Yesterday, I ran into a breeder over a phone call. We had a conversation, of course, about breeding. I asked a couple of questions and his answers raised a lot of red flags.

I was furious at first. But then I realized that people like him stand a chance because of lack of awareness amongst people. So I thought of sharing list of questions to ask that will help you differentiate ethical breeders from the unethical ones.

01. How do you ensure your dog’s well-being?

Ethical breeders care a lot about their dogs well-being (both physical and mental). They tend to meet their dogs biological, emotional and social needs.

Learn more about how to keep dogs happier. So you can ask your breeder the right questions to know whether the mother and the pup were happy with the breeder.

What does Animal Welfare Board Of India (AWBI) say?

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (7)

02. How many dogs do you raise?

Note that each dog demands at least 30 minutes of attention a day. Paying attention individually becomes challenging when there are more than 5 – 8 dogs.

What does AWBI say?

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (24(5))

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (24(6d))

03. Do you breed your bitches in all heat cycles?

Like humans, dogs need interpregnancy interval to restore their physical and mental health. Bitches can be bred in alternate but NOT in all heat cycles. Bitches less than 18 months and more than 8 years of age should NOT be bred.

What does AWBI say?

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (5(2))

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (5(3))

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (6(4))

04. What breeding technique do you use?

Out breeding is the only recommended technique unless the breed is at the verge of extinction. The parents are not related at all in the out breeding technique.

What does AWBI say?

fer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (6(2))

05. When do you usually re-home a pup?

Puppies need to be with the mother and their litter until at least they’re 6 weeks old. Re-homing a pup after 8 weeks is recommended. The 8 week period is crucial for their immunity, early socialization and bite inhibition.

What does AWBI say?

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (8a)

06. Vaccinations & De-worming

Mother feeding is very important for pup’s immunity. So are vaccinations and de-worming. Your ethical breeder would educate and be happy to share those information with you.

What does AWBI say?

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (7)

07. The size of a dog’s shelter

Dogs should be housed in comfortable shelters. The length of the shelter should be four times the size of the dog and the breadth should be two times the size of the dog.

What does AWBI say?

Refer The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules) Rules, 2017 (5)

Note that my views on each section is in accordance with Animal Welfare Board Of India. The breeder whom I spoke to was neither ready to accept my views nor he had documents / references to exemplify his views.

As dog parents, we’re responsible for selecting the right breeder. We would only be supporting puppy mills, otherwise.