Buying a puppy

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SplashofSoy

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We had dogs as children but they were never bought - always sort of inherited! As an adult I want to have my own dog and having decided on a breed etc I need to go about looking for a puppy. Never done it before so please let me have any advice or tips.

What to ask when initially telephoning? (dont want too many wasted journeys)
What to look for and ask when viewing? I would expect to see the puppy with its mum but what about other surroundings etc. Is it just common sense? Would a seller be annoyed if i had a sheet of questions and asked to look at paperwork etc?
What percentage of price is usual to reserve a puppy?
Whats the best way to travel puppy home in car?

Sorry about all the questions but want to do my best to get a happy healthy puppy and dont put any money into the hands of dodgy breeders etc

Thanks
 
SplashofSoy said:
We had dogs as children but they were never bought - always sort of inherited! As an adult I want to have my own dog and having decided on a breed etc I need to go about looking for a puppy. Never done it before so please let me have any advice or tips.

What to ask when initially telephoning? (dont want too many wasted journeys)
What to look for and ask when viewing? I would expect to see the puppy with its mum but what about other surroundings etc. Is it just common sense? Would a seller be annoyed if i had a sheet of questions and asked to look at paperwork etc?
What percentage of price is usual to reserve a puppy?
Whats the best way to travel puppy home in car?

Sorry about all the questions but want to do my best to get a happy healthy puppy and dont put any money into the hands of dodgy breeders etc

Thanks
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hi, when asking about a puppy over the phone you need to ask how old it is,
has it been wormed and flead regularly, is it KC registered. also if it has been or started being house trained, and what is its temperament like. can you see mother and father.
when you go have a look (if you decide you want to) look for the condition of mum and pups and see if they all look well in themselves (playing and messing about) if they are asleep you maybe want to ask if you can come back again or wait until they have woken up to see them properly. try and have a sneeky look where mum is kept if not with her pups and see what sort of mess or cleanness she is kept in. see how the owners treat all the dogs too. also check the pups eyes, look for weeping ext and teeth.
no they shouldnt be annoyed if you have a sheet of questions it just shows you are wanting to know all the info before making a decision.
deposits i would say if dog is (example) £500 i would offer a deposit of £100-£150 but make sure they write you a receipt out. sometimes if you change your mind the owner may not give you deposit back so just be careful.
i would say a carry box (you can get them from vets and pet shops) for bringing pup home, then if it has left you a "present" it will not be all over your car seats lol.

please please dont buy of breeder i have seen and heard to many horror stories. if the owner has lots of kennels ext ext just be very cautious. remember that if you deicide not to buy said pup there are always plenty more out there. dont rush buy or on impulse.

make sure you know and see its KC papers before you buy, try buy something over the age of 10 weeks. also if you have any questions that i have not said ask them too. write them down as you think of them, because when you get there your mind will go blank.

i hope i have helped a little maybe? good luck with the puppy hunt. i would try looking on pre-loved and free ads xx
 
Yorkshire Dumpling, your second paragraph concerns me, you say "please do not buy of breeder". Well imho that is exactly who would be puppy purchasers should buy off, a knowledgeable breeder who has the best interests of their breed at heart, only breeds to improve their stock and does all necessary health tests. I hope you mean don't buy off a puppy farmer but there is a huge difference.

Splashofsoy, a decent breeder will be delighted if you turn up with a list of questions, and yes you should certainly ask to see all paperwork, e.g. hip and elbow scoresheets, eye tests etc. You may not be able to see the pups kc reg if you are viewing early, as it takes a little while to come back from KC, but should certainly be able to see the parents. Prior to visiting ask about health tests, parents temperament, why the litter was bred. If you have decided on a breed your first port of call should be the breed society (rather than the KC who will take anyones advert as long as they pay:(), the breed society should tell you what health tests the breed needs, and any litters from reputable breeders currently available.
 
Posted this on another thread and can't be bothered to retype:o

When you get a dog from the breeder you should be able to see at least one parent if not both, which gives a better idea of how the pup will grow up. The breeder should also live and breathe their breed - they should be able to give you advice on the care of the pup, the character of the breed generally, and help you to select which pup will suit you. Finally, the breeder should be very picky about just who has their pups, and if someone comes in that is not suitable they should walk away from the sale! They should be in it for the love of it, not for the cash.

If a breeder does not meet these criteria, they are not a good breeder in my opinion. So you should not buy from them.
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:)
 
MurphysMinder said:
Yorkshire Dumpling, your second paragraph concerns me, you say "please do not buy of breeder". Well imho that is exactly who would be puppy purchasers should buy off, a knowledgeable breeder who has the best interests of their breed at heart, only breeds to improve their stock and does all necessary health tests. I hope you mean don't buy off a puppy farmer but there is a huge difference.

Splashofsoy, a decent breeder will be delighted if you turn up with a list of questions, and yes you should certainly ask to see all paperwork, e.g. hip and elbow scoresheets, eye tests etc. You may not be able to see the pups kc reg if you are viewing early, as it takes a little while to come back from KC, but should certainly be able to see the parents. Prior to visiting ask about health tests, parents temperament, why the litter was bred. If you have decided on a breed your first port of call should be the breed society (rather than the KC who will take anyones advert as long as they pay:(), the breed society should tell you what health tests the breed needs, and any litters from reputable breeders currently available.
Click to expand...

yes meant farmer not breeder sorry :rolleyes:
 
This is a very interesting read http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Raise-P...r_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1292339502&sr=1-11

You can get all of this on the net. I am doing all my research ready for a pup next year also.
The nice thing about the book is it gives you a criteria to follow, certain questions to ask etc.
From what i have come across, i have a breeder that i trust who I will use. If she doesnt have puppies at the time I am ready she will help me find someone who does.

What breed are you going for?
 
Have just gone through this process. I turned up with a full A4 page of questions. We visited puppy twice before buying and met both his parents. Make sure you see all documentation concerning the puppy. Some breeds have specific tests that need to be done , our pup is a miniature schnauzer and they and their parents have to have eye tests. Our puppy's breeder was happy to answer our questions and for us to visit as much as we wanted. Do your research. This is the first dog we have ever owned and I can't believe how much he has added to our family. He really has brought a lot of love into the house. One of my favourite things is to see my big burly 16 yr old son cuddled up on the sofa with him.
What type are you thinking of getting?
 
Thanks for all the advice and tips, my A4 sheet is fast filling up with questions. Am looking at getting a welsh terrier but breeders are not plentiful in my area so will have to travel so want to ensure I dont waste their time.
 
Have you met many welsh terriers?

They are not a breed for the faint hearted but are wonderful and I handstrip a few and know some breeders and pro handlers.

What area are you?

You are unlikely to find any decent pups on the advert sites but the breed club has a breeders list so phone up the one nearest you for a chat.
http://www.welshterrierclub.co.uk/
 
Lovely choice, hard work from what I understand as they want to be worked but they are fab. I love welsh terriers and airedales (I know some say the airedale comes from the WT but others say otherwise).
 
Agree, go through a breed club or even a breed rescue.

Avoid places with lots of breeding bitches and who only use their own studs, people with lots of litters on the go at the same time, especially lots of different breeds, do not accept a pup being brought out to see you or an 'out of bounds' area, do not accept 'can deliver', pay close attention to the bitch's temperament pups should be clean and happy to see you, bold, not cowering, breeders should be quizzing you as much as you quizzing them.
 
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