Hello, in the next 2 to 3 years I want to buy my first puppy and I’m looking for breeders. I’m wondering if akc marketplace is a decent site to get puppies. The breeds I’m looking for are shih tzus, havanese, miniature schnauzers, and bichons. Also, do I need to buy from a show breeder? I am simply looking for a pet.
Any backyard breeder can advertise there, so it’s not particularly reliable. A better approach is to start with the breed’s club website and their breeder directory. You’ll still need to do some research, but it narrows down the options.
You don’t necessarily have to buy from a show breeder, though reputable toy breed breeders are often found there. The key is that the breeder is ethical, conducts health tests, and has their dogs evaluated for ability, structure, and temperament by a third-party expert.
Even if you only want a pet, you still want a dog with a sound temperament, good health, and a solid early environment, right? And if you’re paying breeder prices, wouldn’t you also want the ethical breeding practices and lifelong support of a good breeder?
The AKC marketplace includes anything from preservation breeders to top-tier display kennels to highly dubious breeders. I’d say it’s a notch above from Puppyspot because show breeders and serious preservation breeders do not do business with puppy broker websites. The sole qualifications for AKC Marketplace are that the puppies be registered with AKC and that the breeder has not done anything so terrible that AKC has severed contact with them. If you know what you’re looking for, you might be able to discover a puppy from an excellent breeder. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you might purchase a puppy from a bad breeder.
The AKC registers hundreds of thousands of puppy mill puppies every year. They don’t consider how the puppies are bred or treated; as long as the dogs are purebred, the AKC will register them. Anyone breeding AKC-registered dogs can list them on the marketplace, so it’s not a reliable way to find a good breeder.
Some show breeders are ethical, conducting all necessary health tests, not overbreeding their dogs, and maintaining high standards. However, some show breeders focus solely on breed standards, ignoring temperament, inheritable diseases, or deformities that can make the dogs’ lives miserable. AKC judges may award championships based solely on appearance, even if the dog is sick or deformed. Therefore, you can’t judge a breeder’s quality based on whether their dogs win in AKC shows.
Instead, choose the breed you want and thoroughly research it. Learn about the inheritable traits, diseases, deformities, or disorders associated with the breed. Identify the tests that should be done on the breeding pair to avoid these issues. Then, find a breeder who performs all these tests and can provide proof, and who also breeds for good temperament. This breeder may or may not show their dogs, which is irrelevant to their quality. You can also ask for references from previous puppy buyers. A good breeder will gladly provide these.
As Aniston mentioned, it’s crucial to know what you’re doing. Without proper research on the breed and breeder, you risk ending up with a dog from a poor breeder, leading to high veterinary bills, a dog with a bad temperament, and a lot of heartache.
I’m fairly pro-rescue. Both of our dogs were rescues, and they were and continue to be wonderful dogs. My current dog is a purebred, which makes no difference to me, but if it matters to you, I mention it because they are readily available at shelters and rescue organizations.
First of all, don’t think of it as “just” looking for a pet. A good pet should have all the same qualities as any other member of its breed, except for some physical aspect that’s less than what’s required in the show ring. In fact, you might need a superior temperament compared to what an experienced show dog person finds acceptable. You want and need a dog as sound and healthy as any show prospect. A good breeder is just as particular about placing a puppy in a pet home as in a show home.
So yes, a puppy with white where it’s not allowed in its breed, or a less-than-perfect topline, or slightly misaligned toes might be perfect for you—or it might not. You’re looking for a puppy that, in the great environment you provide, will grow into a fantastic companion who will enrich your life, not “just” a pet.
As others have mentioned, the AKC Marketplace is merely an advertising venue. There is a range of breeders there, from good to bad. In my opinion, the best place to start investigating breeds is the website of the breed’s national club. All AKC breeds have a national breed organization, and their website will provide information about the breed, temperament, common health problems, etc. Many also have a list of breeders who belong to the club and have agreed to abide by the breed’s code of ethics. They may also have a list of regional clubs. It’s not a perfect list, but it’s a better place to start. Also, read up on what to look for in a good breeder and what are areas of concern or red flags.
