Signs of a Good Breeder
- They talk to you and will ask you questions about your lifestyle and intentions before selling you a puppy.
- They want you to come to their home & will show you how the puppies have been raised.
- They may request the right to visit your home before the sale or after.
- They will have the mother in the home and possibly the father.
- They will be able to tell you about the ancestors and will supply you with a pedigree of the puppies at no extra charge.
- They provide the AKC registration papers with no excuses about "delay in obtaining", and so on.
- They tell you to call anytime if you have questions -- even long after you bring the pup home.
- They belong to a breed club and follow a code of ethics.
- They provide a contract with a written guarantee allowing you a refund of the purchase price if your veterinarian finds something wrong with the puppy soon after purchase.
- They have breeding stock evaluated by a neutral party by entering their dogs in shows. Those who show their dogs are usually trying to breed the best dogs possible. This means best in health and temperament, as well as appearance.
- They tell you how to select a good vet or provide you with names/addresses of ones they recommend.
- They explain the importance of training and socializing a puppy and provide you with written information about the care of your puppy.
- They allow you to visit the litter, but are careful about the spread of disease. They may ask that you wash you hands and remove your shoes, and may not allow you to touch unvaccinated pups, but will still allow you to see where the pups are raised and will let you interact with the adults.
- They encourage all pets to be spayed or neutered and may require it in their sales contract.
- They support breed rescue in some way as they acknowledge that it is their responsibility to the breed to “give back” in some way.
List was created by: BCARN -- Minnesota
Rita Guthmiller & Marcia Tiegs