Finding a Reputable Breeder & Spotting Scams
Who is Finley & Sadie’s breeder?
If there is one question we receive the most, it is “Omg! Finley and Sadie are so cute! Where did you get them??” and many variations of the same question.
If I’m being honest, this question scares me and it is one we rarely answer. Australian Shepherds are a very sought after breed due to their striking image and adorable wiggle butts. BUT they are also a working breed and extremely hard to care for. You may first be attracted to their appearance but it is also important to research the breed. Just like any other breed you may be looking into!
So long story short, we don’t share our breeder publically. There are many reasons for this. The first reason being that most people who ask this question are strangers who have just seen a post or two from us and we’ve never talked to before. There is no way of me knowing how they are as a human and if they would be a responsible Aussie owner. The second reason is that most of these people live nowhere near us. I don’t feel comfortable with puppies flying across the country (even have had some requests from other countries) when there are reputable breeders much closer to them. The third reason is we do not agree with all of our breeder’s practices. If we get another Aussie in the future, we don’t know if we would be getting it from the same place. We obviously love our pups but we wouldn’t want to recommend someone we wouldn’t even use in the future, ourselves. You’ll find that if we have a few conversations and you are in the area, I will let you know our breeder in a heartbeat. Also if you do a quick Google search or Instagram deep dive, their breeder really isn’t too hard to find! (;
When I get asked this question, I usually tell people that I will gladly help them find a reputable breeder in their area! A lot of people are shocked to find out that Craigslist isn’t the best place to search for a new puppy. So I’m going to be sharing with you some tips to help you find that reputable breeder near you as well as spot any scams you may find along the way!
How to find a reputable breeder
Use your resources
In an age of the internet, there are many resources created in order to help you find the perfect breeder for you. After you have researched breeds and decided on the one that makes the most sense for your lifestyle, it is time to start searching. The AKC (American Kennel Club) website is my favorite resource to finding Australian Shepherds. They only show you breeders who are registered with them. Meaning you will only see AKC registered dogs. They also have Breeders of merit and H.E.A.R.T programs. These are breeders who have continued their breeding education and strive to maintain and make the breed better. All you have to do is enter the breed you are looking for along with your Zip code and it will show everyone close to you!
2. Visit their website & ask questions
Any reputable breeder will have a professional website for you to look into further. Visit the websites of the breeders you are most interested in and look around. Read their information, look at pictures and videos, and formulate questions you may have for the breeder. A reputable breeder will never get annoyed or frustrated with you asking questions. They want all of their puppies to go to amazing homes and be well taken care of. Pay attention to if they ask YOU questions. Because they want the puppies to be well taken care of, they should be asking you questions about your living situation, how much you work etc. If the sale seems rushed or like they are getting annoyed with your questions, they are probably not the best breeder.
4. Meet the breeder & talk on the phone
A reputable breeder will always be open and willing to speak to you on the phone. This is also the easiest way to ask all of your questions and get the best feel for their answers and overall personality. If they try and communicate all information over text or email, they are most likely hiding something. Once you have talked to a few breeders over the phone and decide which you like best, it is so smart to visit their facilities. A reputable breeder will be more than happy to show you their facilities. Pay attention to if the area is clean and well taken care of or if it smells and is dirty. Visiting the facilities will give you a first hand look at the way the puppies are being taken care of.
5. Meet the parents
After you have visited the facilities, you have most likely decided on your breeder or at least discussed future or current litters. The best way to see what your future puppy will be like is to meet its parents. The Dame and Sire of your future puppy will give you great insight on the height, weight, temperament etc. of your future puppy. This is also a great chance to see the health of the parents and how they are being taken care of. Since you already made sure your breeder is registered with the AKC or another program, they should be able to provide you will the Dame and Sire’s full genetic testing. This will help you see just how healthy the parents are and if you should expect any health problems in the future with your new puppy.
