Has Anyone Ever Bought A Puppy From An Online Breeder?

[MickeyMouseGal]

Here is some information on puppy mills, including information on internet purchases.
http://www.hsus.org/pets/issues_affecting_our_pets/get_the_facts_on_puppy_mills/index.html

 

[ilovepcot]

There's only one thing that I'd like to add to all this. DH and I flew with a puppy once and it was placed under my seat for the flight in an approved carrier. Fumes that we weren't even aware of nearly killed our puppy. Soon as the plane landed (45 minute flight) our puppy couldn't be roused. We drove immediately to our vet and the little fella pulled through but it was a close call and very scary for us. Even with the approved carrier and being placed inside the cabin with human passengers, it still wasn't safe for our puppy. Can you imagine the conditions a pet has to endure in cargo?

Neighbors of ours who worked for one of the airlines at the time told us just how bad it is for pets being shipped and *emphatically* stated they'd never do that to an animal they love. Why should anyone else? If you want a pet that much that's not in your area, why not take vacation time and either drive to or fly to the pet and take it home with you *safely*?

 

[Aimeedyan]

ROFL at the PETA accusation. You obviously don't know much about PETA if you even think I'm (and others) are in support of it. Please do a little research on the facts before flaming others

Maybe others have learned something about the cruel realities of the puppy mill business from this thread, even if those that asked in the first place refuse to consider how their actions will affect the lives of living beings.

 

[cristbaby]

I found my Bichon from Petfinders.com and fortunately it was located only a few miles from my house. The breeder seemed great and I got to see the parents of Maxwell on the premises. It was a very good experience. Maxwell turned out to be a really great dog with no health issues.

 

[lclark0621]

Found both my German Shepherd's breeder & our Great Dane's breeder online.

Both of the breeders were only a few hours from where we live.

Both are very reputable breeders & highly involved with their local breed groups, show rings, etc. Both ship dogs, but I think they need to be 12 weeks before they would have shipped. They prefer not shipping, but they will ship pups, and yes, there are a lot of good breeders who do. There are a lot of bad "breeders" who ship also.

Both breeders wanted to ask me questions & I wanted to ask them questions. Both breeders had a contract that I would spay/neuter the animals unless I bought the breeding rights. I was only buying a pet & always spay/neuter my pets anyway.

Both breeders offered very good health guarantees. Both had the mothers on property & the Dane's breeder had the father on property (the GSD's father was from another breeder, but our breeder still had all the dogs info & gave us the owner's contact information) with their papers, family tree, certifications, health certifications & championships for view.

The both offered to have us come to their facility before we bought a pup, though it was not necessary.

Both were available for any questions at anytime.

I would not want a pup shipped, but then again, personally I would never put a dog on a plane. It is WAY to much stress & very uncomfortable for the animals. I could never put my dogs in the cargo hold of a plane (I dont own dogs that are small enough to go in the passanger section).

I would never buy from a pet store, "backyard breeder", puppy mill, "designer dog breeder" (which really, aren't designer dogs muts?), etc. I either buy dogs from reputable breeders or rescue an animal.

 

[poohandwendy]

LOL at the PETA ASSumption.

Lots of really great advice here, take it or leave it.

 

[chrisney]

Gee, I suppose that most of us thought that since you posted wanting information that was what you wanted. It's a topic I care enough about to make me come out of lurk mode, so I shared my thoughts. Sorry it wasn't what you wanted to hear. By the way, I'm not affiliated with PETA...don't approve of extremists on either end of the scale.

Please do take the time to educate yourself about puppy mills. It will explain why you got such impassioned responses. The descriptions that have been posted are accurate, but words aren't as effective as the photos you will find. If you can disregard what you see, then do so. If you decide to take the easy route with a backyard breeder, do so. I hope that you don't have the same sad experience that a relative did this summer when they purchased a lab puppy. They found that the dog had massively malformed hips, but it didn't show until they'd had the puppy for almost 2 months and had grown to love it. I can't imagine how they did it, but they returned the dog, knowing that the "breeder" would destroy it. Most people can't do that, and with hip surgeries running as much as 3000 per hip, have a hard choice to make. A sick dog can be a major financial drain...

 

[RayaniFoxmur]

LOL at the PETA ASSumption.

Lots of really great advice here, take it or leave it.

I have to admit I never understood the desire to pop hundreds or sometimes thousands of dollars on a dog that's bred from a breeder when you can just as easily go to your shelter and adopt a dog. No puppies in your local? www.petfinder.com or your local newspaper.

But I've found my opinion on this generally is pretty flameworthy and I'm yelled at when I express it.

