What to Consider Before Buying a Puppy
How to find a responsible dog breeder:
- First step, make sure the breeder is registered with AKC
or CKC. This is just the beginning!
- Check how many litters the breeder produces per year. Anyone
having more than 2 litters would be considered a warning sign!
- Check how many breeds the breeder is involved with. Anyone
breeding more than 3 breeds would be considered a warning sign! This is because
usually responsible and knowledegable breeders prefer to focus on one or two breeds
and try to learn as much as possible about them. Someone who breeds numerous breeds
are not thinking about improving the breeds, they just want to sell as many puppies
as possible.
- Ask how old is the Dam and the Sire. If they are too young
or too old, this is not responsible breeding by any means. Too young, would be any
dog younger than 2 years. Too old, would be any dog that is more than 7 years old.
- Ask the breeder to show you their contract. If they offer
no contracts, stay away!
- Ask the breeder what health testing they do on their dogs
and puppies and how often. Some breeds require specific types of testing since they
can be more prone to certain disorders. If they do not perform the tests necessary
and provide proof for those tests, stay away from that breeder!
- Puppy's parents should be free of any genetic anomalies.
- Ask the breeder if they provide a warranty or guarantee
on the puppy with a signed contract. If not, your best decision would be to look
for a puppy elsewhere.
- Ask the breeder if they show their dogs and what titles
they have won. If they show their dogs, this is a good sign but does not mean they
are responsible. Also, check what clubs they are members of and what is the code
of ethics for each of those clubs.
- Ask the breeder if they perform temperament tests on their
dogs and if they have completed any obedience training.
- Ask the breeder who are the parents of the puppy you wish
to acquire. If they do not want to tell you, stay away! You should also be able
to see the parents, very important!!
- Before getting the puppy, go and visit the breeder. Get
to know them and their kennel. If they do not provide this option, this is a warning
sign!
- Try not to make purchases online, make sure you visit the
breeder and see the puppy in person, not just through online pictures!
- A responsible breeder will place the puppy in their new
home when it is 7-8 weeks old.
- A responsible breeder will take your puppy back if the puppy
develops health issues and you cannot take care of the puppy. This should be in
the contract!
- Just because you are getting a "pet dog", does not mean
the above rules should be broken! Pet or no pet, you still have to make sure the
puppy is healthy and free of behavioral problems.
Making Smart Decisions When Buying Online
How to avoid being scammed online:
- After contacting the breeder through e-mail (or better yet,
phone), arrange with the breeder to meet at their place so that you see their kennel
and the parent(s) of the puppies. If they refuse, you should walk away from the
sale. If you are buying a puppy from another state or province and cannot get to
see the breeder in person, then always ask for references from their previous buyers
before doing any transactions.
- Do not send any money through Western Union! Once the funds
are sent, you will have a very hard time getting them back. Many scams online occur
as a result of people paying through Western Union.
- If you are making a payment without paying a visit to the
breeder, make sure that you are sending the payment to the same place where they
claim to be living. If they live in one state or country, and tell you to send money
to another country or state/province or city (e.g Nigeria, United Kingdom, Africa,
etc.), stay away from this breeder! They are a scammer.
- Use PayPal or an escrow service when buying a puppy. This
way you will be able to ask for a refund if you do not receive your puppy. You can
visit PayPal.com or
Escrow.com to find more information about online payments and about their
policies.
- If the puppy is being shipped to you, make sure that the
breeder sends you pictures of the puppy before you make the final deal. Some scammers
will steal pictures from other breeders and use them as their own. If you want to
be sure that the puppy on the picture is really that breeder's puppy, ask them to
send you a picture with the puppy and next to the puppy your name on a piece of
paper. This way you know that they own the puppy.
- Finally, ask for a clearly written contract to be mailed
to you before sending any payments. The contract should have the breeder's and your
own signature, date, and also state exactly what you are getting. Do not assume
that something that is not in the contract will be covered by the breeder. Ask the
breeder to send you a revised contract if you find some important details are missing
that could affect you in the future.
Have a safe and happy shopping experience!
Please Note: K9Ring.com is not an escrow service and we do not sell any puppies
ourselves. We simply allow purebred dog breeders to use our platform to promote
their kennels and dogs. We also allow breeders to advertise their puppies for sale
and the services that they offer. If you obtain puppies from any of the breeders
registered with K9Ring.com, it is your own responsibility to make sure that you
are getting the puppy from a responsible breeder and without any health or behavioral
problems. We will not refer you to any specific breeders. Since we cannot guarantee
that all of the information on this website is accurate, you have to do some research
on your own about the breeder and their kennel. We will not act as an intermediary
to help resolve any problems between buyers and sellers.
top