The biggest downfall by far of reputable breeders is that they do not advertise as well as backyard breeders. Backyard breeders are all over Facebook, Craigslist, broker sites like PuppyFind, etc., so all a person has to do is google “X breed puppies near me” and they pop right up. A large majority of reputable breeders still tend to operate based on word of mouth, meeting at dog shows, or assuming people know the appropriate steps in which to find them through breed clubs.
Unfortunately, it has become abundantly clear that most people are unaware of how to properly search for and vet a good breeder. Hopefully someday soon reputable breeders will start shouting from the rooftops about their breeding programs the way that backyard breeders do, but until then let’s walk through some basic steps of how to find a reputable breeder.
Once you know what breed meshes well with your lifestyle, the best place to start is the parent club website. Typically, you can just google “X breed club or America”. For example, for Siberian huskies it is https://www.shca.org/. Most parent club websites will have a breeder referral page where they will list breeders by state who adhere to their code of ethics. They may also have a program that will refer you to your state or closest city breed club. Starting by contacting the breeders near you or in areas to which you are willing to travel is a great start. Even if they do not have any planned litters that will fit your needs, they often can refer you to friends in the breed who might.
If the parent club website doesn’t quite have what you are looking for or just is not kept very well up to date, there are a few Facebook groups that can aid in your search. My favorites are:
Uncensored Opinions of Breeders (for real)
(FB wouldn’t give me a link)
Uncensored Opinions of Breeders- Purebred Edition
(https://m.facebook.com/groups/399353377878943?group_view_referrer=search)
Fact or Fiction: Uncensored Opinions of Breeders
(https://m.facebook.com/groups/165506736957539?group_view_referrer=search)
These groups are full of reputable breeders and breed enthusiasts who can help point you in the right direction for a breeder that will fit your needs while also being ethical.
Once you have found some breeders to look into, let’s go over some of the first things I look for in a breeder’s website or Facebook page to determine if they are someone I would ethically buy from.
Health testing:
I want links directly to the results for every single one of their breeding dogs or I want registered names available so I can look them up on OFA myself. (Please note that I am from the US, so my recommendations are based on that. If you live in another country or are looking for an import, health testing results may be in a different database). The breed parent club typically has a subpage that lists the appropriate health testing required for ethical breeding or you can search by breed through OFA’s site (https://www.ofa.org/browse-by-breed).
Accomplishments:
I want to see what they are doing with their dogs that makes them worthy of being bred. This is part of what sets them apart from a BYB throwing any two random dogs together. I would like to see their registered names listed out with all of their titles. Photos or videos of them performing work would also be excellent if you are looking for a working breed that isn’t titled to be proven. Even if you are only looking for a pet and not a show dog, this is still important. Champion titles in conformation show that their breeding dogs are to standard and structurally correct. This in conjunction with health testing means you are likely to also have a structurally sound puppy. Performance titles are indications of drive, energy, and biddability, which are all important things to be aware of for the pet you are bringing home. Be weary of anyone who advertises “champion bloodlines” as this just means they are riding on the coattails of dogs higher in their pedigrees, but have not actually proven their own dogs.
Stacked photos of their breeding dogs:
Candid and action shots are nice to have, but a proper stacked photo will help you see the structure of their breeding dogs.
Age of breeding dogs:
Under most circumstances, two years is the minimum age for breeding. Many health tests cannot be completed until after 24 months of age.
Number of breeding dogs/litters:
Quality should never be sacrificed for quantity. If they have 10 studs and 10 dams and multiple litters on the ground regularly, it would make me question the level of care given to each litter. It would also make me question how someone would have time to prove their dogs worthy to breed if they are constantly whelping litters.
Contract/health guarantee:
I will skim through this in my preliminary search for any glaring red flags. For example, if the breeder requires I purchase NuVet, a MLM product, from them for the life of the pet for their health guarantee to even be upheld, they are a hard pass from me.
Registry:
I want to see that their dogs are registered with a reputable registry, such as AKC, UKC, or CKC (Canadian), but never Continental Kennel Club as they are not a reputable registry.
I also recommend that you familiarize yourself with at least some parts of your chosen breed’s standard, that way you can quickly see if a breeder is intentionally breeding for out of standard dogs. A few aspects of the standard that you can tell at a glance:
Coat type:
The standard will outline the coat type and length appropriate for the breed, as well as faulted or DQ coat types for the breed. For example, a long, rough, or shaggy coat on a Siberian husky is considered a fault and therefore no reputable breeder will intentionally breed for wooly coats.
Coat color:
The standard also outlines all acceptable coat colors and patterns. There may be some discrepancy amongst registries, for example AKC does not allow multi-colored poodles to be shown, but UKC does. However, it helps to note which colors or patterns do not naturally occur in the breed. Siberian huskies come in just about every color and pattern possible, but merle and brindle are not naturally occurring and therefore had to have been bred in from another breed. Similarly, breeders emphasizing certain colors are often not reputable. For example, golden retrievers come in various shades of red from very pale to very deep, although per the standard these extremes shades are undesirable. Breeders claiming to be “English cream” golden breeders are typically not reputable as they are breeding for an undesirable color, often choosing that color over proper structure.
Size:
The standard outlines typical height and weight ranges for the breed. It also can be where you can find if there are size variations in a breed, such as toy, miniature, and standard poodles. This can help you determine if a breeder is intentionally breeding under or oversized dogs or claiming to be breeding mini or toy versions of a breed that does not have a mini/toy version. (Note that the term “teacup” is always a BYB term).
Additionally, here is a post with some other immediate red flag terms:
https://www.facebook.com/460665667688318/posts/853289681759246/?extid=0&d=n
Finding the breeder that is right for you can be a daunting and lengthy task, but hopefully with these tips you’ll be able to more easily weed out the obvious backyard breeders because the less people support them, the less inclined they will be to keep producing.