Curlious Chinese Cresteds

About Us Our Dogs Our Foundation In Memorium Puppies Resources

Recognizing an unethical breeder

When you talk to people about their puppies, there are a few warning signs that you may be dealing with a disreputable, unethical, or irresponsible breeder:

The breeder lacks knowledge about the breed
The breeder shows ignorance or denial of genetic defects in the breed
The breeder has no involvement in dog sports
The breeder doesn't let you observe the puppies or adults
The breeder has no documentation and cannot provide a pedigree
The puppies are dirty, unhealthy, lethargic, or poorly socialized

Be aware of breeders who are breeding for "pets" only. The reason you picked your breed is because of the qualities it posesseses. That could be size, coat, temperament, trainability, and the overall 'look'. If someone is breeding for pets only, they are often breeding from "pet quality" stock, dogs deemed not close enough to the standard to compete in shows. While these dogs usually make great pets, they are lacking in one or more key traits that makes them a member of their breed. When bred from, they will perpetulate those traits that kept them from the show ring. Over several generations, you may question whether these dogs are even purebred! Dogs from this type of breeder won't match the picture in your head of what the breed "should" be, and in the end are just dogs, no longer resembling the breed which they are supposed to represent.

Keep in mind that many breeders are uninterested in selling show prospects to people they do not know. These breeders are still breeding "show" dogs, but they keep the show dogs for themselves, instead of selling them to others. A pet quality dog from one of these breeders may be much more correct than a dog from someone who sells every dog in the litter as "show quality."