Are There Good Amish Dog Breeders?
As you may know, the Amish are a religious group that lives in some parts of the United States.
They have their own way of doing things and they don’t like to be bothered by outsiders.
But if you want to buy an Amish dog, finding ethical breeders can be confusing because there are so many different ways to go about it.
Below we’ve outlined what makes a good Amish dog breeder:
Amish Puppy Mill Panic
Around this time, I started googling information about the dog breeding industry in Lancaster County and quickly came across sites such as Stop Online Puppy Mills, the Puppy Mill Project and Animal Advocates SCPA that give warnings about Amish participation in dog breeding. It was clear that some animal rights activists despise the Amish dog breeding industry. I believed we had a great dog and breeder, but I did want to make sure we weren’t supporting puppy mills.
“Almost every Amish community has puppy mills,” said a post from Stop Online Puppy Mills dated Oct. 4. “Some Amish communities focus on dog breeding while others have puppy mills/farms scattered within them. Sadly, dogs are considered livestock, a cash crop and just another source of lucrative income for the Amish.”
This website said Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is the epicenter of the Amish puppy breeding industrial complex. It said Amish and Mennonite dog breeding also happens in Holmes County, Ohio, Shipshewana, Ind., and other counties with a high concentration of Amish people. It said the communities often sell their dogs directly to the public through Lancaster Puppies, Greenfield Puppies or a mix of online classified sites such as Puppy Find.
Exposes on major broadcasters such as ABC News in the past 20 years have explored the booming Amish dog breeding industry, in which some breeders who keep dozens of dogs can easily make more than $100,000 per year. The videos explored practices such as “debarking” procedures that render dogs unable to bark or make noise in barns. One video suggested some Amish breeders perform cesarean sections and other procedures on dogs rather than hiring a veterinarian to do so. They also quoted Amish dog breeders saying they don’t let dogs outside. Some sites made undercover videos that aim to expose inhumane treatment, showing dogs in cages without proper medical treatment.
One site reported that according to USDA licenses, more than 98% of Ohio’s puppy mills are run by the Amish, as are 97% of Indiana’s and 63% of Pennsylvania’s. The fact-checking site Snopes had a post checking the claim from a 2017 meme that the Amish owned 20% of the nation’s puppy mills. Snopes concluded that the statistic cannot be proven and that many commercial breeding kennels in Lancaster had closed.
A search of news stories about Amish “puppy mills” yields a host of stories about increased regulation. In Iowa, a problematic breeder was fined $20,000 in October according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch. Another story from Ohio’s WKYC highlighted 16 puppy mills in the state that were listed on the Humane Society’s “horrible hundred” list. Other sites say some Amish puppy mills house dozens or hundreds of dogs in pole barns or outbuildings, where dogs live in overcrowded, stacked cages. They allege that the dogs are force-bred at every heat cycle. They say veterinarian care is minimal because it costs money. One site said, “It is so important to see for yourself where your puppy was born.”
Almost immediately, I started sleuthing around the Lancaster Puppies app to determine if Esther and Isaac were running a puppy mill or if they were a smaller family puppy breeding operation. I filtered all puppies on the app from Quarryville and did a series of random checks to see how many puppies Esther and Isaac listed. I saw only two small batches of puppies, which made me feel good. I noticed some other sellers have many more batches for sale.
I appreciated how personable and honest Esther was on the phone. We talked about the puppy mills problem at one point, and she welcomed me to ask questions and write about this topic. She also welcomed our family to pick up the puppy and meet their family. To me, these were all good signs.
I also saw signs that parts of the Amish community were working toward better practices for puppy breeders. A 1993 story from The New York Times showed the Amish community was facing backlash and boycotts over its ambitious dog breeding goals and questionable methods three decades ago. A search on “Amish improve puppy business” indicated many Amish families and communities aim to improve their business practices and collective reputation. As bad press exposed the practices, regulations took effect in some locations, and some norms also changed as more Amish families saw dogs as pets rather than just livestock.
