I have been hearing alot lately about backyard breeders. Can someone help me understand this? My husband and I are looking to get another puppy in the next 6 months or so and I have found a couple of local breeders but need to determine what makes them good or bad..

I had one breeder e-mail me and she totally put me off by saying most of her puppies are sold even before they are born and if anyone has a puppy for sale that should be a huge red flag. I do not want to pick out a puppy prior to seeing it.

Can anyone offer any advice??

GO to the Breeders corner. It is here in the fire hyrdrant and will give you LOTS of information. You will become very educated!!

I had one breeder e-mail me and she totally put me off by saying most of her puppies are sold even before they are born and if anyone has a puppy for sale that should be a huge red flag. I do not want to pick out a puppy prior to seeing it.

Can anyone offer any advice??


This is true of most Reputable Breeders - I often have many reservations (or sold puppies with deposits) before the puppies are even born.

This does not mean that you don't get to be part of the selection process, just that reputable breed puppies from reputable breeders are gone fairly quickly.

As for advice check out this link - http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/questions-ask-buying-t64608.html


BYB - basically are people that don't do clearnaces on their breeding stock, don't show and don't research pedigrees before breeding. They are doing it for the money as well, but they are not usually very big like puppy mills.

Backyard breeders often have no clearances done on their dogs (hips/elbows) and are not involved in bettering the breed or showing their dogs. They often have a quite a few litters a year and you can usually find them in newspaper adds. They also may not have a puppy contract that says the puppy is guaranteed and that the puppy should be returned to them if you decide you no longer want them.

A Reputable breeder does all of the above. In most cases reputable breeders have a waiting list (like the one you heard from) where you put money down on a lab puppy that has not yet been born and then when they are born you can go and pick out your puppy. In this case the parents are show bred or field trial bred and a great looking labs so I'm positive you would get a great looking/acting lab no matter what.

A backyard breeder, or BYB, is an individual who sales dogs based on the amount of money they can make. They do not try to get clearances (hip, elbow, eye, sometimes even heart, I've recently learned), nor do they try to improve the breed standard, so they'll oftentimes breed dogs that shouldn't be bred.

For example, while I love Puck, we bought him from a BYB. He has hip dysplasia because his parents don't have any clearances, he has eye problems, and bad allergies.

Others will be more specific, but with good breeders, you should be able to meet the parents before getting the puppy!

THey should also be active in clubs, showing etc.....

Thank you all for the quick responses..I will check out the info you suggested. Beauregard had horrible allergies and we got him from a neighbor; the momo got pregnant on accident. Lucky me...

He was the BEST lab that we could've ever asked for. Never chewed, good manners and loved to be with us. I just want to make sure the next one I take all the steps and try and be as smart as possible..

Thanks again. I know that I have said this a million times but I appreciate all the support that everyone offers on this board..

Just wanted to let you know that when we got our puppy Loki we called the breeder and put our names down for a yellow male. When the litter was born there were 2 yellow males, so we got to pick between them. We visited at 4 weeks, and at 6 weeks when they were bigger and had more of a personality we picked between the two yellow males, and then went back at 8 weeks. The breeder lives 2 1/2 hours away, so there was alot of driving but it was definitely worth it :)

You know, the rescue group I work with happens to have a beautiful 3 month old male yellow lab puppy is already housetrained and crate trained. His name is Smokey and I listed him in the rescue section :) Where in Georgia are you? Maybe weould arrange a meeting if your interested!

A Reputable breeder will also have you sign a contract that you will neuter/spay your dog. Kudos to you for coming on here and asking.

I agree with most written here, but also wanted to say that many reputable breeders choose puppies for you. They've been with the litter for 8 wks and know them inside and out. Really, all puppies are adorable...choose the breeder whose adult dogs you like and you'll be happy!!

I'd tell you to look at the Greater Atlanta LRC site for breeders but their site seems to be down at the moment :( So... try here http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/labkennels2.html

Good luck!!

all of the above. I have a friend who is a reputable breeder of German shorthair hunting dogs. These dogs are such good quality, have all the papers and linage, that the puppies are in huge demand. So they do take a deposit before they are born.

I had one breeder e-mail me and she totally put me off by saying most of her puppies are sold even before they are born and if anyone has a puppy for sale that should be a huge red flag.


The statement that having an available puppy is a “huge red flag” is total BS; this should not be considered a red flag AT ALL. Most of my puppies are sold before they are born. But I only take 6 deposits on a litter before they are whelped. If I end up having 8 puppies, guess what? I have 2 available puppies. Normally, I would have others on a waiting list, but not always. I’ve also had situations where the puppies are almost old enough to go home and someone calls and says they can’t take the puppy now for some reason or another. So now I have an available puppy. Many times, there are good reasons, so saying that it should be a red flag is stupid. However, available puppies from reputable breeders are somewhat rare and you should prepare yourself for a wait. You may get lucky though and if you do, you shouldn’t consider it a bad thing!

I once put a deposit on a puppy when the breeder didn't even have any puppies or even a pregnant dog. I had the option to get my deposit back when the puppies reached a certain age ( six weeks I think). If for some reason I really didn't want any pups in the litter I could have waited for her next litter.

I wouldn't say that having any available puppies is a red flag, but a breeder shouldn't be anxious to sell you a puppy without knowing more about you.

When we got Sally, I researched all the breeders in the Atlanta/N. Georgia area. If you would like any names or referrals, let me know. Just PM me. I have some links I can send you.

