Dog Breeder Red Flags

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Dog Breeder Red Flags

Puppy Buyer Tips: How to Spot and Avoid Online Puppy Mills

When buying a puppy it’s plain and simple, prioritize transparency! Remember this golden rule: Never buy a puppy online, sight unseen. Here’s how you can protect yourself and the puppies:

Do Your Homework: Always meet the mother dog and visit the location where your puppy was born. Seeing the living conditions firsthand, as well as seeing the mental and physical conditions of the mother dog are important before you buy.
Inspect The Property: If the breeder refuses to let you visit their property or keeps their dogs caged in out buildings, consider it a major red flag. Trust your instincts, if you feel something does not seem right with the breeder, the dogs or the facility walk away.
Protect Your Family: Puppies from poor conditions often face lifelong health or behavioral problems. It’s in your best interest to see for yourself where your puppy was born. You safeguard your family from unnecessary heartache.

Dog Breeder Red Flags: Warning Signs to Avoid

The following are key red flags to identify unethical dog breeders, particularly those selling puppies online and through online puppy broker websites. Responsible dog breeders prioritize the welfare of their dogs and are transparent with buyers.

Lack of Personal Interaction:

Breeder is willing to sell you a puppy without meeting you in person. Red Flag.
Breeder insists on meeting in a neutral locations like hotel, rest areas, or parking lots rather than their facilities.

2. Restricted Access to the Breeding Facility:

Breeder refuses to let you meet the breeding parents or view the property.
Claims about maintaining “clean kennels” as a reason to deny visits are often excuses to hide poor conditions.

3. High-Volume Breeding:

Breeder consistently has multiple litters available.
Breeder offers several different breeds for sale at the same time.
Breeder appears more focused on payment arrangements than ensuring the puppies go to good homes.

4. Shipping Puppies Sigh Unseen:

Is the breeder willing to ship a puppy without meeting you in person.
Is the online breeder offering to ship the dog? Puppies are usually transported via routes involving distribution centers, warehousing and long trucking journeys. Puppies often get sick and develop severe anxiety issues due to the stress in transport.
Breeders or websites willing to fly the puppy to you usually charge excessive fees. It is a huge money maker. Pick your puppy up in person.

5. Selling Puppies Under 8 Weeks Old:

Puppies offered for sale and shipped before they are 8 weeks of age is unethical, illegal and harmful to the development of the puppy.

6. Puppies For Sale On Puppy Broker Websites:

Websites listing hundreds or even thousands of puppies for sale act as middlemen for puppy mills. The websites charge fees for the listings.

7. Multiple Breeds Available:

Does the breeder offer multiple breeds or has a continuous supply of puppies. This is a red flag.

8. Payment Methods and Focus:

Is the online breeder asking for payment via a credit card, cash or an online service such as Paypal, Western Union or their own exclusive payment system?
Does the website want payment before you can know who the breeder is?

8. Lack of Online Transparency:

Phone numbers, emails or images show up in multiple online listings with the puppy having different names and prices.
Websites will not disclose who the breeder is until payment is made and the puppy is delivered.

9. Puppy Scams:

All puppies being sold are the same age and price.
Communication by text or email, no phone calls.
Delays and poor communication.
Extra fees for crates.
Request for full payment

Beware of fake Venmo and easy pay accounts, If your bank denies the transaction that is a red flag.

Listen to your instincts!

The Risks of Buying Puppies Online

Purchasing a puppy online without due diligence can have devastating consequences:

Animal Cruelty: Supporting commercial dog breeders, high volume dog breeders and unethical dog breeders or puppy mills perpetuates the suffering of breeding dogs confined to
cages for their entire lives.
Health And Behavior Issues: Puppies from puppy mills often suffer from genetic, behavioral, or health problems due to the poor and over breeding breeding practices and conditions at these facilities.
Emotional And Financial Burden: The cost of veterinary care and the emotional toll on you and your family can be overwhelming.
Don’t Be Fooled By Reviews: It is common practice for websites to ask new customers to write positive reviews. They often offer incentives as well.
Puppy Complaints: We often receive complaints from families of sick dogs or even dogs that have died on transport or days after being delivered. The websites offer the families money with the agreement that they can not talk about the puppy or post it’s story on social media.

Take A Stand: Don’t Support Puppy Mills

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.

By refusing to buy from unethical puppy breeders and educating others, you can help end the cycle of cruelty caused by online puppy mills.

Consider adopting a dog. Shelters and rescues are overflowing with amazing dogs of all ages, breeds and mixes.

Finally, go to RateYourDogBreeder.com and do a Google / Internet search using the breeder’s name, email address, phone number and even puppy breed to see if there are complaints.

Report a puppy mill. If you suspect a breeder is operating a puppy mill, let us know.