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ENPB Movement Mission: To educate New Puppy Buyers
(NPBs) on what they
should expect from the person they are buying their puppy
from.
RULES
3 Simple Rules to Help you Find the Right Puppy From the
Right Breeder
1) Only buy your puppy directly from the breeder, NEVER from a Pet
Store, Broker, Referral Service or Wholesaler. An important note
about the Internet & puppy buying: While you may find your
breeder using the Internet, you should ALWAYS make sure you are
buying from the actual breeder AND you should plan on picking up
your puppy in person. If a breeder does not want you to come pick up
your new puppy, find another breeder! NEW DEVELOPMENT beware of "puppies for adoption" scams & other scams.
A new scam on the horizon, watch out for AI generated photos, read
more about that here.
2) Call the "breed" Rescue for the area and ask them about the
breeder you have chosen (Google search terms like: YourLocation
BreedOfDog Rescue i.e. Jacksonville Great Dane Rescue or Florida Pug
Rescue).
3) Ask for References AND call them, expect at least 3 references,
more if possible; at least 2 previous puppy buyers & their vet.
Contact the National Parent Club (i.e. Akita Club of America, Beagle
Club of America, ask the Membership Coordinator or Secretary about
the standing of this breeder.)
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
TO ASK THE BREEDER
NOTE: I use examples based on experiences in the United States -
however, all of these Q&A apply to any country, using the
appropriate Kennel Clubs of that country and Rescue & Shelter
organizations of your location, no matter where you are. While
this is mentioned in the Q&A below, this page has the legitimate Dog
Registries/Kennel Clubs for most of the world: Registries
When you go to buy a puppy, these are the basic, minimum questions
YOU should ask AND the generally acceptable answers the
breeder/seller should answer (expect more than just "yes" or "no"
answers). You may want to ask more questions, but you should never
ask less. The more you talk to breeders & look at websites, the
more you will realize what a good, reputable breeder offers. Not
just in the quality of their puppies, but also in their experience
in the breed. This holds true for purebreeds or the so called
"designer" breeds (Note: ENPB does not encourage breeding designer
breeds, but recognize that it is part of the puppy industry
& that the breeders of so called "designer" dogs should be held
to the same HIGH standards as any other breeder).
Q. Can I breed my dog?
A. While this puppy was bred in the hopes of being a show dog, we
don't feel that's a good fit for this dog, so we will require that
the dog is spayed/neutered.
Q. Will I be able to meet the parents of this puppy & its
litter mates?
A. Absolutely. (The seller should be able to introduce at least
the dam) and any litter mates that haven't already been delivered.
This SHOULD be done at the breeders house (there is no good reason
why a breeder should resist letting you see their property).
If possible, the breeder should try to arrange a meet w/ the sire
(and preferably their breeder/owner), although the distances may
not be practical for that to happen. NOTE: Puppies are placed by
the owner of the dam, so the sire is not often on site.
Q. Do the parents have any sort of behavior issues?
A. No. If there is an issue, but no bite history, the seller
should disclose what issues they have seen or know about. (If
there is a bite history, it should be disclosed, but the buyer
should look for another puppy.)
A+: No & the dam/sire have both earned their CGCs (Canine Good
Citizen test administered by an AKC Recognized Evaluator)
A+: Any other titles such as CD/CDX (Companion Dog/Excellent),
UD/UDX (Utility Dog/Excellent), DD (Draft Dog), WD (Water Dog), AX
(Agility Excellence) etc.......
Here is a link to help you understand the various titles a
dog can earn: http://www.akc.org/sports/titles-and-abbreviations/
Q. Are you a member of the National Breed Club? What about the
sire's owner.
A. Yes we are members of ......... (ex Jack Russell Terrier Club
of America or Japanese Akita Club of America)
A+: We're also members of our "Local" Kennel Club (i.e. Akita Club
of Tampa Bay or Jacksonville Dog Fanciers Association)
Q. Are the parents both Champions or actively being shown &
winning points towards their Champion title or completed their
Championship?
