How can I spot a REAL breeder over a back-yard one?

Yes. First, visit the breeder's facility, if it looks well-kept and professional, then there's a better chance the breeder is reputable. Meet the parent dogs and require the breeder to provide you with veterinary and pedigree information on both parents. Some breeds should have OFA films to guarantee hips, some need eye exams... whatever breed you choose, check out the American Kennel Club website for information on what medical checks the parents should have. A reputable breeder can be a very small-scale operation, in fact you know that they're providing individual attention to each litter if there's only one litter at a time. The reputable breeders will also thoroughly screen you and your family, they will not place a pup with someone they think will neglect or mistreat it. Ask as many questions as you can about the breeder's background, how long they've been in business, WHY they do it, and how they select breeding animals. If you get a bad feeling about a person or facility, leave, trust your instincts. Good luck!

Research the health problems of the breed you want then ask to see the health clearances of the parents.Know the criteria recommended for the health checks,a heart clearance at age one has very little value,it must be done later.

Reputation, reputation, reputation! Ask for references. In the process of contacting 3 of them, you will find some "hangups" so to speak. Go with your gut and don't base your decision on how "cute" the dog is. (Emotions cloud judgment.) Call at least 4 local businesses (Pet's Smart, ets.) to see if there are any "rumors" or information. And TRUST what they tell you. If one person gives you bad information, go elsewhere! No matter how "cute" the pet is.Good luck. In the end we have had 80% "muts". They were some of the best dogs we ever had. But if someone is claiming they have "pure bread" dogs, check it out! If they are reputable, they should have no problems backing up their statements.

The best way to find a good breeder is to ask a local veterinarian for references. However, don't always dismiss a backyard breeder. Often these animals are as healthy as those from a professional, but may cost less. Always ask to see the mother and, if possible, the father. Are they healthy, friendly, clean and happy? If so, you can feel comfortable with their puppies.Always avoid puppies in pet stores. You have no way to verify that they were not purchased from puppy mills which often mistreat the animals and have little concern for their welfare.In my opinion, the best thing is to adopt a mix breed from a shelter. Mix breeds suffer from fewer genetic problems than pure breds. You will also be helping a pup who really needs a home.

Here is a checklist of things you can use to see if the breeder you're talking to meets them. You don't have to meet them all to be a reputable breeder but a breeder who misses half or more is a BYB in my opinion.1. Is selective regarding owners. You may have to fill out an application or supply references. Just because you want a puppy doesn't mean you get a puppy.2. The breeder prefers to pick out the puppy for the owner. At a minimum, the breeder does not give someone looking for a pet an open choice on any dog in the litter--the breeder steers you away or outright prohibits you from some puppies that are not a good fit for your situation.3. The dam and sire are both pure-bred dogs and have the papers from AKC or UKC to prove it.4. The breeder's dogs are either working dogs (and this does not mean "something they do hunting."). They compete in performance sports like field work, agility, flyball, weightpulls or conformance and the dogs win titles or competitions. Or it is a working farm with livestock and the dog in question is not a pet but a dog with a real job.5. The result of the litter is not a "designer dog."6. The dam was not mated before she was 2 years old, she is not mated more than once a year at most.7. The breeder requires you sign a contract. The contract provides a no question return guarantee and stipulates that if you are getting a "pet" quality dog that you're required to neuter or spay the puppy by a particular time frame.8. The breeder does temperament testing (probably the Volhard temperament test).9. The breeder doesn't just take the puppies to a vet for a checkup but instead you've got results from a battery of tests (OFA, etc.).10. The mating was an intentional or planned breeding (rather than accidental).11. The breeder refuses to sell you a puppy before it is 8 weeks old.12. The breeder can tell you what recessive traits both the dam and sire carry and what recessive traits or genes your puppy carries.This is not an all-inclusive list but it captures a many of the things that make a good breeder that you can easily check up on.

