How to tell legitimate puppy ads from scammers and puppy mill ads.

[h2oratt]

I have a really good friend in CT
SHE LIVES IN DARIEN. I think
Usually the shows are free, except for the big ones..
She just got some Sonoma geese.

 

[snow5164]

I thought about your original question today.... How to tell a legitimate dog breeder.... When I saw in our local online classified section someone from one email had posted 8 ads for 8 different breeds using 7 different towns around here !!!!! Red alert puppy mill! I had those ads removed before most people were awake this morning!!!

 

[Finnie]

I thought about your original question today.... How to tell a legitimate dog breeder.... When I saw in our local online classified section someone from one email had posted 8 ads for 8 different breeds using 7 different towns around here !!!!! Red alert puppy mill! I had those ads removed before most people were awake this morning!!!

Good for you! Yeah, with the person I had been dealing with, I got to wondering why they used their own town for all the different ads/breeders/breeds, and so I checked to see if I could identify them with listings from other towns. Not really, no other pictures matched. But I did come across what looked like other people doing the same thing in other towns. So if you find a really small town in (Kentucky- or really any rural area) that seems to have a large number of different dog breeders, I would start to wonder.

 

[1cock2hens]

I live in an area known for dog breeding , I do know of a couple " puppy brokers" that list puppies for friends, family, and other breeders and take a cut. My mom used to breed dogs and she listed dogs for her in-laws, cousins, and a friend or two. We sold dogs online for over 10 years before we stopped breeding..

 

[Finnie]

I live in an area known for dog breeding , I do know of a couple " puppy brokers" that list puppies for friends, family, and other breeders and take a cut. My mom used to breed dogs and she listed dogs for her in-laws, cousins, and a friend or two. We sold dogs online for over 10 years before we stopped breeding..

Hm, so the practice does exist. But I have to wonder how legit it is. (Not trying to case aspersions on you or your family. You may have done it in a better way.) But I guess that if the broker's policy is to only meet people at public meeting spots, and you never meet or talk to the real breeder, you have no idea what you're getting, and it's patently obvious that the real "breeders" of the puppies could care less where the puppy goes either. And on line, it would be virtually impossible to discern whether this person was honestly helping out fellow breeders, or just a mill putting up a good front, and lying through their teeth.

Since I was able to catch my "breeder' in at least two out and out lies that she didn't realize she let through (and I didn't call her on, but she stopped responding anyway), then I had no other choice than to conclude the worst. I had been trying to give her the benefit of a doubt, but posting on here made me step back and look at it more objectively.

 

[dainerra]

Quote:
if the person is legitimately helping out fellow breeders, they simply refer the interested party to the breeder who then checks references and makes the sale. There are some brokers who work with people to help them import dogs from other countries. but that leaves you having to completely vet the broker as well as the breeder in the other country. The main purpose of the broker in this case is to help with paperwork and expedite the import process. In other situations, the "helper" may do all of the vetting of potential buyers, leaving the breeder out of the process. Either way, the number one clue is whether or not the main interest is "how quickly will you hand over the cash". Whether they are selling a pup of their own breeding or one bred by someone else, the seller should have a million questions regarding your experience with the breed and dogs in general. Your training philosophies. Your plans for the dog. etc etc

 

[foxmfan1]

, how do I tell the truly honest breeders from the really good liars?

I am not a dog breeder, but I do love dogs, and a "truly honest breeder"

breeds for the best quality's in a their breed, they conscientiously mate their pairs so that the next generation is better, they take every precaution to not get that "oops" puppy, which many puppy mill backyard breeders in it for the money, call "rare" or "specialty", or "hybrid" . and when a good breeder does end up with that "oops" puppy, they sell them as a non-standard, "pet quality" with breeding restrictions, which means they must be altered so they don't reproduce, but can still be shown in certain dog shows, usually as non-standard pedigreed dog.
a good breeder, will allow you to see the puppy in its its home environment, and will WANT you to play with ALL the puppies in the litter, and will be watching and evaluating how you interact with all the puppies, so that the best puppy can be matched with the best family, they will have some kind of emotional attachment to the puppy,and will be able to tell you certain traits about each puppy, and they will ask you ALOT of questions, even after you have filled out a multi page questionnaire, and one two or even three interviews, lol, the breeder may have you sign a contract, a very good breeder, really never gives you complete ownership, depending on the "quality" of the pup.

