Mini schnauzer may not be full bred

Question
Paid for a full bred mini schnauzer, parents have papers but I'm not sure he really is. This is our third one, he is 10 mths old, very soft hair, huge ears that stand straight up, long skinny legs. Of course we love him and would never give him back. My sister found him for us and I'm not sure it isn't a puppy mill. Any recourse if this place is selling mixed breeds with fake papers?

Answer

Hi Judy,

The thing is, having papers in no way guarantees that the puppy (or it's parents) are good specimens of the breed. It just means the breeder bought papers. If your puppy is leaving you questioning what his breed is, more likely than not the breeder was a "puppy mill" back yard breeder who was not breeding for the soundness, or breeds qualities, but only for a profit.

It's entirely possible that your puppy's papers are genuine. There is a widely held belief that having papers guarantees the quality of a dog. This is not the case. The AKC is a registry body. An AKC registration certificate identifies the dog as the offspring of a known sire and dam, born on a known date, and that is all. It in no way indicates the quality or state of health of the dog. Quality in the sense of "show quality" is determined by many factors including the dog's health, physical condition, ability to move and appearance. Breeders breeding show stock are trying to produce animals that closely resemble the description of perfection described in the breed standard. Many people breed their dogs with no concern for the qualitative demands of the breed standard. When this occurs repeatedly over several generations, the animals, while still purebred, can be of extremely low quality.

The AKC suggests, before buying a dog you should investigate the dog's parentage (including titles, DNA and pedigree information), the breeder's breeding practices, the breed standard, and the genetic tests recommended by the Parent Club for the breed.

Short of doing a DNA test to identify the puppy's breed you don't have a lot of options. You can try contacting the AKC breed club for your state, enclose a picture of your puppy and see what they say.  Your vet may be able to do a DNA test, or you can have one run here:

http://www.dog-dna.com/

http://www.canineheritage.com/

http://www.whatsmydog.com/

Best of luck,
Patti