Often times Quality Breeders are seen as puppy mills because most people do not know the difference between the two. We are going to attempt to set the record straight for those of you who have reached our site. Listed below are some of the major differences between Quality Breeders and Puppy mills. It also bears mentioning that some breeders are referred to as Backyard Breeders (BYB). We will attempt to explain this type of breeder as well.

1. Vet Care: A Quality Breeder will retain the services of a licensed Veterinarian to maintain the health of their adult dogs as well as any puppies they produce. The vet will examine the puppies when they are born, perform any cosmetic alterations, and administer vaccinations when required to protect the puppy from disease. The vet should know the individual is a breeder and provide advice on the quality and health of any “breeding stock” adult dogs as well as confirmation of up to date vaccinations. A Puppy mill, on the other hand, breeds for money only and has no concern for the puppy or the adults they breed. It is highly likely that these animals have never been seen by a licensed vet and have not had any vaccinations.

2. Housing Conditions: A Reputable Breeder considers the adults and puppies to be an extension of their family and therefore provide the pet with a safe, clean, loving living environment. The breeder may have the animals loose in their home, they may have the animals crate trained for unsupervised times, or they may have a well kept kennel facility. A puppy mill on the other hand does not care about the welfare of the animals. They live in overcrowded, filthy conditions with little or no exercise. Often five or more animals will be kept in a crate built for one.

3. Breeding Practices: A Quality Breeder is concerned first and foremost for the health of the breeding adult. A quality breeder will breed for quality puppies by examining pedigrees and researching hereditary health conditions. In addition, they will find a suitable mate for the dam to ensure ease of delivery based on expected size of the impending puppies. They also do not breed a female but once a year (every other heat). This gives the female time to recuperate from the whelping and rearing of a moderate to large litter. If the litter is 2 or fewer a breeder may decide to whelp two litters back to back and lay off on the third heat. A quality breeder will also wait until the female had matured (second or third heat) until they breed her for the first time. A puppy mill will breed a female every heat giving her no time to recuperate from the prior litter before she produces another. Again, this is not in the best interest of the dog; however, as mentioned earlier, they are not concerned about the dogs’ welfare, only their monetary gain.

4. Interaction / Socialization: A Breeder of good quality will bond with their adults. They spend time with the animals loving them as they do any other member of their family. In addition, the breeder will spend large amounts of time handling the babies from day one. They will love on them, play with them and groom them to ensure the socialization of the dog. A puppy mill will not spend time with any of the dogs including the puppy. They treat the puppies as though they are cattle that need little to no attention or love.

5. Retired Females: A Responsible Breeder will only produce puppies from a female that is under 8 years of age. After this, time has taken a toll on the female and she should be retired. Once retired, a breeder will either place the spayed adult female in a loving retirement home or keep her on as a “pet” member of their family. A puppy mill will continue to breed a female until she dies of disease or old age. Once a female gets too old to conceive they will often shoot them instead of taking the time to find her a new home.

6. Number of Dogs: Most breeders have less than 50 dogs, not all of which are of breeding age. A breeder may have a few retired dogs, a few puppies that are future breeders and their breeding crew. Again, a quality breeder wants to care for the dog as any other pet owner would care for their animals. These dogs are treated and loved in the same manner as any other family members. A puppy mill will have somewhere between 200-700 dogs producing large quanties of “purebred” puppies. All of which are breeding dogs because they will breed a puppy on her first heat (7 months of age) until she can no longer conceive.

7. Grooming: A breeder of good quality will keep the dogs in good condition grooming them every 6-8 weeks or as necessary to keep them clean and healthy. This is not only good for the dog, but a good breeder is proud of the adult dogs they have and will offer to show them to everyone, especially a prospective puppy buyer. An owner of a puppy mill does not care if the dog is clean as long as the dog continues to produce. They will never groom the dog or bathe them. In many cases they live in their own soiled filth most of the time. A puppy mill owner knows that they will never allow visitors of any kind to view their animals so they assume that grooming is not necessary.

