How to Identify a Reputable Breeder of Miniature Pinschers

[Fawn & Rust MinPins = Dilute Chocolate]

Five year old blue Min Pin adult Wondering how to decide where to buy your puppy? The puppy sure looks cute in the photos, huh? Cute doesn't make the puppy healthy or the breeders responsible. The following are quotes from numerous websites, breeders and kennel clubs. Don't only take our word for it, try doing your own websearch on "what makes a breeder reputable" and you will find many opinions that are all very similar to our list. No breeder is perfect, all breeders are humans. Being creatures of nature humans are hopelessly flawed and almost equally so are our canine friends. The most superior specimen closest conforming to the MinPin standard, specimens in the best of health, can produce the offhand conformation and health flaws. Your job as a puppy buyer is to do your homework & locate a breeder with the most positive aspects and least negative aspects.

Don't be in a hurry to buy, wait on a waiting list if necessary and you won't have to be sorry later. You'll pay FAR MORE for that cheaper or "available now" puppy in vet bills (trying to correct the wrongs of a puppy that is poorer quality) than you will if you wait and get a well bred puppy.

Breeder Check List Pros & Cons
Positive aspects - better than average	Negative aspects - warning signs
Breeder has been breeding at least 5 to 10 years or is currently studying under the tutelage of an experienced respected mentor.	Bought two dogs a few years ago and decided to breed them, wrong for the breed! Bred their pets let the children experience birth, wrong for the dog! Thought their girl would feel more fulfilled after having a litter, wrong! Worst yet, bred the dog because it had papers & the breeder could really use the money, wrong for the breed and the dogs!
Breeds in the attempt to create dogs that closely resemble the breed standard. Breeder can both quote aspects of the breed's standard and point out where their dogs conform to the standard and where their dogs fall short (all dogs have at least subtle faults).	Has not studied or does not know of the breed's standard. Worse yet, they are breeding solely to produce & sell "rare colors".
Breeder strives for excellence, this includes size, which should be between 10 and 12 1/2 inches at the shoulder. The occasional puppy is produced that will be larger or smaller, but is certainly not the goal of the breeder.	Striving for anything smaller or larger is NOT breeding MINPIN! Breeder boasts about their "tea-cups"? There is NO, notta, not even one AKC breed that has a recognized "tea-cup" anything, NOT the Chihuahua, NOT the Poodle & certainly NOT the MinPin. What you are being sold is a SUBSTANDARD QUALITY puppy that does not conform to any breed ... it is a mutt. RUN from these breeders.
Knows and can tell you about the pros/cons of the ancestors in the pedigree.	Does not know the pedigree or cannot tell you AT LEAST about the attributes of the grandparents.
Studies pedigrees and delivers their female to the best possible complimentary match to produce the best quality puppies. This male dog may be in their own kennel, or may be somewhere across the country.	Uses the stud dog in their backyard or their friend's dog because he has papers and he is close by.
Competes in dog activities with their dogs. Any animal the breeder used for breeding is proven in some way to have the abilities and other characteristics essential to the breed.	Does not see the value in proving their dogs' health, breed worthiness or having them professionally judged against the breed standard.
Knowledgeable about hereditary issues. Can explain for you the health problems common for the breed and provides proof that their breeding dogs are not affected by these issues. For Miniature Pinschers the "common problems" that veterinarians report are Legg Calve Perthes, Patellar Luxation, Cardiac issues. See our HEALTH page (button above) for a more complete list.	Does not know the health concerns for the breed and/or can not provide you proof of a veterinary evaluation clearing their breeding stock from being affected by the common MinPin health issues.
Breeder sells puppy on spay/neuter agreement contracts with at least a 1 or 2 year guarantee for congenital defects spelling out the breeder's accepted responsibility for unforeseen health problems in their offspring. If your puppy is dilute (blue or fawn) this guarantee had better include a guarantee against BALDING!!!	Sells you a dog and hands you the registration papers, shakes your hand and shows you the door.
Mandates that puppies be returned to breeder should you be unable to provide a home for the puppy at any time in the puppy's lifetime.	Makes no statement or arrangements for returning the puppy to them. Worse yet, suggests that you must find the puppy a new home or take the puppy to the local pound.