 

[Lizzybear]

Me and my boyfriend are planning on buying a puppy early next year (moving in together around Christmas) We want a miniature schnauzer and though i've looked online to see if I can find any breeders to check out i'd never agree to a sale without seeing the puppy, it's environment and the breeder for myself.
I've never heard of selling puppies in a pet shop or shipping them by air in this country (though I have heard of it in the US) and i'd never purchase a puppy in this way/from one of these places myself as I think they undergo a lot of stress in these environments.
My boyfriend's mum breeds rottweilers and she checks every single person who wants to buy one including a visit to their home to ensure they're serious. I know with rotties it is a little different to something like a yorkie as they're huge powerful dogs and it's important that people know all that is entailed with caring for them but i'd personally be wary of any breeder who didn't care to meet a potential owner.

 

[tuckerkeys]

we just got our 2nd golden retriever this summer! i researched breeders for 2 months before finally settling on 2 i liked ( locally). both had me fill out detailed applications asking me specific things like if you have grass, do you chemically treat it? do you have a fence, etc etc...... it seemed as if most breeders care where the dog goes. the man we decided to get our dog from came highly reccommended from a lot of other breeders i spoke with. i was specifically looking for a golden retriever who DID NOT have "gold rush" in the line ( a very famous kennel) and those people who i did speak with who did have gold rush in their lines were upfront and honest with me from the start..... i had just lost my 1st golden to cancer at age 8 and she was from gold rush lines. i did not want to go down that road again..... i was able to meet the mom & dad, as well as grandpa. it was a backyard breeder and he had his garage set up for whelping and breeding. although it wasn't the cleanest house, every dog looked excellent and well cared for and healthy. i just think this guy was not the best housecleaner though, but this didn't stop us from our choice.....so far Molson is excellent and healthy and doing well... would i have a dog shipped to me? probably not. i would like to go & meet the breeder and the parents, as well as the setup, so as not to contribute to a puppy mill.


in addition to this i have read that Lancaster County PA is the biggest puppy mill county in the country.........and most people do not live where the dogs are, the mill is often down the road from where they live and what these people do is take a few dogs from the mill to their house so you don't see the actual conditions. you see their house & they claim to be a backyard breeder. you can find this info out by googling the peoples names & if 2 addresses come up, in the same town or near the place of residence, you can bet they are operating as a mill...i did this & found someone from NY state to be doing this exact thing!

 

[komondorok]

Ok, not to be rude or un "DIS" like, but all I originally asked for was people who have had experience with internet breeders and my thread was hijacked by PETA who claims all internet breeders are involved in puppy mills . . .heck, someone even went so far as to ASSUME I was talking about some website as "PUPKISS" when I never mentioned a site at all . . .well, you know what happens when people ASSUME things, right? I am all for adopting dogs, cats, birds, etc . . .I'm purchasing a puppy, designer or full breed, my choice . . .I have been researching and maybe it would be better if I hopped on a plane to Iowa and visited just to make sure the dogs weren't all cramped up, feces all over the place, etc . . .but guess what?? My 10 year old pit mix who I located on a website called New Leash On Life had a HORRIBLE life ... she was being used as a puppy factory for some sick slimy people who wanted nothing more than to use those puppies for fighting material . . .she was tied to a bumper of a car for her short 1 - 1 1/2 years and had a terrible skin condition on her back from the oil drippings that dripped on her each and every day under that car . . .so don't try to tell me anything about puppy mills at all . . .

Ok, so you can all carry on now amongst yourselves and if anyone has anything to add about their own experience of purchasing from a breeder on the internet as I asked in my OP, that would be wonderful . . .PETA people can just walk away from this . . .

Hi Wish Upon A Star,

First of all, let me assure you that there is no way in the world that I would ever have an affiliation with PETA. I abhor their practices and their so-called "values."

Also, nobody assumed you were the one who was looking at Puppykiss.com. Another poster mentioned that she bought her mixed breed (yorkiepoo) dog from this puppy broker. We appreciated that she posted the link because the broker in that link provided an excellent example of everything you should NOT look at for buying a puppy.

You mention above that we said that all internet breeders are puppymills. Not all are, but is it a HUGE warning sign when a breeder is actually selling their puppies via a website. I do know many very reputable breeders that do have websites, and they will post when they have puppies available. But it is considered unethical to post prices or to actually sell them off the website. Ethical breeders expect their buyers to grill them about their breeding programs and ethical breeders expect the same consideration in that they will grill you right back, as they want the best home for their babies. Breeders who sell their puppies as commodities via the internet are sad to say, usually the unethical kind.

