Why you should not Buy a Puppy Farm/Mill Puppy

Lots of aspects need to be considered if you want to bring a dog into your life. While the idea can be exciting, it’s a serious decision and you need to work out where the best place is for buying your new pet. Maybe you have heard the term “puppy mill” or “farm” and either know they’re bad news or have no idea what they are. That means you need to do research before making a commitment.

Puppy Farms/Mills A puppy mill or farm is a place where puppies are mass-produced commercially and sold in pet shops or direct to the public, often through online classified ad sites. Approx 90% of puppies in pet shops get there via puppy farms. These places can keep hundreds of caged dogs for their whole lives, for the sole purpose of breeding more money-making litters. Puppies may be purebreds or any mix of well-matched breeds.

Dogs are poorly treated in these farms and mills

• Dogs aren’t cared for at all. They’re kept in small or overcrowded cages, often with no protection from the elements. They have no choice but to sleep and sit where they also do their toilet.

• They’re barely ever fed and what they get is either low quality or unsanitary food and water.

• Any dogs that are ill or dying don’t get any care and are left to die.

• Adults are bred for as long as they’re able and then are discarded or put down.

• Puppies are removed from their mothers so early that most behave badly because they don’t know what’s right and wrong.

Why not to buy dogs from puppy mills? Some people think they’re doing a puppy a favour by saving him from the farm. While that may be true, it’s also supporting the farm and its objectives. Surely those animals deserve a good home. Why confine purchases to shelters or genuine breeders? Don’t all puppies (and dogs) deserve good homes? Why do people get told not to buy from such places? All animals deserve happiness.

Here are the reasons: When puppies aren’t bought, they end up back where they came from or in shelters. When demand for puppies from mills is low, the puppy farm/miller closes down and all the animals are sent to the pound, where they’ll hopefully be adopted by loving families. Puppies aren’t poorly treated because they’re the money-making part of the equation. They’re given good food and water, cared for to a certain extent and then sold. Puppies are bought or adopted more than adult dogs so they don’t spend much time in unloved facilities. Stop buying from farms and they’ll all shut down. The abuse would stop. You help rescue the puppies and dogs from the mills by not purchasing from them.

Buy only from genuine breeders or from shelters Follow these steps and help dogs avoid being badly treated:

1. Make an intelligent decision to buy from a show breeder who:

• Shows you where the puppy lives and lets you meet the parents.

• Gives you a detailed medical history including vaccines.

• Gives you the number for the vet so you can verify things if necessary.

• Won’t have puppies available all the time. They may add you to a waiting list.

• Asks about you and your family, your lifestyle, experience with puppies and your plans to care for the new puppy if bought. They want the puppy to go to a good home.

• Isn’t a high pressure salesman.

• Proves their dogs in the show ring prior to breeding. This demonstrates their high level of commitment to the breed as a whole. Titles indicate the dogs are above average in quality.

2. Or adopt or rescue a dog from a rescue group or shelter. 3. Encourage your local pet shop to support animals in shelters. The more animals they have, the more people like coming in to check things out. Strongly encourage the shop owners to promote the adoption of shelter animals and not through backyard breeders or farms.

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Why you should avoid Backyard Dog Breeders

While it may cost you less to get a dog from a backyard breeder than from a reputable, show breeder, there are, sadly, very good reasons why. Those same reasons are why you should avoid backyard dog breeders. Recently there has been more exposure in the media regarding puppy mills but it hasn’t covered the sad scenario of backyard breeding, despite increasing public awareness of animal cruelty. These people are responsible for most of the overpopulation issues associated with animal shelters and forced euthanasia incidents.

Definition of a backyard breeder

The term “backyard breeding” refers to people who breed animals in an irresponsible manner. Their main interest is in making as much money as possible whilst spending as little as they can; hence the profits they can make. They don’t care about the welfare of animals in their care and that results in poor quality specimens that deserve much better. Sometimes a backyard breeder doesn’t initially set out to do harm but their bitch may have an unwanted pregnancy because they failed to have her desexed. Sometimes they’re bred so puppies can be sold for a quick profit. “Puppy farm” or “puppy mill” are the two most commonly used terms to describe this behaviour when done on a big scale. Some breeders think they can produce good quality show dogs and rake in the big money. Other breeders are under the false assumption that all dogs must produce one or more litters to feel fulfilled. However, the most common reason a backyard breeder does it initially is with the best intentions. They have a really great, loving pet and they believe that lots of puppies will enable others to also have such a wonderful experience. What separates backyard breeders and genuine, responsible breeders is the standards the breeder meets whilst caring for the dogs and litters.

