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Do you really need a puppy? Although you should do research on what kind of dog would best fit into your lifestyle, bringing a puppy home is like bringing a child home. Adopting from a shelter or from a breed rescue should always be your first option. But if for some reason you’re determined to get a puppy from a dog breeder, than here’s how you go about finding the best dog breeder for you.

Places To Avoid

Avoid all pet stores that sell puppies and allon the webpuppy brokers that sell puppies 365 days a year and offer to ship puppies anywhere in the country. A good dog breeder would never sell their puppies to a pet store because pet stores can’t guarantee good homes. Internet sites that sell puppies 365 days a year are merely fronts for inhumane puppy mills.

Never purchase a puppy without having seen the animal first. It is also essential to visit the breeder’s home or kennel in order to see how the dogs are treated and what their character is like. If the place smells foul or you see dogs living in stacked crates, make a polite excuse and get out of there.

Places To Search

You can find breeders of the breed you have chosen from going to local dog shows and meting breeders and their dogs there. You can also ask trusted friends, family and business associates who have dogs of the breed that you want where they got their puppies from. You can also check the breed association to find any contact information of breeders in your area.

Things To Look For

Good dog breeders make you work hard to prove that you are good enough for one of their puppies. They will pelt you with questions about what you want in a dog, what your experience with dogs is and who your vet is. They might even require letters of character references from your vet and dog groomer (depending if the breed needs to be groomed or not).

Good dog breeders will have contracts for you to look over, including limited health warranties and health certificates for both parents. A good dog breeder will be eager to show you their dogs and their kennel and never try to force you not to visit. An excellent dog breeder will insist that if you have to give up the dog no matter how old the dog is that you can give the dog back. (You won’t get any money back, but at least the dog will have a home).