6 Tips to Avoid Pomsky Scams

Scammers will do anything to make a quick buck. We’ve all seen the attempted scams, from door-to-door cleaning solution salesmen to emails form your “uncle’s friend in Nigeria that needs $1,000”.

Unfortunately scams even happen in the dog world. When a breed like the pomsky is in such high demand, scams happen and they happen often. Not to mention the scammers are only getting better.

When buying a pomsky it’s hard to tell what’s a scam and it’s hard to know who to trust, especially when you’re buying a pomsky from out of state. That’s why we’ve done the research and talked to over 20 reputable pomsky breeders, each approved by breed clubs including the IPA and PCA, to compile the top six tips to avoid pomsky scams.

These six tips to avoid pomsky scams come straight from the reputable breeders. It’s advice directly from the expert to ensure no one falls victim to a pomsky scam.

Download our pomsky buying checklist to ensure you’ve completed each milestone and to ensure you’re not being scammed.

Download – Pomsky Buying Checklist

1) Contact the breeder and ask lots of questions

The number one tip to avoid pomsky scams, recommended by every single one of the 20+ breeders we interviewed, is to contact the breeder over the phone or in person and ask lots of questions before buying.

Kanzaidy of SZ Pomskies says “The best way to know if a breeder is reputable is to speak to them. Pick up the phone and have a conversation. Ask about their dogs, their breeding program, their puppies etc. I tell all my buyers to just simply ask questions. Scammers will not sit there and answer every question because they just want your money. A good breeder will gladly have a phone, video, and text conference with you for days or weeks just to help you feel assured”

Kanzaidy is 100% correct with her assessment. TALK to your breeder over the phone, over video chat or in person. There’s no better way to judge the reliability of your breeder than to speak with them one on one. DO NOT trust a breeder if they are dodging questions and quick to push the sale, the number one priority of the pomsky breeder is to educate the pomsky consumer. At no point in your conversation should the breeder prioritize solicitation over education.

And like Kanzaidy said, don’t be afraid to ask questions. The pomsky breeder is the most knowledgeable individual about the pomsky breed. The breeder should be able and willing to answer every single question that you have about the pomsky breed, so don’t shy away from asking questions, the breeders encourages it!

According to Sharlee of Chinook Pomskies “the more questions buyers ask the better. Ask about the parents and where the puppy was born and raised. Ask about health testing, health checks, feeding, training and socialization. I get asked everything from basic puppy questions down to Pomsky genetics and I love answering questions!”

An important note about contacting the pomsky breeder is to make sure you contact them over the phone, video chat or in person. As Chassie from Once upon a pomsky pointed out, “scammers often will only text or e-mail. They will send you pictures but the pictures are of similar looking breeds, not pomskies. Their phone number does not match their location and if you do reach them the service is horrible and located in a foreign country with poor English. You can Google the pictures they send you and find them on a different breeder’s website.”

Lauren from Pristine Pomskies puts it plain and simple, “A scamming breeder is one who is not open to phone calls and sends very generic emails. Any breeder that is not willing to do a phone interview or a site visit is either a scam or a crappy breeder. Buyers can avoid scams by simply calling the breeder. If the breeder is not reputable they will not be answer a phone call or will avoid certain questions.”

Moral of the story, from every single breeder, is to pick up your phone and call. Have a one on one conversation with your breeder before you even consider buying from them. Ask every single question you can think of, the breeder expects these questions and it’s a great way to build a relationship with the pomsky expert.

2) Ask for photos and videos

The number two tip from the pomsky breeders is to ask for LOTS of pomsky photos and videos throughout the stages of the pomsky’s life. A reputable breeder will have no problem snapping you a picture every single day to monitor the health and growth of the pomsky. A scammer will not be able to provide a new photo every day, a scamming breeder will have one photograph stolen from somewhere on the web and will not be able to provide you with sequential photos and videos as the pomsky ages.

Kanzaidy of SZ Pomskies says “A reputable breeder will send past puppy photos, sibling photos and parent photos at your request. Scammers probably won’t have all this readily available or they will have weird photos that don’t seem like they were taken at the same place, same time or with the same quality camera.”

