01/13/2026
Do not get scammed when buying a puppy. Please read!
Ok... I'm doing ANOTHER post about SCAMS...puppy scams. (It long but a valuable read)
The couple that got a Gypsie puppy last night is the 3rd person to tell me they were almost scammed by people saying they have puppies.
LET ME SAY THIS AGAIN....the last 3 people in a row!!! ...who have gotten puppies from me have told me they were or were almost scammed outta money.
I cant possibly be the only person hearing this in my small little town in this neck of the woods.
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So I'm going to explain HOW you DON'T get scammed.
1. Share this post so awareness happens.
Everyone needs to see this.
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2. Do NOT just do online searches.
We all know the internet lies. Read reviews and contact those doing the reviews
I tell EVERY person who wants a puppy to go contact anyone who has said they've gotten a puppy from me to ask them.
I have nothing to hide....let them tell you what they think.
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3. CALL PEOPLE and TALK to the breeder.
Literally I thought the last couple were trying to scam ME. Because they didnt act like normal people asking questions.
They stated things that I was like...nope, not happening.
Even on the phone though, I thought why are they not being honest, something isnt adding up. I've already told them these things in messages.
Well I found out when they got here that they were almost scammed by like 6 websites that had thousands and thousands of followers even.
I told them I was going to block them if they had called me again.
If they had only told me they had dealt with scammers.
Their response was.... " well they said that to one lady and her reply was " i believe in God I wouldn't scam you"
But then in the conversation said that they would deliver the puppy for $50 hundreds of miles and states away.
Which leads to # 4
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4. Transportation is going to be $300-800 in most cases depending on where in the country you are from that puppy.
All LEGIT transportation companies will require a health certificate from a vet.( usually about $40 that you will pay for). The breeder will get that and it travels with the puppy.
Most breeders dont deliver their puppies personally.....
EXCEPT ME...IF I CAN.
Why?
Because I like to make it a mini vacation since I work from home. And if you're in states that I can drive to that have my family... I will absolutely offer to deliver so I can see them.
THAT'S NOT THE NORM THOUGH.
Plus.... I dont like to think of my pups on a transport for days.
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5. DEPOSITS can be required.
BUT, usually it is for before litters are born to get a certain "PICK".
Let me explain. In the hunt competition world we have HUNT TESTS & FIELD TRIAL dogs. We will want 1st or 2nd or 3rd pick in litters. We're looking to pick the puppy with the most traits we want so we want to choose first.
So we WILL do "Order of Pick Deposits" and "Sought after breeding deposits"
Quite honestly, a VERY WELL BRED Labrador litter that have ELITE bloodlines, you arent even going to hear about it because it will be an INVITE ONLY litter with top trainers and their clients.
So, DEPOSITS are a thing...but in WELL BRED & SOUGHT AFTER breedings in most cases.
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6. 99% of breeders want CASH at puppy pick up.
I personally only do Deposits for a sought after breeding and only take them after I confirm the breeding took. I will then only take 2 male and 2 female deposits because chances are I'll have at least that in a litter.
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7. If they cannot post pics, videos, etc of exact puppies...they probably dont have them.
But listen, us breeders are BUSY too. We dont always get to stop and sit to get pics everyday and it can be hard to get the great pics we want to post. Video is easier....so watch for the colored collars and track the pups if you want to see them.
We do NOT have time to send you pics everyday day so dont ask. Sorry but puppies dont grow that fast to need a picture every day or every other day. Weekly is good.
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8. Picking up puppies.
You SHOULD be able to go to their home where puppies are.
IF they want you to meet in a parking lot or gas station because they say they dont allow people to come to their home ...that's a RED FLAG.
I have no problem people coming to see puppies AS LONG AS, they are scheduled, the pups are old enough and my protocols are followed.
Now I have met my clients at places like that if I am DELIVERING A PUPPY to them to save them a trip all the way across states and states, especially if I'm again, wanting to visit family.
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10. Can you see the parents?
Should you?
Personally, I like to. To see size, how they look, temperment, etc.
In the hunting competition world I'm in with my labs, I want to see how the parent work maybe. I want to see their energy/drive, etc.
So depending on what breed of dog and what you're doing with it, you might want to see those things in the parents.
Not all breeders have both parents though so if you see one, then that breeder SHOULD be able to tell you about the other.
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11. Papers or no papers, thats a good question.
A purebred dog is a dime a dozen.
A WELL BRED dog is a different story.
Papers only mean something if you are competing your dog or want to breed responsibly for the BETTERMENT of the breed.
Key words here are "FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE BREED"
You don't breed otherwise.
Period.
If you arent breeding to make the breed better..why breed?
Don't we all want the best of the best?
I know I do.
I'm going to pay for the best I can afford.
The best temperment
The best health
The best skills
And I'm going to get that with the best breedings...which are probably with the best breeders who respect their breed to not breed junk or mixed breeds.
Right?
So if you're not going to compete or breed, the registration papers might not mean much to you.
Some breeder will offer pups for less for no registration papers.
That is a thing and mostly happens to pet homes.
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12. Vaccination records.
You should always get some form of them.
Yes some of us breeders will vaccinate our own puppies. It saves on our costs. That's it.
They are the same vaccines at the vet.
I personally like to have the vets do the 1st shots because I want the vet to do the 1st overall check of the pups hearts etc. To make sure everything looks good.
After that if I have pups, I will do them myself in most cases.
But records go home with all my pups.
They should with yours.
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The thing is, people spend more time researching a car or truck they wanna buy than they do a puppy and that breed that best suits their lifestyle.
If you want the right dog...talk to breeders to help you. A good breeder...a respectable and responsible breeder wont have every pup every person needs. So trustworthy breedes will help you find another good breeder if they dont have what you want.
I refer people all the time to others. Mostly because I dont breed every year or a color they want.
I generally breed pups when I personally want a certain breeding. Or have repeat clients asking about puppies.
So, your first part of finding your puppy is to sit down, evaluate what it is you want ( are you hunting it, wanting a jogging buddy, do agility events, dock dog diving?) And then look into what dogs do those things best.
Then contact breeders of those breeds and see if they will EDUCATE YOU on the breeds you're interested in to make the right fit breed for what your lifestyle is.
We love our breeds and absolutely love talking about them....this part should be easy if we have time.
Then start on your puppy search.
Education is key to the best foundation of anything.....buying that car or puppy. But more so in that living animal you are now responsible for. Do it the justice it deserves.
Then...DO OBEDIENCE TRAINING and you'll thank me later. That's the NEXT BEST thing you can do for the both of you. It's the best investment you can make in the lifetime of your dog.
Hope that helps you NOT be scammed because I'm hearing it ALL the time now.
GOOD LUCK!
