Hi forum!

My family and I have been searching for Siberian Husky puppies day and night online in the Seattle area and found a potential adoption. The reason I would like advice on whether or not we should go through with the adoption is because the owner doesn't seem very credible or trustworthy. There are signs here and there that are telling me this probably isn't a good idea, given the following circumstances:

1. The owner of this 4 week old pup does not appear to be an AKC breeder
2. The owner says the father is AKC but the mother is not
3. The owner has yet to give the first set of shots to the pup, but will be receiving them later this week
4. The owner states that the puppy has already been dewormed
5. The owner is a few hours drive away, but is willing to meet with us in our area with the puppy IF we agree to adopt it (the owner's reasoning is that she will be staying in a relative's apartment where dogs are not allowed and will only bring the puppy with her if we agree to adopt it first); however, she has not declined OUR offer to visit her at her residency
6. The owner said the puppy will be ready to leave to a new owner at the age of 5 weeks, 2 days (too young?!) (If we accept to adopt without seeing the dog first, we would be adopting it at the age of 5 weeks)
7. Pictures show that the puppies are kept in a crate, with no mother in sight
8. The puppy is already eating hard, solid foods (typical for a puppy this age?)
9. The owner states that the puppy is not AKC registrable, but is a purebred Siberian Husky

And then the most confusing and possibly suspicious: 10. The owner advertised having 2 males and 2 females available - a call earlier today confirmed one male and one female left, other two sold - the owner then sent photos hours later showing a male, another male, and a female. This confused me, since now I don't know which male is the one I could be adopting, plus none of them appear to be 4 weeks old. Not only that, but if the other male has already been sold, why am I seeing two? Old photos? The other one's been claimed by deposit? Her attempt to clarify which male was available was unclear, too. "The black and white one," she said in a text, but both appeared to be black and white...

I'll be receiving more photos later, but so far this doesn't seem promising.

I have no doubt that the owner has these puppies in her possession and is selling them - the ad online has pictures that reveal parts of her home, which I recognized in unposted photos she sent to me through text. We spoke with her on the phone and she does not seem to be concerned with where this puppy will end up - no questions, or requested applications/contracts to fill out like the AKC breeders we've contacted. I've already read Koda's guide to finding a reputable breeder, and I'm guessing she would not be able to satisfy any of the 10 guidelines listed there. Even if we were able to get health records and certifications, how do we know that these are legitimate?

What is the risk and possible consequences of getting this puppy? Has anyone else adopted their puppy through non-AKC breeders?

Thanks! I will keep this post updated as I receive more information from her.

run far away from that "breeder"

Yeah this guy sounds like a real doozy.

Puppies should not leave the mother at 5 weeks old. If you do adopt this pup, you raise the risk of behavioral issues down the road. I would wait and find a different breeder.

No, Nope, No way No How.

You knew that though, this person is not the type to buy a dog from. The simple fact you aren't allowed to meet the bitch, and get the dog at 5 weeks is HUGE. even if your lucky and the dog is healthy, the first 2 months are huge for development and the amount they learn from they litter mates and other dogs is something you don't want to miss out on.

The reason you could still be seeing the other male in pictures is it could be sold but still in possession of the breeder until the pup is deemed old enough to leave the mother usually 8 weeks. This is a common practice for dog breeders as they generally sell the pups as soon as they are born but keep them in their kennels until they are ready to go home with the family.

When you get a pup like this it`s all a crap shoot in terms of risks.... I believe Brooke got Kale around the 5 week mark, and he is doing fine in a loving home (But she worked her butt off to make sure that Kale was alright, I'm sure she could give you more info on that). But taking them away that early your just upping your chances that something is wrong.


Do yourself a favor wait as long as it takes to find a quality pup or adopt an older one from a local rescue.

When dealing with any breeder you should ALWAYS trust your gut instinct. If something just does not feel right it probably isn't. Looks to me like yours is spot on as you have found plenty of reason to seek out a better breeder, so good on you.

This doesn't sound good at all, but that's how most "breeders" from newspapers are (at least from my experience). If you are heart set on this puppy, I would drive and get it, don't be forced into anything you're not comfortable with. If I were you, I would keep searching. We turned down the first puppy we saw too. He was an adorable very nippy 17 week old CKC Husky and they were selling him for $1,700 and to top it off, he was also sick. A few weeks later we found our baby from a responsible breeder, so go with you're gut feeling (it's usually the right choice) and RUN! Keep checking with rescue groups too, there is a super cute 11 week old purebred pup in NY up for adoption, so maybe there will be one near you too

Please do not purchase this puppy from this BYB and give them more reasons to have another litter. This is not someone you want to encourage.

Looks like the Vancouver Animal Control has puppies, two brothers. Mother was Siberian and father unknown.

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22380726

http://www.petfinder.com/petdetail/22380744

I was about to post that, Brian! These are not the first husky puppies they've had in this year, either, so it's worth keeping an eye out. Some of the other animal controls in the lower mainland send any huskies that come in to VAC because huskies don't do well in a kennel environment. VAC is still a kennel, but they have a lot of volunteers that come in and spend time with the dogs.

