Common Symptoms of Puppy Mill Dogs

There are an estimated 10,000 active puppy mill facilities in the United States, with an estimated 2.6 million puppies, who are bred in these facilities, sold annually. The practice of breeding puppies in puppy mills relies on unsafe, overcrowded, and unsanitary living conditions for the dogs. The puppies are undersocialized and receive little (if any) veterinary health care. They’re often bred with no regard to their genetic issues or the presence of medical conditions. 

Symptoms of a puppy mill dog can include difficulty housetraining, lack of confidence, and health issues (such as parasites). But there are also more severe signs, such as anxiety, aggression, compulsive behaviors, as well as long-term health issues associated with the heart, skin, ears, eyes, teeth, and more.

Puppies bred in a puppy mill aren’t always sold to the public from the puppy mill. So it is important to know how to identify the warning signs and symptoms of puppies from puppy mills. 

What is a puppy mill?

Puppy mills are large-scale, commercial breeding facilities. They rapidly produce puppies of many breeds, usually focusing on the most popular ones. Due to this business model, dogs are bred younger and more frequently to the detriment of their health and development (due to being separated from their moms too early). Meanwhile, the volume of puppies produced significantly contributes to overpopulation and overburdened shelters. Puppy mills spend no time carefully selecting parents for a litter to help eliminate genetic diseases, improve breed health, or foster lines of dogs with stable personalities.

Health issues experienced by puppy mill dogs

Although it is important to remember that any dog can have a health complication, there are certain health issues common to puppy mill dogs. They include:

• Presence of parasites upon purchase

• Dirty and/or malodorous

• Dental disease, including excessive wear or trauma

• Eye disorders, such as infections or cherry eye

• Ear infections or trauma from poor ear-cropping

• Rectal prolapse

• Skin infections

• Bald areas on their coat, especially on the underside of their trunk or limbs

• Genetic heart conditions

• Joint-related diseases (elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, premature osteoarthritis)

• Lifelong difficulties with gastrointestinal sensitivities (predisposed to vomiting, soft stools, or diarrhea)

• Deafness

• Blindness

• Respiratory disease (kennel cough, pneumonia)

Behavioral issues found in puppy mill dogs

Any dog can have behavior issues, but puppies from puppy mills may be prone to some behavior problems due to their upbringing. If your puppy shows some of these signs, it could indicate they were bred in a puppy mill.

• Anxiety

• Strong fear response or lack of confidence

• Compulsive behaviors (spinning, barking, self-induced trauma)

• Difficult to house train or train in general

• Distrust of strangers

• Separation anxiety

• Aggression

Signs a dog is from a puppy mill

When considering if a puppy has come from a puppy mill, there are consistent red flags to look out for. 

You cannot visit the home where the puppy was bred

Despite any breeder excuses, at the end of the day, if you cannot tour where a puppy was bred, this is a sign that there may be something to hide. Puppy mills are notoriously loud and overcrowded, keeping dogs in small areas or cages that smell terribly, where they eat and eliminate in the same spot.

You cannot meet the puppy’s mother

Meeting a puppy’s mother is standard practice for reputable breeders. Dogs may be showing signs of disease or illness, which is why breeders will encourage you to select a puppy without seeing where they came from. If you are unable to meet a puppy’s mom, that could be a sign that a puppy mill is involved. 

The puppy has no medical record (eg, vaccines)

Because the goal of puppy mills is to produce a high volume of puppies as quickly as possible, time is not spent on veterinary care for them. This usually means no health screenings after they’re born, as well as not receiving vaccines.

Responsible breeders are interested in confirming the health of new puppies, identifying problems, and making sure that you know about them, which includes taking notes to plan future litters. In these cases, puppies will receive at least an initial round of vaccines and deworming, if not more, before going to a new home. 

There are no pedigree, lineage, or registration papers for the puppy

Dogs from responsible breeders will come with papers outlining their lineage. They can tell you about the puppy’s parents, as well as several more generations from their line. The puppy should also have paperwork for genetic testing, which screens for health conditions common in the breed. A puppy being sold without this paperwork may have come from a puppy mill, where there aren’t concerns about the health of the puppies being sold.

You’ve found a puppy for less than they would usually cost

By not investing in standard care for their puppies, puppy mills can sell their puppies for less than market value. This is also how they maintain quick enough sales to continue overproducing puppies. If you find a puppy for less than you anticipated, check for other signs indicating that the puppy was bred in a puppy mill. 

The breeder offers many different designer breeds

Careful breeders will focus on one or two breeds. This avoids the risk of unintentionally mixed lines and comes from a place of respect, care, and interest in the health of a breed they love. When you find a potential breeder who has many litters for sale simultaneously, is breeding more than a couple breeds at a time, and has many popular breeds available to purchase (usually online), then you should be concerned that the breeder is actually a puppy mill. 

There is no breeder contract

Reputable breeders will ask you to sign a contract when you purchase a puppy from them. This usually includes a promise to return the puppy to the breeder if there are issues, rather than rehoming or surrendering them to a shelter. In contrast, puppy mills do not want to take possession of any dogs they have sold. 

You experience no personal touch when purchasing your puppy 

When talking to a breeder, if the process of obtaining a puppy seems rushed and without any screening process to make sure you are a good match for the dog, you should be suspicious about their intentions. If you do purchase a puppy, the breeder should be checking in to hear how they are settling into their new home, and they will want to know if any health issues arise. Puppy mills, in contrast, are concerned with selling the puppy, without an interest in what happens afterward. 

Puppies are being sold younger than eight weeks old

For proper long-term development, a puppy should remain with their mom and littermates until they are eight weeks old. Puppies younger than this age may be sold to help with turnover, which is a telling tactic of puppy mills.

Pet stores

Most puppies sold in pet stores come from puppy mills. States have banned the sale of puppies in pet stores, requiring them to take in dogs from rescue or shelter organizations instead. If a puppy is being sold with no clear details or paperwork from one of these organizations, it is very likely that they came from a puppy mill. 

How to adopt a dog responsibly

To avoid unintentionally purchasing a dog from an unethical breeder, head to a reliable animal welfare organization. Shelters often have puppies and adult dogs as well, with 25 percent of them estimated to be purebred. Meanwhile, you can find rescues for most major dog breeds, including rare breeds. 

Meanwhile, trusted sites, such as Adopt a Pet, can help you find an adoptable dog in your area. (As a bonus, adoption fees will be much more affordable than the fee of purchasing a dog.)

Commonly asked questions

What is a puppy mill dog?

A puppy mill dog is a dog who was bred in a high-volume commercial breeding facility that focuses on output at the expense of a dog’s health. These dogs often struggle with several problems, such as housetraining, confidence, and genetic health issues. 

How do I tell if my dog is from a puppy mill?

Dogs from puppy mills may come to you dirty or smelly, with health concerns such as parasites or infections. They may suffer from extreme anxiety or compulsive behaviors, struggle to housetrain, or may struggle with training in general, and suffer from lifelong health difficulties or conditions. If your puppy didn’t come with a breeder contract, genetic testing, parentage papers, or you weren’t allowed to meet the puppy’s parents and littermates in their home, these may be indications that your dog has come from a puppy mill. 

References

“Adopting a Puppy Mill Dog.” SPCA of Texas, spca.org/file/Adopting-a-Puppy-Mill-Dog.pdf. 

“Puppy Mills: Facts and Figures.” The Humane Society of the United States, Jan. 2021, www.humaneworld.org/sites/default/files/docs/puppy-mills-facts-and-figures.pdf.