It is hard to find a puppy that meets your requirements, especially if you want one quickly. Many people turn to Amish breeders for a quick and cheap solution. However, there are some drawbacks to working with Amish breeders, as there are for working with any unlicensed dog breeders who do not follow modern ethical breeding standards.
The good news is that we’re here to help. In this guide, we take you through everything you need to know about Amish breeders.
Who Are the Amish?
Before we get into breeders or anything else related to it, it’s important to understand who the Amish people are. The Amish are a group of people who follow Anabaptist Christian traditions unique to North America. Amish people don’t use modern technology such as electricity or even modern medicine. Instead, they rely on their traditional patriarchal power structures for determining labor assignments and community roles, only utilize basic technology, and live in isolated rural communities.
While the Amish people don’t use modern technology, that doesn’t mean they are not dependent on modern society. You’ll find that many Amish communities supplement their off-the-grid lifestyles by selling hand crafted furniture, operating farmers markets,and selling pure bred dogs.
The Pros and Cons of Amish Dog Breeders
If you’ve ended up here, it’s likely because you want to know if buying a dog from an Amish dog breeder is worth it. While this comes down to a personal decision, we can help you make that decision by covering the pros and cons of Amish dog breeders.
The Pros of Amish Dog Breeders
There are a few pros that you’ll find when working with Amish dog breeders. The most notable one is that Amish breeders tend to always have puppies available because they do not adhere to modern ethical breeding practices.
Some additional benefits of working with Amish dog breeders include:
- Lower costs when buying dogs.
- A wide variety of dog breeds are available.
- The puppy purchasing process is quick and easy.
These are only some benefits of working with Amish dog breeders, and you’ll find that they vary based on the specific breeder.
Cons of Amish Dog Breeders
Unfortunately, there are many cons that come with working with Amish dog breeders that generally are caused by their refusal to adhere to modern safe breeding practices. Some cons of purchasing from an Amish dog breeder, like working with any unlicensed dog breeder who views dogs as livestock and not future family members are:
- Amish dog breeders don’t always follow local or state regulations on dog breeding.
- Amish dog breeders are often associated with puppy mills which can produce unhealthy dogs not suitable as family pets.
- Many Amish dog breeders can’t provide you with health or medical records and refuse to provide health guarantees.
- Most Amish dog breeders don’t have access to veterinarians.
Due to the vast amount of drawbacks, it’s important to determine if affordability is worth dealing with a plethora of other potential problems.
Alternatives to Amish Dog Breeders
Amish dog breeders are going to be hit or miss, and, unfortunately, it’s going to be hard to know until after you buy a dog and medical issues begin to pop up. The good news is that there are a handful of alternatives to buying a dog from an Amish dog breeder.
This is where organizations like Dog Academy can help. The platform will help you find puppies for sale in your area, but the best part is that you’ll only find puppies for sale through reputable breeders. Once you connect with a breeder you like, you still need to verify their licenses, records, and affiliations with kennel clubs for the best results.
Aside from buying a dog from a breeder, you can also adopt a puppy. This involves looking for dogs in local shelters and animal rescues. In fact, you can also check animal foster programs. The drawback of adopting is that you may have difficulty finding a dog that is the age or types of dog that you are looking for. Instead, it comes down to what’s available in your area and you may have to wait until your match becomes available.
Our Final Thoughts on Amish Dog Breeders
When it comes to Amish dog breeders, you’ll find that they tend to be surrounded in controversy. Sure, there are some good ones out there, but many Amish communities view dogs and other animals as livestock, which sometimes spills into their breeding practices. What’s more, due to their lack of technology and interaction with the outside world, many Amish breeders can’t verify the genetic history of their dogs, and many will not work with veterinarians.
For these reasons, it’s important to consider the benefits and drawbacks of working with Amish breeders. Thankfully, you can always count on alternatives and choose licensed and reliable breeders to avoid any problems.