Help I don’t know if a dog breeder is fake!

[havefaith1130]

@mashral I am working on figuring that out.

 

[alek990]

@fruitman33 The background of the image is throwing me off a little seems kinda artificial/ fake too perfect

 

[chrishudges]

@fruitman33 Looks like a backyard breeder to me. No information on health testing titles no pictures of the sire and dam. I would contact the Burmese mountain dog club the America through their website and find their breeders referral list.

 

[fallingjerichotm]

@fruitman33 Several people have recommended visiting the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America which is great advice. Additionally, the dog subreddit page has a great guide to identifying ethical breeders in its about section.

Remember, an ethical breeder will prove their dogs through dog sports/dog shows and health test through the OFA. And they'll be proud and eager to share all that info with you without you having to dig and beg to see it.

 

[havefaith1130]

@fruitman33 Hello, my name is Ashley King I am the owner of Royal Bernese Mountain Dogs LLC located in Montrose, Michigan. I have had multiple customers call me and asking if I am affiliated with “Royal Bernese Mountains LLC” and we are NOT!
This is the address my customers provided along with the phone number they are using to contact. The shipping company they say they use is Global Shipping and they go as far as giving you a shipment tracking.

https://royalbernesemountains.com

1085 Hunters Ridge Dr
Colorado Springs
719-239-3245

Tips on making sure you’re not getting scammed.
Ask for their bernergarde information
Ask for health testing/OFA documentation
Search for a Facebook business page/personal Facebook page.
If their website does not have a phone number or a address be aware.

 

[fruitman33]

@havefaith1130 Thank you!

 

[havefaith1130]

@fruitman33 You’re welcome

 

[love4truth]

@havefaith1130 Global Shipping 719-239-3245 would be hXXp://globalshipcargo.com/contact.php

Thanks!

 

[corey3518]

@fruitman33 Seems very generic and automated, like the responses you’ve received. Find someone you can talk on the phone with, see pictures of the parents, this doesn’t look legit at all, I’m sorry.

 

[fruitman33]

@corey3518 Thank you!

 

[john1974]

@fruitman33 I read several samples of the writing, and it strongly suggests someone that speaks English as a second language wrote much of it, and copied and pasted a lot of material. They also refer to the family as the father's first name family, rather than the surname's family, suggesting a foreigner forgetting how American naming practices work. The adults also say they met each other in college, so very odd they wouldn't use better grammar and syntax.

Also, there is nothing negative about the breed that I can find on the site, and a responsible breeder should be up front with this, even if it's just "this dog's not for apartment dwellers, or will require a certain degree of grooming." It's also odd that none of the puppy photos share a common background--odd you would trot puppies all over your house and property for photo shoots. Generally I'd expect all the photos to be in the same area.

Most damning of all is a requirement to put down a non-refundable deposit to even visit.

If they won't talk to you on the phone, that's very concerning. What did the email say? Did it helpfully provide a way to get that deposit to them?

 

[saith]

@fruitman33 The American Kennel club keeps a list of reputable breeders. Try there

 

[donnags1964]

@saith Eh, AKC is just a breed registry- I caution against using AKC marketplace as the sole place of research. Plenty of BYB’s are AKC registered but that doesn’t make them ethical/good.

Best bet is the country breed club.

 

[carolinafan74]

@fruitman33 These puppy scams are common. Any page that has a bunch of puppies listed in that format is generally a scam. A real and reputable breeder will have posts for entire litters, and you will apply to have a puppy from the litter instead.

I haven't gone through the website but if you would like me to and tell you other red flags from it I am happy to

 

[fruitman33]

@carolinafan74 No it’s fine, I decided to go the safe route and just avoid it, as disappointing as it is, I am looking at different breeders, I found one that’s close so I can go and visit the pups. Thank you!

 

[emyde23]

@fruitman33 Lots of scams out there. You could ask to do a FaceTime call with the breeder and puppy.

 

[briank12]

@fruitman33 I saw this too...tried verifying...to no avail. The person on the phone could barely speak English. If it sounds too good to be true ($800 Bernese) then it probably is, sadly.

 

[jjoseph]

@fruitman33 No mention of genetic testing, no generational family trees, temperament, no mention of showing dogs, or belonging to AKC or any other group. From what I've experienced... the dog breeding world is tight knit. I don't know if it's a scam, but I'd say they're not disclosing much. The reputable ones know one another, exchange loads of information about the lineage of their dogs, the majority of dogs have some sort of championship -show, sport, obedience, etc. You'll go to their FB pages, and find them conversing with other breeders, showing a dog they bred that's just won a championship somewhere. Not all their dogs go to show homes, most go to homes as family companions. But they like you to know how much work they've done to maintain the line of the breed.

They're very happy to share what they test for, what they're trying for when they breed a dog. They also like to know a lot about the people they sell to -mine had looked me up online, found out everything about me, and mentioned that they saw all the photos of my dogs! They made sure I would be a good match for the dog, and it helped that I had a lot of experience with the breed.

You could start by going to dog shows. Talk to breeders, ask them about their dogs. Talk to them about what makes a purebred a representative of their breed. Find out about their energy level, what circumstances where the dog is at their best. And then decide if that dog is for you.

Lastly, potty training is an ongoing process. A puppy that is trained at 10 weeks, might forget everything once she hits your unfamiliar house.

 

[linastewards]

@fruitman33 Just adopt from a shelter. Then you save a life and can see it in person

 

[elkanah77]

@fruitman33 Well, I think I should have read this thread quite a bit earlier in my puppy buying process. Everything being said here is accurate. Further, the name on the contact for the sale of the puppy has an address and a phone number listed. A property records search show the listed address does not belong to this person. And the phone number listed is for yet a different person.

I hope that anyone going down this path finds this site sooner than I have. I’m beyond nauseous.