Good dog breeder selection is something every aspiring dog parent must know about. A good dog breeder is your first step to getting a puppy. It is the most important part of the process of getting a pet dog. Recently one of my relatives got a puppy who fell sick just the very next day and died about a week later. This person was given a sick puppy by the breeder who I am sure was not a good breeder.
The following are the signs that of a genuine dog breeder.
1) The puppies will be kept in a homely environment that either inside the breeder’s home or in the area of the breeder’s home where the family members or employees of the breeder frequently visit. The basic point is that the puppies should have human interaction because if they are isolated from humans they are likely to become shy and/or aggressive or display other negative traits. Some breeders have kennels located away from home and is perfectly okay as long as the puppies have human interaction and are well taken care of.
2) A good breeder will not sell the puppies before they complete two months. Most first time dog owners do not know that the mother dog trains, socializes and disciplines her puppies in the first two months and this period is very important for the puppies. They should not be separated from their mother before they are two months old. A genuine breeder will wait for two months before selling the puppies.
3) Puppies are kept in a clean and hygienic environment with adequate shade. If not, they are likely already infected or will get infected. Puppies are delicate and catch infection easily. The puppies should also be healthy, active and comfortable around humans. The puppies will have been given their vaccinations. If not, the breeder will let you know about this.
4) A good breeder will have no hesitation in showing the mother and father dog to the buyer. It is highly recommended that you inspect the parents of the puppies before making a purchase. Observe the body structure and health of the parents. Unhealthy parents are likely to give birth to unhealthy puppies.
5) Genuine breeders do not milk their dogs for breeding. By this is meant that a good dog breeder will breed his dog only as many times as is recommended. If a dog is bred throughout its life, it is a cruel thing to do and also the puppies born at an advanced age are unlikely to be healthy. Never buy a puppy from a puppy mill as they use their dogs only for making money and so breed (or rather milk the dog!) the dog far beyond the recommended number of times. Puppy mills are greatly responsible for corrupting dog breeds so stay away from them!
6) It is a good sign if a breeder asks you lots of questions such as about your lifestyle, size and location of home, family members, etc. – this is especially true of high maintenance and/or large sized breeds. A good breeder will want to ensure that the breed you want is the right breed for you. Remember a good and reputable dog breeder will not have any dearth of customers so he will be totally okay in not selling you the puppy if he feels the breed is not good for you or if you are unlikely to become a good dog parent. He may even ask for your references to make sure you will be a good dog parent.
7) A genuine breeder will be passionate about the dog breed and will have good deal of knowledge about the breed. You need to test him and see for yourself. He will not hesitate to tell you both the strengths and the drawbacks of the breed.
8) A good breeder usually focuses on selected (say two or three maximum) dog breeds at a time. Some breeders breed only one specific breed. This way they can concentrate on bettering the breed and in specializing in that breed.
9) This may not hold true for all genuine breeders but many of them do participate in dog shows. If a breeder’s dogs have won championships you can be reasonably certain that he is a good breeder.
10) If you are a first time dog owner, some hesitation is normal when you go to a breeder and a good breeder will sense your hesitation and will be totally okay if you want to visit him more than once to make up your mind and select the puppy. He will not show hurry in selling the puppies and will also not be annoyed at your hesitation.
11) Another sign of a good breeder is that he will register the puppies at the country or city specific Kennel Club or any other authorized body. In India it is Kennel Club of India.
To sum it up, every good dog breeder will genuinely want his puppy to go to a home where it will be loved and be well taken care of and grow up to be a happy and healthy dog.
Lastly, genuine dog breeders must be respected as they are needed to preserve the breed and they work hard to do it. Animal Rights Activists and dog adoption activists should NOT demonize genuine and honest dog breeders. The dog world really needs genuine dog breeders.
The above article is by Manish Jaitly.
Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash
I am a dog lover and creator of this site. I am also the author of ‘Keep Sleeping Keep Missing- if only you knew’ (available on Amazon, Flipkart, Kobo, Google Store, etc.).