Kanzaidy followed this up by saying “You can usually tell if a breeder is reputable by the looks of their page or website. They usually have photos and videos of their puppies from birth to 8 weeks along with parent photos. They will gladly send you different and updated photos and videos upon your request to see more of the puppy.”

An important tip mentioned by Cheyenne of Lollipop Pomskies is to use the reverse Google image search to see if the breeder owns the photo or if the photo has been used elsewhere. Simply upload an image to the Google image search to see if the photo is used elsewhere. Cheyenne recommends “do a Google image search to see if the image is elsewhere. Scammers are making websites that include the basic breeder info but they do not have a nice webpage or pages with information and photos of their dams, sires, or puppies.”

Georgie of Brindlebella Pomskies pointed out “the photos they use are of photos easily accessible from the internet.  For example, the finnish lapphund.”

Be sure to request plenty of photos from the breeder. Don’t rely on photos from the website; ask for new photos every couple of days to ensure that the breeder has the pomsky on site.

3) Visit the breeder in person

Although the pomsky breed is in high demand with limited supply, it’s important to try your best to stay local and visit the breeder in person.

Cheyenne of Lollipop Pomskies says “My number one suggestion is to visit the kennel or home if possible. If the breeder is unwilling to let the buyer see the parents or their premises they are probably a scammer or have the dogs is bad conditions.”

This is a key tip that was recommended by a lot of breeders, it’s important to not only ensure the breeder is a really pomsky breeder but also to inspect the living quality of the pomsky puppies on the breeder’s premises.

Brianna of Lakeshore Pomskies welcomes potential buyers onto her premises saying “Being able to meet us as breeders and meet the dogs lets the potential owner see how we raise and treat our dogs.”

When asked what to look for when visiting a breeder’s site, Brianna mentioned “Somethings I would look for when visiting a breeder is how clean the area is and how clean the dogs are. Also ask to meet the adult dogs to see what condition they are in, do they look healthy and treated well? I would not buy a puppy from someone that does not let you see the adult dogs.”

If you’re still trying to find a breeder, Lauren from Pristine Pomskies recommends “Try to stay local so you can visit the puppy and its parents before the purchase. Make sure you feel comfortable with your breeder and that you connect on a personal level. This connection will come in handy in the future if you have any questions or concerns about your new pomsky.”

We know it can be tough to find a local breeder so we’ve put together a list of 40+ breeders by geographic location for you to download or you could checkout our pomskies for sale breeder map.

4) Ask for references – from the vet and previous buyers

A reputable pomsky breeder will be willing to provide you with two references:

• Vet reference
• Previous buyer reference

It’s tough knowing who to trust and determining what’s a scam, one of the best ways to weed out the scams is to check references. Just like a job interview, they always ask for three references, why not do the same when looking for a pomsky? See if previous buyers vouch for the breeder and see if they even have a vet reference!

According to Brianna of Lakeshore Pomskies, “References from previous buyers is important.” Lakeshore Pomskies asks their past buyers to be a reference for future buyers, this way if anyone has a question about Lake Shore Pomskies they can directly ask a previous owner for a review. This not only solidifies the reputation of the breeder but it allows for an un-edited review from a real pomsky owner that’s been through the pomsky buying process. A reputable breeder is willing to let their previous dealings do the talking. If there’s any doubt, ask for customer references.

Cheyenne of Lollipop Pomskies says if it’s not possible to visit the kennel or home then “ask for a vet reference and buyer references.”

Kanzaidy of SZ Pomskies says one of the key indications of a pomsky scam is when the breeder doesn’t “provide vet or past buyer references, they seem rushed to get you to send money.”

Make sure you ask for references. Make one extra phone call to the breeder’s vet to ensure the breeder is performing proper health checks and make a couple extra phone calls to previous buyers to ask about the buying experience and get  firsthand insight into the pomsky buying process.

