What is a "puppy mill"?

Let's clear the air on a question we get asked frequently - No, we are not a puppy mill. Aria's Friends is a local business who has been breeding dogs for over 30 years. This was long before the term "puppy mill" become a concern. The term "puppy mill" is a term that can be interpreted in many ways. There isn't a dictionary definition, and you will get varying opinions from one person, or organization, to the next. One such description is "Inhumane high-volume dog breeding facilities that churn out puppies for profit, ignoring the needs of the pups and their mothers".

Let's talk about why we go above and beyond - with full transparency to the world of regulated dog breeding. Let's be honest, if you want a healthy puppy and are going to pay the price for one, you should know about the standards we have to upkeep to make sure that all our dogs and puppies have the best possible care. 

Regulation, regulation, regulation.

We are one of only THIRTEEN licensed USDA breeders in the entire state of Minnesota (as of 2024). We are further regulated Minnesota State, American Kennel Club, Rice County, and by our local licensing veterinarian. All of these licensing agencies require routine, and often random, inspections. This means that even the slightest "issue" that a kennel may have, we are required to address and fix this issue within a given time frame. These issues can be as minor as having cobwebs anywhere in our facility, any spot of rust on any outdoor fencing, a crack in a dog door, a dog bed with a hole in it, or a dog with any tartar on its' teeth.

So... what do we do? 

We clean every kennel every day (indoor and outdoor), sanitize regularly, run air purifiers, have speciality water dispensers so that water bowls can't ever get dirty or go empty, and also have to maintain all wear and tear to any equipment, enclosures, and bedding. Only surfaces that are able to be sanitized are satisfactory. We have a local groomer who grooms our adult dogs on site, and our licensing veterinarian who does onsite veterinary checks and takes dogs every week to have dental cleanings done.  We are required to come up with a written plan on how we socialize and give mental stimulation to the adult dogs and puppies in order to make sure they are not only physically cared for, but also have enough human interaction. We are also required to make sure all adult dogs get routine daily exercise, per our written exercise plan. Every day we check every dog to make sure everyone is healthy and happy. Our adult dogs have full access to indoor climate controlled area, or able to go outside at their own will at any time. They are never "locked in" against their will. 

AKC requires all paperwork is up to date, and that every breeding for every dog is recorded. We are required to keep track of where every puppy goes. AKC (among the other regulating agencies) inspects to make sure that the coats on our adult dogs aren't too long, the nails are kept trim, and overall have a healthy appearance.  

We are required to have a signed veterinary protocol as advised by our veterinarian for deworming, vaccines, and preventatives. We are required to have a certain percentage of annual fecal and heart-worm testing among our entire adult dog population. We give Proheart preventative parasiticide to all adult dogs. We do brucellosis testing for any adult dog that is to be part of our breeding program, and is to be continued once every year for the entire adult population. We are also required to do an annual wellness exam for all adult dogs. We have a required grooming schedule that includes a full professional groom, nail trim, ear clean, skin and checking teeth.   

We do certifications through the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFAs) for adult dogs to evaluate and confirm both patellas and hips. This is NOT required by any regulating agency. Knee and hip problems are one of the most prevalent problems that can happy to a poodle or poodle mix, so we do all we can to ensure that we are not producing puppies that may have this problem.  If an adult dog is found to less than "good" evaluation, they are retired from the breeding program.

Within our regulations we follow, you can legally breed an adult dog until 12 years of age. However, we retire all our adults dogs by age 6, but typically we retire them closer to age 5 so they have a vast majority of their life to live in a pet home.

Let's break it down...

There is a reason that we are in the extreme minority when it comes to regulation. There is a much higher number of "backyard breeders" out there who have zero regulations to follow, and are still legally allowed to produce puppies. They have no one telling them how to produce puppies in a healthy manner, how their adult dogs should be cared for, how to make sure puppies and adults are healthy, zero regulations or inspections, what vaccines or dewormers the puppies or adults should have, the list goes on. To put it simply - they don't answer to anyone. We are an easy target for anti-breeding operations and organizations because we are on a list of regulated breeders that can be easily looked up. We have been routinely threatened by many of these people and organizations. It's hard to target an unethical breeding practice when there is no registry or anyone keeping tabs on them. They are allowed to operate under the radar. Aria's Friends has donated to campaigns to raise awareness against animal cruelty, help veterans get support dogs, and overseas to help shut down dog markets. 

To put it simply, we are not inhumane. What is best for our dogs is what is best for us, and is always our #1 priority. There are many "legal" breeding practices that we do not take part in because despite being "legal", they are not what is best for our breeding parents or the puppies

We do all of this while also offering a lifetime genetic health guarantee. This is what also puts us above and beyond any other breeder you will find, not just in Minnesota, but in the country. That is our promise that we do whatever it is we need to do to ensure that your canine pal is the healthiest while in our care, but continues their health and wellbeing in their new home. ​