Do you want to be scammed?

If it’s too good to be true-it probably is!

KC Poodles of PA

Thousands of people fall victim to scammers every single day. Do not be naïve do your research. If you see random links or random request to be personal messaged, be careful.

Every day we block about a dozen scammers from our Facebook page. They do this for full-time income; beguiling people and laughing at their foolishness. If you see a reply from a person other than is, don’t click on the link, don’t message them!

Beware of things that are too good to be true like free puppies for rehoming, free teacup, puppies…displaying pictures with bright red teacup puppies that are adorable. Puppies like that are not free or cheap. It’s click bait.

Falling in love with a puppy that never existed is hard. Sometimes the best lessons are hard to swallow but I think of it this way; we pay to learn. Valuable experiences; even the negative ones have their value. Just don’t get into the habit of being willingly stupid.

Learn the sign of puppy scams.

You may comment on a breeder’s page only to have a different person reply with:

HEY send me a PM. I have great prices and puppies! Pay attention to whose page you are posting on and who is sending you a reply!

Don’t click on suspicious links

You can always call a real breeder and ask questions that will give you some comfort in who you’re dealing with. People who aren’t breeders usually don’t have a clue.

Real breeders will price their puppies at their worth. A low price will make you fall victim to a scammer.

Real breeders sometimes do fall on hard times and may even not be able to sell their puppies easily. They won’t sink to a level to try to hook people like scammers do. Difficult times don’t matter to scammers. They always have ample quantities of highly desirable puppies for cheap. They’re so cheap that they are invisible. If you paid for an invisible dog, then you definitely overpaid.

A legit breeder should provide a contract. That is a requirement in our state. Genuine breeders should also provide an application. Real breeders want to screen people who are the RIGHT home for THEIR puppies. Beware for quick easy transactions. A scammer is usually in a hurry to complete the sale.

If payments include wire transfer, gift cards, cash app etc, they might be a scammer. It doesn’t mean any or all online payments are bogus; but if you are not sure, pay with credit card. Realize there may be a processing fee. Never use money wire.

The potential future puppy owner should expect to see a health certificate from the vet to ensure sure that the puppy has been health checked when pick up time happens. The documentation should include a DVM license number along with practice information. You can also call the breeder’s vet for referral information.

Positive reviews from happy puppy clients that vary for different years and dates is key. A scammer often gets caught before they are unable to leave a lasting digital footprint. If you cannot visit your breeder, talk to them on the phone or face chat to see the puppy.

A scammer will never talk to you on the phone becauuse talking requires fast thinking. Being a liar takes some ground work - they can’t script something they have no clue about. If that doesn’t help ask for a FaceTime. Well I don’t like FaceTime, BUT particularly I can at least FaceTime a puppy to show you without having to look at my own face (awkward!🤪).

Ask the breeder to explain why they do things. A breeder will usually be happy to explain things to you and why they do it. They want to find good owners for their puppies. Just talk to my courteous but assertive husband. You just can’t get that guy mad. I love him so much!

Ask to be directed to genetic testing on the parents if you are unable to find it. A breeder should be able to provide detailed information about the parents, the puppy, the dog’s lineage and health testing. Most reputable breeders are happy to provide that information.

While meeting the breeder is not always possible, especially from a distance, you should be able to- at least have-the option to meet them (if desired) once you have committed to purchasing a puppy. We typically will allow visits once the puppy is 6 weeks old unless the puppy is really tiny. Those small babies stay up to 12 weeks so we have to sometimes play things by ear.

When arranging visits we try to not keep baby away from mom for too long. Visits are brief and typically only involves meeting just the puppy til pick up day when parents are brought out.

Unless the puppy has to be nanny flown out of state, we do require in person pick up at our home so that we can go over everything to make sure the puppy has what he/she needs. It’s a wonderful bonding time to meet mom and dad, our family and make memories. This is just our method. Some breeders prefer to meet somewhere in order to protect their personal life-keeping business separate. Breeders develop their own procedure because it works for their family best.

Often non-breeders will tell you contrary reasons of what you should expect, which can be a start. It isn’t always 100% on point. They are suggestions.

Breeders that care about their dogs have reasons for procedure in order to protect the dogs and fragile pups. We do not have one dog mom that appreciates complete strangers handling babies and examining them to see which is best for themselves. That is another topic; however, I just wanted to give you this input from a breeder’s perspective.

We found it helpful to have a YouTube channel that shows where the puppy is raised! We are not on there for followers but utilize the platform for our potential clients also for puppy updates and go home. It’s just another way for our clients to connect with what we do. It creates a way to connect with us personally.

“A good breeder is one who studies, reads, watches, and learns from other longtime breeders,” says the American Kennel Club, “and who breeds responsibly and carefully for a number of years before they can be considered a “successful breeder.” -The American Kennel Club

One time way back when I first started breeding a client said to me,”don’t take this the wrong way Kara, but I felt comfortable with you because the website appeared to be homemade.” (or self-made). A lot of scammers will have perfect prefabricated websites. I took it as a compliment just like art it doesn’t have to look perfect-right?! No way am I going to hire somebody to make my page boring like everybody else’s !

On the website there should be pictures of parents; testing posted or at-least ask for testing if you do not see it. Sometimes the website just need a little bit of updating, but they should still be able to provide information. Many say tested but no tests provided. Not all breeders have a website-but they really should if producing litters regularly.

I know a lot of old-time breeders hate social media. It also doesn’t mean because they are not on social media that they are not a genuine breeder. Social media is just one method. It’s not the only method.

One good avenue to find a reputable breeder is the AKC marketplace (AKC.ORG). You can also call up AKC to ask about breeders in your or nearby state.

In order to post puppies or litters on the AKC website, one has to officially register that specific litter with the AKC. Puppies without proper registration cannot be posted.

The AKC does inspect kennel who utilize their record keeping service. Not only does AKC inspect breeders but the state also inspects the breeder. Your breeder, if producing multiple litters should in-fact be state licensed. If not, then they are breaking the law. As of 2024 breeders in the state of Pennsylvania are required to post their licensing information with the puppy.

This is a way to protect potential puppy buyers. You should be able to look up the kennel in the state database of the breeder’s state dept of agriculture with the license number. In the state of Pennsylvania, any household that owns or produces 20 dogs in a given year must be licensed.

This ensures that they are inspected to make sure the dogs have appropriate living conditions and are following the law. Your breeder is required to have licensing information posted conspicuously on the grounds.

I really do hope this article has helped to safeguard your steps in search for a new family member.