Tips and recommendations 

What questions do I ask when buying a puppy?

Leia Doyle

What questions do I ask when buying a puppy?

Questions you should ask a puppy breeder

  • Can I see the puppies with their mum?
  • How old are the puppies?
  • Are the puppies weaned?
  • How old is mum?
  • How many litters has mum had?
  • Have the puppies been wormed?
  • Have the puppies had any vaccinations?
  • Does the puppy look healthy – clean eyes, ears and bottom?

How do you confirm a breeder?

Ask if the breeder is a member of an AKC-affiliated club and contact that club to verify membership or check recent listings of available AKC Litters from breeders. You can also check with the BBB (www.bbb.org) and the AKC (919-233-9767) to see if there are any complaints about the breeder.

What should I check before buying a puppy?

Paperwork and health Ask for proof of any vet checks, vaccinations (where applicable), microchipping, and/or pedigree papers. Be aware that the puppy should be at least eight weeks old at the point when it goes home with you. A responsible breeder would never send you home with a puppy younger than that.

Can you negotiate buying a puppy?

You can always negotiate, but you may not be successful. If it is a popular breed and there are others willing to pay the asking price, then I don’t expect you to succeed. If you find someone having a hard time selling their puppies, then often they will lower the price.

How do you impress a dog breeder?

These are broad and general, but hopefully will help anyone who is searching for a puppy.

  1. Don’t treat puppy buying as a financial transaction.
  2. Politely ask any questions.
  3. Show off your knowledge on the breed.
  4. Express your willingness to take guidance.
  5. Go visit.
  6. Be prepared to answer questions.
  7. Don’t hassle.

Will puppy prices go down after lockdown?

Puppy prices may not be quite as steep as they were during the height of the pandemic, but they are also unlikely to significantly drop. The lockdown caused a dramatic demand for puppies which hiked the price up and the substantial waiting lists will keep the prices reasonably high.

What to do if you’ve been scammed buying a puppy?

If you suspect, or have been victimized by, a pet scam, report it to:

  1. the Federal Trade Commission (online or at 877-382-4357)
  2. the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), if the scam occurred online.
  3. the BBB Scam Tracker.
  4. PetScams.com, an online watchdog that catalogs and reports on pet-related fraud.

What is the safest way to pay for a puppy?

Avoid pet scams: pay to a genuine seller Make sure that any transactions such as paying a deposit or the full purchase price for an animal are done face-to-face, regardless of whether you pay by cheque, cash or bank transfer.

What questions do dog breeders ask you?

Some sample questions might include:

  • Why this breed?
  • Where do you live? In what conditions will the dog live? Do you have a fenced yard?
  • What other pets do you own now? Breed? How many?
  • Who will be the primary caretaker of the dog?
  • How many hours a day will the dog be left alone?

What should I ask before buying a puppy?

If you are in the process of buying a puppy, the questions you ask a dog breeder, or prospective dog breeder, will enable you to weed out the bad from the reputable. But, like many puppy buyers, you may not know where to start or how to go about the process of interviewing dog breeders to find your perfect puppy. If this is you, look no further….

Do you have to fill out a puppy buyer questionnaire?

Breeders who’d be interviewing or asking puppy buyers to fill out a questionnaire is not meant to be judgemental at all. It will help them place the little fur angels in the right home. As a buyer, feel free to answer all questions candidly. You might think it’s personal, but it’s all for the welfare of the puppy.

What are the best questions to ask a dog breeder?

7 Best Questions To Ask A Dog Breeder Before Buying A Puppy. 1 1. What are Your Breeding GOALS? Most reputable dog breeders can tell you exactly what they are trying to accomplish with any particular breeding. 2 2. Health Testing. 3 3. Contract. 4 4. Price. But not so fast…. 5 5. Puppy Socialization.