Definition of a Puppy Mill Breeder

Many of the dogs that we rescue do not come from commercial breeding farms that are considered puppy mills by most everyone.  Many dogs come from back yard breeders all over this country who do not consider themselves puppy mills so the following questions should be answered to see if you are actually a responsible dog breeder before having your next litter of puppies.

1. Did your female puppy get “accidentally” pregnant at six months or during her first heat cycle and the pups sold for so much money that you are now going to breed her again?  Then you are a puppy mill because you are not allowing your girl to grow up and rest in between litters of pups.

2. Do you breed your female every six months on every heat cycle?  Then yes, you are a puppy mill breeder.

3. Do you tell potential buyers the downfalls of this Dachshund breed of hunting dogs like howling and noisy hound dogs, diggers of many holes, killing cats and usually not liking young children or too noisy or active for apartments or did you just sell to the first person with cash who darkens your door wanting a cute puppy?  Then yes, that makes you a puppy mill breeder if you do not educate buyers to the downfall of the breed that you are breeding.

4. Has your female had more then three litters of pups in her lifetime even though it is very draining and unhealthy for them?  Then yes, you are a puppy mill breeder.

5. Do you sell your pups before eight weeks or older or did you sell them preferably older then 8 to 10 weeks so they can be socialized and well established before they find their new homes?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder if your pups are sold before being solcialized at 8 weeks old for a lifetime of potential mental health problems with your pups.

6. Do you store your dogs anywhere, but in your home with them being part of the family?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder if your dogs are not handled and loved daily.

7. Do you just wonder if folks can afford your pups rather then asking them about their lifestyle and if it works for training pups or if they have the knowledge to train a pup and then giving the buyer unbiased breed information so you make sure they can handle the puppy monster as they grow up?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

8. Are you thinking if one litter sold for so much money then you might as well buy a couple more females too?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

9. Are you considering the male dog’s conformation and temperament and how that will compliment your female’s conformation and temperament or are you breeding to the first male you can find while your girl is in heat?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

10. Have you educated yourself to this breed’s long-term needs?  Do you know how to build a safe, whelping box and have all you need for healthy pups including every book on hand on breeding so you educated yourself and including buying the best food and vitamins with the best prenatal care for your female or do you just throw the female in a box or in the bathtub to keep them from getting blood everywhere when she has pups and then off to bed for you knowing that she is going to pop any second?  Than that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

11. Have you researched bloodlines and attended a few dog shows to see what is considered desirable in the breed so you can strive for the breed standard or did you say, “Heck my female is in heat and you have a male so let’s have PUPPIES!”  Then yes, that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

12. Did you have just “one litter of pups,” but did not know to what kind of homes you were selling the others to because you just wanted that one puppy that looked "exactly like one parent or the other?"  Then you are a puppy mill breeder.

13. Did you keep your female breeder(s) in retirement after she was done having pups for you or did you dump her elsewhere?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

14. Does your female have regular checkups with a vet including X-rays of their spines before having a litter of pups so you will not pass along any genetic abnormalities including a bad spine, which is prevalent in this Dachshund breed?  Do you educate your buyers with all the health issues present with this breed including having major spinal issues before you sold the pups?  Did the male you were breeding with also get a health checkup including a spinal X-ray too?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder if you did not check the future health of the pups you are producing.

15. Do you take back your unhealthy pups that you bred if there are any issues later on no matter the age and give the buyers a full refund?  Did you give the pups a health guaranteee or just swat them in the rear end as you sold them out the door?  If not then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

16.  Do you stay involved in that pup’s life and are there to answer any questions that the new owners might have or do you take the money and run?  If not involved in that pup's future then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

17. Do you spend time with your pups to get them used to people and handling them or are they warehoused somewhere until it is time to sell them?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

18. Do you educate your new owners of your pups that they need a series of shots for immunity, preferably four puppy shots so they have their complete set?  Did you educate the new owners how to keep the precious pups healthy and safe until they have ALL four of their puppy shots including not going out in public until they have their immunity complete?  If not then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

19. Do you sell your unwanted or unsold pups to area pet stores instead of finding them homes?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder especially if you have done this more then once.  Sometimes stuff happens in life and pups need to be sold quickly, but if you raise pups to sell them to the pet store then yes, you are most definitely a puppy mill breeder.

20. Are you having more then one or two litters each year to sell if your dogs are not being shown and proven in the show ring as having correct their breed standards?  Then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

21. Do you force your buyers to meet you in a parking lot to buy pups or allow them into your home to inspect and meet the parents of the pups so they can make a, wise and informed buying decision?  If buyers are not allowed to see where your dog lives on a daily basis then that makes you a puppy mill breeder.

22. Do you breed pups for the love of the breed or just how much money you can make?  If cash talks to you then you are definitely a puppy mill dog breeder and we end up rescuing around 45+ of those dogs each year since 1991.

If you have done more then 10 things on this list with your litter of pups then I highly suggest that you quit breeding any dogs and find some other way to make a living so we do not have to keep rescuing your pups and older dogs. 

Did you know that our one rescue alone turns away 150 to 200+ unwanted wieners just in this area each year so please reconsider having "just one litter of pups" and help us to save some lives so please spay and neuter ALL your pets. 

You would stop breeding ANY unwanted pets too if you took a tour of area freezers at your local shelter overflowing with dead and frozen purebred and part-bred dogs, cats and other pets that are killed each year because they were unwanted or dumped because folks did not take the time to train them correctly.  That freezer tour cured me for a lifetime from ever having breeding another litter of pups.  I wish I could get that image out of my head, but I can't so now I work to save lives instead of  breeding  more unwanted dogs.

Thank you in advance for reading this article.

Sincerely,

Margo Mossburg

Director