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Internet Puppies for Blog the Change

I’m sorry I’m late to the Blog the Change hop! I needed to complete my project before I could finish the post … and this was a bit of a delicate situation.

A few days ago a life-long friend emailed me about an Akita puppy she’d found on the Internet, and she was in love. She’s had two Akitas in the past and now, with her youngest daughter starting school, she has the time to commit to a new member of the family.

In my head, the warning bells went off immediately. Puppies purchased on the Internet are often from puppy mills, where the breeding pair is kept in deplorable conditions and the puppies are sick – both physically and emotionally. I didn’t want to break my friend’s heart, but I didn’t want her to make a huge mistake with this new member of the family.

Finding a Reputable Breeder

Puppy millers have gotten very good at disguising themselves. They use the Internet to present the image of a loving breeder with a litter of well-cared-for pups to place in good homes. To uncover them you need to be meticulous, do your research, and listen to your gut.

That can be extremely difficult when you’ve already grown attached to the furry little mug in the photo and the person on the other end of the line wants your deposit before someone else speaks for him. But the decision you make will affect your life – and your pocket book – for more than a decade, so it’s important to keep your wits about you.

When you’re looking for a good breeder, you want someone who’s first priority is the welfare of their dogs. Here are a few characteristics of reputable breeders to help you quickly weed out anyone sketchy:

• They take the dog back at any stage of life if it needs to be re-homed for any reason. A truly reputable breeder would never want one of their dogs to end up in a shelter, and their written contract will include this provision.
• Before breeding, they’ll have both parents tested for any genetic defects that could be passed on to the puppies, like hip dysplasia and eye disease.
• They’ll guarantee the health of the puppy, provide a record of shots and deworming, and encourage you to call them with any questions you have about the puppy’s care.
• They’ll want to get to know you before sending one of their “kids” home with you, to be sure you’ll be able to provide a good home for the puppy.
• They’ll be happy to have you visit them and meet the puppy and it’s mother before making a deposit.

Once you’ve narrowed it down, you can refine your search with other web resources and checklists.

Putting Noses To The Grindstone

At first glance, the website that had stolen my friend’s heart seemed to be on the up-and-up. They guaranteed the puppies’ health for 26 months, posted pictures of their dogs with their kids, and required that you send an email answering some questions about your home, children and other pets.

But when we looked a little deeper …

• Red Flag #1: The father of the litter is too young to be cleared of genetic defects that he may have passed to the puppies. He is pending tests on his hips, elbows, thyroid, and eyes. The mother of the litter was also pending testing on her hips and none of the other tests were mentioned in the information provided about her.
• Red Flag #2: The breeder is announcing to whom the puppies have been sold and where they are going to live. One puppy is being sent to gentleman in Canada. Perhaps the breeder has done her due diligence and knows this person is a good fit for the puppy … and perhaps not.
• Red Flag #3: In a phone conversation, my friend was told she could pick the puppy up once it was 6 weeks old. Most responsible breeders will not let a puppy leave it’s mother until it’s at least 8 weeks, and sometimes 10 or 12, weeks old.
• Red Flag #4: Though their website discusses their success showing their dogs, we searched the AKC website and found that the mother of the puppies isn’t registered with the AKC.
• Red Flag #5: Many responsible breeders enter their dogs in competitions. Most don’t breed their dogs until they’ve achieved “Champion” status because the puppies are worth more if their parents have been shown to meet the breed standard for structure, temperament and health. Neither of this litter’s parents have achieved “Champion” status.

A Tough Decision

It was a tough decision, but the evidence we gathered lead my friend to continue her search for a puppy. It’s possible that this breeder was a very nice person and may be selling healthy puppies, but this decision is too big to take a chance. I know she was disappointed, but I’m sure there’s a happy, healthy puppy in her near future.

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