight can lead to purchasing a puppy that can have health problems. So, how can you find the puppy of your dreams and be sure of its genetic quality?
Your best option is to look for it on a site that works with certified and ethical breeders. Charlotte Dogs Club is a website determined to help people find their ideal companions without any risks involved. Here, all provided puppies come with a 10-year guarantee certificate that promises an excellent genetic background.
The website is very careful when selecting dog breeders, opting to work only with responsible and ethical breeders, for the safety and peace of mind of their customers. So, it is definitely worth taking a look at their puppies.
Is the breeder able to give you valid information about the breed of dogs he is providing?
Usually, the breeder is the best person to ask about the breed of dog you are about to purchase. He is the kind of person that can speak out of personal experience and can give you great advice when it comes to having a certain breed of dog in your life.
So, is the breeder capable of doing so? Can he tell you about the breed’s temperament, give you care and grooming tips, highlight both the positive and negative side of the breed, and give all the details you need to make an informed choice?
A responsible dog breeder will care where his puppies will go, so he will do his best to prepare future owners to take good care of each and every puppy he breeds. This means that he will be willing to give you all the support you need.
Is it possible for you to see the kennels and the adult dogs?
When you’re in the process of finding a puppy, it is extremely important to be able to see the conditions in which the dogs are bred. Unfortunately, there are many puppy mills out there, which belong to unethical and irresponsible dog breeders, places that offer miserable conditions to the dogs.
In the puppy mills, people offer dogs for sale with the purpose of obtaining profit only, so the well-being of the dogs is disregarded. This is why you should request to see the kennels and the adult dogs of the breeder, checking out their living and breeding conditions.
You need to see whether they live in dirty environments, if they are cramped in their kennels or have the possibility to enjoy the outdoors, if they look skinny, sick, or traumatized at the sight of people.
In case the breeder refuses to give you access to the kennels, it’s an obvious sign that you are dealing with an irresponsible breeder, who is probably trying to hide some problems.
Take a good look at the puppies as well
Once you checked the kennels and parents of the puppies, it is time to meet the young ones as well. What to look for when checking out the puppies of a breeder? Whether you are looking for small dogs for sale or you would actually like a larger breed, it is extremely important for the puppies to be socialized from an early age.
This means that they will not show any signs of fear in the proximity of humans, other dogs, or animals. Of course, there are puppies that may be a bit shy, but they should be able to come around quickly at the sound of a positive and soothing voice.
A responsible breeder is aware of the importance of socialization in a puppy’s early stages of life, so he will begin to take care of this part as soon as it is possible. This way, you will enjoy a positive, happy, and friendly puppy.
Can the breeder provide any kind of documents for the puppies?
When you ask for papers, you can easily recognize unethical breeders, as they will always avoid this part or offer you incomplete or inadequate papers. This is due to the fact that they avoid respecting the available regulations and breed puppies without being checked by anyone.
But, if you want to make sure that the puppies are bred in a responsible manner and that you avoid getting a dog with genetic or health issues, seeing provenience documents for the puppies and a pedigree is extremely important.
After all, you are looking for a companion that will be around for very many years to come. So, if the breeder is avoiding showing you any papers, it would be highly recommended not to purchase a puppy from such a breeder.
How to make the difference between Champion Line and Champion Parents?
If you started doing some research for finding dogs for sale, you probably noticed that some ads mention that they have puppies from “Champion Line” while others say “Champion Parents”. While this may seem one and the same to you, it is worth knowing that there is a significant difference between the two.
Some dog breeders rely on the fact that people don’t know the difference, so they may try to sell you a puppy that doesn’t have such a valuable genetic background. If you want to make sure that your puppy respects the breed’s standards and has high-quality genetic material, you should pay attention to this aspect, especially if you would like to participate with your dog in dog shows.
Thus, “Champion Line” means that somewhere in the genetic line of your puppy, there was a champion dog. This dog can be the puppy’s grandparent, grand-grandparent, and so on. On the other hand, the mention “Champion Parents” actually tells you that the parents of the puppy are champions, receiving the best distinctions for their breed in dog shows.
Dog breeders that offer extra-small or extra-large breed varieties
When looking for small dogs for sale, many people are attracted by the idea of having a dog that is as small as possible, so that it will look like a puppy for the rest of its life.
The same goes for those interested in large breeds. They are probably impressed by the thought of having a dog that is larger than average. But, it is not a good idea at all to contact breeders that claim to offer puppies in these extremes.
The size of a dog is determined by the dog’s genetic code, so if a specimen is born too small or too large, it is more than obvious that there is a genetic issue in this case. In other words, extra-small or extra-large varieties of a breed are usually dogs with serious health problems.
The worst part is that unethical dog breeders will continue breeding dogs with this kind of genetic problems, out of the desire to produce more puppies that have a particular size. Don’t encourage such practices by purchasing this type of dogs. It is much better to check the size standards of a breed and decide whether that breed is what you need and like.
A so-called “rare” dog is not necessarily a show dog
This is another trap unethical dog breeders are using to get the attention of people. They use the mention “rare” in their ad, making people think that they are going to get a unique specimen.
When a breeder says that his puppies are rare, he may make reference to a color, size, or other particularities that are not usually met in the case of a breed. Well, while having a dog with a particular look may be interesting, it is worth knowing that these “special particularities” can be considered defects in dog shows.
So, if you plan to participate with your dog in shows, it is worth knowing that a dog will be checked to see if it fits within the breed’s standards and represents them in the best way possible, and not for its unique particularities.