What is a Reputable Dog Breeder and How to Identify One

So you want to get a dog?

If you are thinking about purchasing a puppy for your home, then you’re probably finding no shortage of breeders in your area looking to sell. Most everyone knows to avoid puppy mills but back-yard breeders have a much easier time slipping past people’s defenses. This article will explain what a reputable breeder is and how to identify one.

Wait Lists

Lockdown saw a massive surge in the number of people seeking to buy a pandemic puppy. This made it possible for unethical breeders to make major profits by breeding and selling puppies in a high-demand market. But what happens when these temporary surges crash? Breeders do not want to find themselves stuck with puppies they cannot sell.

Reputable breeders seek to avoid this problem by having waiting lists. If they do not have enough customers waiting for a puppy then they simply do not breed a new litter.

In comparison, unethical breeders will breed first and try to place a puppy later. The first sign that you’re dealing with a reputable breeder is the existence of a waiting list. If you desire to purchase a puppy through ethical means, expect that there will be a waiting period.

Rehoming Contracts

Ethical breeders do not want to contribute to the number of animals in shelters. And they certainly do not want their dogs euthanized. Sometimes an adoption may not work out for a variety of reasons and when this happens ethical breeders will require that you return the dog to them instead of rehoming it yourself.

If a breeder does not require that you return the dog to them if the adoption doesn’t work out, run. This is a basic and fundamental part of responsible dog breeding.

Health Tests

Reputable breeders will be able to show health tests for both parents. This is something often avoided by irresponsible breeders because health tests are expensive. But it is imperative to know the health and condition of the breeding pair before it can ever be considered responsible to breed them together.

The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals has a great website that will tell you the recommended health tests for the breed of dog you are looking for. A reputable breeder should be able to show these health tests for their breeding pair. The great news is that if their dog has been health tested, you can likely look up their name on the OFA website and view their health results.

The Purpose for Breeding

With the requirements for proper condition and care plus the cost of the required health tests, reputable breeders can at best expect to break even with costs. Reputable breeders do not breed for profit. They have a reason for breeding beyond making money.

Oftentimes this falls into a few categories: They are breeding to improve the health of the breed, they are breeding working dogs or they are breeding show dogs.

This article covered a few “green flags” to look for when deciding whether the breeder you are seeking is reputable. Stay tuned for an additional article that will showcase breeder red flags, and what to avoid. And remember, adopt or shop responsibly!