There are other SPCA/ACs in the BC lower mainland with huskies at the moment too. There's a young female in Maple Ridge SPCA at the moment.

I forgot to say that the puppies at Vancouver Animal Control will be with a foster. It's only the adult dogs that in a kennel there.

This is Sophie at Maple Ridge SPCA:
http://bcpetsearch.com/animal/animalDetails.asp?s=&animalid=160101&result=14&statusID=3
She is listed as a siberian husky/german shepherd cross and is about a year old.

I got Kale at five weeks with almost the same conditions that you are describing. He was bred poorly and now has muscular-skeletal issues; I would not wish that or any other ailment on anyone. These people breed to get easy money, not to better the breed. Skip this BYB and try and find a reputable show breeder; you may have to wait for a litter, but it'll be worth it. Try this - http://www.akc.org/classified/ And click "Search Classified Listing"

Welcome to the forum BTW

Thanks for all the tips, everyone. Posting here was a great idea, you guys are very helpful!

I've yet to hear from the owner and have not received more pictures of the puppy in question, but for anyone interested this is the ad: http://dogs.oodle.com/view/beautifull-siberian-husky-puppies-for-sale/2946440280-pasco-wa/
I believe the red-white puppy is female and the other black-whites are males.

I appreciate everyone discouraging me from adopting this puppy. Adopting from a rescue is an option if the puppy is young, preferably no older than 10 weeks. My family seems to be set on black-white or grey-white, however, but I know color preference is looked down on in the Husky community. Otherwise, those rescues in Vancouver would have been a great option.

I have looked into waiting lists for AKC breeders, and I know of an upcoming litter in April I may wait for. But...

...despite all the quirks and potentially troubling problems that might occur from adopting this Husky, I feel a little compelled to "save" him from his owner.

EDIT: I should mention that my family currently owns a boxer/shepherd mix that we adopted back in 1997 at the age of ~5 weeks and is almost 15 years old now. Should any medical mishaps occur, I'm sure we'll be prepared to care for this Husky!

While I understand the feeling of wanting to save this puppy from this breeder, unfortunately you're only putting money in their pockets to further create more puppies who will essentially be in the same situation. It's an endless vicious cycle.

The best you can do is not be a part of the problem, unfortunately purchasing anything from this person is contributing to the problem. All of my dogs are rescued and most I'm sure are from backyard breeders. Odin has bad cataracts in both of his eyes. He's only 6. Mishka has mild HD and she's just over 2. Rodeo has a plethora of problems and he isn't over a year. Most to all of these problems could have been avoided with careful breeding and health testing. That is something I'd want to contribute to. Not creating more puppies with more health and behavioral problems.

I understand, it's disappointing that I can't do anything to help them directly. I can only hope that where they'll end up they will receive lots of TLC, and not in a rescue!

When we got Sabaka, I think I also felt compelled to save him from his breeder or from going to a potentially bad home. I would NEVER do again what we did if we were to get another dog. I actually liked a reputable breeder and was communicating with him but he had no pups nor pregnancies. More looking around lead us to a breeder who owned one of the first breeders male dogs and was using him as a stud (Sabaka's dad). So without much questioning, we assumed the first breeder would have checked out the second breeder before allowing them to buy his dog for a stud and thought, therefore, that the second breeder was also reputable. We drove over 2 hours, with our kids in tow, to find all these cute puppies. Their situation was not as bad as yours: The pups were immunized and wormed, the parents were on site, the pups were 10-11 weeks old. But the owners were not interviewing us prospective owners at all. The mom did not have her eyes and hips checked. Oddly enough, the dad did. We just could not walk away...

I would suggest you have no more contact with them and then if you don't see/touch/hug the pups, you will not get attached! I think we "lucked out" because Sabaka was not so far removed from at least some decent genes. But after spending some time here on this forum and reading alot of horror stories, I have decided it is probably best to not support the BYB's.

Good luck finding your baby!

Quote :

EDIT: I should mention that my family currently owns a boxer/shepherd mix that we adopted back in 1997 at the age of ~5 weeks and is almost 15 years old now. Should any medical mishaps occur, I'm sure we'll be prepared to care for this Husky!

I agree with what everyone had said here.
When I saw the about I had comment that we also had a Boxer/Shepherd mix we got as a puppy she lived to be 17year of age. She was a great dog. It took 9 years after her passing before we got another dog.

I got Blaze from a backyard breeder but I did not know better at the time he was 9 months at the time had already had a previous owner.

JSitthi wrote:

I understand, it's disappointing that I can't do anything to help them directly. I can only hope that where they'll end up they will receive lots of TLC, and not in a rescue!

Not in a rescue??

Not sure what you mean there, rescues assist saving BYB dogs when these scum go out of business or get caught by the authorities

Sorry, I meant that as in I hope it never gets to that point where they need to be in a rescue. I would hope their owners are responsible of their health and can care for them for the rest of their life, otherwise, yes, a rescue is probably much better than where they're coming from.