Keeps at least one puppy in each litter for his/her breeding program (otherwise, what was the purpose of the breeding). Reputable breeders breed for the future, selling pets to the public is secondary to keeping the breed quality & future.	Breeds litters to supply people with pets. There are plenty of thrown away pets to go around in the rescues & shelters, a breeder should be breeding ensure the quality future of the breed and FOR NO OTHER REASON.
Thoroughly evaluates potential puppy buyers to be sure each puppy is put into a good home	If you have the money, you're the lucky owner a new puppy, no questions asked.
Invites you into their home to meet your new puppy and at least the puppy's mother (the father may be a stud dog from another part of the country).	Refuses to let you visit their kennel and will not provide a valid reason why.
Can provide veterinary and previous customer references.	Refuses to provide their veterinary or previous customer references.
Is honest about the various setbacks their breeding program may have suffered and shares with you how they overcame the obstacles.	Does not admit any problems cropping up in their breeding program. These people either are not experienced knowledgeable breeders or they are telling you a LIE.
Breeds one principal breed. Possibly a 2nd or 3rd breed, but the 2nd or 3rd breed the breeder probably co-breeds with a mentor who is more knowledgeable in the other breed.	Breeds multiple breeds without the guidance of a proper breed mentor. Worse still, interbreeds dogs from different breeds (CockaPoos, Labradoodles, Puggles), run don't walk, run away!
Puppies raised and socialized in the home in the family living quarters. Usually has house dogs, may or may not have a kennel for their adult dogs.	Puppies raised in a kennel setting away from and isolated from family life.
Has old geriatric dogs, retired beloved pets.	Owns only dogs that are of breeding age ... hmmmmm?
Sells their puppies only after the proper age for weaning, usually considered 8 to 12 weeks of age depending on the breed and the individual puppy's needs.	Sells puppies under 7 weeks or before the puppy is ready unconcerned about the puppies' emotional needs.
What is the breeder's occupation? How does the breeder support their dogs & the dogs' care? Breeding should be an avocation. Not ONE reputable responsible breeder makes a profit from breeding dogs!	Breeding dogs is their business. Anyone who relies on breeding dogs as their vocation is breeding for profit and not for the quality of the dog. NO ONE should be making a living off of puppy sales; if they are, they are neither responsible nor reputable! If you are making money selling dogs, YOU are doing "something" wrong.
Breeder is a member of the parent club. Parent club members are very active in the breed and have signed a code of ethics to which they can be held should you have an unforeseen problem with your puppy. The parent club will enforce your rights if their club member does not satisfy a valid complaint. For the MinPin (in the USA) the parent club is the Miniature Pinscher Club of America, MPCA. <- Click to visit the MPCA website.	Breeder doesn't know who their breed's parent club is or what a parent club is. If the breeder is not held to a code of ethics, who is going to enforce any ethics issues should you have a problem with your new puppy? Answer is nobody, you are at the mercy of the breeder & you had better hope you did your homework finding an honest one.
Breeder is a member of an all-breed club. This also requires signing a breeders' code of ethics & means your breeder is very active in their community and supporting dog activities for themselves & other dog owners.	Breeder stays to themselves & does not participate in any clubs or pull their weight in providing a favorable environment for the advancement of pure bred dogs.
Breeder respected and recommended by their peers.	Other breeders have never heard of the breeder or refuse to provide the breeder with a reference.
Is a parent or a grandparent a Champion? The dogs that most influence the quality of the puppy are the first 3 generations. While you may not be looking for a show dog, per se, you ARE looking for a particular breed. Champions are dogs who have been judged and graded as conforming closely to their breed specifications. Like begets like; quality bred Champion parent dogs are more likely to produce quality puppies.	If not, your puppy is not likely to be a show quality puppy. Once an ancestor is removed to 4th generation, it no longer has an important impact on the great great grandchild. Beware of false advertisers who advertise that they can sell you a show quality puppy, yet they have no Champions on the premises. Poorly bred pets produce poorly bred pets.

What Makes a Breeder "Responsible?

Ask a Dog Breeder These Questions Before You Buy

How to Find a Reputable Breeder

Being a Responsible Dog Breeder

Responsible Breeding

Evaluating a Pet Dog Breeder

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