Keep this in mind when buying puppies from breeders
Are you in the throes of buying a dog but unsure how to go about it? We fully understand. That's why in this article we've put together some great information for those of you who are thinking about buying a dog from a breeder.
4 tips for buying a puppy from a breeder
Once you've decided on the breed of dog you want, it's time to find a breeder. When you contact a breeder you will be asked a lot of questions, in most cases the breeder is just concerned that you and the dog have the best chance of a good life together. Therefore, be honest and tell the breeder what you want to do with your dog and how much exercise and activity you have the time and interest to provide. That way your thoughts won't clash as you may have different ideas about what you want the puppies to grow up to do. The breeder may have an idea that the puppy should compete and you may not be interested in that at all. That's why it's important to talk to each other and build a relationship so that the breeder can help you find a puppy that suits your lifestyle and preferences.
1. Meet the puppies and the bitch
Ask to meet the puppies and the bitch at the breeder's home so that you can meet your breeder and the dogs before you make your decision. Here it is important to think about how the dogs behave and whether this is something you want in your everyday life. Breeds will differ based on what they are bred for but also individuals and different breeding lines affect how the dog will be when it is an adult. So it is as much the environment the dog is in as the breeding line the dog comes from that matters. Therefore, make sure to examine how the dogs are in their home environment with the breeder.
2. Comfortable with the breeder
It is important that you feel comfortable with the breeder, that it is a person you can trust. You will hopefully have a long relationship going forward where the breeder will in many cases want to follow their puppies and sometimes even evaluate them in different ways for their breeding work going forward. Therefore it is important that you are comfortable with each other and that you feel that the person is someone you can have contact with throughout the dog's life.
3. Health status
Ask about the hip status of parents and relatives. Also ask if an eye examination has been done. It is very important that the breeder has a clear plan about the health of their breeding stock and evaluating hip joint status and eyes is something that most people do. Therefore, it is also good to have some knowledge of the diseases that may be common in the breed you choose and make sure that the breeder does not breed on diseases and problems that are known in the breed.
4. Mental evaluation
Ask if the dogs are evaluated mentally. There are different mental tests and they give slightly different results depending on what the test leader is looking at. It is positive if you and the breeder can have a dialogue about whether they mentally test the dogs and whether they do or not, it is a good idea to discuss such things as the sociality, hunting ability and fears of the breeder's breeding stock. Remember, no dog is perfect and therefore the breeder should be open with the flaws their dogs have to give you a clear picture of their dogs and then you will have to decide what you want in your future family member.
Good breeders can provide support
In most cases, choosing a breeder is almost as important as choosing the right breed of dog. As a new dog owner, your breeder is an excellent person to ask questions to and to have as a support. The breeder often has a lot of experience with dogs in general and the breed you are getting in particular. Many breeders also run puppy classes which are a great opportunity to meet other dog owners in the same situation as you, where you can exchange advice and tips, as well as a great way to teach your puppy to socialise and make some friends and have fun.
You can learn a lot on your own, read up and practice with your dog. But it's always nice to be able to turn to someone else who is more knowledgeable in their field to bounce ideas off and get tips on what to do in different situations. It is therefore beneficial for you as a dog owner to have a good relationship with your breeder as they can help you with any concerns or thoughts you may have.
