New Dog Owners
How to find a reputable dog breeder
Core idea
A reputable breeder is identifiable by structural facts — health testing, home-raised litter, 8–10 week placement, written contract, owner screening — not by how warm they sound on the phone or how polished the website looks.
Why it matters
The puppy you take home is a 10–15 year decision. Buying from a poor breeder risks a sick puppy and funds the supply chain behind it. The HSUS estimates on the order of two million puppy-mill puppies enter the US market each year.
Common mistake
Treating a clean website, AKC papers, or a “purebred” claim as proof of quality. AKC registration records parentage; it does not certify health, temperament, or ethics.
Health-tested parents are the single biggest signal.
The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) and the Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) publish screening results. A serious breeder names the parents so you can verify them at ofa.org. If they cannot give OFA/CHIC numbers, that is the answer.
Eight weeks is the floor, not the target.
A breeder placing puppies at six weeks is cutting short dog-to-dog socialisation with the mother and littermates. Ten to twelve weeks is often normal and preferable. Six-week shipping is inventory movement, not responsible placement.
A reputable breeder interviews you.
One-way sales calls and instant deposits mean a sales process, not a breeding programme. Expect applications, references, and the breeder choosing which puppy fits which home.