Buying a puppy, would like some advice of course!?

Question

I'm taking a three hour drive into the lovely state of PA Monday in hopes of buying a pug puppy. I have very little experiance in buying from a breeder. What should I look for? What indicates a bad breeder and a great one? All I know at the moment is the pups are AKC registered, have their first shots, and are wormed. I'm paying the low price of $425 for a pure bred, so you can imagine why I think there might be something fishy about the breeder. Any advice?

Please don't tell me to adopt, I've attempted adopting several times before I decided just to get a puppy. Unfortuantly the adoption process can turn out to be very disappointing when 4 people want the same dog.

Answer 1

Make sure you can meet mom at very least. Today alot of people don't own the male, or have bred to a male via AI and it's not possible to meet him. Mom should be there, so you want to meet her, and see what kind of temperament she has, how she has been taken care of etc. Given the puppies are ready to go to home, she should be back to shape pretty much, she is still going to hang some but she should be shiny, clean, eyes clear, butt clean all those things that you will look at a puppy for.

You should see where the dogs are born / raised, so that you have an idea how they were cared for while they were being raised.

Here..

Keeps dogs in the home as part of the family---not outside in kennel runs
Has dogs who appear happy and healthy, are excited to meet new people, and don’t shy away from visitors
Shows you where the dogs spend most of their time in a clean, well maintained area

Encourages you to spend time with the puppy’s parents at a minimum, the pup’s mother---when you visit
Only breeds one or two types of dogs and is knowledgeable about what are called “breed standards” (the desired characteristics of the breed, such as size, proportion, coat, color, and temperament)

Has a strong relationship with a local veterinarian and shows you records of veterinary visits for the puppies and explains the puppies’ medical history and what vaccinations your new puppy will need
Explains in detail the potential genetic problems inherent in the breed (every breed has specific genetic predispositions) and provides ocumentation---through organizations such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)---that the puppy’s parents and grandparents have been tested to ensure that they are free of these genetic problems

Offers guidance for caring for and training your puppy and is available for assistance after you take your puppy home Provides references from other families who have purchased puppies

Feeds high quality “premium” brand pet food
Doesn’t always have puppies available but rather will keep a list of interested people for the next available litter Is actively involved with local, state, and national clubs that specialize in the specific breed; good breeders may also compete the dogs in conformation trials

Encourages multiple visits and wants your entire family to meet the puppy
Provides you with a written contract and health guarantee and allows plenty of time for you to read it thoroughly; the breeder should not require that you use a specific veterinarian

In addition to those criteria, you’ll want a breeder who requires some things of you, too. The breeder should require you to:
Explain why you want a dog
Explain who in your family will be responsible for the pup’s daily care, who will attend training classes, where the dog will spend most of his or her time, and what “rules” have been decided upon for the puppy---for example, whether or not the dog will be
allowed on furniture

Provide a veterinary reference
Provide proof from your landlord or condominium board (if you rent or live in a condominium complex) that you
are allowed to have a dog
Sign a contract that you will spay or neuter the dog unless you will be actively involved in showing him
or her (which applies to show-quality dogs only)
Sign a contract stating that you will return the dog to the breeder should you be unable to keep the
dog at any point in the dog’s life

If the breeder you’re working with doesn’t meet all of these minimum criteria, The Humane Society of the
United States advises you to walk away. Remember, your dog will likely live 10 + years, so it’s well worth
investing some time now to be sure you’re working with a reputable breeder who breeds healthy, happy dogs.
You can find reputable breeders by asking for referrals from your veterinarian or from trusted friends, contacting local breed clubs, or visiting dog shows.

Remember, a reputable breeder will never sell dogs through a pet store or in any other way that doesn’t allow interaction with buyers to ensure that the puppies are a good match for the families and that the buyers will provide responsible lifelong homes.

Please don’t ever buy a dog without personally visiting where he or she was born and raised. Take the time now to find the right breeder and you’ll be thanking yourself for the rest of your dog’s life.

