11 Questions You Should Ask Potential Breeders Before Purchasing A Pup
People often ask me what they should look for in a breeder. Assuming you’ve narrowed it down to which breed you want, there are several questions you can ask yourself to figure out exactly what type of breeder will best suit your needs.
I’m going to break those questions down and give examples to get your wheels turning. Once you’ve thought about these questions, ask them to the breeders you’re considering working with. This will ultimately help you choose the breeder that’s the best fit for you.
Remember, all puppies are cute and you can find people breeding them everywhere but choosing the right breeder can make a world of difference during the life of your pup going forward. For tips on choosing the right puppy click here.
1. What bloodlines does the breeder work with?
This is an important question if you’ve chosen a breed that has different lines (some breeds don’t so you can skip right past this to Question 2). For example, German Shepherds have separate bloodlines a dog can originate from. This refers to the dog’s lineage and can be found on its pedigree. Some lines have higher drive and others have lower drive.
This is one of the biggest issues I see when someone has a high energy dog they can’t seem to train. The person was looking for a family dog and found a breeder with a cool looking sable or bicolor not realizing that these are working line dogs with high drive. These dogs are not necessarily suitable for just any family home as they require firm corrections, have above average exercise requirements, and can have behavioral issues if not properly handled. Although the breeder should have disclosed this information many do not which sets the puppy and owner up for failure.
On the flip side, a person looking to compete on a higher level may be looking for a higher drive dog and would be disappointed with the laid back temperaments that can come with the West German Show Lines. If I can make any recommendation here, skip past breeders that specialize in lines that aren’t right for you regardless of how much you like the coat colors. You can read more about bloodlines in German Shepherd Bloodlines Explained.
2. What Temperaments Does The Breeder Work With?
Bloodlines and temperaments can be pretty intertwined. Although a well-bred dog will generally have a temperament consistent with its bloodlines, there can be variations. Ask the breeder about the temperament of the parent dogs. Do they have outgoing personalities or are they uncomfortable around strangers? Do they have any aggressive tendencies? Do they have high, medium or low energy levels (drive)?
Keep in mind, a breeder who wants to sell you a pup will paint a lovely picture of how wonderful the parents are. If it’s possible, meet the parents or learn as much as you can about them. If you’re looking for an family dog the parents should be outgoing and friendly. The parents may bark when you walk in the door, but not aggressively with fur up or growling. Many breeders say this is because the parents are protective of their puppies, but by the time the pups are 6-8 weeks old, the parents should not behave that way. Read more about Temperaments And Drive.
3. Does the breeder do genetic testing?
There are basically 2 types of breeder, those that do genetic testing and those that don’t. I highly recommend finding a breeder that does it. Even if they give you a written health guarantee, this is no replacement for genetic testing. Having a health guarantee won’t ease the pain if your dog suffers from a genetic defect.
4. How are the parents housed?
There are 3 main ways breeders house their doggos: The first is in kennels. This is normally done by larger breeders who use their dogs to compete, but they can also be used in poor breeding practices where dogs never leave the kennel and live under poor conditions (AKA puppy mill). You can easily tell the difference between a competition kennel and a puppy mill. A competition kennel will keep clean conditions, dogs will be well fed and will come out daily to train. If you’re looking for a dog that has the drive to compete this is where you want to go. Needless to say, the latter should be shut down and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
The second is a private breeder who has a couple dogs that live in their home as family pets. They normally breed a couple times per year as more of a hobby and don’t do it full time. You can find high end breeders who do this, they’ll compete in shows and give their pups the best of the best. However, this is also where you can find the people who decided it would be fun to breed or to make a few dollars but haven’t taken the time to learn what parents should be bred and how to do it properly (AKA backyard breeders). They love their dog, think it would make a great parent and because the AKC doesn’t hold breeders to any kind of standards anyone can do it. The potential family thinks they’re getting a high quality pet because it has AKC registration - but that’s a different blog post that can be read here. I’m not trying to bash backyard breeders. Many breeders get their start by doing this, learn as they go and attempt to do better and better. It’s where I got my start. Thankfully I pushed myself to learn more about better genetics and breeding practices over the years until I became the kind of breeder I could be proud to be. Many don’t though and the shame of it is, there are a lot of poorly bred dogs out there as a result.