6. Documentation of pedigree & contract
Now that you have met the parents of your future puppy, it is most likely time to bring your puppy home! Or wait the longest eight weeks of your life while it’s mama is still taking care of it. Another tip of spotting a reputable breeder is that they will not let you take your puppy home until it is between 8-12 weeks old so it can be cared for properly by its mother. When you pick up your puppy, your breeder should provide you with registration papers to the AKC (or a different organization) as well as papers from it’s past vet check up(s). If you’re not sure if you will be receiving these papers, it is one of the questions you can ask when deciding your breeder! Most reputable breeders will also have you sign a contract. This contract can include multiple things. The first and what I believe is most important is that if for whatever reason you cannot take care of the dog, the breeder will take it back instead of you trying to find it a home or take it to a shelter. I personally would never give away a dog, but unfortunately it is super common with working breeds. This once again shows that the breeder cares for the puppies and does not want them to end up in a shelter. Another thing that may be in the contract is requiring you to have the puppy spayed or neutered to prevent breeding. Some breeders may be okay with you breeding their puppies on a special request basis but this is not common. This is another way to ensure that the breed is remaining intact and that the breeder is only trying to maintain and improve the breed.
These six steps should help you find the best reputable breeder for you in your area! If you’ve been on the search for a puppy, you have most likely encountered some scams along the way. Puppy Scamming has been a huge problem for us lately as Finley and Sadie have been involved in several scams. Almost daily, we get sent a new Website, Craigslist Ad or Facebook Page that features photos of Finley or Sadie for sale. It truly breaks my heart when we find out that one of you paid money for a dog that belongs to someone else.
In order to combat this, I put together a list of some quick tips to help you spot those scams while you are on a search for your new puppy.
Spotting Scams
After seeing many of these scams online that Finn & Sadie have been involved in, I have noticed some very telltale signs of a puppy scam.
No Website/ found on Craigslist
Like I said before, a reputable breeder will have a professional website. The first sign of a puppy scam is that they are only found on Craigslist or Facebook with no real website.
Stock photos or photos with people
Most scams we see of Finley and Sadie, include us in the photos. We have also seen many scams that feature other Instagram dogs, also feature the owner or other family members in the photo. Reputable breeders will not include themselves in the photos you see of the puppies. The photos you see in scams look like Instagram photos, because they are. Reputable breeders will have photos AND videos of the puppies since birth and they aren’t hesitant to send you as many as you want. Also pay attention to the age of the puppy in the photo. Most scams I see feature the puppy at three or four months old. Unless you are adopting a puppy, this is not what you are going to see.
Puppy wearing a collar or tags
In almost all scams I see, the puppy is wearing a collar or tag. It is VERY rare that you will see this in a reputable breeder. Breeders sometimes use collars to tell puppies apart. This is often the case in breeds like Golden Retrievers where the puppies look so alike. I don’t see this as much with Australian Shepherds because they all look so different. The puppies will definitely not have a tag. This is something that the owner of the dog will provide once they name the puppy and register it to the county. If you see a tag, this dog already has an owner.
No phone calls or visits
A backyard breeder or a scammer is trying to get the deal done as fast as possible. They only care about getting the money before you find out that it is a scam. They won’t let you ask a lot of questions and you will most likely feel rushed. They often don’t want to speak on the phone and won’t let you visit their facilities or meet the puppy’s parents. If they want you to meet them in a parking lot to pick up your puppy, it’s probably not the best decision.
Price too good to be true
If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is! High quality, reputable breeders price their puppies accurately. I like to look at puppies the same way I would look at getting a tattoo. You really get what you pay for and a puppy (or a tattoo) is not something you want to get for cheap . If you’re being advertised a $600 Golden Retriever, it is either a scam or a backyard breeder. An AKC Golden can go for anywhere between $2,000- 3,500! After researching the breed you would like to get, you will be able to see the average price a puppy of that breed usually go for!
double check, just in case!
If you have any suspicions about the breeder you’re speaking to, there is probably something going on! Trust your gut! The number one tip I have learned from Nev Schulman on MTV’s Catfish, is to Reverse Google Search photos. Save any suspicious photos from the breeder and drop them into Google. If they are already posted somewhere online, like someone’s Instagram profile, it will pop up! These scammers (stupidly), often use the real name of the dog. Do another Google search of the name of the dog along with the Breed. If they have any social media, it should pop up. Don’t give any money to the Breeder until you have confirmed they are real and reputable.
Only you can trust your instincts and pick the breeder that is best for your family. I hope you will use these tips and resources to your advantage when finding your next puppy!