Unfortunately, from a quick glance, it looks like your link goes down pretty much the same path. The "hybrid vigor" is the warning sign, telling you that this "breeder" may not be anything more than a glorified puppy mill. Take it from somebody who lives in the "dog world," there are no studies supporting the theory of hybrid vigor. This is just a scam to make innocent people part with more of their hard earned $$$ for a mutt. In fact, if two dogs have health issues, they will pass these on to their offspring no matter what the breed.

However, you can't judge a breeder by a quick glance at the website. After seeing her website, I personally wouldn't have anything to do with her. But as with any breeder, if you want to verify if this RollingMeadows breeder is an ethical and reputable breeder and is breeding for the betterment of the dog, ask some hard questions about her breeding program. An ethical breeder will always be open and willing to answer any and all questions about her breeding program, her goals and how she is accomplishing them.

As somebody mentioned before, you wouldn't buy an appliance or a car without doing your research - why would you buy a puppy off the internet without doing some very thorough research.

An easy way to test if any breeder is ethical is to ask the breeder whether they health screen their breeding dogs.

You will need to do some research yourself see what health issues are particular to the breeds you are interested in so that you can ask very specific questions that are particular to the breed of dog you are interested in. Because you are interested in a mixed breed dog, you will need to do research on both breeds and see what could possibly be passed on to your puppy if the parents are not carefully screened for the problems before they are bred.

See what health testing each breed recommends and then ask the Rollingmeadows person if she does these health screenings. And she should be able to tell you the health clearances of each dog in the pedigree for a minimum of three generations back. IF she tells you that you don't need these health screenings because of the Hybrid Vigor - then she failed the test. And you should run away. Run as fast as you can and find another breeder. The number one indicator of a bad breeder is that they will not try to better the dog by doing the appropriate health screenings.

For instance - In Yorkies, there is some incidence of hereditary/congenital disease in the form of patella luxation, open fontanellas, Perthe's disease and a smaller incidence of elongated soft palate and a tendency to collapsed trachea. According to the Yorkshire Terrier Club of America, all Yorkies should be at minimum have health clearances for PRA (eye disease) before breeding. It would only be prudent to ask your breeder how she is working to prevent these diseases in her puppies.

Also, another great question to ask to see if she really is a reputable breeder is to ask her the colors of the Yorkies she is breeding. This is a trick question for her. The Yorkshire Terrier club of America and the AKC have established certain recognized colors of the Yorkie. Other "off" colors are not recognized because they have been found to be genetically linked to certain types of inheritable diseases, some fatal. If your breeder is breeding Yorkies that are any color other than the recognized colors, then again, you have a very unethical "breeder." You certainly wouldn't want a puppy bred from 'off color' parents that years of breeder studies have shown could lead to a minimum of very expensive allergy care to the other end of the spectrum - life threatening diseases.

From the Yorkie Club of America website:
The most distinctive characteristic of an adult Yorkshire Terrier is its long blue and tan silk coat. A puppy is born black and tan, but the only recognized colors for adults when registering with AKC are blue and gold, blue and tan, black and gold, or black and tan

The AKC Breed Standard and YTCA Code of Ethics do not recognize any other color dogs than noted above. This includes all gold, born blue, liver (also known as red or chocolate), and parti-colors. One of the reasons for avoiding breeding "off-colored" Yorkies is because it could be a genetic defect that may affect the dog's health. Some health problems can include, but aren't limited to, severe skin problems, allergies, total hair loss and in some cases long-term illness and/or death.

Google the Maltese breed and find out some of the issues with that breed. A reputable breeder will always be upfront about the diseases of the breed and what they are doing to minimize it in their breeding program. Hybrid Vigor is NOT an acceptable answer.

There has been a lot of great information posted here on how to find a good breeder. Hiwaygal posted some wonderful links on what questions to ask Breeders.

So, do your research. Make sure you are getting the healthiest, best bred dog you possibly can. And make sure your research is very extensive. You shouldn't even want to take the chance of falling in love with a puppy that could break your budget and heart with allergy medications or even worse - numerous surgeries to correct genetic defects.

Finding a well bred, healthy dog from a breeder that not only will stand behind it, but will be available for help in raising, training or whatever you need for the life of the dog is the most wonderful thing in the world.

You deserve the best dog your money can buy - why not do put a little time and effort into doing the research to make sure that you are getting that dog?

