Selecting The Right Puppy Breeder

Finding the right puppy breeder depends on a lot of different factors, including how many puppies are put on the market each year by the kennel. Breeders that are responsible and caring of their dogs will not over breed, rather they would have waiting lists to buy their puppies in the future and ensure that their females and males are in top physical condition.

Questions A Puppy Breeder May Ask

Often people that have not bought a puppy from a breeder before may be somewhat surprised to find out that they may have to go through an application process to even be considered as a potential new owner of a puppy. Breeders that care about their dogs care about your ability to care for a dog, so they do need to ask some fairly detailed questions. These questions may include things like:

• What is your work schedule?

•  How much experience do you have with training dogs?

•  Have you ever owned a dog of this breed before and what do you know about the challenges of owning this breed?

• How many pets do you have in the house?

• Do you have children and what are their ages?

• Do you plan on breeding the dog or showing the animal in any type of events or competitions?

• What is your house, apartment or residence like and how much room do you have for the dog?

• What is your activity level and how much time can you commit on a daily basis for exercise, grooming and routine training?

The Right Puppy Breeder

The right breeder for you will know about puppies as well as about the breed of dog that they have. They will not try to sell you on a particular breed, rather they will encourage you to research and completely understand the breed. In some cases, depending on your answers, they may politely tell you that the breed of dog you are considering is not a good match. For example, if you were to have indicated you work 12 hours per day, have no children and live in a tiny apartment it is highly unlikely at a breeder selling Border Collies, Labradors or Jack Russells is going to indicate to you that their breed is good match. On the other hand if you have a farm or large fenced yard, spend most of your time at home and have kids they may well recommend the breed as a good match.

The right puppy breeder will also have a good, in depth knowledge of the breed and will talk about potential issues with owning a dog of that breed. Breeders will also be an ongoing resource for you both now and in the future, so work with the puppy breeder in developing a good relationship as you never know, you may decide that you want puppies instead of just one.