Here are several questions I would ask the breeders you are thinking about getting a puppy from.  You may not ask all of them and some of them might not apply but all of them probably should be at least thought about before getting a puppy from that breeder.  I have also listed some red flags.  Just because every answer is not answered with a “Yes” or doesn’t fit the exact way you would like to see it does not mean that the breeder is a bad breeder.  However, if more of the questions are answered with a “No” or in a negative light to what you imagined I would walk away.  Too many people try to “save” puppies from bad breeders but all that does is open a kennel space for them to breed more puppies.  The other thing “saving” a puppy from these places does is potentially make your life very difficult at best with a puppy that has significant health or behavioral issues.  Yes, some people get lucky and get a normal puppy from a situation like this but many times that is just not the case.

  • May I see the father and mother of the litter? (Expect to only see the mother, as the father a lot of times is off-site.)
  • What is the temperament of the parents?
  • Do the dogs have any flaws (if they say no that is a red flag!)?
  • Can you see where the dogs are living (if they say no that can be a red flag)? Are the kennels clean?
  • Do the dogs look happy and healthy?
  • Are the dogs in the kennels all the time or are they house dogs?
  • If the dogs are in outdoor kennels, are they climate-controlled for the environment they are in and the breed of dog?
  • How much time does the breeder interact with the dogs both in and out of the kennel?
  • Are the dogs allowed into the breeder’s house?
  • Do the parents show competitively in anything? Do they do what they were bred to do?
  • Do they have titles in the events that they do?
  • Is the breeder involved in any breed clubs?
  • Can you see the pedigrees of both parents beforehand? The breeder should explain the pedigree to you.
  • What genetic diseases or congenital defects that may affect the breed (Every breed has a health concern so if the breeder says none this is a red flag!).
  • Can I see the paperwork for the parents’ tests on hips (OFA or PennHip), eyes (CERF), and thyroid?
  • What vaccines have the puppies had? Will they have their first set of shots by the time they go home? Will I get paperwork from the vet?
  • Can I have my own vet examine the puppy prior to making a commitment?
  • Do you have a contract? Can I see it beforehand, and will you explain the details?
  • Does the contract include terms in case the puppy develops a genetic disorder? How long will you cover genetic disorders?
  • What happens if the puppy dies or must be euthanized due to illness or disease? How long do you cover emergencies?
  • Does the contract include a spay or neuter clause?
  • Can I choose to breed my dog in the future? Will I need special testing or show requirements?
  • Is the dog registered with the AKC, UKC, or any other registration available with the dog – regular or limited?
  • Do they offer a return policy if I am unable to keep the dog?
  • Do they have the names of previous puppy buyers or other references that you can call?
  • How many litters a year do you produce per mother? How long do you breed the mothers?  How many litters on average does each mother have?
  • How many litters are on site right now? How many litters do you have a year?
  • Where were the puppies raised in the kennel or in the house? Is this different than the parents?
  • How much interaction have the puppies had with people (or if they are younger than 4-weeks-old, how much socialization will they have?)

Other Things to Consider…

These are other things to consider that are not necessarily red flags but could be depending on the situation and type of dog you are looking for.

  • How many litters are on the ground now? Raising puppies is a TON of work so if the breeder has more than 2 litters on the ground now there is a greater likelihood that not enough time is being spent with each puppy.
  • Are the parents or at least the mother on site? Are any of the other siblings from previous litters available to be seen?  The parents should be friendly, look to be in good health, their activity levels should be what you are looking for in your puppy, and overall characteristics should be what you are looking for in your new puppy.
  • Unless you are looking for an outdoor only dog are the puppies raised inside? Puppies raised inside are more likely to be exposed to kids, other animals, and normal home activities.  Puppy socialization is valuable, and if your pup is spending most of their time isolated outside, they won’t be making the most use of those key early months.
  • It is not bad and in fact probably better if the breeder picks the puppy for you or gives you only 1-2 puppies to choose from with the personality and temperaments that fit best with your household. If they are a good breeder, they will know the personalities of all the puppies and how they would fit in with your needs.  Picking puppies based on color, at the time of birth or before 7 weeks of age can be dangerous as their personalities might not fit your household (See the article “Are you a Match?”)
  • How old were the parents and was there any health testing done before the breeding? Good breeders do not breed before two years of age and generally do not breed after 8 years of age.  Good breeders also generally will only breed the female 3-4 times in their entire lives.  Health testing is generally done on the dogs based on what genetic diseases are prevalent in the breed after 2 years of age.
  • Puppies should not go home before 8 weeks of age if possible. The younger the puppy the more likelihood the puppy will have behavioral problems as an adult.  Puppies need their mothers and siblings for proper development.
  • Good breeders will have contracts that will talk about whether they cover things like emergency illnesses, genetic diseases, spay and neuter contracts, whether they will take the puppies back, and will they take them back for the life of the puppy?

