Picking a Breeder

Adding a new puppy to your family is a big decision. The dog will be with you for 10-15 years. This is not something you want to do on an impulse. Do your research and make sure you locate the best possible puppy for you and your family. Do not get impatient and just take the first puppy you find. If you have decided to adopt from a breeder rather than rescuing a dog, you should make sure you find the right breeder.

When talking to breeders here are some questions to ask and things to keep in mind:

· You want a breeder that asks you tons of questions before agreeing to give you a puppy. If they don't ask it's a good sign they're in it just for the money which can mean there wasn't as much thought put into the breeding or temperaments of the dogs.

· Some breeders let you pick your puppy based on what number you are on the list (i.e. 1st person gets pick out of all puppies, last person gets leftover puppy). While this isn't necessarily bad, I prefer it when the breeder evaluates all the adopters and all the puppies and matches their personalities and lifestyles. The breeders should have a much better idea of the puppy’s personality than you will after a brief visit. He/She should be able to match that personality with you.

· Research the health issues of the breed and then ask the breeder about occurrences of these issues in his/her lines. Also ask about health clearances for things like hips, eyes, etc and how many generations back were cleared.

· Do they have a health guarantee?

· Where will the puppies be raised? Ideally they will be in the house, not out in a kennel. Will the breeder be doing anything special to socialize them? Puppies that spend their entire time in a kennel are not exposed to household experiences during their early weeks. Also, it is ideal if a breeder is making a conscious effort to socialize the puppies by exposing them to different surfaces, people (especially children), noises, experiences, etc.

· When you visit the puppies, what are the conditions they are kept in? Is it clean? Obviously puppies will have accidents, however the place should not look like it hasn’t been cleaned for long periods.

· You should at least get to meet the mother of the puppies. If the mother is not at the location of the puppies this is a big red flag. Puppies should not be taken from their mother too young. Also, puppy mills frequently ship litters of puppies off to other states. If the person with the puppies is not the person who bred and raised the puppies, I would be concerned.

· You'll want to ask about the parent’s personality, temperament, health, etc.

· Are the dogs from field or working lines? The field bred dogs tend to be much more high energy than show lines or pet lines. They can be a bit crazy if you don't get them enough exercise and training.

· What are the breeder's goals in breeding? Is he/she breeding for temperament? Or for show quality looks? For field working ability? Why did she choose the male she did to breed to her female?

Another frequent question is how to locate a good breeder. If you know people who have dogs with good temperaments of the breed you are interested in, ask them where they got their dog. Another potential source is to locate the breed club associated with the breed. There are usually national and local clubs for most breeds. A lot of these clubs maintain lists of breeders. Although this is not a guarantee that the breeder is reputable, it does at least add in a filter. Go to local dog shows and talk to the people showing the dogs. Ask your vet, your trainer, or any other dog professional you know. Do not buy puppies from the side of the road or from newspaper ads without doing extensive research first to ensure the breeder was reputable.

Also, I frequently get asked when to start looking for a breeder. The short answer is as far in advance as possible. Keep in mind that good breeders have most of their puppies spoken for before they are born and sometimes before the breeding happens. The gestation period of a dog is 63 days, and puppies generally go home at 8 weeks. So, if you called a breeder who had bred her dog yesterday, the puppies would not be going home till 4 months from now. If you found someone whose dog was 4 weeks pregnant, you still have 3 months till the puppy comes home. You might find a breeder with puppies already born that have a few still available - this isn't necessarily bad (litters are big, adopters back out, etc) so if you wait you could probably still find something with less of a lag time, but if you want to be picky, looking early is the way to go.