One story in Gannett newspapers in Indiana and Kentucky in 2016 reported how the Amish were aiming to restore their dog breeding reputation. It showed how some Amish breeders were talking to Purdue University’s Center for Animal Welfare Science to establish breeding practices that would make both consumers and dogs happy.
“A team of researchers started a pilot program to review how breeders run their facilities and whether certain changes could improve the physical and behavioral health of their dogs,” reported the Journal & Courier newspaper. Purdue researchers advised the breeders to let dogs run in the yard to exercise and socialize more and found the dogs looked and behaved better. The project aimed to develop certifications that would go beyond U.S. Department of Agriculture mandates on food, water, housing and climate.
“We’ve seen a very positive impact on some of the things she recommends,” said Levi Graber, a member of the Odon, Ind., Amish community who works with dog breeders. “Ive seen more contented, happy dogs.” He told the reporter that breeders like him wanted to sell puppies that wouldn’t disappoint anyone. He said he wanted to meet customer expectations and “not be a burden to anybody.”
The Amish also sell their puppies directly to the public through their own websites and online puppy broker websites. Two well know online sites used by the Amish are Lancasterpuppies.com and Greenfieldpuppies.com. Puppyspot.com, Crockett Doodles Pawrade and others are also know to use Amish dog breeders to supply their puppies for sale. They may also use social media pages of all kinds, online classified ad sites such as PuppyFind.com now called Puppies.com and flea markets.
Where are the Amish puppy mills located? Amish puppy mills are thriving today thanks to large puppy broker websites that sell puppies. Any state that has an Amish community most likely has puppy mills. Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is home to the largest number of Amish and Mennonite puppy mills, followed by Holmes County, Ohio, Shipshewana, Indiana, and Davies County, Indiana, upstate New York, South Caroline and more.
How do the Amish treat the breeding dogs? Because dogs legally are considered livestock, they are treated the same way as any other livestock animal being raised on the property. Many Amish puppy mills are licensed by the USDA so they can ship and sell puppies online through puppy broker websites and more. They usually house them in barns, pole barns or out buildings called Sundowner buildings. This housing is outfitted for large (hundreds) or small (twenty) scale dog breeding.
What happens to the breeding dogs after they are ‘used up’? Once a breeding stock dog is no longer producing a profitable litter for the commercial dog breeder, it is usually killed. Some are taken to dog auctions and sold in “as is” condition to other puppy farmers hoping to get another litter out of them. Very few are rescued.
How do the Amish sell their puppies? There are many ways the Amish sell puppies. If they are selling puppies to pet stores, they use a puppy broker. A puppy broker will visit the facility to buy puppies ready to be marketed to consumers via pet stores. The puppy broker takes the puppies to a distribution center for final processing and further distribution to pet stores across the country.
Amish Dog Breeders Debunked
Nowadays it has become more important than ever to adopt a pet instead of buying it. Thousands of helpless animals are put to death every year because they are ownerless. If you have your heart set on a puppy of your own there is no reason not to call around shelters and find some puppies that way… however; if you absolutely must buy your new pup from an unfamiliar source you can still do your part to help out. Here’s how.
Puppy Farms are more commonplace than you would think. Puppy Farms exist the whole world over. Why are they so bad? Puppy Farms (also called Puppy Mills) keep numerous dogs in cramped conditions with poor sanitation and little food. The dogs are often kept in tiny cages, are fed whatever the owners can spare and are bred relentlessly with the sole aim of making their owners a profit.
To help you spot potential Puppy Farmers we put together a helpful list of points to look out for. If you suspect you have found a rogue breeder then you ought to report them to the relevant authorities.
1. The most obvious sign of a Puppy Farmer is that they will not be able to produce either of the pups parents. No parents means the dog has already been separated – usually too early. If your breeder won’t let you meet your pups mom and dad (at least the mom) then read on and see if they meet any other criteria.
2. The second thing to ask is if the parents were vaccinated. If the mom is up-to-date on shots. If not, there may be a distinct possibility that this breeder doesn’t care much for their animals. They should know this information, and if they don’t know both parents bear in mind that they therefore cannot be entirely sure of the lineage.
