What is a red flag when buying a puppy?
Felton Zieme
2025-07-31 16:43:41
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: 14
You aren’t allowed to meet the puppy/puppies before purchasing. sometimes a deposit is necessary for pure breds or rare breeds, but this shouldn’t be an excuse. You should never be denied meeting the puppy before committing the next however many years with it. You aren’t allowed to come to the breeders residence to collect the puppy. What’s even worse? Finding out your puppy is from a puppy mill or living in poor conditions. You aren’t allowed to meet the parent(s). Meeting puppy parent(s) can be extremely key in assessing the demeanour of the breed/litter. If you are denied meeting both the puppies and the parent(s).. run!! The breeder doesn’t provide adequate health testing/records! I find this mostly applies to purebreds, but if your breeder will not provide you with vet records or call your pup a ‘purebred’ without evidence, run!
Norma Durgan
2025-07-31 16:35:09
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: 13
Not allowing owners to visit the property - especially once pups have started vaccinations is a red flag. I want to be able to see where pups are being reared and know they’re from a clean, well socialised environment. Insisting on meeting you at the end of the driveway or in town etc is a massive red flag and makes me ask what they are hiding. Not allowing owners to meet mum (and dad if he is on site) is also a concern. If the parents or extended family dogs are not the kind of dog that you can meet as a prospective puppy buyer, that’s a good sign that the puppies are likely to be unsuitable as the easy pet dog most of my clients are wanting. Pressuring buyers to rush into decisions on the spot is another red flag. Adding a puppy to your home is a 13+ year commitment in the ideal world. We don’t want puppy buyers making rushed or impulsive decisions and pups ending up in a home that hasn’t fully thought things through. Encouraging pet owners to take 2 or more puppies home is also a red flag, as littermate syndrome is very real, especially in pet homes who may not have the experience or time to appropriately raise two independent pups at the same time. Lack of health testing in the parents, such as hip and elbow scores, genetic testing etc, is also a red flag, as parents being “vet checked” is not the same as these tests to ensure pairings are bettering the breed and reducing likelihood of heartbreak from preventable genetic issues in puppies. Lack of home checks to make sure it’s a good match is another red flag, as breeders who care about their puppies succeeding in homes will ask questions about your lifestyle to make sure it’ll be a good fit.
Trevor Harber
2025-07-31 16:18:25
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: 14
If they are advertising many litters from different breeds, then this is a red flag.
If the number is being used on lots of different adverts, sites and dates then this is likely a deceitful seller.
Puppies should never be sold under 8 weeks old – do not buy from anyone advertising a puppy younger than 8 weeks.
If mum is not available to meet, it’s unlikely the puppy was bred there.
Beware of the seller making excuses as to why mum is not there e.g. she’s at the vet’s, asleep, or out for a walk.
Watch out for puppies labelled as ‘rescue’ but with much higher than expected price tags.
If you feel rushed or pressurised into parting with cash, this is a red flag.
Health problems observed at purchase are not normal and don’t be convinced otherwise.
Beware of offers to meet somewhere convenient e.g. car park or motorway services, or ‘shop front’ premises, common with rented properties just to make sales, and ‘sales rooms’ kept separate from nearby or onsite puppy farm.
Ruby Bergstrom
2025-07-31 12:28:15
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: 13
The mother not being with the puppies.
Look for signs that it is the actual mother - she may be nursing the pup's with her milk for example.
Dropping off the puppy to your home /meeting somewhere so that you don't see the puppy in the natural environment.
Never buying your puppy from the back of a van or near a airport - they could have been imported in.
The breeder not asking you any questions about having a dog.
You being able to get a puppy the first time you visit - the breeder should want you to be visiting many times
A puppy should not be bought home before 8 weeks - avoid the breeder if they say you can bring them home much earlier than this.
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