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There is no one way to identify a good whippet breeder. Obviously a lot depends on what kind of puppy you are looking for -- if you want to show, course, race, or participate competitively in other activities, you'll look for a breeder who has a winning record in those things.
But we'll assume here that you're looking for a healthy, well-socialized pet who will fit into your household, not cost you a fortune in vet bills the first month, and can be expected to live as long as a whippet ought to live. (The average lifespan is 12-14 years...not nearly long enough!) All the books say to buy from a "reputable" breeder. But what does one look like?
Some people say that all good breeders show their dogs. But we certainly know some show breeders we would not recommend and others who do not show but do produce very nice puppies. So it's not that easy. Lots of trophies and ribbons don't necessarily mean the breeder cares about her dogs. She might just care about winning!
Others say anyone "breeding for profit" is a bad breeder. We believed that too for awhile, till we met some commercial breeders who love their dogs and care just as well for them as any breeder we've met at a show. People have different motivations for breeding and you don't want someone who cuts corners on dog care to make a profit. But, in spite of the animal rights rhetoric, a commercial breeder is not by definition a "puppy mill." As long as the profit is not more important than the dogs' well-being, there's nothing wrong with making a profit.
So how can you tell a good breeder from a bad one? You can see it's not as simple as going to a dog show and picking a breeder from ringside and certainly not as simple as choosing an ad in the newspaper or from a puppies-for-sale website.
Raising good puppies makes some very specific demands, so there are signs -- we call them traffic lights -- that the careful buyer can spot.
A good breeder will have all or most of the green lights from the list below, few or no yellow lights, and no red lights. Some of these may show up in advertisements, others are things you can check on the telephone, by email, or during a visit. There may be exceptions to the rules--you should always ask questions if in doubt.
Red Lights
Yellow Lights
Green Lights
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