A family is looking for a dog--something cute, cuddly, playful and healthy. They are not sure where to start to look, so they pick up the local newspaper and look under "pets".
Enter...the backyard breeder. We are not talking about the ethical, responsible breeder. We are talking about the breeder who has one goal in mind: money. This is the person who advertises "designer breeds," "cute puppies," "adorable non-shedders," etc.
These backyard breeders are moving a product, a piece of merchandise and this product has an expiration date. When the "cuteness" is no longer there, when the "adorable non-shedders" are becoming of age to mate within themselves, the breeder has to move them. The backyard breeder asks a large amount of money and leaves no paper trail back to them.
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The puppies are said to have vaccinations but there's no paperwork to show this. The puppies may be "designer breeds" but the two breeds brought together will have future respiratory problems because they weren't meant to be mated.
Don't buy a puppy from a backyard breeder. Make sure you have true documentation of the puppy's vaccination. (A puppy gets a series of three vaccinations, three weeks apart.)
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A backyard breeder cannot give a rabies vaccination. Only a veterinarian can give that. Get a contract with your puppy. Don't pay with cash and get a receipt for your records.
Shelters and rescues are full of "unwanted," "too old, 4-5 month old puppies" that have lost their "selling appeal."
Do your research. Ask questions. Get paperwork. Rescue a puppy or dog from a local shelter or rescue and whatever you do put the backyard breeder out of business.