Red Flags

The following would be things I would consider to be red flags in just about every situation.

1.     Breeders that don’t ask questions about your household needs, your wants, or why you are looking for a puppy or this specific breed.

2.     All they require from you and want is payment.  They don’t ask questions about your family life, they don’t have contracts, or the contracts are vague and or the contract states that once the puppy is paid for you are responsible for everything.

3.     They won’t show you where they keep their dogs, and they want to meet you at a place somewhere between you and them with your puppy and insist on it.

4.     If their premises consist of an industrial site or “farm” and you can’t see inside all the buildings, this is a red flag.  There are lots of people that are good breeders on “farms”, but they allow you to see where the dogs are staying.

5.     No dog parents available for you to meet.  If you can’t see at least the mother this is a red flag.  How are you going to know the potential temperament of your puppy without seeing at least one of the parents?

6.     You cannot see any of the other littermates in this litter you are choosing from.  Once again how are you going to know the temperament of your puppy compared to the others?

7.     Litter is less than 6 weeks or labeled at 8 weeks but is obviously less than that.  Breeders breeding for money will try to get rid of the puppies as soon as possible, some as soon as they can eat solid food.  The longer they keep the puppies the more money they put into the puppies with food and supplies.

8.     The breeder doesn’t seem to have much of a relationship with the adult dogs.  If the adult dogs and the puppies do not seem social with the breeder this is a red flag.  A good breeder will not only spend time with the parents but with the puppies socializing them.

9.     The breeder doesn’t specialize in any breed.  Any breeder that has over 3-4 breeds and is breeding them all should be looked at with some suspicion.  There are good breeders that have 3-4 breeds that they are breeding but they generally are not breeding them all at the same time.

10.  The breeder always has puppies in stock.  If they always have puppies available, have multiple litters of puppies on the ground, have puppies on sale because they are older, or the origin of where the puppies came from is not known, red flag.

11.  The breeder pushes you to close the deal.  A good breeders will NEVER push you to get one of their puppies.  Good breeders will have waiting lists for their puppies so even if you don’t buy this puppy, they will have prequalified individuals waiting.  Red flag breeders are trying to sell their puppies because they do not have other homes lined up, meaning they are pushing for the sale.

12.  The breeder can’t provide vet records.

13.  The breeder requires you to use a particular veterinarian.  One wouldn’t think that this might be a red flag except if the vet is also hiding something about the breeder or the vet is getting kick back from this breeder.  Although this is not something that is seen often you should be able to take the puppy to any vet after you purchase it.

14.  Lack of Paper Trail.  No vet records of the parents, no vaccines records of the puppy, no contracts, no paperwork trail of your sale (no receipt) and they want you to pay cash.

15.  There is no post purchase support.  If they have no support for you after your puppy is in your hands this can be a red flag.

16.  The breeders advertise in newspapers, craigslist, online sale pages, or sale signs out in public, or flyers.  Good breeders generally only breed a litter of puppies after they have several committed people on their list meaning that the puppies’ new homes are found even before they are conceived.

17.  Sells puppies from the same litter for different prices.  This can be seen as male puppies are $XX less than the females, certain colors are more money than other colors, certain hair coats or eye color are less than others, and puppies on sale because of age.  This is a huge red flag that they breeders are specifically breeding for money and the looks of the puppies NOT for temperament.

My last recommendation is this if you feel something is off and your gut feeling is this is not a good transaction for ANY reason you are probably right.  In those cases, WALK AWAY!!!!  There is no need for the pain, suffering, and trauma you may endure from not listening to what you knew all along.  The right puppy/dog is out there waiting for you, just be patient, and have faith that it will happen at the right time!