Before You Buy
Buying a puppy can be an exciting time, whether it’s your first puppy or your tenth but one thing that can ruin the whole experience is a bad breeder or better yet, a scammer. Scamming people out of their hard earned money has been a problem within the dog breeding community for a while now. I speak with people on a regular basis who have fallen victim. So I’m going to share some things to look for and some questions to ask before handing over any money.
The first thing is to either see the puppy in person or to see the puppy through a video chat. If seeing in person, don’t get upset if you aren’t allowed at the breeders house. I personally don’t allow anyone on my property to see puppies because it poses a health risk. Parvo is a very real danger and I won’t risk my puppies health and well being. I will however, meet you at our local police department after the puppies have had their first set of shots. If the “breeder” refuses to let you see the puppy at all then you should run because this is definitely a scam. If you are allowed to see the puppy through a video chat, don’t be afraid to ask to see the parent dogs as well as their living arrangements. You don’t want to just avoid scammers but you also don’t want your puppy coming from an irresponsible breeder or worse yet a puppy mill.
Some questions you should be asking to avoid this are what health tests do you do on your breeding dogs, how many dogs do you have, how many litters a year do you have, where are your dogs housed, do you have a vet reference, do you offer a health guarantee, how do you socialize your puppies, etc. Don’t be afraid to ask all of the questions. If a breeder acts bothered by your questions then that isn’t the breeder for you. You want to feel comfortable with the breeder because your relationship shouldn’t end when you get your puppy. I tell my puppy parents that they can call me anytime and ask me anything. I know their puppy better than they do in the beginning because I have spent countless hours a day with them for the first 8-10 weeks of their life. I also know the parents temperament and a lot of times the puppies will take after one or the other, so I can a lot of times help with any behavioral problems that arise in the beginning.
If a breeder is advertising health tested puppies then you should ask to see those results. Some breeders will advertise even though testing was never done or testing was done but the dogs were not clear. Another big thing to check is if a dog that is being used to breed purebred puppies is in fact a purebred dog. I personally have run across this. Just because a dog is AKC registered does not mean it is in fact purebred. You should ask to see DNA results. All of my dogs are tested through Embark for genetic conditions as well as for breed. If one of my dogs has anything “mixed” in, I will tell you up front but my goal is to never have to have that conversation with you because my goal is to not have anything “mixed” in that shouldn’t be there. My shih-tzus will be shih-tzus and my shihpoos will be shihpoos.
One of the best ways to determine if a breeder is to be trusted is to get a vet reference. Speaking to their vet can tell you a lot. You want to know if the parent dogs are up to date on shots and how often they see them. Ask if when the breeder brings the parent dogs in are they in good condition or are they matted and dirty. Also ask if the parent dogs are skittish at all or do they appear well socialized. Obviously some dogs, no matter how well socialized, hate the vet so just know that that may not be the best indicator on how well the dogs are ultimately cared for. You also want to make sure that the puppies are checked by the vet prior to going home. Most vet’s will tell you what you need to know. Just know that the breeder has to give their vet permission to speak to you first.
Buying your puppy from a responsible and caring breeder is the best way to ensure you get the best dog possible. Breeders can’t guarantee that you won’t ever have an issue with the dog you got from them as a puppy, as you have to take some responsibility in that area as well, but we can guarantee that your puppy got the absolute best start in life. Just remember to be patient when searching for your puppy and take the time to build a relationship with your breeder as they will be a huge asset as your puppy grows.
