How to find a Min Pin Breeder

Min Pins, like many small breeds, are rife with poor breeders and puppy mills. In fact one of the reasons I created this entire site was that it's so difficult to wade through all the bad breeder websites to find good Min Pin information.

So how do you find a good, responsible breeder in amongst all of those poor breeders out there? It's not easy. All of the websites will proclaim that they are wonderful breeders, they have happy dogs, they have happy owners, their dogs are great, etc. and most people wanting a Min Pin just want a super pet. Further, most people looking for a purebred dog really don't approach the purchase in an educated manner. They just want to fall in love with a dog, they want to buy that dog, and have that dog stay healthy and happy for a long time.

Bad breeders are easy to find. Good breeders can be hard to find.

Bad breeders are so easy to find. They have big, splasy websites, they advertise in the paper. Just like any marketer, they are pushing puppies as a commercial product, so it's darn easy to find them. Unfortunately, responsible breeders can be more difficult to locate. Because they breed for a hobby, not to make money, they produce fewer puppies and tend to advertise little. When they do advertise, they tend to do so in "inside" publications or on small email lists. Their goal isn't to sell a product, it's to place puppies in a lifetime home, and sometimes a show home.

If all you want is a great pet, please rescue a Min Pin in need!

There are hundreds of truly wonderful Min Pins available through the Internet Min Pin Rescue. These are dogs who need and deserve a great home!

Markers of a Bad Breeder

In random order, here are some red flags to look for when researching breeders. People who do these things are not likely to be responsible breeders and the chances of getting healthy, genetically sound dogs with good temperaments that fit the breed standard from these people are slim.

1. Have puppies available at all times. Means they're doing a tremendous amount of breeding. It's difficult to impossible to properly raise and socialize muliple litters at once.
2. Advertise "shipping anywhere". Good breeders want to meet new owners and don't ship dogs on the drop of a hat anywhere. Instant online sales are not a mark of a good breeder.
3. Say they are "AKC Inspected" or "AKC Licensed" or "USDAA Inspected." Indicates a huge number of dogs in the kennel. See Number 1 on why this is a bad idea. And it is also at least somewhat fraudulent. The AKC does not "license" breeders. It does inspect breeders producing more than 10 litters a year.
4. Advertise taking credit cards. In most cases, this indicates someone doing business as a mass breeder.
5. Deliberately breeds "oversize," "teacup," "rare colors," etc. No responsible breeder deliberately breeds for over or under the standard. Responsible breeders know there's no such thing as a "rare" color and if they do have a blue or fawn/isabella dog, they fully educate the prospective owner about Color Dilution Alopecia, etc.
6. Does not show their dogs. While not all show breeders are responsible (some produce too many puppies per year with inadequate housing and socialization), responsible breeders do show their dogs.
7. Advertise "champion pedigree." Generally this means one to two champions far back in the pedigree. Almost all purebred dogs have a champion or two within 5 generations. A pedigree not rich in champions is one likely to be from a poor breeder. There should be many, many champions in the first 3 generations of any pedigree you look at, including at least one of the parents of your puppy.
8. Use non-AKC registries. In the United States, good breeders should be registering their dogs with the American Kennel Club (AKC). Some seek to escape AKC inspection and strict DNA identification policies by using bogus registries. Using ACK, PBA, Continental Kennel Club or any other registry other than the AKC is suspect. Note that the Canadian Kennel Club, a legitimate registry, and the Continental Kennel Club, a bogus/puppy mill registry, share the same letters. Most people abbreviate the Continental Kennel Club as ConKC.
9. Says "there are no health problems in my line," or "no health problems in the breed." All purebred breeds (and all dogs) are subject to genetic health issues. In Min Pins, this includes PRA, Patellar Luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes, and MPS VI. See the Health page for more information.

How do I find a good breeder?

If good breeders don't have huge splashy websites and don't advertise in newspapers, how can you find one? It means doing some research, planning and work. And good breeders want you to do that. Remember, when you get a dog from a good breeder you are acquiring two friends for life—a great, well-bred dog who is likely to be healthy and happy for many years, and the breeder, who is going to always be there for you. Getting a dog from a good breeder means you will have a great resource for questions and problems. Just like you want a great pet, a good breeder wants to make sure those tiny lives they worked so hard to produce and raise properly have wonderful, life-long homes. It's a two-way road.

The first place to start is with the Min Pin Club of America site. There you will find breed information and some names and contacts. But you can also start attending dog shows. Watch the dogs and get a feel for the breed. You can find upcoming shows in your area at Infodog or on the AKC site.

Though it takes a bit more time, effort, and dedication to find a really good breeder it's an investment that is well worth it.