The third is a combination of the first and second types. This is what we fall under, it’s a breeder that does not believe in housing their dogs in kennels, instead having them live a normal doggo life. Since it wouldn’t be the best living situation for the dogs or the breeder to have a houseful of dogs they bring in Guardian Homes. This is a home that the doggo lives in for his or her life as a family dog, and then goes back to visit the breeder during breeding time. Being a Guardian Home isn’t for everyone, but for those who either want to learn more about breeding or may want to share in the experience but not go through the cost, time, mess, worry of finding the right homes and the relationships that follow - this is a great fit.
5. What form of communication do you want with your breeder?
In my experience, breeders fall under 3 categories: The first is ‘One and Done.’ This is the type of breeder who wants to sell you a dog and not have any contact after. This may be exactly what you’re looking for and you may never run into a problem with that. But if your pup has a health or training issues this type of breeder could leave you high and dry.
The second type I’ve seen is the breeder who has high expectations for communication after you’ve taken your pup home. I’ve seen this get bad often and I wouldn’t recommend it. In this scenario, the breeder feels they have a right to certain types of communication at various intervals and may even have it in their contract as a requirement. Many puppy buyers are so excited about bringing their new pup home that they sign without realizing what they’ve just agreed to.
The big concern here is that although its great that the breeder cares, you as a new owner have the right to live your life with your doggo without someone threatening to take you to court because you forgot to send the 6 month old picture they’re asking for. Normally, you can tell which breeders have this type of mentality because they have a list of guidelines before you get a pup. I’ve heard of things like turning away a perfectly wonderful family because they don’t have a fence or because they ask too many questions which makes the breeder feel they won’t be a good owner, but I’ve even seen things so off the wall that a breeder asks for personal information like birth certificates and bank statements. Again, it’s great that the breeder is trying to be thorough but even the home that seems picture perfect on paper may end up being a bad situation so there’s no sense in delving into people’s personal lives like that.
The third type would be my suggestion. A breeder who you can communicate well with in the event there’s an issue. Someone who cares enough to keep the doors of communication open throughout the life of your dog but doesn’t force it on you. You may not be able to flat out ask this question when interviewing breeders but you’ll get a feel for them pretty quickly in normal conversation.
6. Does your breeder have a contract?
It’s a major red flag if they don’t. This means they’re either new to breeding or they have no intention of being held responsible in the event something happens later. And trust me, things can happen even under the best breeding circumstances. We’re talking about living beings who can struggle with training, run into health issues, who knows? It’s better to be prepared. The contract will protect you as much as it protects the breeder.
Ask for the contract prior to picking up your pup so you have time to thoroughly read it before signing. When a person has arrived to pick up their pup they’re usually so excited they don’t take the time to read what they’re signing. At the very least, the breeder should sit down with you and walk you through the contract to be sure everyone is on the same page. Read 7 Things You Should See In A Contract Before Purchasing Your Puppy.
7. What type of health guarantee does the breeder have?
Some breeders have no guarantee at all. This means you’ve purchased the pup and the breeder has no responsibility to you later in the event there’s a genetic health issue.
For those breeders that do give a health guarantee, what does it say? The most commonly found guarantee states that the breeder will take their pup back and give you a new one in the event of a genetic defect that will keep the dog from living a normal life. This is the standard as most breeders aren’t in a position to give refunds and let you keep the dog - which is what most people think a health guarantee means.
