Choosing a responsible breeder
When looking for where your next dog will come from, there are many important things to keep in mind, and many red flags to avoid. Here are some tips when choosing a responsible breeder.
Green Flags - Signs of a Responsible Breeder
Health testing should be available to view on parent dogs. This means that either the OFA and DNA certificates are posted or the link to the dog's individual OFA page has been provided. Remember you can always use the OFA's Advanced Search to search for a dog by registered name if the breeder doesn't have them posted.
The breeder should have titles on parent dogs, and not just easy to get titles like trick dog and sprinter. Look for conformation titles if the breeder shows their dogs, temperament titles like CGN / CGC, and sport titles in any relevant sports which show a dog's performance abilities. Versatility titles are great because they show that a dog has been proven in several different areas.
The breeder should be active in the dog community, whether through their breed club, local kennel clubs, or competing in shows or sports. Breeders are often involved in rescue or rehoming for their chosen breed as well.
Their puppies should be enriched at all stages of life through training, desensitization, and socialization. The breeder should have a curriculum of activities for different stages of the puppies' time with them and be intentional about the process. They should be able to explain what they are doing and why they are doing it.
Their puppies and parent dogs should look correct for the breed standard and are clean and well groomed. Of course puppies can't be completely clean and freshly bathed all the time, but they shouldn't look dirty or wet or soiled most of the time. They should be groomed early and often and look like a poodle is supposed to. Ask for stacked photos of the parents, and the puppies once they are old enough. The breeder should know how to groom their own breed.
The breeder should interview potential buyers and place puppies with care to choose the appropriate home versus letting the owners choose. Responsible breeders want to place their puppies in a home that is the best possible fit, which may mean that only one or two or even none of the puppies in a litter are suitable for you. They know their lines and their puppies best and will help match you with a puppy, rather than just letting you choose whichever one you desire.
The breeder will take the puppy back if anything goes wrong or the puppy needs to be rehomed. The breeder should always be the first contact when any issues arise, and if the puppy needs to find a new home, the breeder will either assist the home in placement or will take the puppy back and rehome it themselves. Responsible breeders are responsible for every single puppy they produce for the entire lives of those puppies.
The breeder has a health guarantee which doesn't rely on you feeding a certain food or supplement. Their health guarantee should be clear and expansive and easy to understand. It should cover genetic or inherited conditions and offer a refund or replacement puppy.
Yellow Flags - Look More Closely
Be wary of a breeder who breeds mixed breeds. Purpose bred-mixes can exist to serve a specific need, but just throwing together random breeds or breeding anything with a poodle and giving it a cutesy name is a red flag. Just because two different breeds are good at something doesn't mean their offspring will automatically get "the best of both worlds". Breeders of mixed breeds should have a specific goal and be working towards a certain purpose, and their foundation dogs should be from good stock.
Look deeper into a breeder whose parent dogs do not have any titles or are not proven in any other way. Not every breeder has time to show or title their dog in sport, and some breeds or certain colors (such as multicolor poodles) are not able to be shown in CKC and AKC. Some breeders are very remote and don't have access to dog shows or sport titling trials. Some breeders are busy with their jobs or their kids and don't see it as a priority. Whatever the reason, make sure they can explain why they are not able to title their dogs and what they are doing to show their dogs' temperament and structure makes them good candidates for breeding.
If the breeder is not active in the dog community that might be a warning sign, but some dog communities are not welcoming to newcomers or those who only do sports and not show, or vice versa. If a breeder is not new but is not well-known by other breeders, or other breeders don't want to have anything to do with them, there might be a reason.
A breeder who charges more for different colors can be a warning sign that they are only in it for the money. Sometimes charging more or males or females can be more of an old-school practice so different prices isn't necessarily a red flag but it definitely requires a deeper look to make sure that the breeder isn't just in it for the money.
It's a yellow flag if the breeder does not ask questions of potential buyers or have an application process. This may mean they will sell to whoever has money, but it could mean they don't know what to ask or they are more old school.
If the breeder uses the term "champion lines" that can be suspicious. If they have champion show dogs in their breeding dogs' lines, why are the parents themselves not champions? Some breeders will purchase retired champions from other breeders which, while there is nothing wrong with that, can give a breeder clout that they didn't earn themselves which can make a subpar breeder look better than they are.