8. Selling Practices: A Reputable breeder will only sell to individuals hoping to add a new member to their family. Good breeders DO NOT sell to pet shops or puppy mills. Most pet shops get their dogs from puppy mills because that is the only people who will sell to them. This is because most pet shops do not take proper care of the puppies either. Usually the puppies have not had the proper veterinary care or the necessary vaccinations according to the age of the puppy. In addition, since their primary goal is to sell the puppy for over inflated prices, if the puppy does not sell while it is still little and cute, they return the puppy to the mill or send it to a shelter, neither of which is good for the puppy. A puppy mill will sell the baby to the highest bidder, no matter who that may be, as long as they can turn a profit. They could care less what happens to the puppy when it leaves their possession.

9. Alterations: A proven breeder will try to preserve their lines and only sell a puppy for breeding purposes if the animal is of breeding quality. It is every breeder’s responsibility to try to improve the breed when possible and to ensure the safety of the animal even after the sale. In most cases a breeder will require the puppy be spayed or neutered at 6 months of age. This is not only to protect the health of the dog, but to prevent the overcrowding of shelters and the euthanizing of defenseless animals. A puppy mill makes no promises of health, breeding quality or assistance as the puppy ages. They do not concern themselves with the puppy after the sale and do not care about the fate of that dog or any of its offspring.

10. Pedigree: Most quality breeders study the pedigree of the dogs they own before breeding them. This is for many reasons, one of which is inbreeding. A quality breeder knows the various breeding practices and tries to prevent inbreeding in its lines. In most cases they will also know the breeder or the dogs in the pedigree history to have some idea of the genetics and breeding practices of the dog’s ancestors. A puppy mill just breeds two dogs without knowing or caring about the history of either dog or their relation to each other.

11. AKC Inspections: Reputable breeders have purebred, registered dogs. They may have dogs that can be registered by many different organizations, but all have been proven to be purebred representations of the breed. If the breeder has produced several litters, the American Kennel Club will do periodic inspections of the dogs and the facilities that are registered by their organization to ensure compliance with breeding regulations. A puppy mill does not get inspected by AKC because they often do not register their litters with them. In addition, puppy mills are rarely visited by any governing authorities. This is why they do what they do.

 

12. Losses:  Every Breeder, no matter what type of animal they breed, knows that losses are inevitable.  Not every puppy produced from every litter is going to survive.  Some will get sick, some will get accidentally smothered by the mother, etc.  A Quality breeder takes every loss to heart.  This is part of life when you deal with living animals, but it does not make the loss any easier.  We have been very fortunate not to have many losses, but it is devistating when it happens.  A Puppy Mill does not concern themselves with losses.  These animals are disposable and thrown out with the trash.  They are a commodity, not living creatures, to a puppy mill.  This is the saddest fact of all, because due to neglect and abuse, puppy mills lose a lot of their adults and their puppies for many different reasons.

A Backyard Breeder is often referred to as a “Hobby Breeder”; however, I do not consider these two terms the same. A Hobby Breeder simply does not breed dogs for a living. This individual may be a reputable breeder or a backyard breeder depending on their knowledge and their practices. A Backyard Breeder often breeds indiscriminately without regards to pedigree or health conditions. Backyard Breeders (BYB) often produce dogs of several different breeds and may even produce “mixed” breed puppies as designer dogs. In many cases they will not offer any type of guarantee of health, replacement, or offer placement assistance should the new owner be unable to keep the dog for any reason.

We do not recommend purchasing an animal from a Puppy Mill, Backyard Breeder or a Pet store for all the reasons listed above and more. Even if you choose not to adopt one of our babies, please do some research on the “Breeder” you do opt to adopt from. Do not be afraid or ashamed to ask questions or to request to view the parents or kennels. This could mean all the difference in the quality of pet you receive. Keep in mind that ALL puppies are cute, that is their nature. Your purpose is to find a quality, healthy, well adjusted adult companion for many years to come.