What is the difference(s) between a puppy mill and a dog breeder are?

Answers:
There are really 3 categories:

Professional Breeder - Someone that has all the necessary health checks done on their dogs, breeds to standard, often shows or competes with their dogs and doesn't care about the money involved with breeding. Their aim is to improve the breed.

Backyard Breeder - "Hey, I have a lab and you have a lab, let's breed them". Often don't have health certificates or care about the lines of their dogs. Know nothing about the whelping process and come to PetQnA.com with questions like "Is my dog in labor?". They think just because they have a papered dog, it's OK to breed it.

Puppy Mills - Don't care about the health or standards of their dogs, they're just in it for the money. The dogs are over bred, inbred and kept in appalling conditions. Many use UKC or CKC as registries because AKC doesn't recognize their breed (Mixed Designer dogs) or because they've bred un-registered dogs and UKC or CKC will register anything that walks.

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a puppy mill puts out puppies regardless of overbreeding and inbreeding.
Areputable breeder will have all the paper work to show that the puppy is not his mothers 1st cousin

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Hi! That's a good question! I've included a link to a little chart describing it, but I'll highlight some of the main point of that page in here.

I think you have to consider intention. I reputable breeder is doing so for the betterment of the breed NOT to make money. A good breeder will have their dogs health certified and will have shown the dog in conformation, thus insuring the health and temperament of the animals. Puppy Mills are all about the process of making mroe puppies, no matter what the consequences!

http://www.shilohshepherds.com/puppybree...

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this question has been ask a lot. I use to give a long list on the difference but i figure I might as well save all the typing and just say this..A breeder cares A puppy mill doesn't .. there you go all wrap up for you lol

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Good answers above.
A responsible breeder breeds only to preserve and improve the breed they are dedicated to. They are not breeding to make money or supply the pet market. A responsible breeder will not do a breeding until after much study %26 experience they have determined that the mating of a particular male to a particular female will produce offspring that constitue a viable contribution to the breed.
Being dedicated to a chosen breed entails much more than producing puppies. It is these same responsible breeders who found, fund %26 man the Breed Rescue Groups, who fund and participate in studies of canine health issues, who educate the public, mentor aspiring breeders, and in general dedicate their lives to the welfare of their breed.
Here are some suggested questions one can use to determine if a breeder is truly responsible:

1. Is she an AKC registered breeder of good standing and an active member of her breed Parent Club?

2. Are there AKC Champions listed on the pedigree, showing that the breeder spends her time %26 money to prove the quality of her breeding stock through competition?

3. Are all the animals kept in clean, comfortable, healthy, loving circumstances?

4. Did the breeder conduct extensive interviews with you and every member of your family?

5. Have the sire %26 dam received all available health clearances, (eg. OFA Hip %26 Eye, Thyroid testing, THESE VARY FOR EACH BREED)

6. Is she willing to honestly discuss any possible genetic defects that may exist in her line?

7. Does she have a Sales Contract?

8. Does the contract contain a clause stipulating that you spay or neuter the puppy before it reaches a certain
age?

9. Does the contract contain a clause stating that if at any time in the puppy's life, you can no longer care for it, it must be returned to the breeder? (This ensures that no animal bred by this breeder will ever end up in a shelter).

10. Will the breeder maintain contact with you for the life of the puppy to answer questions and help in general?

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That's a big question but basically..

Puppymills breed dogs that are not quality dogs, and think nothing about health.
Breeders know and test for the health problems that are known to the breed.

Puppymills tend to sell to anyone, Don't care where the puppy ends up.
Breeders want to know where puppies are going, and want them living in the home etc.

Puppymills breed for a colour, or a size, they tend to breed for what is the fad for today.
Breeders breed to better the breed, breed a litter to incorportate something, fix a problem etc... They have something in mind when doing the breeding.

Puppymills never want to see you again, unless you are coming back to buy another puppy.
Breeders want to hear from you so that they can hear how things are going, so they can make good breeding decisions in the future.

Puppymills don't care if you breed your dog, and even use the fact that you could make big money to sell puppies.
Breeders sell puppies on spay/neuter agreements or spay/neuter before the puppies go to homes. Cause it's the responsible thing to do..

There are TONS more differences but you get the idea.

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Here, this makes it easy to understand

http://www.shilohshepherds.com/puppybree...

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When I purchased my English Mastiff, My husband has been researching on this breed for 10 years. So we knew how much money spend and what good qualities would come with it, i.e, AKC, no imbreeding, OFA, PRA ect. I used AKC's website. We found Xena the Mastiff locally. So my answer would be contact AKC, they have a website:akc.org