Avoiding puppy farmers and unethical breeders

There is some very good general information issued by the Dogs’ Trust, Kennel Club and RSPCA about and avoiding puppy farmers / puppy dealers when looking for a puppy:

Supply & demand for Italian Greyhounds

The reality is that there are very few knowledgeable breeders of Italian Greyhounds in the UK, and they tend to breed rarely as they do not breed for profit. It’s almost unheard of for a genuinely knowledgable and experienced breeder to advertise puppies online because they have no need to.

The demand for Italian Greyhound puppies is mainly satisfied by home breeders with no mal-intent but who may not know much about the breed, and commercial breeders who breed for profit, some of whom put profit before anything else and that includes the health and welfare of the bitches and sires they breed with, and the puppies that they produce. We recommend that buyers avoid commercial breeders.

Go to an Italian Greyhound show

We advise everyone looking for an Italian Greyhound to start by going to a championship show or Italian Greyhound Club show to meet and talk to knowledgeable Italian Greyhound owners and breeders. Not all show breeders breed responsibly or ethically, but there will be responsible breeders present and some very knowledgeable IG owners to talk to.

Questions to ask a breeder

See the list of questions to ask a breeder if you are trying to buy a puppy whether the breeder is licensed or unlicensed. Also available as a PDF to download and print.

Questions TO ASK a breeder (PDF)

Ask about the breeder:

How long have you owned Italian Greyhounds?
How long have you been breeding Italian Greyhounds?
Are you a member of the Italian Greyhound Club (and therefore signed-up to the IG Club code of ethics)?
How many litters have you bred in total?
How many litters do you have in an average year?
Do you have a license from your local authority to breed dogs for profit?
If so, what is the license number?
How many puppies from this litter will you keep for yourself?
Do you require a deposit if I want a puppy? The answer should be no.

Ask the breeder about the breed:

What are the good points about Italian Greyhounds?
What are the negatives about Italian Greyhounds?
What are the common health problems in the breed?
What’s the average life span of an Italian Greyhound?
How much grooming do they need?

If the breeder is involved in showing Italian Greyhounds, ask:

How long have you been showing Italian Greyhounds for?
Do you show mainly at Open Shows or Championship Shows?
Do you attend any of the Italian Greyhound Club Open Shows or Championship show? If not, why not?
What successes have you had when showing your Italian Greyhounds?
Will you be showing any of this litter?

Ask about the mother & father, and the pedigree

Are the parents of the puppy Kennel Club registered?
If so, what are the KC registered names of the sire (father) and dam (mother)?
Do you own the mother? If not, where is she?
Do you own the sire? If not, how did you find him?
How many litters has the mother had already?
How many litters has the father sired already?
What do you know about the health of the dogs in the pedigrees of the mother and father (even if not KC registered) going back 3 generations to the puppy’s great-grand parents?
Have the parents been DNA health tested?
If the parents were DNA health tested, what were the results for Glaucoma, PRA and FEH? Remember that no other DNA health tests are available for inherited conditions in Italian Greyhounds!

Kennel Club registration

Do you have a registered affix (kennel name)?
Will my puppy be Kennel Club registered?
If yes, what endorsements will you put on the puppy’s registration papers?
Do you breed puppies that you do not register with the Kennel Club?

Ask about ongoing care of your puppy

What inoculations will the puppy have had when we get him/her?
What inoculations will I need to arrange after I get the dog?
What insurance cover, if any, do you provide with the puppy?
How much exercise do your dogs get and how much will my puppy need?
What written information on diet and rearing do you provide?
What written information about ongoing care do you provide?
What should I do if my puppy develops a serious health problem in the future?
What should I do if I ever need to re-home a dog I have bought from you?

The answers to all of these questions (if answered truthfully) should give you a clear picture of what kind of breeder you are dealing with. If you have any concerns at all, walk away.

Expect a breeder to ask you:

Any responsible breeder would want to know a lot about your personal circumstances to make sure that you are a good fit for an Italian Greyhound and that the Italian Greyhound will be well cared for. Be prepared to answer truthfully and honestly.

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