by Donna Park

Created on: May 30, 2008

How to recognize a good dog breeder from a puppy mill is something that everyone should know when planning to buy a dog. One way to make sure that your pure bred animal does not come from a puppy mill is to get it from a shelter. That's right, over one quarter of all animals in shelters are pure bred. It's a win win for you and your new pet.

Having said that, I'll get to the question that was asked. The very best way to make sure that your breeder is not running a puppy mill is to visit the premises. I can not stress that enough. Pictures that a "breeder" posts can come from anywhere! They may not even contain photos of actual dogs owned by the breeder. If you truly care where your pet came from, you will take the time to visit the premises and demand to see the puppy/dog's parents (after all, it is your money we're talking about). Seeing the parent's of your intended pet can tip you off to some, if any, genetic problems that your new puppy may have. If the breeder is reputable and not running a puppy mill, they will not have a problem with you visiting. If you are given many "excuses" as to why you can't visit the home where your pet came from, the breeder is quite often hiding a much bigger problem.

A reputable breeder usually only has one, maybe two breeds of dog for sale. This is because they take the time and money to feed and care for the animals properly. This means taking the animal to the vet when it is sick and making sure that all vaccinations are up to date. A puppy miller will have many breeds of dogs. "How can they afford vet care for all of those dogs", you may ask. The answer is simple, they don't! Puppy mills allow sick animals to be sold and rarely, if ever provide any form of veterinary care. Taking the sick animal to the vet would cut into their profit and that is what a puppy mill is all about, profit. Reputable breeders usually only do this as a sort of hobby because they love their breed. If by some chance the puppy miller will allow you on to the property to look around, you will know immediately that it is a puppy mill by the number of dogs there and the amount of sick or lethargic dogs you will see. So check it out.

Newspaper and internet ads are notorious for attracting puppy mills. If you buy a pet from a newspaper ad or from the internet, chances are that your pet will come from a puppy mill. The reason why is because it's easy access to many people. Puppy mills do not care where their dogs go. If you call one of these ads and the

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