Answer 2

Many dogs are AKC registered...unfortunately, this doesn't mean much anymore. The only requirement for registering a litter with the AKC is that both parents are registered. Make sure the parents are on premises (the father may not be--this is fairly common, but the mother should be)... Check the puppies...Are they active and alert? They should be AT LEAST 6 wks old but preferably 8-10 wks... Is there any discharge from eyes, nose or gunk in their ears? Hold a puppy (feet upward) in your arms and GENTLY pinch the skin in the groin (between the back legs) area... It should immediatley snap back and not remain pinched-up(this would indicate that the pup is dehydrated). Hold the pup (facing you) from the arm pits. Look for any bulging in the umbilical area or in the groin area(between the penis(if its a male) and where the hind legs connect) If it's a female, still look in the same areas. Bulging would indicate umbilical or inguinal hernias. By the way, it will be fairly easy to spot. Check the pups for fleas (the base of the tail and the stomach area are the best spots to check). If everything looks ok, then ask the breeder to see the vaccination records(she should have them, along with the name of the vaccine manufacture and an EXACT date the vaccs were given). Also, ask if she self-vaccinates or if a veterinarian does it. Ask WHEN they were wormed, and how often, and with which wormer (it should be something such as Albon or Strongid....Not Hartz or any grocery store brand.). The puppies should have been examined by a vet at least once. Ask her for veterinary references, as well as past buyers and CHECK THEM OUT!!! Good Luck!!!!

Answer 3

First of all sailing a puppy for 425.00 doesn't mean you should be Leary about buying a puppy. I sale mine for 400.00 and mine are pretty darn cute.

The things you should look for. Pick up he puppy , check its ears , eyes, does the puppy have a runny nose. See if you can lay the puppy on its back while holding him and a rub his belly. Does he lay there content. Watch how they act towards the owner when she is around. Do they seem happy to see her? Make sure you look at the mommy and daddy. If the daddy isn't there then ask where you can see him. Make sure they have AKC papers and please.... I tell everyone this... do not buy the puppy if they do not have the litter papers in your hands. If you are traveling that far you may want to call and see if she has them.. If she said no... DO NOT BUY. There is no excuse a breeder can't get the litter papers to them in time of sale of their puppies. Make sure the puppy is 8 weeks old. Look to see what the place look like where they were whelped. Take note in how many she is breeding, If she is breeding many different dogs. A red light should go off if she is. Make sure you get the vet paper on the shots and worming of your puppy. that is all I can think of but I am sure other will have some ideas too. Just take them all in before you buy a puppy. Oh and she should be willing to answer any of your questions you may have.

Answer 4

The first thing you should do is make sure the mum is there. It is normal that the breeder would use someone else's dog as a stud so don't be wary if they don't have the male dog with them. It's always best to see both parents but if he is on another premises, you will need to make another trip. Make sure to "inspect" the place to make sure it is a clean and safe place for the pups to have been living/bred in. The puppies should be lively and happy to see you. Stay away if there are any puppies with "gunk" in the eyes, nose or if they have fleas/worms/ticks.

Most likely, the breeder has not screened her dogs of hereditary diseases. If that is the case, STAY AWAY! Pugs are prone to MANY health problems and should only be purchased from reputable breeders (who usually sells Pug puppies for around $1000).

Make sure the mum of the pups is happy and looking good. Some mums may be a bit reserved or protective of her pups. This is usually a bad thing because she might have tough her puppies to be the same around people. The puppies should be walking properly. Crouch down and clap or make a noise. See if they respond.

Ask the breeder if she shows her dogs. If not, it's usually a bad thing. Ask if her dogs come from show bloodlines. If not, that is a very bad thing. Also ask for references. Ask for phone numbers and addresses of people that have purchased a puppy from her and see what they say about her. Make sure the breeder doesn't give references that she knows personally (cousin, sister, mum, etc.).

