So you want to buy a puppy, you’ve chosen the breed and you’re looking ….
what measures can you take to ensure the pup is happy and healthy?
In this puppy purchasing guide we’ve compiled a few sensible rules to bear in mind:
Firstly, consider carefully. Do you have the time, the space, the common sense or experience- and the cash for a dog? For around 12 years, give or take?
Puppies are a lot of work in the beginning! Although you get back a thousand or more times what you put in.
Looking for breeders
* Now you can’t, by law, buy a pup from a third party, like a pet shop or market. It’s a good step as you cannot check the quality of the breeder and similarly, you can’t tell what happens to the pup when the shop’s day is over.
* Do some homework. Check out the Kennel Club (KC) or maybe a local breed club who often have a list of breeders. Get an idea of average price you would expect to pay.
* Google search the kennel name and breeders if you see one you like.
Kennel Club registry/ pedigree papers– there are pros and cons to KC registry- there’s rules to safeguard heath- breed specific tests for the parents and rules about how many litters a mother can have, plus you know exactly your puppy’s family tree, useful for ensuring good genetic diversity. There are no guarantees, however. Just as there can be KC registered puppy farmers, there are good breeders who do not have KC registered dogs. With designer breeds, read up. A KC registered labrador can be cheaper than a non-registered cockerpoo. Check that you are not paying a huge amount of money for a pup whose parents haven’t health checks. The hip scoring scheme is run by the KC although non- pedigree dogs can have the test, for which a general anaesthetic is required.
* Assured Breeder Scheme. We are members of the Assured breeder scheme. We weren’t asked any questions when we applied (other than the obvious health tests). It took 3 years to be inspected (we passed). I am really glad that everyone is getting inspected and now have more faith and confidence in the scheme.
Contacting the breeder
* You should be questioned thoroughly. A responsible breeder will want to know if you have the common sense, experience, space, time and finances to support your new family member. They may want your address so they can look up your house on Google maps. We’ve a small garden but so close to a park it doesn’t matter.
* If you find a breeder you think is suitable from the internet or through a newspaper ad, it’s especially important to visit the pup.
* Don’t agree to let the person drop the pup off at your house or meet you in a car park. Unless, of course, the dog is a foreign rescue or coming for very far away and the breeder is well established and respected. (I was once helping in a rescue where the dog was German and we had to meet a Peterborough services at half 6 am. It was a magical day)
* How many litters has Mum had? KC rules state that mums can have 4 litters between the ages of 2 and 8.
Breeding is as tiring as it is rewarding. You’re up many times in the night, the house must be kept extra clean and tidy and (after 4 weeks) visitors are encouraged daily to help with socialisation, so the kettle is put on overtime! It’s exhausting, magical and fun in equal measure.
Questions to ask about the puppy
* Ask what food the pup is receiving. A good breeder will not be stingy, so look for mince, tripe, chicken, veg and fruit or quality food like Orijen, which is 80% protein.
* Will the pup have any parvo jabs? Any worming? What about fleas? Any vet checks? Micro-chipping?
* Is the pup being socialised? How many different people will see and handle the pup before they leave? Will they also be accustomed to uniformed people, children, mobility aids and people of different ethnicities?
Are they getting used to normal household noises (radio, television, hoovers, washing machines for example)?
What efforts are going into toilet training?
A good breeder should be happy to give you references from previous customers
Visiting the pup
Take a camera. As there may be paperwork (if you need them) don’t forget your reading glasses.
* Bring a friend. Puppies are exciting and it’s easy to get carried away. A cool head is needed to assess the breeder. Additionally, a good breeder will tell you a lot of important information that you will need to remember.
* Ask to see at least one of the puppy’s parents. The mum should be with the pups, but the father could have been a stud dog, so may not be there.
* Ask to see where the puppies and dams (mums) are kept. Look for cleanliness and safety. How often is the pen cleaned and are they checking the masking tape over any electrical wires regularly, for example?
* If you feel sorry for the pup, don’t buy them, and
* Don’t be afraid to report any misgivings or suspicions of abuse. Remember until you have paid a deposit, you are under no obligation.
* A deposit is the usual way to secure a pup. Consequently, expect a receipt.
* If you can/ want to pick the Kennel Club name for your pup, tell your breeder in plenty of time. It takes a surprisingly long time for the paperwork to be ready.
