11 Red Flags You Should Watch Out For in a Dog Breeder

 We all know, that we should only buy dogs from reputable breeders. But how to actually recognize reputable and irresponsible dog breeder apart? In this video i will give you 11 red flags that you cant trust a dog breeder.
But before that, lets say what actually is ethical and responsible breeder. For me, it is such breeder, that is using everything in its powers and is using every available tool in order to breed dogs that will have the best chance to be healthy, to have correct temperament and instincts for the breed, to have correct appearance of the breed and he will make sure that these dogs are placed in correct homes, where they will have the best chance to have happy and healthy life.
But how to recognize, that the breeder does not doing these things, that he is not ethical and responsible?

1) One of the most obvious red flag is, when the breeder will not let you to visit the dog beforhand. Not only, that you should see the dog, the breeder should also show you at least one of its parents. If the breeder will not let you see the dog beforhand, that is the most obvious red flag and you should never buy a dog from such owner.

2) This is connected to another red flag. You should always be able to visit the place, home or kennel, where the dogs and puppies live. If the breeder will not let you see where they keep their dogs, it is a clear sign of something nefarious.

3) Another obvious red flag is, when the breeder does not have knowledge of the breed. Feel free to ask the breeder any questions about the breed, about its history, temperament, appearance, health and grooming needs. Most breeders will love to talk to you about their dogs and the breed, because they should know everything about it. If they have struggle to answer your question, consider it as another red flag.

4) Dont only ask about the breed, but ask directly about the kennel. You should also ask about the breeder's history and experience. Good breeder will be more than happy to share their story, history and experiences with dogs.

5) Of course, another red flag is, if they have no evidence to show health checks. Most irresponsible breeders will tell you how healthy their dogs are, but when it comes to showing evidence about health testing, they have nothing to show. Good breeder will be able to show you evidence that both parents have had the the relevant health tests.

6) The breeder should not only be able to provide health checks, but he should be able to provide pedigree documentation if it is needed. Some unethical breeders will claim, that their dogs are pedigree, but you should always see appropriate documentation of the dog’s pedigree before buying the dog.

7) A less typical red flag might be a fact, that the breeder is not curious about you, about the buyer. All good breeders will want to make sure, that their puppies will be in good hands, which is why most good breeders will ask you questions like why do you want this specific breed? What is your experiences with dogs? Do you have other pets? One breeder asked me about my financial situation, which might be viewed as rude by some people, but it is legitimite question. Good breeder will always be curious, where their pups will end up!

8) Another red flag is, when the puppies are younger than eight weeks old, because puppies shouldn’t be taken away from their mothers until “at least eight weeks,” and good breeders will not separate the puppy from its mother before this age.

9) Be very suspicious, if the breeder does not specialize on one breed. Most breeders will be specialist on only one, maybe two, maximally three breeds. But if the breeder will offer you Labrador, Shih Tzu, Yorkie and Rottweiler puppies, it is guaranteed that this is not ethical breeder. Puppy mills will always have a lot of dogs available for sale. This is not true with reputable breeders, who will have between 4-10 dogs maximally to sell at a time.

10) And of course, good breeder will never push you to close the deal. Of course, breeding dogs is still a business, but good breeder will never push on you to buy the dog. A reputable breeder will respect the weight of your decision. Good breeder will love its dogs and he will want to make sure that they will end up in good family, which should be more important than making the money quickly.

​11) And the last red flag is the marketing of the breeder. Most reputable breeders has a long waitlist for its puppies and they do not need to advertise their puppies on craiglist or facebook. Of course, this is not always a truth, but you should be cautious when the breeder has a lot of advertisements on such websites.
In conclusion, all good breeders will show you their puppies in advance, they will show you their parents and the place where they keep the dogs. They will provide you with all the necessary documentation, such as health testing and pedigree, they will not push you into buying the dog, instead, they will question you if you are the right person for the dog. And of course, they will know everything about the breed and they will be happy to talk about their dogs, about their kennel and about the breed.
I hope this video will help you to choose correct breeder and to make you a good decision. BTW, i would always recommend you to adopt a puppy rather than buy a cheap puppy from suspicious breeder. I always adopt and i truly believe, that if you are not looking for a dog for special utilization, than there is no reason why not to adopt!