• Never be in a hurry. There is a responsible breeder out there with a puppy for you. Wait until you find him or her.
  
• Contact the national breed association for the breed in which you are interested. If you need a phone number, check the American Kennel Club Website for the parent breed clubs. Get the names of breeders near you from the national breed association.
  
• Call the breeder. Don't write. Most are very busy and your letter may be overlooked. A good breeder will ask you LOTS of questions: Do you have a fenced yard? Do you have children? Have you had dogs before? What happened to your last dogs? Why do you want a dog of this particular breed?
  
• Ask questions. A responsible breeder will be prepared to tell you the bad as well as the good points about her breed. Ask about health problems. A responsible breeder will be informed about the genetic problems in her breed. She will also guarantee that your puppy is free of these defects. Ask if your breeder belongs to any dog clubs. Most responsible breeders belong to their national breed association or one or more regional clubs. Ask if your breeder shows in conformation, obedience, agility, field trials, etc. Responsible breeders seldom sit home cranking out puppies. Nearly all of them are involved in one or more activities with their dogs.
  

• Inspect the premises where the puppies have been raised. That includes a look at the parents, if both are available, or at least the dam. The area where the puppies are raised should be clean, well-lighted, and in close proximity to people and interesting sights and sounds. The breeder's dogs should display the temperament appropriate for their breed (noisy for terrier's, guarded for Schipperkes, etc.) but they should not be shy, fearful, or menacing. The dogs should all be clean and well-groomed.
  
• Beware of a breeder who has many different breeds. A good breeder normally concentrates on one or two breeds at the most.
  
• Be prepared to wait. A good breeder is unlikely to have puppies available all the time. Be cautious about making a deposit on unborn litters. Ask for a referral to another responsible breeder who may have puppies on the ground.
  

•  Be prepared to pay a fair price for the puppy. A responsible breeder is lucky to break even. Most are bleeding money by the time they have paid the costs of breeding, raising, immunizing, and training their puppies. Buying from a pet shop or backyard breeder usually results in paying more and higher vet bills.
  

• When you buy a puppy, you should receive an AKC registration certificate, a written health record, and written instructions for the puppy's care and feeding. Many responsible breeders will also require you to sign a written sales contract with a spay/neuter agreement
  

 

Where Can I Get a ___________( Breed)?

Many prospective owners decide they want a particular breed because it is popular, cute, or because they know someone with that particular breed. Maybe they became attracted to a breed because they saw it in a movie or TV show.

Unfortunately, many owners do not research the breed thoroughly prior to getting one, and later discover that the breed they've chosen does not fit their home, their lifestyle, their family or their budget. This is one of the most common reasons why dogs end up in shelters, and sadly it is through no fault of the dog's.

While there are always exceptions, all purebred dogs have characteristics that are common in that given breed. When it comes to these specific breed traits, it is important that prospective owners thoroughly research the breed they are interested in to ensure that the breed is a good fit for them, their family, lifestyle and budget before getting the dog. For example, if you are looking for a jogging partner, a breed well suited to being a couch potato would not be a good match for you, or if you have small children, a breed with strong herding instincts may nip or knock over your children just doing what it is genetically programmed to do.

Information on specific breeds can be found on the American Kennel Club website, on breed club websites, and through books written on specific breeds. Purina  (Pure Bred Puppy Heading)has a useful breed selector on their website to help you find the breed that fits you best. Further knowledge about a breed can also be gained by attending dog shows, or by fostering a rescue for a specific breed's rescue group in your area.


Designer Dogs - Where Do I Find a Labradoodle?

Labradoodles, yorkiepoos, cockapoos, schnoodles, dorgis, bagles, goldendoodles. Mutts, by any other name, are all the rage among some pet owners. None of these mixed breeds of dogs are recognized by the AKC, and the club does not have referrals to breeders of these or any other mixes.

Mixed breed dogs, once the domain of animal shelters, are being sought by an increasing number of owners looking for specific crosses. Intentionally bred with cleverly combined names, these mutts often command a purebred price tag from breeders out to capitalize financially on the trend. Don't believe all you hear about these crosses being non-shedding, hypoallergenic, and all the crazy things that the breeders of these dogs would have you believe. They are not always true.

A mixed breed dog is a crap shoot. You really have no idea what you will end up with in terms of temperament, size, and other characteristics, because the dog could take on traits of either side of its parentage, or be something completely different. Further, there is nothing to prove the dog's parentage, like AKC's DNA program, so you are going solely on the word of a stranger that the dog's origins are what they state they are.

If you are interested in a designer dog, we strongly urge you to contact an area shelter, where you will find a variety of mixed breeds available in need of homes.

 

What About Buying Puppies From The Newspaper?

Rarely, if ever, will you find a reputable breeder advertising in a local paper. The type of breeder that advertises in the newspaper usually breeds for profit, without regard to their dog's or the puppies health and well being. The resulting offspring of these kinds of backyard breeders are usually what you will find on a visit to local shelters and rescues in the area.

More often than not, this type of breeder does not perform the testing and health clearances necessary in almost every purebred breed of dog to ensure that their offspring are as free as possible of genetic defects. Sometimes this is out of ignorance, but usually it is because it costs a lot of money. Irresponsibly bred puppies may suffer from hereditary diseases that surface as the dog matures, often at great expense and heartbreak to the unsuspecting new owners, and often causing pain and suffering for the dog.

Further, the dogs being used for breeding may not be a good representative of their breed. They may not have a proper temperament that is stable around other animals and/or children. While you can find vicious and unstable dogs in any breed, a dog's temperament is due largely to socialization, but it is also based in genetics.

Many people who advertise in the paper decided to breed their pets because they want a puppy from their fabulous dog Fido, however, the puppies produced will more often than not be nothing at all like Fido. Breeding Fido will not promise another one like him or her. Breeding in itself may be simple, but producing good dogs is not, taking years of research and knowledge by a breeder about bloodlines and genetics to be successful. The inexperienced, and sometimes even the experienced, don't always get what they think they will get. This is proven time and time again in the great dogs of any given breed, who were themselves stunning examples of the breed, yet were not able to produce any comparable offspring. One who matched, or surpassed themselves.

Waiting on a good breeder takes time and patience, but the reward is well worth the wait as your chances of getting a healthy, well adjusted dog are greatly increased. While buying a dog from a reputable breeder may cost you more than buying one from the newspaper, in reality a good breeder rarely breaks even when one considers the investment made in their dogs in showing them, veterinary care, stud fees, and rearing a litter properly. Further, with most reputable breeders, you will get a lifetime of support when it comes to questions and guidance on your dog, and have a better chance of avoiding costly and heartbreaking genetic diseases common with backyard bred dogs. Please read our Tips for Finding a Reputable Breeder.

If you choose not to wait on a reputable breeder, we strongly suggest that you contact one of the many shelters or rescue groups in the area rather than resorting to the newspaper. You will often be able to find the perfect dog for you, and save a life in the process, and everyone wins!