How & When To Say No To A Dog Breeder?



When you’re in the market for a dog, specifically a pure breed, most of the time you’re going to go to a dog breeder to buy your new pet.

What if the dog breeder isn’t someone reputable though? What if you find out that they don’t have the dog’s best interest at heart? How do you say no or walk away from a dog breeder?

How & When To Say No To A Dog Breeder?

There are a lot of factors to consider when you’re looking for a dog breeder, and sometimes even when you’ve found a good one, there are difficult questions that come up. Today I’m going to share with you some advice for how to best deal with confrontations that you may run into when working with a dog breeder.

How Can I Ask The Breeder Not To Remove A Puppy’s Dewclaws For You?

If you do not want the breeder to remove a puppy’s dewclaws, I would explain to them your reasoning. For example – unless the puppy has an injury or medical issue that calls for them to be removed, there is no reasoning to remove a part of the puppy’s claws.

Explain to the breeder that you are working with, that you don’t mind them having the dewclaws, and that you would prefer your dog to have full grip and range of movement as they get older.

This shouldn’t be a big deal to the dog breeder because this should show that you have the puppy’s best interest at heart as a possible/future owner.

How Can I Ask The Breeder Not To Dock A Puppy’s Tail For You?

Depending on the breed of puppy that you are trying to purchase, there may be a chance that the breeder is used to having tails of their puppy’s docked. If you wish to not have the tail docked, you need to have this conversation with your breeder as soon as possible!

I say this because depending on the breeder, you don’t know how early in the process they might decide to make the appointment to get it docked.

Much like the dewclaws, I would explain to your breeder why you don’t want the tail docked on your puppy. Whether it be because of your moral/ethical reasons or just because you like the way the puppy looks with the tail.

It will be your puppy if you go through with the purchase, so the breeder should be very understanding, especially if your reasoning is just because you don’t want to put the puppy through the pain of the surgery.

How Should I Insist On Visiting Your Puppy At The Breeder?

If you want to visit your puppy at the breeder’s home, make sure that the breeder knows who you are. You should also be prepared to answer a questionnaire and undergo a background check before being allowed to make an appointment to visit.

I would explain why you want to visit the puppy as well. Whether it be to see the chemistry between you and the puppy or to make sure the puppy is coming from a good home environment.

Either way, make sure that when you ask to visit, you are being respectful of the breeder’s time and home life.

How Can You Get A Dog Breeder To Give Full Registration [When They Are Reluctant]?

This can be a tricky situation since you are getting into contract details and legal conversation in terms of the AKC. Before you even have a conversation with the dog breeder, read back over the contract you signed when you purchased the puppy (if there was a contract).

If it does state that you signed for limited registration, I would reach back out to your dog breeder and discuss why the contract wasn’t originally made for full registration.

Sometimes dog breeders will not give full registration because they feel like the dog will not breed properly or because it is not a show dog.

Figure out why full registration was not discussed upfront and then go from there. If you give your breeder valid reasoning of why you want your puppy fully registered to you, they might be understanding and willing to change that part of your contract.

How Should You Say No To A Breeder Who Wants You To Buy A Puppy That’s Not Your Pick?

If a breeder wants you to take a specific puppy that’s not your pick, there’s a multitude of possibilities.

They could be wanting you to take that specific puppy off of their hands because it’s the runt of the litter, or there’s something medically wrong with the puppy.

A dog breeder could also just be giving you a random puppy because the only thing they care about in dog breeding is the income that it makes them. This is a red flag on the dog breeder.

If you want to continue to try and buy one of their puppies though, you could try explaining to the breeder that you were wanting to have an emotional connection with whatever puppy you planned to buy, and wanted to pick your dog out specifically for that reason.

Is There A Good Reason To Maintain A Relationship With My Dogs Breeder?

Having a good relationship with your dog’s breeder can be an amazing thing, especially if the breeder’s main interest and concern is the well-being of their dogs. For example, what if you decide you no longer need or want the dog?

Having a good relationship with your dog breeder means that you would be able to contact them and see if they want to take the dog back, that way you know that they can find the dog a new home.

Also, a lot of the times breeders will want to know when and where their puppy is going if you do decide that you no longer or can’t keep the dog anymore. This is mainly because the breeder just wants to make sure their puppy is in a safe and loving environment.

How To Tell A Breeder You Are No Longer Interested?

How you go about telling a dog breeder that you are no longer interested may depend on why you are not interested in buying from them anymore.

Do you not trust the breeder? Did you decide that you no longer want a puppy or that specific breed of a puppy?

If you want to keep it simple, you could always use the phrase, “I’ve decided to go in a different direction,” or “something has happened within my family and I am no longer able to purchase and take care of a puppy.”

Sometimes, when you’re wanting a quick and easy way out, it is best to not give away details and to just use these classic getaways.

How To Say No To A Dog Breeder Who Insists On Visiting A Puppy They Sold You?

Firstly, before you sign the contract during the purchase, make sure there is nothing in the contract that could legally force you to let them visit the puppy.