JSitthi wrote:

...despite all the quirks and potentially troubling problems that might occur from adopting this Husky, I feel a little compelled to "save" him from his owner.

That's what I did lol I "saved" him, but not really, since a paid a whole lot more for him than I should have. But I knew he wouldn't have survived another 2-3 days in the conditions he was in. I caved. I wouldn't change what I did now because I love my little man, but I will never get another pup from a BYB again. It's really hard because they are helpless, but I can't support what these people are doing.

I can't help but think that the breeder is going to get her money one way or another. Someone else out there is going to buy these puppies - two have already been sold - and she's going to get encouragement, regardless. So why not jump in and ensure that at least one will be in good hands of a motivated owner? And an owner who's done research, has experience, and has an online community like this to ask for advice? I know raising a Husky is no easy commitment, especially one that is on track for problems ahead of its life, but given the resources at my disposal, it's something I'm, yet again, compelled to do.

Yes, if everyone stopped adopting from BYBs, the dog world would be a better place, but I feel like this is an issue that can't be addressed in a manner that will discourage its continuation. Either you move on and find a reputable breeder, or, another way I see going about dealing with this, is to adopt the puppy and provide him a good home as a passionate and committed owner.

I guess what I'm saying is, both options I have now have their pros and cons. Either I adopt the pup, give him a good home and be that owner, or I move on and let someone else of unknown commitment take him. I lose either way, and both options will inevitably result in the continuation of this breeder's business. But at least with the former option, I know that my family and I will put in our greatest efforts to raise this pup. That's something I can be sure of, whereas the latter option is just completely unpredictable.

Anyways, it probably doesn't matter anymore. I've contacted an AKC breeder in Idaho with pups that may still be available. Hope to hear from him soon!

While I understand that thinking (really, I do) I just can't see myself as being part of the problem. While yes to you it may seem like you're doing that puppy a favor and saving it from these idiots or some other uneducated person... The fact is you're still putting your money in their hands. Rewarding them for the disservice they are doing. I don't want to beat a dead horse but if everyone took the same attitude of saving these puppies just for the sake of saving them... These people would never stop. Each person does make a difference.

I hope your search turns out well, regardless. I'm just speaking from the other side of the fence.

I'm like you, hun, I may be adding to the problem, but at least I know that I am giving that pup a GOOD, experienced home.

All these people on CL and other places find homes and people to pay anyways. I would just prefer to remove dogs from that situation. I adopted 3 poms from a BYB who was going to kill them bc they were 3 and did not make good "babies" anymore. Of the 3, only ONE is still alive, and she had to have 500 emergency surgery. The other two died of complications due to mistreatment, and one was preggers and had gorgeous babies.

I say get him out of there...

Not just for not supporting the BYB, but I would never get a puppy (from anyone) who would let the dog go to me at 5 weeks old. Sure, I could insist that the dog remains with them until he's an appropriate 8-10 weeks old, but all his brothers and sisters would be gone and would defeat the purpose of me waiting.

People don't realize how CRUCIAL weeks 5-8 are. THAT is when a dog learns bite inhibition from his littermates. No earlier, no later. Puppies need that time with OTHER PUPPIES to learn appropriate behavior and with a family, I would never want to deal with teaching a puppy how to use his mouth appropriately. No way, no how.

So... I understand wanting to "save" but as others have said, BYBs will never cease until we stop giving them business, and for the sake of your family... don't get a puppy who's littermates are gone by 5 weeks. Recipe for disaster.

Tiff&Kya wrote:

I'm like you, hun, I may be adding to the problem, but at least I know that I am giving that pup a GOOD, experienced home.

All these people on CL and other places find homes and people to pay anyways. I would just prefer to remove dogs from that situation. I adopted 3 poms from a BYB who was going to kill them bc they were 3 and did not make good "babies" anymore. Of the 3, only ONE is still alive, and she had to have 500 emergency surgery. The other two died of complications due to mistreatment, and one was preggers and had gorgeous babies.

I say get him out of there...

How is that EVER going to change unless we stop them?? I'm sorry, while I understand the pity we all have for these puppies, that way of thinking is rather naive. If the dogs are being mistreated, call the ASPCA or animal control. PURCHASING a dog from these people is adding to the problem.

Please don't be a part of the problem.

Koda wrote:

How is that EVER going to change unless we stop them?? I'm sorry, while I understand the pity we all have for these puppies, that way of thinking is rather naive. If the dogs are being mistreated, call the ASPCA or animal control. PURCHASING a dog from these people is adding to the problem.

Please don't be a part of the problem.

I would rather rescue a dog than have it shot at 3 years of age bc the BYB has no use for it anymore. I have never purchased a puppy from one, but I just can't let dogs suffer because of the ignorance of people.

BUT, that is my feelings on the matter and I understand everyone's view. There is nothing naive about my way of thinking.

And the "breeder" was called on many times. The city did nothing.