Puppy Farms, Who Is Really to Blame?

Every time I see a client with a new puppy, I ask them two questions; Did you go far to get the him or her? and; Did you see it with it´s mother and the rest of the litter? The reason I ask these things is that it will very quickly identify the pups bought from puppy farms or unscrupulous breeders. Thankfully the majority of pups have been responsibly bred but a significant proportion are not and, as I practice in the West Midlands close to Wales, (where a disproportionate number of these farms seem to be based) they come though my doors with depressing regularity.

My heart sinks when an owner says ´Oh no, I didn´t have to travel at all, a nice man dropped him off a the motorway services/Asda car park/local lay-by´ as this generally means it is the product of a puppy farm. Usually they have answered an advert in the local Bargain Pages, which had only a mobile number as a contact, been asked what breed of puppy they wanted (which should always ring alarm bells!) and told the cost and the delivery arrangements. The puppy will be delivered in the back of a van, probably with others of its kind but maybe not with any food or water, and the prospective owner told to take their pick. If, at this point they come to their senses and change their minds, the delivery man can become quite aggressive and, if the sale still goes ahead, the price of the pup may have suddenly gone up from what was quoted and it is effectively held to ransom until the inflated price is paid. I know this all sounds a little far fetched but all are tales I have heard time and again.

Puppy farms are terrible places, where ´pedigree´ bitches are bred from again and again, often in squalid surroundings, with very little human contact. The puppies they produce are generally poor specimens, often sickly and suffering from disease. They may have also had very little human contact before being removed from their mother and the litter, which can mean they suffer from behavioual issues as adult dogs. However, even if a pup is not bred at a puppy farm, it does not mean it has been correctly produced. There are plenty of unscrupulous breeders out there of all kinds, out to make money only, and it is definitely a ´buyers beware´ market.

It always amazes me just how little thought goes into the purchase of a puppy, I honestly believe the majority of people put more effort into researching what kind of washing machine they should buy. Think about it, if you are buying a new appliance you will probably shop around, check out the features of the various machines, read reviews on reliability and ease of use and you may even compare the different stores warranty and return policies before carefully making your choice. Whereas a dog, which is likely to live for at least a decade and will be expected to be an integral part of the household, is often purchased simply on looks alone, or what is the latest trend at the time. Often very little thought goes into the needs of the dog, how much exercise or attention it will require and what sort of training and environment would be best, which can spells disaster for both the family and the dog. It is this flippant attitude that has allowed puppy farms and other unscrupulous breeders to flourish (and is probably behind the statistic that the biggest killer of young dogs is euthanasia for behavioural reasons – but that is another article in itself).

Among the dogs I have seen recently purchased from puppy farms are ´Marley´ (a yellow Labrador of course) who was extremely poorly with diarrhoea and ´Tiny´ a Yorkshire Terrier who was well in herself but who had three, yes three, different hernias (one umbilical and two inguinal), which would have been related to poor breeding. Both of these dogs had been purchased on a whim and their owners, and the pups themselves, would suffer the consequences. Marley was bought because his owner had seen the recent film. She hadn´t been able to afford the prices of ´proper´ pedigree labs and, unsurprisingly, was now struggling to afford he treatment he needed. Tiny has been bought as a gift from a husband to his wife, without her knowledge, and again, the price and the convenience of the availability of the dog had been key factors in its purchase. She will require an operation to repair the hernias, subjecting her to the risks of surgery and her owners to its expense.

When you see this thing time and again you cannot help but wonder, who is really to blame? Is it the puppy farms producing these pups, or is it the purchasers, creating a demand for cheap ´pedigree´ animals available as and when you want them? It is a difficult question to face, the fact that we as pet lovers may have to take some of the responsibility for flourishing of puppy farms and other unscrupulous breeder.

So, firstly, how should you go about choosing the right dog for you? You must think very carefully about you and your families lifestyle and whether you can sensibly accommodate a dog and its needs. Dogs thrive on human contact and interaction, so you must be able to give it individual attention for a good proportion of every day. All dogs should have at least an hours exercise a day and this will rise considerably for the active working breeds such as Springer Spaniels and Jack Russel Terriers. Also, as a pack animal, any dog will not do well being left on its own for long periods, a maximum of a couple of hours is the most it is fair to leave them for.

Once you have chosen the breed or type of dog you would like, you then need to think about where to get it from. If you want a pedigree pup, then you will need to find a good and responsible breeder, but how do you identify one of these? The best breeders will rarely need to advertise their litters, of which they will have only a handful a year and there may be a waiting list. The mother and pups will be well loved and cared for and be brought up in the home, surrounded by the sounds and smells they will live with for the rest of their lives, not stuck in an outside shed away from the family. If you have your heart set on a pedigree, but the prices are beyond your means, why not contact the Kennel Club for information on breed rescues? There is at least one for every registered breed and the people who run them will be experienced in the needs and requirements of those particular dogs. Alternatively, you could consider visiting your local rescue centre and give an unwanted dog a home. The best will have assessed the dogs, established their personality and their ideal type of home. They will also want to ensure you are a suitable owner, so you may be subject to checks as well.

Taking on a dog is a big responsibility and not a decision to be undertaken lightly. You must do your research, both on the kind of dog best for you and on the home it has come from. If everyone did this, the puppy farms would soon be wiped out. But above all, never, ever accept a pup which is delivered. They are NOT a takeaway or a fridge freezer, they are, as the famous tag-line says, for life!