Breeder’s Background

• How long they have been breeding dogs for. Ideally you want a breeder who has years of experience breeding and with your breed.
• If they part of any national breed clubs or take part in competitions. Most reputable breeders will do both.
• How many dogs they breed at once. A reputable breeder will only breed one or a couple of breeds and does not always have puppies on hand.
• If they sell their puppies to pet stores or other third parties. A reputable breeder will NOT do this.

Overview of Breeding Program

• Ask how the pups are picked for each family. Often times there will be an order in which families pick. If the pups have been born, then you may be able to pick in person.
• Ask to see the living conditions of mom and the pups. This should be clean and comfortable.
• Ask to see any dogs that are on the property. They should be healthy looking and have a good temperament. Mom should be onsite. It is not abnormal for dad not to be onsite. Ask to see a picture if this is the case. Mom should be treated like any other pet and have easy access to her needs.

Details about Your Pup and their Relatives

• Ask about the health and behavior of the pup’s parents and grandparents.
  • Ask how the parents and grandparents compare to breed standards. You can find some breed standards here. This will help you estimate your pup’s characteristics (eg how big they will get).
  • You should also come prepared to ask about genetic conditions common to your breed. There are often tests for these conditions, such as OFA tests. Breeders should have the parents professionally tested. You can find OFA tests by breed here. Other testing guidelines can be found here.
  • During this discussion you should ask to see the veterinary records of the parents.
• If your pup has been born, ask to see their veterinary records. They should be up to date with their vaccines and should not have any preconditions.
  • Link to vaccine schedule
• Ask to see the lineage registration papers for the parents. If your pup has been born, ask to see this as well. Ideally these would be from the American Kennel Club (AKC) and certify that both parents are purebred. Other registration organizations exist, but often are less recognized. If your breeder provides registration papers from another organization, research the organization at home to see if you are comfortable moving forward. If the breeder does not already have registration for your pup, ask if they will be providing these. If not, you can register your pup yourself through the AKC as long as you have the parent information.
• Ask if the parents have won any competitions. While this isn’t necessary, it gives good insight to the parents’ traits, behavior, and abilities.
• Discuss the breeder’s policy if your pup has a health condition. Often reputable breeders will pay for treatment of anything diagnosed during your first vet visit (within a couple days of returning home) and will offer to take your dog back if they are diagnosed with any genetic issues. Many breeders will also offer to give your money back or give a partial refund if you decide to keep the dog and it has a genetic condition.
• Ask about how the breeder is socializing their pups. Early and appropriate socialization is crucial to your pup’s development. A properly socialized pup will be more ready for the transition home and less likely to develop destructive behaviors and anxiety.
• Ask when you will be able to take your pup home. This should be between 8 and 10 weeks. This allows your pup to appropriately develop with mom and their litter mates before coming home. This 8-10 week period is also a critical point in your pup’s life that will allow them to form a strong bond to you. A puppy should NOT come home with you before 8 weeks, as this can have harmful effects on the puppy’s development.

Other Topics

• Ask for references from previous clients and the breeder’s vet.
• A reputable breeder will have a contract with their clients. Ask if you can see a copy to review. This contract should reflect your discussion with the breeder.
• A good breeder will also want to know about you! They may ask you about your family dynamic, your living space, access to the outdoors, how long the puppy might be alone each day, who will be caring for it, etc. The more interested the breeder is in learning about you, the more likely that they care about their pups.

Other Important Notes

A reputable breeder will offer to take your pup back at any point if you can not keep it.

Keep an eye out for some red flags:

• The breeder sells many different types of dogs.
• The breeder will not allow you to visit the property or see the entire premise where the dogs are kept. ALL reputable breeders will allow you to visit.
• The breeder does not care about learning about you.
• The breeder will not cover any health conditions diagnosed at the first vet visit or take the dog back if it has preexisting conditions.
• The breeder requires cash only for payment.