Raising sound,
healthy, well-socialized puppies is
difficult work with very specific
demands. Quality breeders care about
the animals they produce; most say
that if someone is making money
breeding puppies, he/she is doing
something wrong!
However, the
responsibility of finding and buying
a great pet depends on YOU.
Please research breed standards to
learn all the important points about
color, size, and traits of each
breed you are interested
in. Then, research further to learn
more about the personality quirks,
exercise requirements, and other
unique qualities of the
breed(s). Some places to do
research are
www.akc.org; or
www.ukcdogs.com; or
www.ckc.ca/
The following list contains
guidelines to help an informed buyer
find a caring, quality breeder. If a
breeder does not meet the following
- WALK AWAY…DO NOT BUY!
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A quality breeder will provide a
lifetime "take back" guarantee and
will require that you return the dog
or get approval for a new home if
you cannot keep him. Good breeders
do everything in their power to find
their puppies good, permanent homes,
and keep them there. A quality
breeder will require that if you
must ever give up the dog, he / she
MUST go back to the breeder or to a
new home the breeder has screened.
WARNING: Don't
just take the breeder's word on
this…get a "take back" clause in
writing.
Good breeders put a tremendous
amount of work into their dogs. They
care deeply about their animals and
will not to sell them
to "just anyone." Good breeders know
from experience what kind of homes
are likely to be the very best for
the dogs they have produced. Good
breeders will require an in depth
conversation and will screen YOU to
make sure you have the proper home,
lifestyle and finances to properly
care for your new puppy.
WARNING: A
breeder who will sell a dog to you
without asking anything about your
day to day living, your family life,
etc. does not care about you or the
animals.
A quality breeder makes sure you
know the breed's temperament, needs,
and special characteristics. If the
breed you're considering drools a
lot, is hard to housebreak, has a
high "prey drive" or isn't good
around small children, for example,
a good breeder makes sure you
understand those traits. If your dog
must be kept as an indoor dog, must
always be leashed or fenced,
requires lots of grooming, a
responsible breeder tells you these
things upfront. Many kinds of breed
"faults" are okay for a pet. To a
quality breeder, a "fault" is a
trait that is not exactly to breed
standard. For example, the breeder
might say "This puppy is going to be
oversize, so we won't be able to
show him," or "Look at the way he
carries his tail -- that's a fault."
This is the sign of an honest
breeder who wants you to know the
specifics of breed and the puppies
he/she is selling.
WARNING: If a
breeder starts to sound like a
used-car salesman, telling you only
the good things about the dogs and
refusing to talk about the bad ones,
find another breeder.
A quality breeder will provide a
written contract with specific
requirements and guarantees. Your
signature on a well written contract
with a health guarantees, a
spay/neuter requirement for "pet
quality puppies," and specific
recommendations for care
and training is always required by
quality breeders when you buy a
puppy.
WARNING: If
the breeder guarantees health for a
short period of time like a few days
or weeks then you are NOT dealing
with a quality breeder.
A quality breeder will provide a
written health record for your
puppy. This should include the date
of whelping, any health problems,
the date and kind of each shot, and
the dates of worming and drug that
was used. Your vet will want this
information; having it in writing
makes it much more likely that your
puppy has gotten the care he needs.
WARNING: If
the breeder just writes some
information on a scrap of paper off
the top of his/her head, the record
is NOT accurate and may not even be
real.
A quality breeder carefully plans
and "pre-sells" each litter. You
must be patient and wait for your
puppy. Quality breeders usually
breed only when they have enough
qualified buyers for the number of
puppies likely to be produced from a
breeding. You will be put on a
waiting list if the breeder feels
you are qualified to purchase one of
the pups.
WARNING: If
you rush out and get a puppy, any
puppy, you will most likely end up
with a puppy mill or back yard bred
dog.
A quality breeder will invite you to
his/her home or place of business.
You will be able to meet the parent
or parents of the
puppy and observe the conditions in
which the animals are kept. The
atmosphere should be clean, warm,
healthy and friendly. Sometimes
another owner is involved and only
one parent is on the premises. The
breeder should have all information
regarding the parent not on the
premises. Most will include a
picture.
WARNING: Never
meet a breeder in a parking lot to
"make the deal." Quality breeders DO
NOT operate this way.
A quality breeder specializes and
will only offer one (or possibly
two) breeds of dogs. It takes a lot
to get to know a breed and the dogs'
heritage, needs, requirements,
temperament and health. Quality
breeders take this work very
seriously. It is very difficult for
one person to be a "specialist" in
many breeds.
WARNING: Puppy
millers and back yard breeders will
breed any animals they think will
"sell." They frequently sell more
than one breed and may even be
dealing in more than one species
(cats and dogs, for example).
A quality breeder will socialize the
puppies. The pups will be accustomed
to people and a home environment.
WARNING: Be
very wary of puppies that are kept
in isolated environments away from
people and normal experiences they
would have once they "go home" with
you. Isolated puppies will probably
not be socialized.
A quality breeder will rarely take
deposits before the puppies are
born. A small deposit is acceptable
as long as there is a written
agreement as to what happens to the
deposit money if your puppy is not
born in the litter you are counting
on. A higher deposit will be asked
for once the puppy is born and you
want the breeder to hold that puppy
for you. Again make sure everything
is in writing pertaining to the
deposit fee.
WARNING;
Never give CASH for a deposit
without getting a written receipt.
Also, be sure to get the specifics
written down in a contract if
something should happen to that
puppy before you take it home.
Cover all circumstances. (I have
lost puppies at 8 wks. of age due to
low blood sugar), one never knows
what the future has in store.
A quality breeder will NEVER allow
you to take a puppy before it is AT
LEAST 8 weeks old and A Toy Dog
Breeder 12 weeks. The puppy's age
should be verified on well-kept
records provided by the breeder. A
good breeder knows that a puppy
learns many of its "life skills"
from his/her mom and littermates in
the very early stages of life. The
difference between a well adjusted
social puppy and a fearful biter can
be determined by a few additional
weeks spent in the security of the
litter.
WARNING: Back
Yard Breeders and Puppy Millers see
their animals as a "cash crop." They
will want to get the money in their
hands as soon as possible and will
sell dogs way before they should be
leaving their litter. Studies have
shown that dogs taken from their
litter too early are more
susceptible to behavior and health
problems.
A quality breeder will be
accessible. He or she will give you
his/her phone contacts. Quality
breeders will invite you to call
them if you have any questions or
problems with your puppy. They will
return your calls when you leave a
message. You will know where they
live and will have visited the place
where the adults and puppies live.
WARNING: If the breeder is difficult
to find or is elusive about his/her
operation, location or contact
information DO NOT buy from him/her.
You need to have a breeder who will
be available should you have
questions or problems. Quality
breeders have nothing to hide.
