Things You'll Need:
- Internet
- Telephone
- Paper and pen for taking notes
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Step 1
Log onto the Internet. Your first stop should be the AKC or the CKC website to find out the breed standards and temperment of the dog you want. Next you'll want to check the breeder section to see who they recommend for your area. A google search for the breed you want and your Province or State should bring up many listings. Another good resource is Dog World magazine or Dog Fancy.
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Step 2
After you have a list of breeders in or near your area you will want to visit their websites. You will want to have several questions answered to check the health and temperment of their dogs.
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Step 3
A good responsible breeder will show their dogs. This will atest that their dogs are from good stock and they are interested in improving the breed, not in making a fast buck in their backyard. Being in the show circuit suggests that the breeder knows what they are doing. It helps if the dogs win ribbons too.
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Step 4
Health guarentees. Check if the breeder offers health guarentees. A good breeder will be able to show health certificates of the parents of your puppy. Good Breeders have policies that extend past the front door of their kennel. If your puppy gets sick within the first year will they replace the dog?
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Step 5
Breeding agreement. A responsible breeder will make you sign a contract that you will not breed the puppy. This is how they show responsibility. A good breeder doesn't want her puppies to go to irresponsible people who will breed the dog without care for breed standards. If a breeder doesn't have such a policy then they don't care about the health of the dogs and you'll probably be buying poor stock yourself.
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Step 6
Does the breeder ask about you? If a breeder doesn't ask about your life style then they really don't care who their puppies end up with and are out to make a fast buck. A good breeder will want to know how much time you have for the dog, how much yard space, if their are children, etc. A good breeder cares if her dogs will be happy or end up in a shelter. A responsible breeder will do everything to avoid that.
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Step 7
Return policy. Will the breeder take the dog back if something should happen, like you become ill and can't take care of the dog, or have to move. A good breeder is a mommy for life and will be interested in replacing the dog if something should happen in your life to change your circumstances.
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Step 8
Expense- Yes a good breeder will charge a lot for a dog of good quality. Breeding dogs for health and temperment costs a lot of money. Being a backyard breeder and not caring about health and getting shots and showing the dogs doesn't cost anything, therefore a free or low cost puppy is a good indication that there are no health bills the breeder is covering. You don't want a free dog because that is a very big price to pay when it falls ill with a degenerative disease that wasn't bred out of its line. This can cost you thousands of dollars. Buying a dog from a good breeder will help insure that you won't have to pay out from health problems.
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Step 9
View the Kennel- Its very important to meet the parents. Do they live in the home? Is the home clean? Is the dog area clean? This is the best indication that the dogs are loved and cared for. Only by going to the house or Kennel can you see that.
