With so many people selling or “re-homing” litters of “accidental” or “unwanted” puppies online nowadays, it’s important to know the difference between reputable/ethical breeders, “backyard” breeders, and “puppy mills” and to understand why it’s so important to spay/neuter your pets.

How many puppies can a dog have in a year?

An intact female can go through estrus 2-3 times a year, and can be receptive to mating and be fertile for as long as two weeks during an estrus cycle. There can be as many as 6-12 puppies in a litter, depending on the dog. Once the puppies are born, the female usually starts to wean them at around 6 weeks. But the pups won’t be fully weaned until approximately 8-12 weeks of age.

How young is too young to take a puppy from its mother?

The general assumption many people make is that puppies can be taken from their mother at 6 weeks of age. But that’s based on outdated information. Current information recommends that a pup stay with its mother for approximately 8-12 weeks, with 8 weeks being the minimum and 12 weeks being the reccomended.

While the puppy is with its mother, it’s getting its nutritonal needs met (mother’s milk until it starts eating solid food, and then mother’s milk as a supplement until fully weaned). While weaning, the pup is also being schooled in basic pack behavior — learning things like bite inhibition and how to respect other pack members and humans (apropriate socialization). By 12 weeks, the puppy has had its first two sets of puppy shots and its own immune system is better able to protect the pup’s health.

Reputable/Ethical Breeders

A reputable and ethical breeder is licensed. They work to better the breed through careful husbandry practices. Their sires and dams are registered and/or papered, and undergo genetic health testing. Their puppies may or may not come with breeding/registration rights. That all depends on whether you are getting a pet or a show-quality animal.

Reputable breeders usually only have one breeding female. They don’t breed her more than once a year – sometimes two, depending on the breed. But they always depend on veterinary advice and care to make that choice. They also will wait until a puppy is 8-12 weeks old before making it available for adoption. This is why a breeder may have a waiting list. And they usually only focus on one breed of dog.

A reputable breeder will also start potty-training and basic obedience training. But it is up to the adopter to continue to build on that training.

You’ll need to sign a (possibly extensive) contract – for the protection of the puppy/dog, as well as for yours and the breeder’s protection. Breeders aren’t usually profiting much (if any) or paying their personal bills. The fees they charge go to cover the costs of breeding and keeping the dogs healthy. It’s usually not a for-profit situation.

“Backyard” Breeders

These so-called “backyard breeders” usually have more than one female, and breed indiscriminately – whether “accidentally” or deliberately. Then they offer these puppies for adoption or “re-homing”, oftentimes with a fee anywhere from less than $100 to upwards of $500-$1000 or more.

These “accidental” breedings happen when an intact female in estrus is left unattended in a yard or home with a male, or escapes the yard and roams. Or when a roaming male literally jumps a fence into the yard.

This is just one of the reasons why it’s so important for people to have their pets spayed or neutered, and just one of many reasons to keep your dog under close supervision.

Sometimes, people breed their dogs indiscriminately with the intent to profit off the puppies. These dogs may or may not be registerd. Most often, they are not purebred. They may or may not have genetic issues with their bloodlines. But there is no way to know, because these breeders don’t usually do genetic testing.

Puppy Mills

A “puppy mill” is a breeder who keeps many dogs, often in overcrowded or neglectful conditions. They overbreed their females. They don’t provide proper vet care. Their dogs may be sick or genetically unsound, or even inbred.

Unfortunately, some pet stores get their puppies from these puppy mills – then inflate their retail price. These puppies might be healthy. Or not. They might develop health issues in the shop kennel, or soon after a new owner brings them home. They might have been removed from their mother too soon.

Adopting from a shelter or rescue

If you’re not looking for a show dog with a pedigree, or a working-line dog for a specific purpose, then adopting from a shelter or rescue would be a good option to consider. There may not be much information about the dog’s history, but it will either already be spayed or neutered, or it will be required as part of the adoption agreement. There wil be basic obedience training to do, and possibly potty-training along with all the other fun challenges of owning/raising a dog.

Choose Wisely

When you consider where to get a dog, do your research. If you choose to get your dog from a licensed breeder, make sure you understand what they are offering and what you are agreeing to when you get a dog from them. A reputable breeder will take a dog back, at any point in its life, for any reason. So will an ethical rescue organization. An animal shelter may or may not, depending on how much space they have. But, if necessary, you could try to find a placement with a rescue instead, if you absolutely must re-home your dog. Whatever the case, when you adopt a dog (regardless of where it comes from), remember: it’s a lifetime commitment.

Don’t let your dog down.