 

[welovedisneyx4]

To the OP...here is some support for you. We adopted a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from a breeder (probably a "backyard" breeder) we found on puppy.com this summer and GASP!!! Horrors of horrors, we had it ship on an airplane!!!! (She came from Arkansas) We checked the breeder out as best as possible. We were able to get the kind of dog we wanted at a price we could afford. There were no local breeders that had what we wanted and we never could have afforded the price most people were charging. The result?...we have a wonderful, sweet puppy who has brought us much joy these past few months. She has no problems from being shipped. I am sure it wasn't the best experience for her, but she is perfectly fine. (Now if she would learn that the living room isn't her personal potty, we would be doing great! )

Anyway, good luck w/ your puppy. We looked at a couple of mixed breeds as well as some mutts. You need to do what you are happy w/ and get what is best for you.

 

[katerkat]

There's only one thing that I'd like to add to all this. DH and I flew with a puppy once and it was placed under my seat for the flight in an approved carrier. Fumes that we weren't even aware of nearly killed our puppy. Soon as the plane landed (45 minute flight) our puppy couldn't be roused. We drove immediately to our vet and the little fella pulled through but it was a close call and very scary for us. Even with the approved carrier and being placed inside the cabin with human passengers, it still wasn't safe for our puppy. Can you imagine the conditions a pet has to endure in cargo?

Neighbors of ours who worked for one of the airlines at the time told us just how bad it is for pets being shipped and *emphatically* stated they'd never do that to an animal they love. Why should anyone else? If you want a pet that much that's not in your area, why not take vacation time and either drive to or fly to the pet and take it home with you *safely*?

It depends on the airline. I had an excellent experience shipping my cats in cargo. (One is over the weight limit and the other yells too much for in-cabin travel.) We flew with an airline that has a separate cargo area for animals, only allows a certain number per flight, the pet area is pressurized properly and temperature-controlled, and they have tags attached to the cages that are brought to me so I know they were loaded onto my flights. One cat was "over" the whole experience by the time we got to my parents and the other was "over" it within 24 hours. (And he was probably mostly mad because there was a golden retreiver in the cargo area with them and he couldn't defend his turf against the big bad dog.)

I had a great experience flying with my cats and I will do it again - probably several more times over their life! But I will stick with the same airline and not one that puts animals in regular baggage.

 

[goofy!]

Another indicator to see if you are getting a puppy from a puppymill is if they list that they are licensed as commercial breeders.

www.Rollingmeadowspuppies.com, most of the puppymills on www.puppy.com, etc all list that they are commercially licensed.

You don't need a commercial license if you are not producing mass quantities of puppies.

It is not rocket science, folks.

Yes, some reputable breeders are commercially licensed, but it is a HUGE red flag that should be thoroughly investigated if you see a commercial license advertised.

 

[welovedisneyx4]

Another indicator to see if you are getting a puppy from a puppymill is if they list that they are licensed as commercial breeders.

Rollingmeadowspuppies, most of the puppymills on puppy.com, etc all list that they are commercially licensed.

You don't need a commercial license if you are not producing livestock quantities of puppies. It is not rocket science folks.

I did notice on puppy.com that some sellers seemed to have a lot of dogs for sale and even quite a few different breeds. We stayed away from those.

 

[goofy!]

I did notice on puppy.com that some sellers seemed to have a lot of dogs for sale and even quite a few different breeds. We stayed away from those.

As stated in all the above posts - good research with lots of questions of the breeder will net you the best possible puppy you can get.

 

[komondorok]

Wish Upon A Star:

In your quest for a wonderful family companion, another question you might want to ask RollingMeadowspuppies is if their puppies are home-raised, as in they are born and raised 100% in the home?

Nowhere on their site does it state that their puppies are raised in the home, leading me to believe that the puppies are kenneled in that big barn (PUPPY MILL) in their picture. Since this is a crucial element to a emotionally healthy puppy, most reputable breeders will emphasize it. When one omits it from their propaganda, it screams Puppy Mill.

One of the articles that was linked here had some really great reasons why you want a family companion to be raised in the home.

They need to know what a dishwasher sounds like. They need to know what different flooring feels like. They need to be accustomed to the sound of a tv, vacuum, and all other sounds and noises that accompany life in a family. If the puppies are not exposed to this at an early age - you run the risk of getting a very fearful puppy. Not something that bodes well for a good fit into family life.

Good luck on your search.

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

From Rolling Meadows Puppies website:

We register our Hybrid Puppies with the American Canine Hybrid Club.

 

[komondorok]

From Rolling Meadows Puppies website:

Costs a whopping $5.00 to register your litter

 

[MickeyMouseGal]

Considering that you shouldn't even breed dogs until they are two years old, that means they should have only been breeding for a year.