Are You Asking the Right Questions When Looking for a Breeder?

To get the full picture of the potential health a puppy will have, there are even more questions to ask when researching breeders than you might think. Here is a list of questions we recommend that prospective puppy buyers ask when looking at the websites of breeders and asking them questions: 

• What are the dispositions of the parents? Typically prospective puppy buyers ask about the disposition of the puppies in a litter, when they should really be asking about the parents of the litter. In the first few months of life puppies act like puppies, they are inquisitive, aggressively play with each other, are loud, and chew on everything in sight. Quiet, complacent puppies are sick puppies.Unfortunately this isn’t uncommon in vaccinated and chemically dewormed puppies for a week or more after these chemicals are received. The only real way to tell what a healthy puppy’s personality may become as he gets older is to look at his parents. What are his parents’ personalities like?

• What foods are fed the parent dogs? If kibble, look up the consumer reviews on the product. What the parents are fed makes a difference on the overall health and intelligence of the puppies too.

• What products (disinfectants, sprays, etc.) have been used in the puppy nursery? Are they safe? What are the long term effects of its exposure?

• What products were used on the parent dogs while pregnant with your puppy? Flea and tick collars, shampoos, dips, and other products may be toxic and may hinder the health of the developing puppies as well as their future health.

• What groomer shampoos, detangle products, hair sprays, and/or flea dips have been used on the parent dogs? Many of these carry warnings for toxicity and may having lasting effects that can be passed down to the puppies.

• Which dewormers have been used on the puppies, and what are the side-effects of those products? Then take up a moment to research the ingredients. Will the breeder help with vet bills if your puppy has gut and/or immune problems as a result of these products?

• What vaccines are given to their puppies? Will the breeder cover the costs of damages to your puppy from the vaccines given him/her if there are any? Will the breeder replace your puppy if he/she doesn’t survive after the vaccines or deworming products within the first few weeks of you getting your puppy?

• Was my puppy exposed to antibiotics, in its food, orally, or in shot form? If the answer to this is “yes”, will the breeder help cover the veterinarian costs if the puppy is found to have digestion, gut, or immune problems?