There is nothing that makes us happier than finding other members of online forums educating puppy shoppers. We spotted one such member (Catherine O'Connor) who posted this information that we wanted to share because it's valuable, accurate and important. Her posts are shared below (with permission, of course). They also mentions some very well known brokers in our area that people seem to recommend repeatedly just because they have "available puppies." Here are her posts:

​It’s easy to be fooled by some of these very sophisticated broker run puppy mill networks into thinking you’re making a responsible choice. Not only are some of these networks so large & have so many breeders producing for them it’s hard to tell who’s who name wise (and easy to shed complaints & bad reviews by just starting a new LLC.) but some of them present themselves as downright wholesome, religious, pro-family & absolutely anti-puppy mill. Don’t fall for these animal abusers tricks. Make sure to do your homework!

With the shortage of puppies from the pandemic & people growing more impatient by the day to find one, scammers have swarmed these kinds of groups to make easy money. The admins delete all day & do their best but it’s extremely overwhelming as these scammers switch up their identities so fast; its just impossible to keep them out of these groups. So It’s up to you do the vetting but If you take these 4 steps it weeds out almost all of them.
1. ALWAYS reverse image search every picture they send you or post. That eliminates almost all of them from the jump because they just use found pictures on the internet as their own. If you don’t know how just google it -  there are a million different free pages that allow you to do it & show you how step by step.
2. ALWAYS speak on the phone.
3. ALWAYS get and then ACTUALLY check the Vet reference by first googling them to make sure they are an actual Vet & they did not give you a spoofed internet number & then call them yourselves.
4. Never wire them money. Use PayPal or something that both protects you as the consumer (and will refund you in the event of an issue) & verifies their identity before they can collect their money. *Always click the business option on PayPal not the friends & family. It’s worth the small fee PayPal charges to insure your investment.
Do these 4 things and be skeptical of any breeder that does not have a waiting list right now as almost every reputable one does! Best of luck everyone!🐾🍀​

I’ve seen 3 posts across the Cavachon groups I’m in from people who got scammed today. So whether it’s someone pretending to be a breeder or someone pretending to have a dog to rehome, if you’re in the market for a puppy & you’re worried or new to this, here’s how to make sure that it doesn’t happen to you.
Someone sending you a few pictures of a cute puppy with a few Facebook messages & then asking you for a deposit is not even close to enough.
Check for signs of legitimacy. When was their Facebook page created. Look at their pictures on their profile, cover pic, profile pic, timeline pics -were they all uploaded the same day? Who liked/commented on their pics? Does it seem like normal kind of engagement from friends/family or do their comments & likes more closely resemble bots or foreign nationals?
For breeders- when was their Facebook business page created? how many likes do they have? Do they have their review section turned on? Do they have any? Check the community section, any posts? Are they advertising 6 different kinds of dogs? Red flag. Do they not outwardly say where they are located or discuss lineage? Red flags. No phone number or other contact info? Red flag. Most real breeders have websites, ask for theirs.
Still can’t tell? Take those cute puppy pics they sent you & do a reverse image search on google images to see if they’re real or if they’ve just lifted them from someplace/someone else. If nothing comes up ask if you can come visit to meet the puppy, see the parents etc. At the very least you want to do a live FaceTime video call with the person the profile is presenting to be (don’t accept any excuses as to why you’re now dealing with someone else or seeing a different dog or can’t see the dog you’d be getting) to see the puppy, or if not born yet, the parents & where they care for their dogs.
Ask lots of questions. If you’re met with any resistance or sales pressure- move on. https://bedogsmart.org/…/questions-to-ask-a-breeder-before…/
RECOMMENDATIONS/REFERENCES
Ask for recommendations here for Breeders people have used & then start doing your homework. Google them for possible complaints, to find reviews etc. Whether it’s a breeder or someone rehoming a pet you need to not only get verifiable references - but you need to then actually check them too. From a breeder you want to talk (not text, not email but actually TALK) to satisfied customers AND their Vet & for anyone rehoming definitely a Vet reference.
Never send any money via Western Union or any other money wiring services. Avoid using Venmo or Zelle .Too much sensitive personal financial info at risk. If a deposit is required try to use PayPal if possible. Not only do you have payment protection you also don’t have to give out any credit card or address information. If that’s no good, the next safest bet is your credit card because of the charge back protection.
That’s all I can think of offhand, if anyone has anything else please chime in, & don’t forget everyone - there’s just not an abundance of puppies right now due to the COVID-19 rush - so if it’s really cheap or it looks too good to be true-it probably is! Trust your gut! Best of luck everyone!❤️

