Puppy Purchasing Tips

Buying a puppy for yourself, your family or your children requires thought and patience so a bad choice is not made. Puppies are long term decisions and need time, attention and money to be properly cared for. Besides being able to care for a puppy, you need to know how to find quality puppies.

Where to Buy

Puppies for sale can be found several different ways. There are always shops in local areas with several breeds of puppies for sale, but many of these puppies come from puppy mills and treat puppies in inhumane ways. Local newspapers have puppies for sale almost daily for a wide price range from free to several hundred dollars. Pet shelters and breed rescue operations always have a large number of puppies, including some purebred puppies for the price of the puppy's shots and neuter/spay procedure. Breeders can be found through breed directories and offer some of the most well bred dogs, but also the most expensive.

There are several options and all depend on the type and breed of puppy you are looking for.

What Breed of Puppy

When choosing a puppy to purchase, you need to know several things before settling on a specific breed. If you will be keeping the puppy indoors, you will probably want a medium to small breed of dog, especially if your home is small. If keeping the dog outside, a toy breed is not the best choice since they are harder to keep inside a yard. Puppies kept outside will need a fenced yard and a shelter.

If you have children, you need to think about the breeds of dogs that are notorious for being kid-safe. Other pets in your home will also need to get along with the new puppy.

Know what you will be doing with the puppy before deciding on a breed. Showing or using the dog for a specific type of hunting or work requires certain characteristics. If you want a puppy as a family dog, the breed doesn't matter as much.

Before Buying

Ask the breeder or person selling the puppy to show you breeding certificates and health papers. Find out if the puppy has had any veterinarian care and ask to see documentation of this care. Ask to see the puppy's sire and dam if possible to make sure they are the type of quality dog you are looking for. Talk about the price of the puppy and what that price includes. If the puppy has not had any shots, the price should be lower than if the entire litter has had all of their shots.

Make sure you get a written contract for the purchase of the puppy that includes any identification or microchip the puppy may have.

Bring the puppy to the veterinarian's office as soon as you buy him. Make sure the puppy is as healthy as the seller promised.

References

• Humane Society tips for puppy purchases.