 5) Beware of pomsky pricing

Price is a big indicator of potential scam. On average, the price of a pomsky typically ranges between $1,500 to $5,000 based on the quality of the puppy and breeder.  A pomsky costing much less than $1,500 is likely a scam.

According to Kim from Frozen River Pomskies “A clear indication of a scamming breeder is if it’s too good to be true. As of now pomsky prices are still pretty high, when you find a cheap one it’s because it’s not a real pomsky. You really get what you pay for.”

The price of a pomsky ranges depending on the size, quality and markings of the puppy. Puppies with distinct colors and markings of a Siberian husky are likely to cost more. Kim cautions that “if the entire litter has perfect husky markings they are probably pure huskies. Not every litter has every puppy perfectly marked. Avoid very low prices and perfect litters. Low prices and the entire litter with blue eyes and perfect husky marked faces are likely not pomskies.”

Georgie of Brindlebella Pomskies pointed out that in Australia “There are several scammers that advertise Pomsky Puppies for $300.00 – $400.00 AUD. They offer interstate transport but the transport company is in some wild unknown area of the world.” This is a clear indication of a scam according to Georgie. Be sure to know the average price of a pomsky puppy before talking to the breeder, anything much lower or higher than the average price is likely a scam.

6) Use a registered breeder with a sales contract

Our final tip is to only use registered pomsky breeders. There are a lot of breeders out there that don’t abide by any set of rules or regulations. That’s dangerous for a dog breed and unethical in practice, we do not trust any breeder that is not a member of the IPA or PCA.

There’s two clubs that we trust:

• The International Pomsky Association
• Pomsky Club of America

These two clubs require approved breeders to meet a strict code of breeding ethics. This ensure the breeders are using proper sales contracts, health guarantees and breeding practices. These clubs provide association paperwork and registration with each pomsky sold. Breed clubs are important, especially for a new breed like the pomsky. These clubs and member breeders work hard to ensure the long term health of the pomsky breed.

In addition, Pomsky Owners Association approved breeders is an elite group of pomsky breeders. These breeders are not only required to abide by the IPA or PCA code of ethics, but they must meet and abide by the Pomsky Owners Association code of ethics and conditions. This ensures our breeders practice ethical sale tactics and promote education of the pomsky breed over solicitation.

Sharlee of Chinook Pomskies recommends “To avoid scams look for a contract and make sure you know who you are sending your money too. If you feel uncertain use PayPal or another system that gives you some protection.” A breed club will ensure that each pomsky is sold with proper registration and a sales contract. This is a very important aspect of the pomsky buying transaction that is often overlooked, a breed club will ensure this requirement is met.

Chree of Mountain Shadow Pomskies says to ask what kind of guarantee is offered by the breeder saying “A good breeder will have a health guarantee. This shows that they are breeding healthy dogs with healthy dogs and shows they have been here for a while.”

Speaking of the sales contract, Chree says “The contract should protect the dog and deter unwanted breeding. I have my clients (prospective breeders) take the AKC online course for responsible breeding.”
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Final takeaway

In summary, the 6 tips to avoid a pomsky scams are:

• Contact the breeder and ask lots of questions
• Ask for photos and videos
• Visit the breeder in person
• Ask for references – from the vet and previous buyers
• Beware of pomsky pricing
• Use a registered breeder with a sales contract

Unfortunately there are bad people out there, people that take advantage of a beautiful dog breed for a quick buck. Don’t fall victim to these scams like so many before you. Use our six tips to ensure you’re working with a reputable pomsky breeder.

Download our pomsky buying checklist to ensure you’re not being scammed.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to all of the following that provided input and helped us create this guide to avoiding pomsky scams:

• Kanzaidy – SZ Pomskies 
• Chree – Mountain Shadow Pomskies
• Sharlee – Chinook Pomskies
• Chassie – Once upon a pomsky
• Lauren – Pristine Pomskies
• Cheyenne – Lollipop Pomskies
• Georgie – Brindlebella Pomskies
• Brianna – Lakeshore Pomskies
• Kim – Frozen River Pomskies