We have so many people through contacting us, asking about available puppies and immediately disappointed when we don’t have something available right then or within a month. Trust me, I get it. It sucks being told someone doesn’t have something available when reaching out to good breeders or they have 6 months to multiple years of a waitlist. I understand that you do not want to wait that long for a well-bred puppy when you are ready for one now… Or even next week!

But, while I hate to be brutally honest, those backyard breeders, those puppy mills and those breeders only exist because of people being eager (and often times impatient) for a puppy, line their pockets with money. The public who are buying these dogs are the reason why they exist!

I cannot tell you the amount of people that have reached out to me for a puppy, and because of my waitlist, go with another “so called breeder” and end up reaching back out to me because of a sick puppy or because they know they made a mistake. Of course I don’t mind helping people or giving guidance but my 1st question to these impulsive buyers is, “What did your breeder say?”

And do you know what their reply almost always is?

They ‘don’t know’ because their breeder disappeared the second money was handed over or they can’t get their “breeder” to respond.

This next couple of paragraphs are IMPORTANT so read it carefully….

A backyard breeder doesn’t necessarily mean a large scale puppy mill of 100’s dogs in small crates. It also means a family that put their two family pets together and had a litter. Both are irresponsibly bred, even if it means one lives outdoors and the other on the family couch.

Expect more from the breeder of the dog/breed you’re looking for. Pet homes need to ask about health testing and be prepared to walk away when they find out that the puppies are not health tested.

The sire and dam being seen by a vet is NOT health testing. Health testing is being tested and cleared by the Orthopedic Foundation Of Animals in areas that effect the breed in question. It’s DNA testing to make sure the parents don’t pass down diseases to offspring.

Because while it’s tempting to hand over 2k to a person off Puppy Finder for a cute puppy, that same person will not be there for that same puppy after you leave their property.

That same puppy could be affected with a life risking genetic disease that could’ve been prevented with a simple DNA test. That puppy could be infected with parvo due to lack of vaccinations due do ‘breeder’ neglecting to get it checked by a veterinarian. Basically that puppy you fell in love with could possibly be a walking health issue time bomb or you could be one of the lucky ones and won the gamble this time.

So, I know you want a puppy.

I know the thought of having to wait 6 months to even 2 years for a puppy is depressing.

I know it feels like it will never happen but patience in this case may save you from HUGE heart break of buying a sick, poorly bred puppy.

We deserve better than a poorly bred dog from a person who will take your money, not put it towards bettering their breeding program and do it again and again. Backyard Breeders are the reason dogs are ending up in shelters, not the reputable breeders!!!!

Reputable breeders health test, we socialize our puppies, we temperament test our puppies, we screen the heck out of our homes and we breed to the BREED STANDARD! We take text and calls in the middle of the night if we have puppy owners who need us. We get excited with every update you provide us with and are thrilled you keep in contact as we loved our puppies as much as you have! When you are entrusted with one of our puppies you also get us – the GOOD breeders.

Before you think about jumping the gun…..Get to know your breeders. We may not have anything for you currently but we are happy to talk about the breed, our upcoming litters and why we do the things we do in our programs.

In the meantime, be careful of the scams out there! Be wary of puppies that almost seem too good to be true and please do your homework on proper breeding practices no matter what breed you’re looking at.

We need to do better for these amazing breeds we are preserving and it starts with buying responsibly and ending the purchase of BYB dogs. Credit for this write-up to Farmhouse Labradors