A. Yes. The sire already has his Champion title & the dam has
XX points towards her Champion title.
IF
A. No
Q. Why Not? (There really is no good reason for a No answer)
Q. When can I pick up my puppy?
A. They have to be at least 8 weeks old before they can be sold.
(IMO, it is a plus if the seller adds add'l weeks).
Q. Are the dam/sire registered & can/will the puppy be
registered? With what registry?
A. Yes, AKC (American Kennel Club) or CKC (Canadian Kennel Club)
or UKC (United Kennel Club). Outside of the US/Canada: FCI
(Fédération Cynologique Internationale) or KC (Kennel Club UK).
Links: Registries (The list of
legitimate registries is accurate & complete for established
confirmation/performance registries. The non-legitimate list
should not be considered complete as "registries" can be created
to try to validate any practice).
Q. Are you available to help me for the life of my dog if I have
any questions or issues? What about the sire's owner (see NOTE)?
A. Yes. And if for any reason you believe you cannot keep the dog,
the Contract you sign requires that the dog be returned to us, at
a minimum the dam's owner.
A+: Using the term "from womb to tomb" (or "the life of the dog")
acknowledges that the breeder understands that the commitment to
taking your dog back for any reason at any time (unexpected
aggression, medical conditions that have become too costly,
unexpected circumstances- no matter the reason, the breeder WILL
step in).
A+: A letter of the support from the sire's breeder/owner is
great. *NOTE: Most puppies are placed by the owner of the dam and
they commonly hold the entire responsibility for finding the home
for the puppies. The NPB should at least get contact
information for the sire's owner; this is especially
important if genetic health issues develop or behavior issues
arise (the sire's owner needs to know so they can address it in
their future breeding).
Q. Do the dam & sire have good temperaments & are they
well behaved around people? What about issues with food
aggression?
A. As you can see, the dam is well behaved (since you've
already asked to "meet the parents'") & the sire is fine with
people too. "Food Aggression" - It is ok for the breeder to say
the dam/sire has food aggression issues if those issues are ONLY
with other dogs & not people
A+: The dam and/or sire have been Temperament Tested by the ATTS
& received its TT (a PLUS the puppies have been tested using
the Volhard Aptitude Test scoring mostly 3s or 4s & the
form/scores will be supplied to you)
Links: American Temperament Testing Society http://atts.org/ , Volhard Aptitude
Test https://www.volharddognutrition.com/content/choosing-your-puppy.pdf
Q. Is my puppy going to be house-trained & crate trained when
I pick it up?
A. Yes. If not, they should be able to tell you what they have
done already & how to make progress once you get your puppy
home.
Q. Were the puppies born indoors? In a whelping box or whelping
room? Have they had good people socialization & other
experiences already?
A. Yes, we have a whelping box in our bedroom (den, home
office.....). We've made sure the puppies got handled at least an
hour a day (in 5-10 minute segments) & they've been introduced
to a few strangers & unusual noises.
A+: They already know how to "sit" on command.
Educating yourself as a puppy buyer is critical. The following are
some links to help you out:
Are You Ready For a Dog? http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/ready.htm
"Dogs are not to be disposed of like old toasters when they do
not perform as you wish. They are living creatures."
Compare different types of breeders to know the Good, Bad
and the Ugly (Backyard Breeders, Puppy Mills, Commercial
Breeders, Hobby Breeders, Reputable Experienced Breeders) Comparison Matrix
Doing MORE with your dog whether you buy or adopt a purebred
or have a mixed breed. The AKC has developed the Canine
Partners program to register any dog for competitions of all
kinds. From Obedience, Tracking, Lure Coursing, Rally &
more, the world is opening up for all dogs & their owners
to get out & have some fun http://www.akc.org/dog-owners/canine-partners/is
