How to choose the right breeder and puppy for you

Choose a puppy according to your lifestyle and how you spend your everyday life. Take in as much information as you can about the breed you're interested in, and think about what's best for you and the dog together. For example, if you know that you will only be taking short walks around the block with your dog, it's not a good idea to choose a dog that needs a lot of exercise to feel good.

Think before you choose the insecure puppy

It's important to consider that a dog will be in your life for many years and will become part of your family. If you choose a more cautious and hesitant puppy, it's a good idea to have experience in training out this type of behaviour. Having the right basics in place from the start will help along the way.

Questions from the breeder

A good sign that you've chosen the right breeder, and can feel confident about buying a puppy from them, is when the person asks you questions and counter-questions. The fact that the breeder has the puppy in their interest says a lot about how good the kennel is and where the puppy comes from.

Choose a puppy by behaviour

Analyse how the puppies behave towards you. Stand up for a while and see how the puppies react. Who comes forward the fastest to greet, who seeks eye contact immediately, who waits, who walks away? Contrast your observations with the characteristics you want in the adult dog.

A puppy that comes up to you and is curious and happy is in most cases the right puppy to choose. Don't choose a puppy based on price, the most important thing is that you get a puppy that will fit in well with your life.

You can also let the breeder handle the puppies to pay attention to how the puppy behaves when someone they trust handles them. A puppy that has been reserved with you in the past may be confident and forward with someone it knows from the past.