Good intentions often aren’t enough

Puppy mill owners work on the premise of high volume breeding with only minimal care and poor living conditions. Backyard breeders are a bit different in some cases. Those who are only keen to make huge profits are virtually the same as the mill owners. Big litters, various breeds, dirty cages for homes and poorly fed animals are the result of their lack of care. There are others who may appear harmless at first or can be hard to identify. They only breed one or two litters and house them inside so others aren’t aware of what they’re doing. They may raise both parents and even let you see them when you meet the puppies. You’ll naturally assume they have been cared for properly as they’ll all look clean and happy. You won’t suspect they’re backyard breeders, even though they have the best intentions and there are times when they don’t even think they’re doing anything wrong.

What’s wrong with backyard breeding?

The first obvious fact is they don’t have the knowledge and experience that genuine breeders have when it comes to breeding their chosen breed(s). The genuine breeders can breed for ideal qualities and reduce any unwanted characteristics and they’ll usually have some knowledge of genetics. They keep comprehensive files on all their dogs and puppies, often going back a few generations. Serious health concerns can be screened for. On the other hand, a backyard breeder will have some knowledge of his breed and will assume everything else. Backyard breeders typically simply mate their bitches to the most conveniently located and available male. Perhaps their own male or a friends dog, without any research on the breeding lines and any compatibility concerns.His bitch may have a genetic predisposition towards luxating patellas or other problems he may not know about. Because of insufficient knowledge of prior generations, new owners may incur thousands of dollars in expenses to fix major health problems. Even worse is that the new owner may have a temperamental new dog that may end up being left at a shelter or, sadly, being euthanised. Show breeders, on the other hand, will devote many hours to planning a litter with dogs that are true to the Breed Standard, have been proven in the show ring and have health tested. The objective of SHOW breeders is to contribute to the advancement of the breed by producing dogs that are healthy in mind and body and are as close as possible to the Breed Standard. Most genuine breeders will put restrictions on the puppy owner’s right to breed and will get pet puppy buyers to sign a specific contract, promising they won’t breed the puppies, thereby avoiding the creation of substandard litters. Some will give a partial refund if a buyer has a neuter/spay certificate supplied by their vet. Many Pomeranian lovers regard breeding high quality, healthy Poms as an obsession. Their lives are centred around their dogs and they compete in performance events and conformation shows. They’re generally known as hobby or show breeders but that doesn’t fully describe their complete dedication. Lots of people assume breeders do it for money. Serious and hobby breeders don’t do it for that reason. It’s purely because they love it. The amount of money they spend on their dogs far outweighs the amount they would ever get back.

Don’t be fooled by the term “Registered Breeder”

Anyone can easily join the Kennel Club and become a registered breeder. Registered breeders can also be backyard breeders. Would-be puppy owners need to recognise and understand the real difference between show breeders and registered backyard breeders. The incentives are very high to be a registered breeder: higher prices, easier to advertise and sell kennel club registered pups. Don’t be fooled into purchasing a puppy from a registered backyard breeder. Copyright Pomeranian.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Pomeranians and Children

Lots of families wonder if a Pomeranian is a good dog breed for a pet if they have children, particularly if they’re young children.

There are a few factors to consider.

Size is the first consideration. A Pomeranian is a good size for families who want a pet that isn’t intimidating. He can be picked up easily by the children. They can take him for walks without having him escape because he’s too strong for the children to handle. These are all big pluses. However, small dogs can be fragile. You’ll need to teach your young children how to pick him up correctly, how to walk him, how to play with him without being rough and many other tasks that may potentially hurt your dog if not done properly. The Pom isn’t a dog breed you can wrestle with like you would with a bigger dog.

Because Poms are fragile, it’s not recommended that you get a baby puppy as a pet if young children are part of your family. Instead, consider an older Pomeranian puppy over the age of six months. Show breeders sometimes have older puppies available for good homes.

Toddlers are too young to understand the respect demanded by a pet Pom. If a pom’s toy is snatched from his grasp by a toddler, he may snap or bite as a defence action. If a toddler behaves roughly or pulls on the pom’s tail or fur, he may bite. Noisy young children may scare Pomeranians because they’re not used to being around children who move suddenly, make loud noises and generally have fun. If a Pom feels scared, he may run and hide somewhere and refuse to come out.

Young children must NEVER go near a Pomeranian puppy without being supervised by an adult and poms shouldn’t become annoyed by the behaviour of the child/children.

If your pet had a previous owner who mistreated him, it’s quite likely he’ll bite as a defence mechanism. That’s simply no good. Small children should be careful at all times when they’re with the pom. Avoid picking him up because if done the wrong way, he may be dropped and the result could be a leg broken or more serious injuries.

While Pomeranians are terrific as pets, don’t get a puppy under 6 months as a pet if you have children under the age of ten years.

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Buyer Beware! There Are Lots Of Scam Artists In The Animal Niche.

As Pomeranians become more popular, the numerous scammers out there use this to maximum advantage and try to separate people from their hard-earned money. As I come across specific scams, I’ll list them for your protection but there are some things to always watch for. Sorry the complete article is only available to our Premium members. Please join us now.

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