Would You Be Able To Recognise Puppy Farms 2.0
Would you be able to recognise the new breed of puppy farms?
‘Traditional’ puppy farms still exist; with litters bred in dark sheds and shipped out to shops and homes to sell, but farmers have realised we are on the look out for this now and some have evolved to give themselves a more respectable front.
These new farms have really slick websites, but if you look closely no pictures of the actual places where the dogs live or of the pups themselves. Just stock images of adorable babies and exhortations to ‘get in touch and we can find you the perfect puppy’.
They might also have social media pages where they share news of the latest arrivals, with cute ‘new baby’ photoshoots. But look more closely and you will realise they never show the pups where they are actually living or with the mum, it’s always an insta-perfect backdrop and add up how many puppies are showcased, the numbers can be eye-watering.
They don’t have kennels, they have ‘maternity wards’, they don’t have breeding bitches and studs, they have ‘proud mums and dads’. They don’t have underpaid and overworked kennel hands, they have ‘dedicated and fully trained puppy teams’.
They do though, obviously. They are just marketing themselves better than they used to.
They are still breeding for volume and profit above everything. Not for physical or mental health
They still have a huge number of breeds and crosses advertised.
The pups are still not having the early life experiences that will set them up for being happy, balanced family pets.
(Let’s say they have 5 full time staff, sounds impressive, but if they have 10 litters on a rolling basis, average of 6 pups a litter – often it’s more – that is 60 pups at a time. Staff work a 40 hour week, that’s 200 hours altogether. Even if ALL they did was interact with the pups – which is very unlikely – that is only 3 hours of individual attention for each pup a WEEK. Hardly enough to make them confident with human interaction. Homebred pups live with their family and see people, children and house life all day, every day.)
The bitches are still being over-bred.
The dogs are still living a restricted life, with their only value being their sperm.
They will still offer to deliver a dog to you, a HUGE red flag for any breeder and they will generally state that if they don’t have the pup you want, they can source it for you. A clear indication they are a dealer, not a reputable breeder.
They often have ‘K9 Fertility Clinics’ attached as well, so they can really maximise their profits from exploiting their own, and other people’s, pets.
You can often visit if you live nearby but will they show you the litter and the mum, or just bring the cute puppies to you? Can you see where they have been born and bred or is that not possible?
I understand that buying a puppy can seem overwhelming and almost impossible sometimes. And the temptation to go to one of these places, that present themselves as professional, knowledgeable and a ‘one stop shop’, can be strong.
They seem to tick all the boxes that you see online as the things to look out for and you don’t have to go to a person’s house or create a relationship when all you really want is a dog. You can just walk away with the pup and get on with your life.
But you are risking supporting irresponsible breeding, taking on a dog with physical and mental scars that may never heal and allowing animal exploration to continue, albeit under a more respectable banner.
Don’t fall for their con.
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