If there is nothing in the contract that enforces you to let the breeder see your puppy, politely tell the breeder that you do not feel comfortable with them visiting the puppy.

If you are dealing with a breeder who is being forceful and aggressive, check with an attorney or your local police department to see what your options are to protect not only your dog but your family’s home.

Can A Breeder Tell You Not To Breed Your Puppy?

If you want to eventually breed your puppy, you need to make sure that the contract allows you to have full registration rights over the dog.

When you have full registration rights over your puppy, the breeder legally cannot tell you that you can’t breed the dog. If your contract only allows you to have limited registration, then the puppy must be spayed or neutered.

Usually, when getting full registration, your cost of purchase for the puppy may cost more, but if you are thinking about eventually breeding your dog it’s worth the cost.

How Can You Tell A Bad Dog Breeder From A Good One?

When it comes to trying to tell a bad dog breeder from a good one, first look at where you found the dog breeder.

Is the website sketchy or is it legitimate? Do they have pictures of the puppies and the environment that they are kept in?

These first few things could potentially tell you a lot about what kind of dog breeder they are, and whether or not you could trust them. While this next thing may seem invasive, it’s a must-have in a dog breeder.

You want to make sure the dog breeder that you are working with is asking you questions about yourself and your living environment. This will tell you whether or not the dog breeder cares about the puppy’s best interest or not.

Most good dog breeders will want to make sure that their puppies are going to a good home and are in a clean environment.

If your dog breeder isn’t getting to know you or running a background check, you might want to think about looking elsewhere for your dog breeder.

Why You Shouldn’t Go To A Breeder?

There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn’t go to a dog breeder, the main one being that there are so many puppies looking for adoption because they don’t have a home.

Not only is adopting a dog from a shelter cheaper, but it helps to place a puppy in a good home and lessens the overpopulation in the shelters.

Another reason why you may not want to go with a dog breeder is that since these dogs are pureblood there is inbreeding that happens. This can lead to genetic issues in the future for your dog and may limit their ability to live their life to their fullest abilities.

If you’re not looking for a specific breed of dog, or don’t mind your puppy having a small mix of breeds in them, then adopting from a shelter is the perfect way to go!

What Is Considered A Backyard Breeder?

A backyard breeder is someone who doesn’t have much experience in the breeding world. These breeders usually don’t take much care into the breeding matches of the male and female dog and don’t take care of their breeder or puppies as well as they should.

Just because someone is a backyard breeder doesn’t mean that they’re a bad person or cruel to animals though. A backyard breeder could also be considered someone who didn’t have their animals neutered/spayed and they accidentally ended breeding puppies.

Either way, when looking for a dog breeder, make sure that the breeder that you’re dealing with is knowledgeable in their business. Not only will this make the process easier for you, but it will also guarantee you that your puppy is in healthy and good condition.

Why Are Some Dog Breeders So Rude?

Depending on the type of dog breeder you’re dealing with, they may not be trying to be rude.

When you have a dog breeder who truly cares about their pets, they may come off as aggressive and invasive because they want to make sure that their puppies are going to the best and safest homes possible.

If you feel like a dog breeder is being rude to you, ask yourself if you think that they’re just being protective or if they’re just being aggressive.

If they’re just being aggressive, especially if they’ve shown no interest in getting to know you, they may just be trying to make fast cash by selling their puppies. This could potentially be a red flag in a dog breeder.

What Are Red Flags That You Might Be Dealing With A Puppy Mill Breeder?

A red flag that you might be dealing with a puppy mill breeder could be that you’re not allowed to see where the dog is currently residing – although this could also be a privacy thing for a normal breeder.

You can tell a lot though through the breeder you are buying your puppy from. Does the breeder ask you questions about yourself and your living environment or do they only ask questions about money?

If the breeder you’re buying from seems only mainly interested in the cash you’re handing them over the well-being of the puppy, chances are that you might be dealing with a puppy mill breeder.

It’s important to look out for off-putting signs of breeders because if your puppy is coming from a mill, there is a higher chance of them having genetic diseases and being sick constantly.

Dog Breeder Not Responding/Ignoring After Deposit?

If you absolutely cannot get ahold of your dog breeder after you’ve paid the deposit, there are some questions you need to think about.

Did you sign a contract with the breeder? Did you pay with cash, a check, or through a debit card?

You will need these answers to know if there is a paper trail that leads back to the breeder, especially if you plan on seeking out a lawyer. If there is no paper trail leading back to the original deal struck with the breeder, you may have trouble being able to get your money back.

To avoid this issue, whether it be with a reputable breeder or even someone who’s not findable on the internet, make sure that there is always a paper trail of the transaction.

Make sure that there is a contract in place that you both have a copy of, and make sure you pay with a form of payment that can be traced to you and the breeder.

References

Sign Right Here: Everything You Need to Know About Breeder Contracts

https://www.thesprucepets.com/signs-of-a-bad-breeder-1117328