I’ve done rescue work, specifically breed-specific Rottweiler rescue, and I might have a different perspective than some. Yes, there are wonderful dogs in rescue and shelters, and people looking for a great pet can find one there. However, some rescue groups are so eager to place a dog in a home that they either don’t evaluate the animal well or ignore problems and don’t inform potential adopters about them. Pretending that many dogs don’t end up in shelters or rescue because they have problems is counterproductive. So, someone going that route needs to understand what they’re getting into and evaluate as carefully as someone looking for a puppy from a breeder. If someone is willing to take on a rehab project and has the ability to do it, that’s fine, but placing a dog that doesn’t suit an owner is not in anyone’s best interest, including the dog’s. The best situation is a foster-to-adopt arrangement if you can find that.
This is sadly true for some rescue groups, although in my experience, very few indeed. It can also be true for overcrowded shelters that have to place dogs or risk euthanizing them.
However, I take exception to the statement about “pretending a lot of dogs don’t end up in shelters because they have problems.” I really wish people wouldn’t have that attitude.
In my experience, far more dogs end up in shelters because their owners had problems, not the dogs themselves. This includes people who:
- Move to a place that doesn’t allow dogs.
- Move across the country and decide taking the dog is too much trouble.
- Didn’t do their homework and got a dog that’s too big, too active, too long-haired, etc., and realize they don’t really want it.
- Have babies and don’t want the extra work of a dog anymore.
- Were never truly responsible dog owners committed to their pets in the first place.
People often think they can just get a dog and then leave it at the shelter if they feel like a change, like taking a couch to the thrift store and buying a new one. This is the most common reason dogs end up in shelters.
Additionally, some people get ill, become disabled, or die, which sends dogs to shelters. Dogs get lost and aren’t found again. There are dozens of reasons dogs end up in shelters that have nothing to do with the dog itself.
Then there are people who won’t bother to train a dog and blame the dog for not behaving as they like, claiming the dog has problems. The dog doesn’t have problems; the problem is with the person who won’t be responsible and train the dog.
Very few dogs actually end up in shelters because they are genuinely problem dogs. The vast majority of them are and will be good dogs if they are placed in the right homes, trained and socialized properly, treated well, and cared for.
To steer the conversation back to finding a reputable breeder, I recommend that anyone looking for a puppy verify that the parent dogs have passed the minimum required tests for their breed. A good place to start in North America is OFA.org. For a dog to get CHIC certification, it needs to have certain breed-specific tests done and posted. Not all breeders pay to get the posting, but you should see veterinary evidence if the tests aren’t posted.
For example, the CHIC test requirements for the Havanese include:
- Hip Dysplasia: One of the following:
- OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation
- PennHIP Evaluation (results registered with OFA)
- ACVO Eye Exam: ACVO Eye Examination (results registered with OFA)
- Patellar Luxation: Veterinary Evaluation of Patellar Luxation (results registered with OFA)
For the Bichon Frise, the CHIC tests are:
- Hip Dysplasia: One of the following:
- OFA Radiographic Hip Evaluation
- PennHIP Evaluation (results registered with OFA)
- Patellar Luxation: OFA Patellar Luxation evaluation (initial evaluation after 12 months, and annually thereafter)
- ACVO Eye Exam: Annual Eye Examinations (results registered with OFA)
- Cardiac Evaluation (optional but recommended):
- Standard Congenital Cardiac Exam (results registered with OFA)
- Advanced Cardiac Exam
- Basic Cardiac Exam
- Legg-Calve-Perthes (optional but recommended): OFA Legg-Calve-Perthes Radiographic Evaluation
Avoid breeders who only perform genetic tests. While genetic tests are better than nothing, many diseases do not yet have tests
You can purchase a mixed puppy from a rescue in the breeds you like. Many dogs are in need of new homes. If I had land, I’d have 30 rescue/pound dogs.