* it is always worth asking if you can visit again. Not many breeders will let you visit your pup before you take them home. Maybe take a present for you pup. A soft toy that smells of you is a good idea. Be aware, however, it may be wrecked in exciting litter- wide tugs of war (such fun).
* Check any paperwork thoroughly, ask to see pedigrees of parents, if appropriate.
Picking up your dog
* Consider and prepare for the journey home.
* There will be a good deal of information to take in and with a pedigree dog. There’s quite a bit of paperwork that you will need to go through. You may need your cool-headed friend (with a good memory) to accompany you again.
* If you are paying pedigree prices for your pup, don’t take the dog until you have received your pup’s legitimate KC number and/ or the appropriate paperwork.
Contracts
The standard KC covers pup, breeder and new owners. If pup isn’t a pedigree, this is still worth reading for questions and points to discuss with the breeder.
Read any contracts carefully. A few things in the standard KC contract stood out to me:
Certain health checks are expected for each particular breed. It’s wise to have a chat about them. The contract will outline the tests that the mother and father have had. Different breeds have different requirements- the Kennel Club has a list. Whilst this is not a guarantee that the puppy will become ill, it shows that they have maximised the chances for good health.
For some breeds of dogs, the inbreeding co-efficiency may be important. Different breeds have different averages. For us, matching a labrador was very easy, but as we wanted to be lower than the national average in bearded collies, it took over a year of research to find Cossie. The puppies were 2% lower.
The contract tells you to take the new puppy to the vet asap. Whilst they should have already had a vet check, meeting your own vet and getting a second opinion is always sensible. If they spot a problem, the standard KC contract says you can return the dog and get your money back- it’s upsetting as no-one wants to find out their dogs are unhealthy. This will be as devastating for the breeder, so don’t expect compensation for the upset.
What are endorsements?
It’s about rules concerning any future breeding of the puppy. If you wish to breed from your dog and register their puppies with the KC, then you will probably have to pass (breed-specific) health checks. Others are rules concerning whether they can register any future litters outside the country- things to consider are climate suitability, disease susceptibility and whether you are able to support future owners for the whole lifetime of the dog. Our dogs are all endorsed- it’s really sensible. If you are thinking about (or intending to) breed from the puppy when they’re older, tell your breeder, they will definitely want to know… it’s always good to be up front about these things and it will help when it comes to lifting the endorsements later.
The contract lists any endorsements placed on the puppy. It’s a good moment to discuss plans for future breeding (if you are thinking about it). As always, be honest here. If you change your mind, chat with the breeder before you make expensive plans. Don’t demand the endorsements be lifted out of the blue. The endorsements are there to ensure proper after care and support- for example it’s not wise to breed dogs abroad if you only intend to live there a couple of years.
KC contract- specifics
The contract will say that a pedigree ensures good “potential”. The breeder should have tested the parents so the health and looks of the dog are as good as can be. However, there’s ultimately no way to tell what the dog will look like when they are grown. As a result, breeders are unable to promise that the puppy will grow to be show quality. The purpose of the pedigree is show that the pup has good genetics- no-one has a crystal ball.
There are spaces in the form for the breeder to note any markings in their fur which would reduce their chances (or disqualify) them from showing. This lack of guarantee goes for colouring too- our Willow was born with white claws, liver eye rims and nose so technically she is a brown labrador, but it is hard to tell unless she is in direct sunlight- she looks an amazing rich, dark chocolate. Fortuitously, dark brown labradors are highly regarded for their abilities in the gun dog world. She’s certainly very eager and really enjoys any opportunity to do training work or play.
Additions
Some breeders add things- so read it all. There may be a no chocolate rule. We wanted to know if/ when the dog is going to be neutered (early neutering causes problems with growth) and told people that we’d added it- but a breeder is under no obligation to mention the additions.
The best and most important bit of the KC contract-
no properly bred dog should ever end up in a shelter
The contract says that if you ever want to re-home the dog in the future, then you must talk to the breeder. If they can’t take them back themselves, they should find/ know someone who would welcome them.
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
* Check the terms and conditions of any “free” food or insurance. The KC employs several schemes. When we last needed their services, the KC sent us leaflets along with the pedigrees offering (normally hugely overpriced) insurance free for 4 weeks. There was also money off coupons for bags of expensive yet low quality food that wouldn’t be fit for the hounds of hell. I threw them away, other breeders may not.
Aftercare:
A good breeder would be happy to answer any reasonable questions you may have once you get home, don’t be afraid to ring or text if you have any concerns.
Back to our training information guide.