Dog Breeder Red Flags

Breeder Red Flags:

The following are red flags and reasons not to trust an online breeder. Responsible dog breeders want to know and meet you. If a breeder is willing to sell you a puppy without meeting you, this is a huge red flag.
As we said, if you don’t see for yourself, there is no way of knowing where your puppy was born.

• If something does not seem right, it probably isn’t.
• Is the online breeder located in another state?
• Does the online breeder want to meet you at a hotel or rest area or parking lot?
• If you are not allowed to meet the breeding parents or view the home or facility, run in the opposite direction. The breeder most likely has something to hide. Don’t let them tell you they don’t want visitors due to keeping their kennels clean. Responsible dog breeders are more than willing to show you where they raise their dogs. They have nothing to hide.
• Never buy a puppy without meeting the mother dog. It is very important to see where and how the dogs are raised. Photos are not enough and can be used to deceive buyers.
• Is the online breeder selling puppies through a website where other online breeders also list puppies for sale? We call these websites puppy broker websites.
• Is the online breeder willing to sell and ship a puppy to you without meeting you in person?
• Does the online breeder have a constant flow of litters being born? Does the online breeder offer many different breeds of puppies for sale? Is the online breeder more concerned about the money and payment arrangements?
• Is the online breeder selling puppies younger than 8 weeks old?
• Is the online breeder asking for payment via a credit card, cash or an online service such as Paypal or Western Union?
• Is the online breeder offering to ship the dog overnight or via ground transport? If so, ask about the route the puppy will take to get to you. Often they are picked up at the breeder’s facility by a trucking company, trucked to a puppy distribution center in Missouri, such as Pet Ex, where they are warehoused. Shipping to the final destination….their new home, could be hours or even days. Dogs often get sick or have severe anxiety that you will have to deal with for the rest of the dog’s life. Simply put, don’t do this to the puppy.
• Finally, go to RateYourDogBreeder.com and do a Google / Internet search on the breeder to see if there are complaints.
• Google their phone number and email address to see what comes up.
• Do a Google image search of the puppy you are interested in.

Buying puppies from online puppy mill dog breeders is very risky. You don’t want to support animal cruelty by sentencing breeding dogs to a life of pain, suffering and the misery of living in a cage as a puppy mill breeding dog. Secondly, the puppy you purchase may be sick or have genetic and or behavioral issues from poor breeding. It is ultimately you and your family that will pay in every way.