Where to get your dog

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If you want a dog who will be predictable (in size, behavior, and temperament) and able to fulfill specific goals you have for your new family member (competing in dog sports, coexisting with cats or children, etc.), an ethically bred purebred might be right for you. If you rescue a purebred or buy a purebred puppy or dog from an unethical breeder, you will likely end up with a dog who is unstable, unpredictable, and/or unhealthy (and spend a lot more money on vet bills and training than you saved by not using an ethical breeder).

What makes a breeder ethical?

Being responsible for the lives they create. This means 1) making sure the dog is going to a home that is suitable to own the specific breed in question as well as to own a(nother) dog in the first place; 2) providing a guarantee that the breeder will find the dog a suitable home (or approve a new home chosen by the buyer) in the event that the buyer is ever unable to continue caring for the dog, and this guarantee should include a clause in the purchase agreement that the buyer is not allowed to rehome the dog (or abandon it or relinquish it to a shelter) without the breeder's approval; 3) an age-appropriate (typically physical maturity) neuter/spay contract for each and every puppy who is not a show or breeding prospect (only puppies who fit the breed standard nearly perfectly should be bred, but some other puppies might be worthy of proving their line by earning titles); and 4) doing everything they can to ensure all their puppies go on to live healthy lives free of suffering.

Breeding with a specific goal for their dogs. This means breeding to improve (or at least preserve and maintain) their chosen breed, or breeding purpose-bred mixes (e.g., lurchers, Alaskan huskies) who excel at the purpose for which they are bred. Usually, this means being a member of their national and/or local breed club and adhering to their breed's standard regarding structure, temperament, and behavior. This can be exemplified (and proven) by titling their dogs in the show ring, field/working trials, and/or sports such as agility and dock diving. Depending on the breed, some ethical breeders focus on improving the health or inbreeding coefficient (CoI) of their breed in order to maintain ethical standards within the breed—most breeds have a relatively high (but not problematic) CoI simply because members of the same breed have a lot of genetic traits in common, but it is still important to maintain genetic variability within each breed. In general, ethical breeders do whatever is best for their breed rather than whatever is most profitable or convenient.

NOT breeding dogs who could produce unhealthy or un-registerable puppies. This includes breeding dogs of vastly different size or structure (most designer dogs, including pomskies and most dachshund or poodle mixes); breeding two merle dogs together (resulting in double merle and usually blindness/deafness in an average of 25% of their puppies); breeding two dogs who are both carriers of the same genetic disease; and breeding dogs with traits that are not naturally occurring in the breed (albinism in Dobermanns, the dilution gene in Labradors aka "silver labs", merle in French Bulldogs and other breeds that do not come in merle, etc.). Breeders who commit these practices are typically the ones people refer to as "backyard breeders" and "puppy mills". 

A backyard breeder is a pejorative term for any breeder who is not ethical. They typically breed for profit but not so much that it is their primary source of income. Their puppies are sometimes registered (AKC or UKC is good, but the Continental Kennel Club is a sham used by backyard breeders to trick you into believing their dogs are registered). Their puppies sometimes come with health testing, but usually only DNA testing rather than all the testing recommended for their breed. Backyard breeders also often sell puppies for far less than ethical breeders, but they still make a profit because they are not investing any money in their breeding (health testing and proper vetting are expensive but titling dogs is far more expensive and time consuming). However, a bigger price tag is not typically a sign of ethical breeding practices; most "designer dogs" are far more expensive than ethically bred dogs despite being produced by backyard breeders, and there are many "color breeders" who deliberately produce dogs with off-standard (sometimes non-registrable) colors so they can market them as "rare" colors and charge more money. But the main difference between a backyard breeder and an ethical breeder is the lack of adherence to a standard. Unethically bred purebreds are just as inconsistent and unpredictable as mixed-breed dogs in shelters, so if you do not intend to buy an ethically bred purebred you should rescue a dog from a shelter rather than buy from a breeder. There are many breed-specific terms that are huge red flags and guarantee that the breeder is unethical, but Exotic Bully is among the worst; these dogs are a caricature of the UKC's American Bully, and literally none of them are structurally sound or ethically bred.

A puppy mill is not a literal factory that produces puppies or a warehouse lined with battery cages. A puppy mill is essentially any breeder who mass produces puppies for profit. They typically breed small and/or popular breeds, but not always (the largest US breeder of Korean Jindo is a puppy mill in Texas). They typically do not do any vetting or health testing because there is absolutely no consideration for ethics and the occasional loss of a puppy is not as costly as deworming and vetting all of their puppies would be. Puppy mills are at the absolute bottom of the ethical barrel, and if you "rescue" a dog from a puppy mill by paying for it you are contributing to the worst part of the problem. Puppy mills and backyard breeders are not mutually exclusive; there are many unethical breeders who can be described as both.

Puppy stores like Petland in Novi are also extremely unethical. No ethical breeder would sell puppies via a third party because it would mean they are unable to evaluate their puppy buyers and the puppy buyers are unable to see where the puppies were whelped.

What if I don't need a fancy show dog?

Ethical breeders need as much support as they can get; we need more ethical breeders and fewer backyard breeders and puppy mills, and the only way to make that happen in our capitalistic world is to shift the demand for puppies from unethical breeders to ethical breeders. Even the most involved breeders in the show ring and working titles are not producing litters of 100% show and working title prospects, and their other puppies need good family homes to purchase them. This way, the people who are serious about maintaining and perfecting breeding lines of purposeful, predictable purebreds do not have to take care of an overwhelming number of dogs who will not be bred, but the people who just want a family pet are able to have a dog with a stable and predictable temperament who is free of genetic health issues.

How much should an ethically bred puppy cost?

