Puppy buyer beware

A very tiny brown and black female puppy was surrendered at BrightSide Animal Center in Redmond a couple of weeks ago after a man had found the little rottweiler mix for sale in an ad on Craigslist. He purchased the four-week-old puppy for his girlfriend, but she decided against it.

The puppy had a severe eye infection upon arrival and was looked at by a veterinarian. She would need special drops in her left eye every three hours and needed to be fostered by a volunteer.

BrightSide Animal Center volunteer coordinator Sana Hayes decided that she would take on the responsibility of fostering the little puppy with her medical needs.

Most veterinarians and dog breeders agree that puppies shouldn't be separated from the rest of their litter for adoption before two months of age. A new study researched by veterinarians in Naples, Italy, confirms that advice, showing that puppies removed from their litter mates earlier were more likely to develop behavioral problems as adult dogs.

"It's been proven that puppies need to be with their mothers and siblings until weaned, which is usually about eight weeks," said Hayes. "It's a crucial time in their life. The puppy that my husband, Bill, and I are fostering is missing out on learning behaviors from her mom and litter mates, and we are going to have to try hard to make up for that."

Puppies do a lot of learning during their first few weeks of life, developing skills, behaviors, and personality traits that will remain with them throughout the rest of their lives, and which can only be learned from the mother dog and their siblings.

So why was this puppy advertised on the Internet at such a young age?

"We can't prove it, but the four-week-old puppy, that I now call Raven, could have been a victim of backyard breeding," Hayes said.

A backyard breeder is someone who keeps a number of dogs and either breeds them deliberately or just lets them breed. Backyard breeders may have a few dogs or many, one breed or several. They usually have no understanding or concern regarding the breed standard, genetics, socializing the dogs, and maintaining their health. This is not to be confused with "hobby breeders," who breed small numbers of dogs and care for their dogs well.

"I would like to educate people that a backyard breeder isn't a legitimate breeder. They aren't breeding for a good purpose. They tend to let puppies go when they are too young, and one of the reasons is because tiny puppies tend to be more appealing to people," Hayes said.

Backyard breeders are also motivated by profit. Ads from these breeders fill the classifieds. They are not knowledgeable on how to breed responsibly, such as screening for genetic defects. Responsible proper breeding entails much more than simply putting two dogs together. A backyard breeder who is successful in selling puppies may decide to expand and become a puppy miller - someone who breeds dogs with profit as the one and only motive and concern.

Most professional breeders of pedigree dogs will not allow their pups to go to their new homes until they are 12 weeks old, although some breeders see eight weeks as a fair time to allow the puppies to leave, and taking home a puppy at eight weeks old is not uncommon.

There are many ways to distinguish a responsible breeder from the rest. A responsible breeder will place all pet-quality animals with a contract requiring the purchaser to spay/neuter the pup, and will also evaluate the health of their pups using sound, standardized genetic and other testing recommended for the individual breed.

According to the ASPCA, many puppies sold online come from puppy mills or backyard breeders - they even use fancy terms like "certified kennel," "AKC registered," "pedigree" and "health certified." Many of these breeders are really puppy mills in disguise. No responsible breeder sells their dogs online and has them shipped to your doorstep.

Those looking for a pet are encouraged to adopt a dog or puppy from a shelter or rescue organization. And for those seeking a purebred dog, nearly 30 percent of canines up for adoption at shelters are purebreds.

Raven has been doing well in her foster home and on Valentine's Day, the Hayes' adopted their furry friend through BrightSide Animal Center.