If this is your breeder’s health guarantee, ask if they have anything else in place in the event of an emergency. For example, we know most people wouldn’t want to give their doggo up in the event of a genetic defect, they may just need help with expenses - but most breeders can’t afford to pay everyone’s vet bills - so they may set up a fund for a rainy day in the event there’s a problem. A portion of every puppy sale can go into it (or in our case our website store sales go into a fund) just so the breeder can sleep at night knowing one of their pups won’t be put down because of an emergency their owner can’t afford. Read Understanding The Components of A Health Guarantee.
8. Will the breeder take the Pup back if needed?
This is huge. Imagine you find things aren’t working out with your dog. Maybe you’ve lost your job, got divorced, training issues - whatever the case may be - life happens. You contact your breeder and they tell you they can’t or won’t take the dog back. You’re looking for a new home for the pup but can’t find one and you’re faced with having to take him or her to an animal shelter. Think of how many dogs are in shelters because their breeder wouldn’t take responsibility.
Now, I understand that a breeder may not feel they’re in a position to house an extra dog, but if they aren’t willing and able to do so, should they be breeding at all? Most people aren’t worried about this question because they aren’t planning on any of these bad things happening but they do, they happen every day and dogs are taken to shelters every single day. So, my suggestion is to ask the breeder what their policy is on taking dogs back - a breeder who’s serious about their responsibility will have something in their contract stating the dog is not to be re-homed without their express permission.
Even if you never intend to return your pup, please don’t give your hard earned money to a breeder who doesn’t take their dogs back. You won’t return your dog but someone else will need to and that breeder is willing to let that dog go to a shelter and then continue breeding. By giving them your money, you’re funding a person who’s adding to the shelter dog population. The breeder should have something in their contract stating they’ll take their pup back. Read Why You Shouldn’t Trust A Breeder That Won’t Take A Dog Back.
9. What kind of training support Does The breeder offer?
There are 3 main categories a breeder can fall under. The first is a breeder/trainer. They normally have a facility and offer training classes of some kind. Those classes will normally be an additional charge and are a great way to socialize a new pup. If you have questions later this breeder will be able to help answer them.
The second is a breeder who does no training. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because you can find trainers all over, but if you’re running into training issues you could be on your own if this is your breeder.
The third is the breeder who may not train professionally but has a solid foundation in training and can help guide you in the right direction by giving tips, advice and trainer recommendations.
10. Do they breed multiple breeds?
This isn’t always, but can be a red flag. When it’s a red flag, it’s a big one. Often, (not always, but often) those breeding multiple breeds claim they’ve got great parents but they’ve really just purchased dogs with breeding rights. Generally, it takes a lot to learn the ins and outs of choosing proper parents of a particular breed so moving across multiple breeds can be a sign that the breeder isn’t doing that. What’s worse, is it could be a sign of a puppy mill.
11. Does the breeder give back?
This one really kills me. I hear it from breeders all the time. Shelter dogs aren’t their problem or responsibility. I can’t help but feel that if we as breeders stepped in there would be a lot less dogs in the shelter. There are many things a breeder can do to help if they choose to. They can raise donations or volunteer time for a local shelter. They can house foster dogs and help find them homes when they don’t have a litter to care for. I honestly wish the AKC or even local Animal Control Services would step in and say ‘Hey, if you're going to breed, you need to give back.’ I’m probably going to be ostracized from the breeding community for even mentioning because it’s such an unpopular opinion amongst breeders but I think it’s important. Read How To Choose A Breeder Who Minimizes Their Footprint On The Shelter Dog Population.
Take some time to think about these questions. Then ask them to potential breeders you're interviewing. Do their answers sit well with you? If not, keep looking. There are many breeders out there and your search for the right pup should mean finding a breeder that makes a commitment to you for the life of your dog. Now this doesn’t mean you can make unreasonable demands of them, it just means that you’re looking for a breeder with the potential for a healthy relationship moving forward. Email mdalman4@gmail.com or call me 770-800-5589 with any questions you have about finding the right breeder for you.