The potential pitfalls of buying a puppy from a pet shop or puppy farmer are: -

1. Health

   An adorable puppy is hard to resist, but you may be paying a lot of money for a dog that you know very little about. Pet shops generally rely on impulse buys to sell their "product.” Puppy farmers usually advertise in "free ads" newspapers. There is a good chance that a pet shop (or puppy farm) puppy will develop a health problem or suffer from a poor temperament/behavioural problems sometime in its life that may cost you a lot of money (not to mention heartache) to remedy.
   
   When you buy a puppy under these circumstances, it is very unlikely that the puppy's parents were screened for genetic diseases that can be passed to their offspring. Every breed of dog (including crossbreeds/mongrels) has genetic problems that are passed from generation to generation by breeding dogs that carry the flawed gene.
   
   Many of these genetic problems can be detected with today's technology, but these tests are expensive. People who are concerned about the welfare and future of their breed and the puppies they rear will have these tests conducted to preserve and improve the future quality of their breed and to try to ensure that new owners have a healthy pup/dog. Most good breeders are more concerned about the health of the puppies that they are producing than the money that they will or won't make on the production of a litter.
   
   

   There is little or no "profit" to be made from selling puppies if the job is done properly, raising puppies properly is costly & expensive

2. The myth about KC papers

   Most pet shops and puppy farmers would like you to believe that if the Kennel Club registers a puppy, this guarantees the puppy will be healthy and a good example of the breed - this is not so! The only thing that KC papers certify is that the puppy is purebred and produced out of KC registered parents. However, this can be fictitious with many unscrupulous breeders registering pups with incorrect parentage. Unfortunately, unscrupulous breeders may register more puppies than are actually born in each litter in order to receive extra registration papers to pass out with puppies they cannot or choose not to register. As time has gone by, many puppy farmers (and pet shop pups) are not KC registered. One particular pet shop has established an alternative puppy registration company and their puppies together with many puppy farmed puppies are now only registered with the alternative registry.
   
   The parents of your puppy may be unhealthy or carriers of crippling or deadly health defects which they may have passed to their offspring - your puppy. They may also be poor representations of the breed that you are buying. Often the parentage of these puppies is also questionable due to inadequate record keeping by the breeder(s). In other words, your puppy may not even be purebred, even though it has KC papers. Responsible breeders do register their puppies with the KC, but that is only the beginning.

3. What will that puppy look like when it is full-grown?

   Hopefully you will have seen other dogs of the breed that you are buying, and will have an idea about the breed, what the dog will look like and how he will behave when he's an adult. However, this does not guarantee that a puppy farm, pet shop or "backyard" breeders pup will fit the breed standard. This type of breeder pays no heed to the breed standard; they don't breed for type and quality.
   
   You do not know if the parents fit the standard either and cannot see the faults that each parent has. There is no perfect dog, but a good breeder will be willing to discuss the faults and strengths that each of their dogs possess. You should also be able to see at least the mother of the puppy that you are buying if bought from a responsible breeder. Even then, you cannot tell exactly what the puppy will look like, but you will have a much better idea of what to expect. Why spend so much money without even knowing what the puppy's parents look like?

4. What do you know about the breed?

   Pet shops, 'backyard breeders' and puppy farmers generally know very little about the dogs that they sell. If you are lucky, they can probably tell you a little bit about the breed and then point you in the direction of a generic dog book! What do you do after you bring the puppy home, only to find that this breed is not the right one for you and your family? Good breeders are full of information about the breed of puppy that you are considering. They should be able to tell you the general temperament aspects of the breed and help you predict whether this breed of dog will fit into your lifestyle. They will also be able to warn you about specific health problems that the breed is prone to and will be able to tell you what aspects the breed excels. There is no breed of dog perfect for every person and a good breeder is concerned that their puppy goes to a home that is right for them.

5. Housetraining and training problems

   A puppy bought from a pet shop (or puppy farmer) has most likely spent much of its life in a cage or shed. Many of these puppies have never seen carpet and may never have even seen grass or soil. Due to the conditions that puppies are kept in, they have been forced to eliminate (go to the toilet) in the same area that they sleep & eat. This goes against the dog's natural instinct, but these puppies have had no choice. This habit may make housebreaking your puppy much more difficult. A good breeder keeps the puppy area very clean and makes sure the puppy has a separate elimination (toilet) area. By the time, puppies from reputable breeders are ready to go to their new homes they will be well on the way to being house trained.
   
   Good breeders will often also start teaching their puppies how to walk on a lead and to lie quietly for grooming. A pet shop or puppy farm puppy has most likely never walked on a lead or been brushed before. It can be much more difficult to teach a puppy these daily exercises than a puppy that has been brought up properly. Responsible breeders also base their breeding decisions in part on their dogs' temperament and personality, on not only looks or the fact that they are purebred. Most pet shop and puppy-farmed puppies' parents have not been selected for any reason other than they can produce puppies that sell as cute "purebreds" registered by the KC.

6. How about Socialisation?

   Your puppy may well have never been in a house before. If this is the case then everything will be new and scary for them. The doorbell, vacuum cleaner, and children playing are all new sensations that can be terrifying to an un-socialised puppy. Good breeders will expose their puppies to many situations so that the puppies are used to them by the time that they go to their new homes.
   