3. You will be able to tell a lot about where the breeder meets you. Purchasing from a reputable dealer you will often find you are invited to their home. If the address is a warehouse in an industrial estate don’t bother going. A dodgy breeder might also want to bring the puppy to you or meet at a neutral spot, so be wary of that, as well.
4. Once you meet your breeder, ask them specifically how many breeds they own. If it is more than two (or three at a maximum) then the chances are that they are a Puppy Farmer. Puppy Mills often carry as many breeds as possible, reputable breeders tend to keep their dogs at home and in comfort, and more than three breeds is hard work for a household.
5. Ask how many pups are for sale. A normal litter is between five and eight puppies (with exceptions), if there are eighteen (etc) puppies for sale then you know that the breeder has multiple pregnant dogs from different breeds, a clear indicator of a Puppy Farmer.
6. Ask what age the puppy is. Puppies shouldn’t be taken away from their mothers until “at least six weeks,” but eight weeks is recommended (and in some cases, state law). If the puppy is younger than that and the parent is nowhere in sight then alarm bells should be ringing.
7. Hygiene can be another clue. A new puppy smells much like a new baby. A puppy from a Farm will smell like a kennel. They will often be dirty in appearance and their coat is unlikely to be shiny.
8. Paperwork is important. If you are buying a breeder’s dog they will provide you with paperwork assuring you the dog is a registered pedigree. If you are not buying a pedigree of course you cannot get this certificate – however – a good breeder should care where their pups go. Your breeder should draw up some kind of paperwork that states what happens if the dog needs to be returned etc. They will often also want to call you to check in. A good breeder wants to know their dog has gone to a good home. So, look for a contract and the breeder questioning YOU (fenced in yard, do you have a home or an apartment, etc). A Puppy Farmer is a lot less likely to care. If their only concern is that you have the money and no other questions, contracts, or applications, it is more than likely a puppy mill or backyard breeder. Also, they should care with pairing you with the RIGHT dog.
9. If you are buying from a pet shop make sure to inquire about the dogs parentage. A good shop will keep records, a bad shop might be dealing in out-of-State Puppy Farmers. Always ask. In general, you should shy away getting dogs from Pet Shops, as many of them are obtained from puppy mills.
10. Deception – if you think you are being deceived then don’t buy. Do a little research. For example; if you want a small dog learn which breed of small dog specifically you would like. If you then go to a breeder armed with this information you are less likely to be fooled. Puppy Farmers are notorious for telling you what you want to hear and will make all sorts of wild assurances to make the sale. It is hard to tell when you are being lied to, but much easier if you know exactly what to look for in your prospective pup!
There are other things you can look for. If the dog seems unhealthy in any way then a good breeder will know what is wrong with them and be able to tell you how to go about fixing it. A good breeder will also have a reliable phone number, and possible multiple ways to be contacted – not true of a Puppy Farmer, who will often change numbers to avoid angry retaliation from clients. Small clues you might look out for in the dogs behavior include being afraid of humans, a generally nervous disposition and anything else that indicates that the animal has been kept in dark or cramped conditions. Puppy Farm pups are often kept in wire cages and you might see signs of this on their paws.
In general, be wary of bad breeders and report anything suspicious until no dog has to endure such a terrible life.
The website, Bailing out Benji has a solid list of known puppy mills broken down by state: https://bailingoutbenji.com/puppy-mill-maps/. Generally, you will be able to see a correlation between heavy Amish communities and known puppy mills in the area. For example, the 3 largest Amish counties in the United States, are also the 3 largest counties in those states with known puppy-mills. So, not all Amish run puppy mills; however, this is why it’s important to do your research!
So, if you are going to get a puppy from the Amish, Pet Stores, or unknown breeders: do your research! Ask for references, ask to meet the parents, meet at the place the dogs actually live, see the living conditions of the dogs, and their appearance of health!
If not, you could be stuck with a dog filled with a life of behavior or health issues.
If you have any questions, contact a trainer or vet near you to see if they have more information!