My opinion is that there's online and then there's online. Many reputable breeders have websites and list their available dogs online. Many reputable breeders -- including some who are some of the most dedicated in fighting puppy millers/farmers -- also list on some of the general puppy breeder listing sites precisely because they feel it is very important for reputable breeders to be visible, available to answer questions, and not let the backyard breeders take over these sites and be seen as the norm in breeding.
However very few breeders using sites like puppyfind, puppydogweb, pups4you etc are good breeders. Almost all of these are brokers/BYBs/mills and need to be fully scrutinised and asked for proof of health certs etc. I cannot emphasise this enough!
Nonetheless, somewhere in this section many months ago, I posted a very interesting argument written for one of the dog publications asking breeders why they do not more actively use the web to counter letting the disreputables own this space. It is quite thought provoking.
I also think it is not necessarily a problem to take a puppy that you have not met. A breeder of repute will have quality, health-bred puppies. Many good breeders either ship puppies or allow them to be collected and flown to their new home by the family.
But most breeders willing to ship puppies as long as you are willing to send payment are NOT reputable breeders (again, see above!).
As a general rule the vast majority of internet sellers at this time are either brokers, puppy millers or backyard breeders. There are a whole range of red flags that make this obvious to an experienced eye but they know most do not know what to look for. Indeed many are very adept of sounding like they do all the right things to people who have done research but don;t know how to differentiate what these people say from what a good breeder would do. A good example is saying:
- I heart test all my dogs annually with my vet
- my puppies are guaranteed clear of genetic problems and are checked by my vet before shipping
- my dogs are from champion English and Irish stock
- my lines are free of MVD
1) this means little. The dogs need to be cardiologist tested but they know this makes it SOUND like they 'heart test'
2) no puppies can be guaranteed free of genetic problems and many vets are in a profitable arrangement with BYBs and millers and routinely rubber stamp vet checks -- and a vet check on a young puppy from an excellent vet only means the puppy is OK at that moment, not 'guaranteed free of genetic problems'
3) about every cavalier eventually is from English or Irish champions if you go back enough generations -- most have some within three generations. Reputable breeders don't make vague assertions like this, but BYBs do. You want quality dogs from reputable lines in all generations with actual kennel affixes, not dogs called "Molly's Boy" or "Frankie" on the pedigree
4) no one's lines anywhere are free from MVD. It is endemic in the breed; working with a reputable health focused breeder who knows his/her lines and heart history is the best way to get the healthiest puppy you can and ALSO, just as important, support the future of the breed.
Mills and BYBs and pet owners breeding 'just one litter' are the main reasons so many of our dogs get early onset MVD
I could list many more! Buying a puppy online is not like finding a bargain on eBay, comparison shopping for a car, etc... unfortunately this can be hard to understand for the newcomer (it was for me til I really began to read and read and read!) and the learning curve can be very steep when people end up with sickly puppies and dealing with some truly vile people. There's a good video pinned in this section on why buying online can be very risky -- and tragic.