Every Good Breeder should meet the following expectations:
*Raises puppies in the home, not in a kennel building or garage.
If They Do Not, They Are a Mill...RUN, Fast!
*Has puppies and adults that seem acclimated to living part of the family, rather than in cages or pens.
Again, If They Do Not, They Are a Mill...RUN, Fast!
*Has outgoing, confident adults & puppies with temperaments you like.
Because this will be the environment your new pup will be around, be careful.
*Has clean, well-groomed, healthy-appearing dogs.
If they appear, really stinky, dirty or matted, have fleas and ticks, they are NOT taken care of, no matter what anyone else says! A slight doggie odor is of course normal.
*Is familiar with and screens for The breed's health concerns.
If they do not, again, Leave, Trust me, it'll save you the heartache.
*Can compare the parents to the breed standard feature by feature.
If a dog does not meet the breed standard it is a pet, pets do not meet the breeding standard, again think about your new pup.
*Charges neither bargain basement nor exorbitant prices.
If they are too cheap, remember the saying,you get what you paid for, But then again, too expensive, they may be trying to jip you, know who your buying from personally, this will help.
*Has the mother of the litter available to meet.
If you can't meet the mother, RUN! Remember, meeting the mother is the most important thing in buying a puppy, they were raised and bred from her, She MUST be healthy or your new pet won't be.
*Has photos and pedigrees of both parents and other relatives.
This helps you see the size that your new puppy will most likely grow to be, And most of the time, you won't be able to meet the father, but you MUST be able to meet the mother.
*Has registration and other papers available at the time of purchase.
If your breeder registers your new pet, check the papers, make sure they are registered with the club your breeder said in the first place, not some other cheaper club for a breeder bargain. And should give you ALL the papers they promised.
*Breeds sparingly and dedicates breeding efforts to only one or two
breeds.
If they are breeding more than 2 breeds, they will not be able to handle it, they must put their full education into 1, the most 2 breeds at a time!
*Belongs to a local club and/or national dog (the breed you're purchasing) club.
This helps, because this is proof that their dogs meet standards.
*Answers any question you may have.
If they beat around the bush, especially when it comes to the care and health of their dogs or get nervous they are not a good breeder.
*Asks you a lot of questions about your past history with dogs, facilities, family, life-style, and expectations for your new dog.
If they ask nothing, buy nothing. A good breeder will ask a lot, this shows that they care about their pets, even the ones they sell, and their not breeding as a part time, easy way to make money!
*Can tell you how puppies from former litters are doing and provide references from former puppy buyers upon request.
If they don't give you any references, especially if you ask for some, then the former buyers probably don't have anything good to say about them, meaning, RUN! They are no good!
*Won't allow puppies to leave until they are at least 8 or preferably 10 weeks old.
If they do, they are only in it for the money, 7 weeks and under is just simply TOO young to be taken away from their mother.
*Does not require puppy-back agreements that require you to breed the dog. Doesn't pressure you into buying a pup, especially if you've asked to think about it first.
It's good if they require you to give the dog back to them if you no longer can care for them but they should NOT require you to breed your dog even if it is show quality, if anything they should require you to spay/neuter your new pet.
*Requires that should you ever have to relinquish (get rid of) the dog they get the pup.
If they ask that you do not bring back the dog if there is ever a time you can't care for the pup or they don't even mention it or refuse to discuss it with you, this is an easy way of saying there is a problem with that dog, and they don't want to be to blame.
*Provides a medical history, pedigree, registration information, and possibly written health care instructions, with each puppy.
If they don't, the dog isn't healthy, Simple as that.
*Agrees the sale is contingent on you having your veterinarian check the puppy within the first two days you have it.
This show that they care, and want more for the pup than just cash. And it's good also so you can make sure you got a healthy pup.
*Should have at least 25 years of experience with the breed and knows the health issues associated with the breed or be associated with someone who has experience.
Less is fine as long as they are good, ask around, don't just assume, ask their vet and former buyers, talk to as many people as you can that know them, at least 3.
*Should NOT breed Only because they "love" the breed or as a hobby.
They should take it seriously and breed ONLY to IMPROVE the breed!
*And for goodness' sake, the breeder should be an adult!!!!
A child simply can NOT handle the responsibility of being a breeder even if their parents help out.
*Should NOT be having puppies ALL THE TIME.
This makes them a Mill, a puppy factory, they should be having only a couple litters a year, over 6 litters a month isn't healthy!
Ask about the health of your prospective puppy's relatives, and the cause of death of any deceased ancestors. Any problems that relate to the breed of purchase's genetic disease should be investigated further.
And Most Importantly Ask Questions, and more questions, they should answer your questions openly and willingly, e-mail them or call them on the phone about your purchase (at reasonable times of course) get to know the breeder because they will be the ones who are taking care of your new pup for the most critical time of their life. And expect questions if your buying from a reputable breeder, they should be concerned where their puppy is going, if the only questions they ask are "when can you pay me?," "how will you be paying me?," "where and when do we meet?," or something like that RUUUNN!!!! They are only in it for the money and couldn't care LESS about you or the dogs. PLEASE, PLEASE do your research, or it will end in TONS of heartache!
Be VERY, VERY careful, if you're buying from the internet, don't assume they are reputable and trustworthy just because they have smooth words, you need to talk personally to them and it is highly suggested to visit the kennel before you even put a deposit.