The things you don't want to hear:
"I haven't tested my dogs for hereditary/genetic diseases"
"I don't show my dogs, nor do they come from show bloodlines"
"The mum is not with me"
"The puppies were sold before 12 weeks of age"
"You can't see the rest of the litter"
"You aren't allowed to search my premesis"

Answer 5

Well if your drive up to where he puppy is and its a pig sty then don't even stop, keep on driving.
The place were the pups are should be clean and no pee or poop smell. The pups should be clean as well. The parents should be there for you to look at. The pups should have clean clear eyes, no goo in them at all, nothing running out of their noses either. Check their ears they should be clean too.
The pups should be acitve and if they are not ask why? Look at all the pups and dont pick the one that is cutest, pick the one that your head says to pick not your heart. Ask what kind of food have they been eating and how much and how many times a day.
Take a pad in with you and a pen to write things down on. Bring someone with you 2 sets of ears and eyes really helps.
If all is well and everything looks ok then pick out your pup.
Make a vet appointment as soon as you can to get the pup checked out.
Enjoy your new pup!

Answer 6

Hello,
Have a safe trip when you go to PA. I hope you find a puppy you fall in love with. I've usually gotten all my pets from shelters or just strays that came to live with us (we seem to be a magnet!), but have gotten dogs from breeders. We both love Irish Setters, and a local breeder had some puppies for sale. One was less expensive than the others. We asked the AKC registered breeder why, and she told us the truth. There was nothing "wrong" with Katie, but she didn't meet all the physical standards to be a "show" dog. So, she wouldn't be popular for breeding or showing. Well, we didn't have any interest in showing her or breeding her. We just wanted to love her. She was a wonderful addition to our lives, and we enjoyed her love and companionship for nearly 13 years before she passed away.
So, sometimes, breeders will sell a certain puppy at a lower price because they're not "desireable" for AKC or show purposes. Sadly, sometimes there are horrible people out there who run puppy mills and the animals are poorly treated or abused. You can ask the breeder for some references from the AKC or from others who have purchased pets from them, and then DO check on those things. You could also call the local ASPCA or Humane Society to see if there have been any complaints or actions taken against this or any other breeder.
Good luck, and I hope you come home with a wonderful new friend who will add love to your life for many years.

David

Answer 7

If the pup is AKC registered and has had its first shots and been wormed my guess is that the breeder knows what they are doing. I got my dog from a breeder and she was only 300 and was AKC registered and had her shots and was wormed and she is great. Talk to the people some and check out the puppies mom. The breeders probably own the dogs. When I got my puppy I asked to see her mom and they let me hold and play with the puppy's mom. She was in good condition. Just check them out a little bit and see what vibe you get from them. Good Luck!

Answer 8

We recently bought two bassett hound puppies from a breeder locally. They had all the paper work for registrating them and showed us the mother and a picture of the father. Our vet also was familiar with the family that we got the puppies from. I suggest you call the local veternarians and ask what they know about the breeder and you could ask them who their vet is. My son had a bad experience with his pup (a lab)---the people said the dogs had been given their first shot but come to find out it was purchased at a local Orschleins store and his dog got parvo---thank goodness we caught it early and he is fine. Our vet said that many time (not all) store do not store the medi properly and it fails to work. Make sure the shots were given and properly. Good luck!

Answer 9

Ask for some references. some people you can call that have worked with or bought from the same vendor. Be sure to take a look at the facilities, usually that is a good indicator that everything is on the up and up. Someone that is just doing this for the money isnt going to have a nice set-up, but if it looks like they might have invested a little money then maybe they care about the dogs too and thats what you're looking for

Answer 10

Yes I would - I"m not shy in telling people the truth. But I put in in the nicest way possible as to why they got ripped off. A coworker had gotten a shelie from the pet store. I told her why it was the worse place (she had not clue). The dog had a lot of medical problems and was very poor quality. A year later she took my advice to locate an ethical breeder for another sheltie. The difference was night and day - and she also could educate others on the better way to get a dog that was worthy in every way.