a good breeder does all the hard work, before the litter of puppies is even born, they have a home for each and every puppy they sell, even the "oops" puppies



a "really good liar", doesn't do any of that, just hands you a puppy, with "no papers", and takes your cash.



k, now after that , I am going to just say, DON'T SHOP!! ADOPT, and SAVE A LIFE!!! I find it amusing, that many MUTTS, have become desired "BREEDS", labradoodles, chiweenies, yorkipoos, maltipoos, lol any kinda POO all are just MUTTS, anyone can find in your local shelter, Mutts, love just much and a SHELTER dog loves more!!!!!

 

[dekel18042]

But I guess that if the broker's policy is to only meet people at public meeting spots, and you never meet or talk to the real breeder, you have no idea what you're getting, and it's patently obvious that the real "breeders" of the puppies could care less where the puppy goes either. And on line, it would be virtually impossible to discern whether this person was honestly helping out fellow breeders, or just a mill putting up a good front, and lying through their teeth.

Since I was able to catch my "breeder' in at least two out and out lies that she didn't realize she let through (and I didn't call her on, but she stopped responding anyway), then I had no other choice than to conclude the worst. I had been trying to give her the benefit of a doubt, but posting on here made me step back and look at it more objectively.

Exactly. Legitimate breeders want to screen their own buyers. Now their can be others involved, but not paid brokers. You the breeder want to be involved. For years I showed and raised Persians and Himalayan Persians, and never would I have used a broker. But the breeding community is small and often you know and are friends with each other. For example, if I met someone wanting a kitten and they seemed legitimate, perhaps I didn't have any kittens but someone I knew had a litter, I would pass the name and number of the one who had kittens and then call the person and tell her I had talked to so and so and they seemed like a good home and they would be calling her. No money involved, just trying to find good homes for the kittens we all loved.
I also had someone call me and other local people. She was trying to start a broker service where she would get $25.00 per kitten sold. We had to do nothing. She couldn't understand why no one she contacted was interested. We did tell her why.
If someone isn't on the up and up or uses shady practices, that word gets around quickly

 

[Finnie]

k, now after that , I am going to just say, DON'T SHOP!! ADOPT, and SAVE A LIFE!!! .....a SHELTER dog loves more!!!!!

OK, you had me up until here.

There is a fanatical group of people who are extremely dedicated to ridding the world of all purebred breeding and this is their mantra. If they had their way, no one would ever breed a purebred dog, and anyone who wanted a dog would have to choose only from irresponsible people who just accidentally let their unaltered female get pregnant. (I.e., the only dogs left in the world would be unplanned mutts because no one would be allowed to have puppies on purpose.) And if you ask PETA and HSUS, they would like it if no one was even allowed to own a dog at all, or any animal for that matter. Of course, I don't think that is likely to come about, but crazy people will have their dreams...

I was surprised to see you jump ship after your long, nicely worded support of responsible breeders. The don't shop adopt faction is no friend to the sport of purebred dogs or to the hobby of those who want to maintain the distinct breeds.

 

[foxmfan1]

I was surprised to see you jump ship after your long, nicely worded support of responsible breeders. The don't shop adopt faction is no friend to the sport of purebred dogs or to the hobby of those who want to maintain the distinct breeds.

OH I have not jumped any ship, I support responsible breeders,that is where i got my wyatt who by no means is a perfect lab, but he is to me, he was an oops, look at his back legs but as a lab and as retriever he has skills, oh and please do not try to tell me i don't adopt, cause I got a bigger fat ball right here
this is buster and he is a lab mix as the shelter told me so please do not try to blame your poor decisions on me : ), I can not wait for you to post a picture of the pup you got!!!