# A good breeder?



## Genny (Oct 16, 2021)

Does a recommendation from the PCA referral list mean the breeder is "good"/not a puppy mill? Do reputable breeders ever advertise on websites such as nextdaypets or similar sites?

PCA is a good place to start but is it a guarantee that the breeder is "good"?

Thanks!


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## Suebeedo (Apr 21, 2021)

Word of mouth is best and this site offers a list of what to look for and recommended breeders if you use the Search box. The breeder I purchased from Is reputable, competes, fully health tests the breeding pair (s) checks the eyes of each pup, has a waiting list and does not have a Website. They should fully screen you and not use a broker. Do your do diligence and please do a Search on this website.


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## Poodle2021 (Mar 14, 2021)

In my experience, no good breeder would ever sell a dog on a website like nextdaypets. I assume all those puppies are from puppy mills. No good breeder will ever sell a dog through a pet store or other website without talking to a potential new owner through an application & interview process.

Often, a good breeder has a website that is not frequently updated because they are busy with their dogs. It will have pictures of their dogs at dog shows. It will almost never have an option to fly a puppy to you with a ‘flight nanny’. It will not allow payment with PayPal. It will not have pictures of puppies in outfits wearing bows. It will not be a ‘flashy’ website. For a good breeder, theirs dogs are not commodities sold over a website, and their website reflects this - a focus on a few female show dogs, doing dog sports (agility, obedience, hunting), and generally a serious site, not about cute & fluffy puppies.

Also, yes, a breeder linked through the PCA is a great place to start. Always do your research, of course. This forum also has a list of recommended breeders. Maybe someone else could link to it, I’m not sure how to do that.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Genny said:


> Does a recommendation from the PCA referral list mean the breeder is "good"/not a puppy mill? Do reputable breeders ever advertise on websites such as nextdaypets or similar sites?
> 
> PCA is a good place to start but is it a guarantee that the breeder is "good"?
> 
> Thanks!


Yes, a recommendation from PCA is reliable. I cannot imagine that any reputable breeder would advertise on a website such as nextdaypets. Actually, I don't know any reputable breeders who advertise much at all other than in magazines such as Poodle Variety. A reputable breeder usually has more requests for puppies than they are likely to be able to fulfill.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

The Poodle Club of America in it's current form has been in existence since 1931. They are the official Poodle breed club and set the standards for the breed and the breeders.
Being a member requires a lot of criteria to be met.

Membership - The Poodle Club of America

Excerpt

*There are three types of Membership*

*Individual*
The purpose of the Individual Membership is to recognize individuals who demonstrated long term that they have acquired significant knowledge of the breed standard, have successfully breed and exhibited and have conducted themselves with good sportsmanship exhibiting good character in matters important to the Club and the Breed.

*Joining the Club*
An individual who wishes to join PCA must have two members of the Club who have known him/her for sometime propose him/her for membership by letters to the Corresponding Secretary. Each of these members will be sent a sponsor form. When these forms are completed and returned to the secretary, the Applicant will be sent an application to be filled out and returned, along with a recent photograph. All applications, which have been completed at least 30 days prior to the meeting, will be presented by the Corresponding Secretary at the next Board of Governor’s Meeting. After this, it will be forwarded to the Chairman of the Membership Committee. After study and deliberation, the Membership Committee will submit its recommendation to the Board of Governors of the Club for final action. If sponsor forms and applications are not returned to the Corresponding Secretary within a two-year period, that application is dropped and the entire process may be started again at a later date.

*Membership Guidelines for Individuals*
Download Membership Guidelines

*Brief synopsis for Individual Membership in Poodle Club of America:*
Applicant must be actively breeding and/or exhibiting for at least 8 years immediately preceding the submission of their application.

Applicant must have bred at least four litters out of which at least 3 poodles finished their American Championship.

The applicant must demonstrate a desire to follow the Poodle Club of America’s established breed standard and have demonstrated active concern for the elimination of genetic anomalies in Poodles. The applicant will be asked for proof of appropriate genetic testing.

Applicants must have been an active member of their local Affiliate Club (if any) or otherwise a local all-breed club for at least 4 years immediately preceding their application. The applicant must be generally characterized as:


Ethical in breeding and exhibition
Providing proper care for their dogs and the dogs of others under their care if applicable
Setting a good example as a leader and mentor
The most important objective PCA has in looking for Individual membership is to find and admit applicants who have acquired expertise and knowledge of breeding and exhibiting poodles in order utilize their knowledge to make important club decisions, maintaining the breed standard and lending future direction to the Poodle Club of America.

