Puppy breeders:

How to buy puppies from a breeder

When you go to puppy breeders to buy dogs, you need to ask the right questions to make sure you get a healthy, happy pup from the right breeder.

Here's a list of questions you can take with you when you go out to buy a puppy.

You could also use some of these questions at your local pound or animal shelter if you choose puppy adoption instead.

• Can I meet the parents? Or at least one of them, preferably the mother. 

If you can see the parents, you can get a good idea of what your puppy will look like when grown and what its temperament will be like. Are the parents friendly and outgoing? Do they seem snappy or fearful? Do they look healthy and well cared for? Good puppy breeders will be happy to show you the parents of their pups.

• How old is the mother?

What you want to find out with this question is that the mother is neither too young nor too old to be bred.

Check the recommended youngest breeding age for the breed. You should be able to find this out from your national kennel club or from a breed club.

How often has the mother been bred? In most breeds, bitches come into season twice a year. Bitches should not be bred more than once per season and preferably not more than once in a year.

The answers to these questions will help to sort out genuine puppy breeders who care for their animals from puppy mills, puppy farms and cheap backyard breeders (see Where to Buy Puppies for more info).

• Can I see the puppy’s pedigree?

Check the relationship between the parents and ask the breeder why they chose those particular dogs to breed. 

A good breeder is constantly striving to improve the breed for both healthy physical characteristics and temperament. 

• What health testing do you do on the parents and the puppies?

Before you visit any puppy breeders, arm yourself with knowledge about any hereditary diseases or problems that can be found in the breed. Then ask the breeder how they ensure their puppies are likely to be free of the problems. Check out the different puppy breeds and learn about choosing a dog breed first.

For example, in breeds that can get hip dysplasia, a good breeder will show you the parents’ hip scores and will be able to talk about what the figures mean.

• Are the dogs kept in the house or in a kennel?

Ideally, the parents would be kept in the home rather than in a kennel (or cages). The home offers the best opportunities for the parents and the puppies to socialise with humans and become used to normal indoor noises and distractions, such as vacuum cleaners, phones, TVs, radios, cats, babies and so on.

If your puppy has spent the first few weeks of its life in a kennel, you will need to work a little harder at getting it used to being around people and the noises people and other things make.

• Are there any grooming and training requirements I need to know about?

Puppy breeders should be able to tell you what to expect in grooming your puppy and what items you may need to buy before bringing home a new puppy. They should also know what the dog will be like to train and any little quirks that could be associated with the breed.

• Are there any precautions I need to take with the puppy as it is growing?

Some breeds, usually large dogs, need to avoid running on slippery floors and jumping down from high places when young because they can damage their joints as they are growing. Large breeds can also get bloat if fed too much and your breeder should be able to tell you about the warning signs.

• Do you offer a refund if the puppy shows significant breed faults?

You would only need to ask this question if you are buying a puppy to exhibit in dog shows. Some breeders may offer a refund if the puppy turns out to be unsuited for showing. You should make sure both you and the breeder know what you are looking for in a puppy: just a pet or a top-notch show dog?

• What diet are you feeding the puppies?

Try feeding your puppy the same puppy food for the first couple of weeks. Introduce new foods gradually. A quick change of diet can upset your puppy’s tummy and have messy consequences!

• Has the puppy been vaccinated and wormed? If so, when?

Puppy breeders should give you a vaccination certificate and show you what sort of worming tablets or syrups they are using. When you buy a puppy, it’s a good idea to use the same brand at first to avoid upsetting the puppy’s system, then change later if you want to.