1. THOSE WHO CUT CORNERS - Some breeders may not know better (often referred to as "backyard breeders") while others are simply attempting to increase their profit margins by spending less on their dogs and their breeding programs. These breeders can be identified by their refusal to do anything for their dogs or puppies that might cost money. Breeders in this category will often do some or all of the following: 
   • Not have DNA panels on their breeding parents. 
   • Not have annual hip, eye, heart and patella exams on their breeding parents. 
   • Not have comprehensive vet checks on the puppies. 
   • Have breeding dogs that are not registered with the AKC. 
   • Feed their dogs (and their puppies) low quality food. 
   • Don't thoroughly interview prospective families and never decline a sale. 
   • Sell their entire litters to brokers or puppy stores to avoid detection. 
   • Have more dogs than they can properly house. 
   • Offer health guarantees with little to no actual guarantee because they've learned that once a family loves a puppy they won't return it for another one. 
2. THOSE WHO OVERBREED - These breeders could fall in to Category #1 and also overbreed their dogs (i.e. puppy mills) or these breeders may present as reputable breeders but they simply overbreed their female dogs over and over to increase profits. They have identified what they need to do in order to attract higher quality homes and higher prices, but in order to make money they ignore breeding protocols. While there is a great debate in the veterinary and breeding community about back to back litters, there is no debating the fact that authorities agree that having more than 4 litters in a lifetime can be detrimental to the health of the female, and may even shorten her life.
3. THOSE WHO BREED FOR QUALITY, NOT PROFIT - These are the breeders that most consumers are seeking. The ones who don't need to breed their dogs for income, but choose to do so because they truly love the breed(s) and love sharing them with well chosen families. Here are some ways to identify these breeders: 
   1. Their dogs are all registered, they have adequate health certifications and DNA testing and the breeder is happy to produce it.
   2. They do not breed dogs with hereditary illness. As soon as they identify and health issue with a dog in their program, they stop breeding that dog despite what it may mean to their bottom line. 
   3. They will never sell to a broker or puppy store because they can't confirm their puppies are safe and well loved.
   4. They have other sources of income and don't rely on breeding to feed their family. Reputable breeding is truly not that profitable!
   5. They breed for purpose, not just to sell puppies. 
   6. Their dogs are generally healthy (there is always the occasional issue that is outside of anyone's control) with vet and vaccination records, a vet reference and plenty of customer references too. 
   7. They have a limited number of dogs in their home and know their dogs personally. If their program is larger, they may use Guardian Homes or other means to properly house and take care of their animals.
   8. They feed quality food and make sure you are educated on proper puppy nutrition as well. 
   9. Their animals show no signs of neglect and they are happy to prove it by allowing you to see the parents, their pedigrees and their records. 
   10. Their breeding pairs and their puppies are properly socialized and show no early signs of behavioral, anxiety and fear related issues.
   11. They do not allow their dogs to be re-homed without their permission or placed in shelters - ever. 

We hope this post, in combination with our other resources, will help you determine and locate the type of breeder you want to work with. When you demand a less expensive puppy, use a broker or "rescue a puppy" from the puppy store, set a budget below what a responsible breeder can produce or want a puppy without being on a waitlist or filling out an application,  you are making a choice about your breeder whether you realize it or not.