If the dogs live in kennels rather than inside the home, ask the breeder why. Sometimes a separate kennel can be just as comfortable as a home and can keep the noise and allergens down if a family member has trouble with multiple dogs in the house. But often it is so the breeder can have many more dogs than would fit in a home. Make sure you are aware of how the puppies are being raised, as well as how the adult dogs are being kept, and make sure you are okay with that.
It can be a yellow flag if the breeder over-uses guardian homes. While it can be normal for a responsible breeder to hold back a few potential keepers in co-owns or guardian homes, beware if the breeder uses many guardian homes, seemingly just to increase the amount of litters they have, or relies almost exclusively on guardian homes when they barely have any of their own dogs themselves.
It's worth a closer look if a breeder has no website or social media presence. While this can mean they are older or not very technologically inclined, it can also mean they have something to hide or have nothing of value to show.
Breeding multiple breeds of dog can be a warning sign. While it's common for a breeder to breed two or even possibly three different breeds, make sure that they are truly committed to the breeds for a reason and not only breeding fad breeds that they are only breeding because they sell well, rather than because they love that breed.
If a breeder has older puppies available, look into why. Sometimes it's because they had a puppy returned and they did the responsible thing and took them back. Sometimes it's because they are struggling to find homes for their puppies.
Don't assume that because the parents are registered that automatically means the puppies are good quality. Even legitimate registries are just that, registries. They do not check on breeders or certify breeders in any way. Purebred does not always equal well bred.
Red Flags - Stay Away!
If there is no health testing is done on the parents, or they are only DNA tested, this is not a responsible breeder. "Vet checked" or "my vet says they are healthy" is not enough. If their only knowledge of health testing is saying the puppies are "Embark tested" that is not enough. Know what is recommended health testing for poodles and ask to see the official records or OFA database link. Breeders of miniature poodles should at least be testing for eyes, patellas, hips, and PRA but ideally should be testing for Legg-Calves-Perthes, cardiac, and dentition as well as a full DNA panel.
Health testing should be available to view and OFA links or certificates should be provided. If a breeder doesn't have the official certificates or can't provide a link to the dog's OFA page, they are not a responsible breeder. If they don't offer the link, you can go to the OFA website and look it up yourself. If it isn't there, and they can't explain why, run!
Compare the prices of a few breeders and what they bring to the table. If a breeder's price is strangely high when their dogs don't have as much merit, you can tell that they are only in it for the money. A puppy that comes from health tested and titled parents should be selling for more than one that doesn't. They also should not be selling puppies at different prices based on color or gender.
A breeder should not sell a puppy before they are 8 weeks old. It is actually illegal in most places to sell a puppy before 8 weeks of age.
It is illegal in Canada to sell a puppy as purebred if they are not registered with the CKC or another legitimate registry. If the breeder is assuring you they are purebred but they are not registered, they are incorrect.
Another red flag is that the breeder will give breeding rights to anyone, likely for an extra fee, and won't have any stipulations on the breeding dog as far as health testing, titling, or the age at which the dog is bred.
Avoid any breeder that uses terms like "teacup" and "rare color" or doesn't know the correct names for poodle colors such as calling a brown a "chocolate". A breeder should not advertise colors not normally found in the breed (such as albino or merle poodles).
Backyard breeders often have many litters per year, and will always have puppies available. They likely will have older puppies that haven't sold yet but are still breeding or planning more litters.
It's a huge red flag if the breeder will not allow viewing of their dogs' living environment in any way, even with just video calling. While it can be normal to not allow in person visitors because of biosecurity concerns, they should be able to at least do a video call to show you the premises and where the puppies are raised.
A backyard breeder will have no health guarantee and may not even have a contract. If they do have a contract, often it will absolve the breeder of any wrongdoing if there is an issue with the puppy. Their contract may require you to feed a certain type of food or give vitamins or supplements or otherwise void their health guarantee. Often the required food or vitamins can be purchased from the breeder and they receive a kickback.
Look closely at any photos they provide. The puppies should be groomed frequently, not left curly with eye crusts and dirty feet. Be wary of breeders who only show puppies on a certain background and don't show the puppies in any other place. This can mean their living conditions are less than ideal and they are taking them out of it momentarily to take a photo.