Typically, ethical breeders charge just enough to break even financially, without making any money or even paying for the time and energy they have spent rearing, training, and titling their dogs. This is worth it to them because they are passionate about their dogs and their hobby. Most ethically bred puppies (regardless of the rarity of the breed) typically cost $2,000-3,000, but this varies a bit by breed and location. If someone is charging you $4,000 for a French Bulldog, they are probably breeding for color rather than anything ethical; if they breed merle French Bulldogs, they are a backyard breeder and you should steer away. However, some ethical breeders need to charge this much if they are in a very competitive breed (e.g., Labradors or Golden Retrievers) because titling their dogs can be very expensive and time consuming. If you see a breeder selling puppies for less than $1,000 (or especially $500 or less), it is extremely unlikely that they are investing anything in their breeding (even health testing) and you should probably steer away. However, some ethical breeders really are able to sell their puppies for less than $1,000 because titles are either unnecessary or relatively inexpensive (usually rare breeds) and their price covers health testing and vetting. Overall, you should expect to pay at least $2,000 for an ethically bred puppy, but a different price is not necessarily a red flag. Some breed clubs offer pricing information on their website, but you can always consult Dogbook (dog groups on Facebook) to be sure.

"I would rather save money by not buying from an ethical breeder."

Even if you can get a purebred puppy for $300 from an unethical breeder, you will almost definitely end up spending far more than the price of an ethical purebred later in your dogs life on veterinary emergency care. A set of new hips costs far more than the $2,000 it would cost to get a puppy who you know will never need new hips. The initial (often higher) price you pay for an ethically bred dog is an investment that will save you from paying for vetting and training down the road, and it is also barely enough to repay the ethical breeder for the expenses of whelping a litter (not including their time). Many breeders are completely transparent regarding their breeding costs, and this link is an example of what it costs to breed Welsh Springer Spaniels.

How can breeders ensure their puppies are healthy?

Health testing. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) provides testing guidelines for practically every breed on their website, and these guidelines are recommended by national breed clubs based on known genetic health issues within each breed. Any dog who has completed all the required testing is assigned a CHIC number, but some breeds require repeated (usually annual) tests for some things, so a CHIC number does not necessarily mean they are up to date. Most breeds require some combination of eye, heart, joint (e.g., elbows and/or hips), and DNA testing, and when selecting a breeder you should cross-reference the list of required tests on the national breed club's website with the list on the OFA website.

Where do I find a breeder?

First, do your research and figure out which breed would be best for you. Do not just choose a breed for aesthetic reasons (this is why there are so many Siberian Huskies from backyard breeders in shelters), but do take them into consideration if aesthetics are important to you (e.g., "scary dog privilege", size, coat type, approachability). No matter what kind of dog you are looking for, you will be able to find a breed that suits you (poodles and water dogs are non-shedding, Alaskan Klee Kai are a more ethical and predictable alternative to pomskies, etc.).  The next section of our website provides information on canine genetics and different dog breeds, so look there if you need help deciding on a breed.

Once you have decided on a breed, the first place to look for ethical breeders is on the breed club website. If no breeders are listed or you have contacted all of them and there are none who will have a puppy for you in the necessary timeframe (you may have to get put on a waitlist and wait up to a couple years for a puppy), you could consult Dogbook and/or look on GoodDog or AKC Marketplace. Breeders on these websites are not screened very well, so look carefully for red flags (use this page as a guide), ask them whatever questions you need to (lack of transparency is a red flag, and it is just as important for the breeder to prove themselves to you as it is for you to prove that you are a good fit for the breed), and post the breeder (anonymously if you like) in Dogbook groups dedicated to evaluating breeding programs.

Are all ethically bred dogs purebreds?

Typically, they are, but there are ethically bred mixes, too. Generally, these dogs are bred for a very specific purpose (lurchers for hunting or pest control, Alaskan huskies for sled pulling, etc.), but there are also breeding programs that are working on developing new breeds. These new breeds are obviously not yet recognized by major breed clubs, but some of them are working on it. Some controversial examples include Tamaskan Dogs and the Canis Panther. Other arguably ethical non-purebred programs include outcross programs such as low-uric-acid (LUA) Dalmatians—the purpose of this program is to produce Dalmatians who do not require a special low purine diet to prevent incontinence (a tendency of the Dalmatian breed). Some people consider this outcross program unethical because of the admixture of other dog breeds, but others believe that it is a necessary part of ethically continuing the breed. Regardless of whether LUA Dals and Canis Panthers are responsible or legitimate new breeding programs, there are some "breeds in development" that are objectively unethical, including "exotic bullies" and "Wooldridge Dogs". If you or anyone you know are considering getting either of these, promptly steer away (but feel free to reach out to us so we can break down the features that make them so blatantly unethical).

What do I do if I have already purchased a puppy from an unethical breeder?

Do not be ashamed or relinquish your dog to a shelter; that would contribute even more to the problem of canine homelessness and shelter overpopulation. Most purebred dogs in the United States were produced unethically, and therefore most people do not grow up surrounded by ethically bred dogs. Everyone has to start somewhere, and hopefully this website has taught you enough that you can begin to be part of the solution. As for your dog, all dogs are special and worthy of a loving home, but now that you know more about ethical breeding you can take a few steps to ensure that your dog lives a happy and healthy life. The first thing you should do is purchase a DNA test. If you are not 100% sure of your dog's breed composition, we recommend Embark's breed + health test, but if you do know your dog's breed(s) we recommend Paw Print Genetics. For more information on DNA testing, visit our DNA Testing Resources page. In addition to screening your dog for genetic health issues, you should read about canine behavior and watch for signs of any temperament or behavior issues, and learn as much as you can about behavior issues common in your dog's breed(s) from real people who own your breed(s) on social media.