08/30/2026
Often, you will notice that we will identify a dog as an Amish breeder release. What exactly does that mean?
Amish dog breeders run large-scale commercial breeding operations, often known as puppy mills, with high concentrations in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. A puppy mill is a factory-like farm that breeds dogs quickly to maximize financial profit.
Amish puppy mills supply pet stores such as Petland as well as online sales. The dogs spend their entire lives in cages, being bred until they are no longer needed. They are often neglected, unvaccinated, are not socialized, and are unfamiliar with human contact.
When they are done breeding, some find their way into shelters & rescues. When we post that a dog is an Amish breeder release, that generally means:
They are NOT housebroken;
They are skittish as a result of a lack of socialization;
They are underweight;
They are a flight risk so we require physical fences, harnesses & martingale (no slip) collars;
They need another dog to support them;
They will startle easily with noises, so we look for homes without young children.
Our goal is to always place a dog in the best home for that particular dog. An Amish dog is not a timid dog that will improve in 2 weeks. Amish dogs take much longer to socialize and some may never fully socialize. If you’re looking for a friendly dog that you can take everywhere, an Amish dog is not for you.
We write this because we want everyone to know that if an applicant is not fully understanding of the issues with these dogs, we will not consider them for an Amish dog. It’s extremely difficult on an Amish dog to be shifted from home to home if they need to return back to rescue. We also want the dog and family to be happy and comfortable together. Having a companion animal adds so much to every family.
Thank you for your understanding and adherence to our requirements for these dogs. Amish dogs are generally non-aggressive, quiet, bark very little and love other dogs. Some are not as skittish as others but there are issues that stay with them throughout their lives. Our foster homes are knowledgeable and extremely careful when housing Amish dogs to help socialize & housetrain them and keep them safe.
