When buying your first pup, or any pup it’s always a good suggestion to ask a lot of questions. Asking the right questions will hopefully lead you in the direction of making a well educated decision, and end up with a healthy and socialized pup.
As with everything else in life, there are good and bad breeders which could inevitably end you up with a good or bad pup. For example, you could end up with a healthy and obedient pup or a sick and completely un-trainable one.
If you ask a few simple questions it can help separate the good from bad breeders which most likely will be the people who care about the breed and make educated decisions of every step of the breeding process to ensure healthy pups, to those who through any 2 dogs together they could find to make any type of puppies to make a quick buck, generally resulting in poorly bred often unhealthy babies.
Every knowledgeable breeder should be ready, able and willing to answer questions about the breed right off the top of their head. An “I don’t know” or similar answer, should mean RUN! If a breeder doesn’t know all the ins and outs, the pros and cons, the illnesses and issues of the breed, then how could they ever make an educated decision as to which 2 dogs should be bred together to produce a quality healthy litter?
Before you even ask a single question, use your senses and view the breeders environment, are the dogs kept clean? Do they have fresh water? If the premise you enter is filthy it shows a lack of care and attention to their dogs that should be a deal breaker. If the simple necessities of life are kept meticulous, then you can only assume their care is just an inadequate.
A responsible breeder should be able to answer questions like:
How long have you been breeding?
The longer the better in terms of educated decisions. A breeder with a waiting list for pups should also be a good, but frustrating sign that someone is a decent breeder. Unfortunately, you might have to wait a little while for you puppy. A waiting list indicates that they produce good quality, healthy babies, and that is why buyers come back to them and refer them to others.
How many times have your bred this mother?
Overbreeding of a female is unhealthy and unfair to any dog. You are looking for a breeder which will clearly tell you the number of breedings, which should be low. You also would like to hear that they waited until the female was at least 1.5 yr-2 years old before they bred her, and that they give her a break between cycles.
What are the known common defects of this breed?
You want to hear phrases like screening, tested, and certified to ensure they actually made sure their dogs are not carriers of any its breeds common issues. Every breed has its own set of defects, so any breeder that tells you there are no defects in their breed, clearly does not know their breed. For example, most large breed dogs are prone to Hip Dysplasia, so testing to show the absence of this illness is a big plus!
DO you have the parents on site?
This is a great question to ask. Do not always expect to see the father, or sire of the pups as often times creating a good pair means using a stud male who is often owned by another breeder. But the mother should always be able to be seen ( bearing unforseen circumstances like death during delivery). If both the mother and father are nowhere to be found it would lead me to believe one of 2 things. First this person possibly stole this litter or secondly the parents are not whom the breeder claims they are and does not want you to see them for such reason. In either instance this is another walk away scenario. Ask questions about the parents too, are they friendly? Do they get along with other pets? Have they even been shown? Do they have an illnesses? These will all pave the way for a good understanding of how your puppies personality and health should turn out as an adult.
It is good to ask if the parents and others in the pedigree have titles in the show ring or working dog titles.
Even if you do not intend on having your pup as anything other than a pet its good to know they have a long list of ancestors who have titles. This tells you that the breeder has taken a good effort to produce a healthy dog that conforms to your breeds standards.
How has the puppy been socialized? Are they good with other pets, children and people?
This is a huge question! Knowing your pet is well socialized, hand raised in someones home, having experienced all the weird and scary items in a household like the vacuum and hair dryer and great ways to know that once your puppy comes home with you, he/she has a been there seen it attitude and is less likely to be neurotic or scared. Having a breeder who has socialized the pup with not only normal day to day noises and appliances but has also introduced the pup to other pets, and children is a huge plus. Once again a pup that already is used to other pets and kids will settle into a home with other pets or kidseasier and happier.
A subcatorgy of this questions is that each puppy has a different personality then the next just as people do. Some pups are clearly more dominant, playful, others more docile. Let the breeder know what type of pet you are looking for and they should easily be able to say which puppy they think is up your alley.
Are the puppies up to date on shots and can you have their vaccine records?
Important!! If a puppy has not received their vaccines this breeder either does not know or care about their well being an accurate detailed vaccine history is a must have along with any puppy purchase. Please research the age appropriate vaccines necessary for your breed as small and large breeds vary slightly.
How big will the puppy get?
This is a good question to ask because some people really don’t understand that the puppy is not going to stay a puppy, and all lifestyles are not conducive to a pet that is going to get really big.
WHat type of grooming generally is needed for these dogs?
Hygene is important to people and pets too! To keep you pet healthy it is important to know what types of grooming will be needed to keep him in tip top shape!
How old are the puppies and when can I take my puppy home?
If a breeder is willing to let you take your baby home before 8 weeks then you do Not want to buy this puppy. A puppy by law cannot be sold or adopted until they are 8 weeks of age! Under 8 weeks the puppy is still getting importnant vaccines and should not be exposed to elements until all proper vaccinations are done, this is a fragile time in the puppies life and best left in the hands of the breeder. I know most people would jump at the idea to bring their tiny baby home early but it’s not in the best interest of the pup and a responsible breeder would know and obey the 8 week rule!
There are many other questions you can ask. It’s good to sit down and make a list of all your own questions before you go look at a puppy to make sure you don’t forget anything important you want or need to know. It’s also a good idea to find out what the breeder is feeding the pup to keep him on a routine he’s used to.
Lastly, a contract of sale protects both the breeder and the buyer. Most reputable breeders will have clauses in their contracts that if for any reason your pet has a congenital defect it will be replaced or refunded ( they are able to make this promise because they are confident the pet they produced is healthy).It is also a strong plus if the breeder has wording in the contract which states they will take the puppy back if you are no longer able to keep him. This should tell you as a buyer this person cares about the long term concern for the pup
A good indicator you are dealing with a responsible breeder is that for every question you ask and get answered , they have a question for you. A good breeder is just as concerned their pup is going to a loving home and you should be that you are getting a healthy pup!
