Selecting a good breeder for your next puppy

There are many things to consider when you decide to add a puppy to your family and selecting a good breeder for your next puppy is one of them. All puppies are a bundle of joy when first brought home, but as they mature into adult dogs unwanted traits can come out due to poor breeding, such as the parents were mistreated, the parents did not receive proper nutrition, and on and on. So selecting a good breeder for your next puppy is a decision to be carefully researched before making your choice.

Selecting a good breeder for your next puppy

One thing I have always done when adding a puppy to my home is meet the breeders and the parent dogs of the puppies and spend time with them. I observe how the parent dogs behave, how they relate to their owners, the conditions the dogs and puppies live in, the health of both the parent dogs and the puppies, and how they react to strangers, i.e. me and my family. If I see any negative indications such as aggressive behavior from the dogs or rough treatment from the breeders I politely excuse myself and move on. Avoid breeders who show any of these tendencies as chances are good the puppies will not be what you want.

The single indicator that tells you the most about a breeder is the overall longevity of the puppy’s line. As explained in an article on the DogStarDaily.com website:

Long-lived dogs advertise good temperament and training, since dogs with behavior and temperament problems generally have short life expectancies. Check to see that your prospective puppy’s parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and other relations are still alive and healthy, or that they died at a ripe old age. Conscientious breeders will have telephone numbers readily available of previous puppy buyers and of the breeders of the other dogs in your prospective puppy’s pedigree. If the breeder is not eager to share information regarding life expectancy and the incidence of breed-specific diseases, look elsewhere.

Take the time to go online and look up the AKC website for all kinds of information about all breeds. They will be able to help you in your search and offer good advice on how to choose a puppy from a breeder.

There have always been people who will tell you to avoid purchasing a puppy from one of the large pet stores and in the past this was mostly correct. Unfortunately some of these stores are selling puppies bred in “puppy mills” where the parent dogs and puppies do not receive the care needed. But this type of breeding has been under much pressure the last few years, and now most pet stores offer puppies from ethical breeders who take care of the dogs and puppies, so use this as an option if you feel comfortable doing so.

Check with the American Kennel Club (AKC) to see if the puppies in the pet store are from a regulated licensed breeder they have inspected and recommend. I have also found that local kennel clubs are a great source for finding breeders who can be trusted and offer puppies with the proper pedigree papers, as well as a history of the previous generations of the puppies.

So selecting a good breeder for your next puppy is not all that difficult — just take a little time and do your “due diligence” and you will probably be pleased with your results.

Do you get puppies from a breeder you have personally chosen? Please comment below and share what you think is important in making the choice of a breeder.