Buying Online Puppies
Nov 24th, 2008 by shibashake
Several people have asked about buying puppies from online sites. Most of the puppies you see advertised on online buy-a-puppy sites are from back-yard-breeders or puppy mills. Accredited breeders commonly spend the time to seek out good owners for their puppies from their club connections and rarely, if ever, advertise on these general online puppy sale sites. Good breeders do not have many litters per year. Many have one litter at most, per year. The breeders that I know usually have one litter per 3-4 years.
Some things to look out for from a good breeder:
- A good breeder will usually want to meet up with you, or interview you over the phone before selling you one of their puppies. The more questions the breeder asks you, the better, because that shows he/she cares what kind of home the puppy is moving to.
- A good breeder will show you the mother and father (if available) of the puppies and let you interact with them. The temperament of the parents are important because it will affect the temperament of the puppies.
- A good breeder usually breeds from champion bloodlines, and will usually provide you with the puppy’s “family tree” that will contain several champions.
- A good breeder will have proper health certifications for the puppies’ parents. This will vary by breed, as different breeds will have different common genetic issues.
- A good breeder will give you some kibble, a blanket that smells like the litter, and sometimes a crate and some toys. This will make the transition of homes easier for the puppy. The kibble and smelly blanket are especially important.
If possible, it is a good idea to get your puppy from a local breeder. A good local breeder will hook you up with local breed club activities, and will also be available to help you with puppy issues. My breeder also visits me from time to time, and we get to set up some fun play sessions with her dogs.