As far as the available puppy thing, Sally's breeder had several available puppies in her litter. There were 13 puppies!! Several more than she expected. But, by the time they were old enough to go home, they were all sold. I think the point is, puppies from reputable breeders are taken very quickly. THey don't have to advertise in the paper, or sell out of a box at WalMart, or put signs in their yards or on telephone poles.

Lots of great comments I have only ONE thing to add :)

Though there IS a group of byb's that are interested in the money, I find there is also a large group that are not. Just because someone says "they do not do it for the money" (and mean it) does NOT make them "more" than a byb. it takes more than that to become a respectable breeder (clearances, performance titles).

Anyhoo, breeding for your children to see the miracle of birth, to have one "just like the mom/dad", for your female to enjoy the miracle of being a mother, because their friends and family want one...and so on...are all example of BAD reasons to breed (and byb's)

Yes, as stated just above, BYB's aren't always just in it for the money (though they are usually more than happy to take money for the puppies ;))...often it is because they own both mom and dad and want a puppy to keep for themselves (breeding just because they love their dog(s) and want one just like her). Or they bred their girl to a boy owned by a neighbor or friend, or their girl was accidently bred by another dog, or they "claim" to want to produce a litter of wonderful pets for people...there are many, many more reasons than these that can cause a person to be a back-yard-breeder.

These people are called BYB'ers instead of puppy-mills because (while neither are doing the proper health clearances or earning titles on their dogs) they are usually breeding on a much smaller scale and while they probably absolutely love their dog(s), they are NOT breeding for the right reasons and have nothing to show that their dogs are worthy of being bred in the first place (no health clearances, no titles, nothing but what they personally think is great). It only adds to the overpopulation problem (often also producing puppies who will end up with health problems like hip or elbow dysplasia, eye problems, heart problems, etc.)...and they are NOT doing it for the betterment of the breed.

Also- even someone who gives away the puppies is considered a BYB'er....though usually they're going to charge for the puppies in order to make some money off of the "experience," anyhow. (sigh)

I had one breeder e-mail me and she totally put me off by saying most of her puppies are sold even before they are born and if anyone has a puppy for sale that should be a huge red flag. I do not want to pick out a puppy prior to seeing it.


this is fairly common.
we waited over nine months for homer to be born. we did meet the parents, but when we put down the deposit homer's mama was not even pregnant.

I got Bodie from a backyard breeder. I think the determining factor for me was the fact that there was one family dog, one litter.

I would turn away if I found that they had a bunch of caged up dogs and were obviously just trying to make a bunch of money off as many litters as they could produce. Borderline mill.

DaLLas is from a B.Y.B. her mom Hershey (a choc) was the family's dog.. who they bred with their Veterinarian's Black Lab. They had 9 puppies.. and they gave me DaLLas for free. They were more interested in finding the puppies good homes rather then to make alot of money. She is the best thing I have ever got for free. :)

DaLLas is from a B.Y.B. her mom Hershey (a choc) was the family's dog.. who they bred with their Veterinarian's Black Lab.

DaLLas is beautiful, and I know she is a wonderful family member and very spoiled girl. :thumb4:

That makes me very sad however, that a veterinarian allowed his/her stud dog to be bred to a female that probably didn't have proper health clearances (you didn't mention whether or not the family did them), though.

A vet, especially, should know how devastating all of these orthopedic issues, allergies, heart problems, eye problems, etc. are for the puppy families since they see them in labs on a daily basis. That is definitely not doing it for the good of the breed (or for dogs in general)- I don't care if they charge, give away, or anything else for the puppies produced. Forget her "breeders" (since BYB's have already been discussed in detail), I really question the ethics and education of a veterinarian who would do such a thing. :( Very irresponsible, especially in a profession whose motto is, like human medical doctors, "first, do no harm :2cents:

DaLLas is beautiful, and I know she is a wonderful family member and very spoiled girl. :thumb4:

That makes me very sad however, that a veterinarian allowed his/her stud dog to be bred to a female that probably didn't have proper health clearances (you didn't mention whether or not the family did them), though.

A vet, especially, should know how devastating all of these orthopedic issues, allergies, heart problems, eye problems, etc. are for the puppy families since they see them in labs on a daily basis. That is definitely not doing it for the good of the breed (or for dogs in general)- I don't care if they charge, give away, or anything else for the puppies produced. Forget her "breeders" (since BYB's have already been discussed in detail), I really question the ethics and education of a veterinarian who would do such a thing. :( Very irresponsible, especially in a profession whose motto is, like human medical doctors, "first, do no harm :2cents:

I have to totally agree with you Julie. This just p-sses me off to no end.

As to the red flag because a breeder has a pup available? That is just crap.

What about the breeder running on 2 pups in a litter till they are older than 8 weeks to make a decision on who to keep?

What about when you have the perfect home set up, interviewed, references checked (including Vet reference), taken a deposit and suddenly the people call and say "oh my God, we decided we are not ready for this"? The day before pick up?

It happens, and a responsible breeder says fine (thanks for not taking the pup home and then bringing it back and disrupting its life) and moves on and takes however long it is to find that forever home.......... keeps that pup and trains it, feeds it, pays for the next series of vaccinations, etc. till that forever home comes along.

Been there done that and I "did" find the perfect home for that little girl at 20 weeks of age. Was I attached to her, did I cry when she left? You bet your booty I did........... but I knew that baby was going to the right home and thank God the others backed out. She lives in NJ in the summer and Florida in the winter and she comes back often to play and swim in the river here with her mom, Miya and her Sister, Jazz.

OP, find another breeder.................... "her" comments are a red flag.