First, take a look at the parents of the dog and the home. All the dogs should be well groomed, well cared for, up to date on shots and should be in a clean environment. If the place is dirty and the dogs are dirty then it's unlikely that they're spending enought effort on their dogs to be good breeders. Ask them why they bred this litter. What were they trying to achieve? My breeder showed me a picture of a Champion from years past and showed me what she was looking for to recapture this dog's legacy. She could also tell me about each dog's conformation and why the dogs were bred to each other and how they can compliment each other conformationally. A breeder should have a full depth of knowledge about the breed. They should also not be breeding more than one or two breeds of dogs. Take a look at the pedigree - do their dogs have AM Ch or CAN Ch in the pedigree or MACH or OTCh or HC or CT? Championships mean the breeder has a commitment to the breed. Find out what testing they do. The parents should be tested for hips and eyes and they should come back as normal. Other breeds may have other testing that is important as well. A good breeder should be interviewing YOU. They should be grilling you to make sure that you are the right home for their puppy. They should have requirements and they should make you sign a contract to return the pup if you can't keep it. If they will just let you come by and pick up the puppy of your choice with a check, they are not good breeders. Also, they should be requiring you to spay/neuter unless you are a show purchaser looking for a show prospect (which it does not sound like you are) and will sell the dog on a limited registration only.

A real breeder won't advertise in the local newspaper, want-ad or classifieds. They won't put flyers up in the grocery store, pet store or vet's office.I would decide on the breed I want, research the characteristics and breed standards then I would ask my vet to recommend a breeder or where to research breeders of the breed I am seeking.Good luck. the links below are from the Humane society. Great tips to consider when buying from a breeder.

Check all the posts here. If you are looking for a purebred dog and don't care about papers here are a few statistics from a 3 year study at 1 shelter:More than 47 percent of the 4582 stray dogs were purebredThe six most common breeds of stray dogs were Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever, German Shepherd, Beagle, Siberian Husky, and RottweilerA bit more than 19 percent of the purebred dogs were placed with a breed rescue group.Among purebreds, older dogs were far more likely to be reclaimed than younger dogs. About 22 percent of puppies less than four months old were returned to owners, along with 55 percent of juvenile dogs (four-11 months)Just a little something to think about.

Use this chart to determine whether they are reputable or not...http://www.pbrc.net/breeding3.htmlGood luck!

WHEN U GET A DOG FROM A BREEDER ITS NOT ADOPTIN ITS BUYING. ASK IF THEY HAVE A LICENSE TO BREED. BUT I WOULD RATHER GET A POUND PUP. SOME PURE BREDS ARE AT THE POUND AND THATS WHERE U ADOPT FROM

http://www.dogplay.com/GettingDog/checklist.htmltry this web site

If the dog is bred by an individual in their back yard & only have the one litter. That is a back yard breeder.Check the kennels to be sure they are clean & not a nasty smelly mess.Ask if the breeder breeds for show or for sale. If the breeder sells for show you will get a quality pure breed pup with Pedigree & Registration papers & the dog will cost a lot more because of the care they take in breeding their dogs. They breed out faults that would disqualify a dog from showing. You will get the best that the breeder has to offer. Most competent breeders cull their pups with in a few days of birth & get rid of the pet quality dogs & save only the ones of quality.

Safest, if you won't rescue, which is a lot kinder and will get you a known, healthy dog - is to go to local AKC sanctioned dog shows and actually meet people who show their dogs. Ask them if they have any pet quality dogs for sale, or if they plan to breed any of their show dogs - even show dogs throw off non-show pups, great pups, just not perfect for showing.By the way, just because someone is "certified" or has 12 breeding females, is absolutely no guaranty that they aren't a puppy mill. Much better to get to know the shower/breeder who breed limited, selective dogs - quality, healthy dogs.If you rescue from a breed rescue, you actually see what you get and the dog has been in foster, it's temperament is known, and it is already vetted, up to date on vaccinations and spayed/neutered. Think about it - do a search for breed rescue that you are interested in.By the way, if you buy a dog you are certainly not "adopting" -

