Things You'll Need:
- knowledge of the breed you are looking for
- references from previous puppy buyers
- vet reference
- visit to the breeder's kennel ahead of time
- wilingness to wait if necessary
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Step 1
Select a breeder that does not have a lot of BREEDS. They may have a lot of dogs, (actually having more dogs of the same breed may mean they will have BETTER choices for breeding) but they won't have a lot of BREEDS. Having lots of dogs of their breed usually means they are passionate about that breed and have a lot of knowledge about that breed. Also if the breeder belongs to a local kennel club or Breed club that usually means that they are not considered a "puppy mill" by the Breed club or Kennel club, or they would not have been accepted into the membership.
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Step 2
Select a breeder that requires a CONTRACT. The contract should cover health guarantees and should require that you keep in touch with the breeder, and that you will not re-sell or re-home the dog without the original breeder's consent. The breeder should feel responsible for bringing the puppy into the world and thus will not want it to end up in a shelter.
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Step 3
Has the puppy had its shots?Select a breeder that has a clean, licensed establishment and has kept the dogs and puppies "vetted".
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Step 4
Select a breeder that sells registered AKC or UKC puppies, NOT ANY OTHER REGISTRATION. Most other registrations do not require adequate research into the actual pedigree of the sire or the dam.
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Step 5
Select a breeder that has proof of any health clearances for the particular breed of dog you are buying, such as OFA certification, (hips and elbows) or CERF (eye clearances) or Cardiology clearances.