   Most responsible breeders have evaluated the temperament of each of their puppies before they are placed in a new home. A good breeder will know, due to hours of observation, which puppies are dominant and which are shy, which are energetic and which are easy going. A good breeder will be able to match the puppy to the new owner, make sure that energetic pups go to active families, and that shy puppies go to a home that can help them overcome their insecurity.
   
   This careful evaluation enables a breeder to choose which puppy will fit your household and much of the guesswork is taken out of the selection process. Good breeders can help you make an educated decision about all aspects of your puppy's feeding, training and overall maintenance and care based on your family situation.

7. What is a pedigree worth?

   Some pet shops & puppy farmers make a big deal out of their puppies' pedigrees. This is interesting, as the pedigree is really just a piece of paper with names on it (a family tree).
   
   How many times have you heard a person explaining that their dog "has a pedigree as long as your arm"? Unless you know the dogs behind those names, the pedigree is useless to the new owner. Can the seller tell you what your puppy's grandparents died of, or how long they lived? Do any of the dogs in your pup's pedigree carry genetic diseases? Most pet shop employees and puppy farmers do not know any more about your puppy's background than you do!
   
   A reputable breeder can tell you all of this information about your pup's family tree and more. When you buy a puppy from a reputable breeder you are getting more than a piece of paper, you are getting the important information associated with the names too.
   
   Almost all responsible breeders will show (or participate in other dog related activities) their dogs, by showing them under unbiased judges they will be aware that the dog is a good representative of the breed. Some breeders also obtain obedience, or other titles that relate to the job that their breed of dog was originally bred to perform. Many also achieve Kennel Club "Canine Good Citizen" awards on their breeding dogs.

8. Do you want to support puppy farmers?

   All pet shop puppies are supplied by puppy farmers. These operations are exactly what the name implies. Most mass produce puppies with money as the prime motive. Their breeding dogs are often kept in very poor conditions (i.e. dark overcrowded and filthy barns/shed) and are often malnourished.
   
   The dogs are almost never tested for genetic diseases and are unlikely to be wormed or vaccinated. Puppy farms often obtain their breeding dogs from people who are in a hurry to "get rid" of their dogs for some reason, often through "free dog" ads in newspapers. Occasionally they are stolen from their owners. Females are generally bred every heat cycle until they are worn out and due to over breeding the mothers are not able to produce strong and healthy pups. Once their breeding life has been expended, these poor bitches are often sentenced to death (not a kind death delivered by a vet, but drowned or shot!).
   
   The horror of puppy farms is encouraged every time a puppy is bought from a pet shop or directly from a puppy farmer or dealer. Every puppy sold makes room for more pups to be bred and so the cycle continues.

How would you know if your puppy came from a puppy farm?

Unless you actually visit the puppy farmer at the time of buying your puppy, then possibly you wouldn't know! However, no reputable breeder would sell a puppy to a dealer or pet shop.

OK, so I've not bought from a pet shop or directly from a puppy farmer. How do I know the breeder is reputable?

Reputable breeders will invite you to their home. They should make you feel welcome and allow you to see the pups with their mother. During the visit, you should be able to ask questions and receive appropriate and honest answers. Likewise, the breeder will want to ask you questions. Puppy farmers do not really want you to visit! Do they want you to see the living conditions of their dogs? Do they want to spare their time to assist you in your purchase? The answer to these questions is NO they don't!

In the case of puppy farmers, they usually suggest that they deliver the puppy to you at a neutral location (motorway service station, Heathrow airport car park etc.) They usually offer this service as a courtesy to you, to save you a long journey etc. Don't be fooled, they are not interesting in how far you travel or how long it takes, they are interested in keeping you away from their premises.

In the rare event that you actually do go to a puppy farmers premises, you will normally only be shown "your" puppy. Often this meeting is conducted outside and certainly well, away from where the dogs are kept. You won't get to meet the family (canine or human!). The process will be very clinical, the puppy farmer doesn't want to give you any information and he/she doesn't want to find out any from you either!

When visiting a reputable breeder you should feel comfortable and welcome. Good breeders will offer you a cup of tea and be prepared to chat for a considerable period. A puppy farmer just wants to conclude the transaction as quickly as possible and with the minimum of effort (on his/her part!).

It's worth noting that not all puppy farmers live on farms (indeed some reputable breeders live on farms and would be horrified to think that buyers assume they are puppy farmers because of where they live!) Some "puppy farmers" buy in puppy farmed puppies and attempt to pass them off as "home bred" pups! By doing this they hope that you will be fooled into thinking you are not, buying a puppy farmed dog! Despite the "homely" surroundings, you should have a "gut feeling" that not all is well. Remember to ask all the "right" questions and you will soon get a feeling for the breeder. If you are not comfortable with any aspect of buying the puppy or the breeder then ask yourself why? Don't be afraid to make polite excuses to leave, you will be doing yourself and the puppy a favour in the end.

And finally ...

Visit this page to find out more information about puppy farmers and the conditions their dogs and pups are kept in. Please remember that regardless of where you buy your puppy and regardless of who recommended the breeder, you must satisfy yourself that YOU are happy with the breeder and the puppy!