First of all breeders are not registered or certified by the AKC so please disregard the totally uninformed individual who told you that.Signs of a BYB:1) Their dogs aren't registered with an official KC.2) Their dogs don't have health checks and when asked about health problems they tell you that the breed doesn't have any....all breeds and mixes have health prpblems.3) They accept credit cards and primary interest is how you wish to pay.4) They have lots of breeds and lots of litters. Multiple litters at the same time is a warning sign. 5) No matter what you want they have the perfect dog for you.6) They don't exhibit and aren't involved in showing, training, etc.7) They aren't involved in their breeds parent club or local dog clubs.Signs of a reputable breeder:1) Their dogs will be registered with a recognized Kennel Club. There is only one per country and in the USA it is the AKC. In the case of rare breeds they should be registered with the FSS and their parent club.2) They will be doing health checks on their dogs. For all breeds this is a minimum of OFA hip and elbow certifications and CERF eye certification. Many breeds have other health issues and should be tested for those.3) If you ask why they did that specific breeding they should be able to give you specific reasons regarding what their goals were. They should be able to tell you the strengths and weaknesses of the sire and dam. 4) They will be involved in their breeds parent club. 5) They will have a number of questions for you and about your lifestyle so they can make sure you are a proper match for the breed and the individual dog.6) They will require you to sign a contract. If it is a pet quality puppy they will require you to neuter it and they will hold the papers until they receive proof of neutering from you. If it is show quality they will require you to perform health checks on your dog before it is bred and they may require you to show it.7) In many cases they will have a waiting list for their pups so don't expect to go home with a puppy. They don't breed a lot of breeds or a lot of litters because it takes a great deal of time and research to produce a quality puppy regardless of the breed.9) I know all of the books tell you that you should see the parents but normally the sire of the litter isn't going to live with the breeder. Also don't expect that simply because you want a dog that they are obligated to invite you into their home whenever you want. While I'm willing to meet people in a neutral location I no longer invite strangers into my house since a few years ago someone stole one of my dogs out of my yard when I ran into town on errands a few days after I let a "potential buyer" come visit. Amazingly enough the dog that was stolen was the one they kept insisting that they wanted to buy despite being told that she was not for sale. 10) If you can't ever keep the dog you are required to return it to them rather than dump it at the shelter. 11) They are involved in rescue for their breed.

Personally, when I shop for a puppy, here's what I look for. I want to see both parents, what they look like as well as how they act is hereditary and a good indication of what you are going to end up with. Anyone that won't let you see the parents, has something to hide.AKC registration. APRI, CKC, UKC, LMNOQ, etc are not real registries, and anybody using them, does so because they got kicked out of AKC. It's not easy to get kicked out of AKC, you have to have done something really wrong to lose the right to register with them.The pup should be up to date on vaccinations and wormings. It should come with some sort of clear cut health guarantee, nothing murky or hard to understand. If the breed you are after is prone to certain health problems, ask about that, such as hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, etc. If the dogs are kept outside in kennels, there should be a run for each dog, with some sort of heated indoor enclosure for each dog to get to to get out of the elements. It should be reasonably clean.I like toy breeds, and prefer to get mine from someone that keeps them in their home. Whereever they keep the dogs, it should be clean and sanitary. Puppies should be kept in the house, especially in cold weather. If they have more than 1 breed, definitely more than 2, that says puppymill to me. More than 6 dogs? How do they have time to socialize the pups properly? Much less keep an eye out for disease, worms, problems, etc.Anybody who offers to ship, or meet you somewhere, probably has something to hide.They should know their breed, and be comfortable answering any questions you might have. If not, look out! No question is stupid... wait... I take that back, I once had someone come to look at a pup, ask me if they liked lettuce, as she'd had a hamster once and it did? She didn't get a puppy, she wasn't ready for one. Seriously though, if you have a concern, ask, the truly dedicated breeder is more than glad to answer!

Responsible breeders have these traits:They are doggy people who do things with their dogs.... Like get titles.They health test their dogs.They rarely breed to a stud they or their family owns because the best stud for the b*tch is rarely that close.They don't always breed even their champions because they know there is more to the breed than having it LOOK right.They don't breed dogs who do not closely match the standardThey have 2-3 year contracts guaranteeing the health of the dog.They sell on spay/neuter contracts and limited registrationsThey have a mandatory return policy if a dog needs rehomingTheir prices are generally about twice that of a backyard breederThey will SCREEN you carefully through multiple interviewsThey are very open, upfront and honest about their dogs, the dog's registered names, pedigrees, certifications etc... They acknowledge their dogs faults, genetic and otherwise (RUN from ANY breeder who says their dog or their pedigree has no faults... it is a true sign of either a liar or complete lack of knowledge- neither of which is a good thing)