Questions for the Breeder

by Lisa Lee

Before you buy that puppy and commit 10 years of your life to the dog, you should know that the pup came from a good background and at least some information about its characteristics.  The best source of this information would be the breeder of the pup.  The following is a list of questions you should ask the breeder to evaluate both the breeder and the puppy to make sure that you feel comfortable walking away with that furry bundle of love.

1. How long have you been breeding this breed? - Breeders who have been around for a while tend to be more familiar with the physical and behavioral aspects of that breed and strive to produce better dogs.  Even if a person has not been a long time breeder in the breed, it is more important that they have owned that breed for a long time and possess a genuine love for the breed.
2. How many litters a year do you breed? - Typical hobby breeders do not breed a lot as a litter of pups is a lot of work.  They tend to have few litters a year and tend to spend a lot of time rearing the litter.  A good way to discern this is to look at the uniformity of the pups in the litter.  If the breeder has not spent a lot of time watching the pups and feeding them evenly, the pups in the litter will tend to be widely disparate with the dominant pups hogging all the food and the weaker pups significantly smaller.  In a well maintained litter, there will still be some variation in size, but not significant variation.
3. How many breeds do you have? - Reputable breeders tend to concentrate on very few breeds at the same time.  If you run into a situation where the breeder breeds 8 different breeds, it is time to stop and ask yourself if it is possible for the pups to get the individual attention of the breeder during its developmental stages.  If you feel that the answer is no, it is time to look elsewhere.
4. What guarantees do you offer? - Most breeders stand by their pups with some sort of written guarantees.  Any guarantees offered should be in writing not because of any lack of faith, but to avoid future misunderstanding and avoid hard feelings.  You should evaluate the guarantees to make sure that you understand them and that you agree with them.
5. What sort of health procedures do you follow and do you have records for the puppy? - This will give you an idea of how well the breeder maintains his/her dogs and pups.  If you are provided clear records of what has been given to the pup and what you are responsible for, it will not only give you a good start in maintaining the records, but also lets you understand the breeders' care for the dogs.
6. Is this a show or a pet puppy? - At this question the breeder is likely to respond "Which one do you want?".  Remember that the show pup typically costs more and the breeder usually parts with a show pup with the understanding that it will be shown.  Be honest with yourself and the breeder - if you ask for a pet puppy with a secret hope of showing it, you will find that breeders will normally ask for a spay/neuter clause in the contract as they do not want you to breed from a pet quality puppy (and rightly so).  If you ask for a show pup, the reputable breeder will try and provide you with a good candidate as they do not want to sell you a pup that would embarrass them by showing up in a ring.  However, picking pups is an art and there have been occasions where a show pup turned out to be a pet and at pet to be a show dog.  Please make sure you discuss this with the breeder to understand what you should do in such an eventuality.
7. Can we see the pup's parents? - The breeder may not have both parents on the premises and that is quite normal.  However, the mother should be on the premises for you to see.  You can discern a lot about the pup from the appearance and the temperament of the mother.  If anything bothers you ask the breeder about it and make sure you are completely satisfied before buying the pup.
8. What are you breeding for in your breeding program? - All show breeders have an image of an ideal dog in their mind and their entire breeding program is based on it.  You should know what this is to make sure you know what to expect of your puppy when it grows up.  Typically, this question will launch enthusiastic breeders into a long discussion about their ideas and is interesting to hear if you are an enthusiast yourself!
9. What sort of diet is the puppy on? - This helps to make sure that if you make a purchase, you know what to get before hand and that you don't switch food abruptly and cause some digestive problems for the pup.
10. Can you give me some references? - Though they are likely to give you the names of people who are only happy with them, it still gives you a better feel for dealing with the breeder after you have talked to the references.

In the final analysis, this is not a comprehensive list, but it should get you started.  Please remember that you will be the one living with this pup for the next decade or so and make sure that you are absolutely satisfied with all the answers to your questions before you pick up the cute puppy and take him home to his new life!