Applicants who are successfully elected to Individual membership are expected to be active in PCA by meeting one or more of the following criteria on an ongoing basis:


Owning or competing with a Poodle at PCA National or Regional events
Attending a function sponsored by PCA or the PCA foundation
Serving on a club or show committee, advertising in a PCA catalog, or a donation to PCA, PCA Foundation, trophy fund or some other function sponsored by PCA

*Code of Ethics*
*Code of Ethics written as Best Practices as requested by the American Kennel Club*
Download the Current Code Of Ethics

*As a Breeder, I*

Plan each breeding selectively toward the goal on improvement of the Poodle, not purely for financial gain
Keep accurate records as per AKC rules and regulations
Test all breeding stock , as appropriate, for each variety’s genetic and acquired disorders
Remain abreast of new genetic testing available and readily participates in current genetic studies
Never intentionally allow a Poodle to be bred to any other breed
Screen prospective buyers or individuals with whom a dog is placed
Provide a written contract for all interactions involving the breeding, selling, co-owning, placing and rehoming of my stock
Sell puppies with individual records to include:
A Bill of Sale stating the conditions (terms) on which the sale was made
A Pedigree of at least 3 generations
Up-to-date health record
Proof of genetic/acquired condition testing
A reasonable time frame for a return
Never release a puppy before 8 weeks
Sell non-breeding quality puppies with limited registration
Require all non-breeding quality puppies sold to be neutered/spayed

Assume responsibility for the well-being of all dogs sold including taking back adults in emergency situations and finding homes for rescues that have been identified from my breeding when possible
As part of my selection as a member of PCA, I acknowledge the responsibilities inherit in that membership and pledge to follow the Code of Ethics of the Poodle Club of America. In addition, if I find I am no longer willing to abide by this document, I agree to submit my resignation form PCA.

------------------------

Being a member of the PCA is as good a statement as you can get for being a "good" breeder.

Standing behind you and your poodle for the life of that poodle isn't about the health guarantee, it's about the relationship between you and them. A good breeder will follow the Code of Ethics and will breed only for the best, not just to compete, but to ensure the quality of the breed for as long as it exists.
They will _care_ about what happens thru the life of your pup and want to be kept updated on your pup.

Reputable, ethical, responsible, quality, conscientious breeders will not be found on any of those direct online retail sites such as puppyspot/puppyfind/etc. Most of the Good Breeders really don't need to advertise at all.

I'll go further and say that virtually any site which features nothing but puppy pic after puppy pic and no info about dams, sires, health testing, all noted in other posts, are brokers or large or small volume for profit breeders who may or may not care about the individual poodles but they are_ not_ thinking about the future of the breed.

Broker, not a breeder 48 puppies per page! 3 full, 1 partial page!









Far too many to count









If you look thru some sites listed on the Breeder List, you'll get a feel for what you should expect to see when there's a website.

This is an example of the home page of a breeder I'd look into for myself.









Then take the kennel name or the registered name or registry number and go to OFA lookup to see the health testing









and then look at the kennel names of the dam and sire, and of the grandparents to see who they trust. You'll start seeing kennel names repeated because they're producing the poodles that other breeders want to share genes with.

As a pet owner, why wouldn't I want the best poodle I could have? They aren't going to cost more than some of those broker puppies, and often far less in the long run, plus we have a breeder who cares what happens as a part of the deal.


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## TeamHellhound (Feb 5, 2021)

The PCA member breeder list is a good place to start. However, you need to be aware that not all breeders on the list will meet _your _requirements of a good breeder. I know there are people on the DPCA breeder referral list that I wouldn't take a dog from if they paid me. Also, not all good breeders are members of the national breed club, or if they are, don't want to pay to be on the referral list.


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Rose n Poos, that mauve background and silver Toy scream Allegros to me. Am I close? Oh my word, I'd love a Toy from her 🥰😍!!


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## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

Becoming a member of PCA, was not an easy task. I will say it was a very proud day when I was accepted as a member.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Streetcar said:


> Rose n Poos, that mauve background and silver Toy scream Allegros to me. Am I close? Oh my word, I'd love a Toy from her 🥰😍!!


It is . When we were on our quest in 2017, they had a slightly older toy boy available and I was sorely tempted but stuck to our decision to find another miniature. 



farleysd said:


> Becoming a member of PCA, was not an easy task. I will say it was a very proud day when I was accepted as a member.


As I'm learning about this side of the Poodle World, I can understand your pride. To have met, and I'm sure, exceeded those standards, is a real achievement.


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## farleysd (Apr 18, 2011)

Rose n Poos said:


> It is . When we were on our quest in 2017, they had a slightly older toy boy available and I was sorely tempted but stuck to our decision to find another miniature.
> 
> 
> As I'm learning about this side of the Poodle World, I can understand your pride. To have met, and I'm sure, exceeded those standards, is a real achievement.


Thank you


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