Tips for Visiting a Dog Breeder
Choose the right breed and visit breeders
The first task in the getting-a-dog process is to choose the breed. So choosing the right dog breed for you is a good start. Then the breeder. Don't settle for just one. Feel free to call three breeders who feel solid. Then it's time for a visit.
Two visits
Once you've chosen one or two breeders, it's a good idea to visit them before the puppies arrive and again when they are 5-6 weeks old. If your first visit includes cute puppies, the risk is that all that cuteness will cloud your critical thinking. Without the puppies tumbling around, you can focus on evaluating the dog mom, the breeder, and the breeding environment. Here are five tips for your visit:
1. Evaluate
Look around, both indoors and outdoors. What does the environment look like from the puppy's perspective? Is it safe and secure? Are there many dogs and other animals around? If so, is there enough space and resources for everyone? Are the bowls filled with fresh water? Is there poop everywhere? Are there things that a puppy can injure themselves on or fall on? The place doesn't need to be squeaky clean, calm, and quiet. Puppies who grow up among impressions, sounds, peaceful and pleasant animals, and children become confident if the interactions are safe and secure. However, you want to avoid buying a puppy from a place that doesn't feel right. That is dirty, dangerous, hectic, or where kids or other animals act as they wish without respecting the puppies or being guided by the adults. So take it all in and listen to your gut feeling. These first weeks at the breeders are vital for your puppy's mental health as an adult.
2. Breeder's Requirements
Does the breeder ask you questions? If so, what kind of questions? Are they thought-through, is the breeder evaluating your suitability as a dog parent of this specific breed? If so, great! You want the breeder to judge you and have demands on the buyers. This says something about the breeder's knowledge and sense of responsibility. So if you are cross-examined in a friendly manner, it's a good thing. When you answer, be honest with yourself and the breeder. If you gain trust in the breeder, listen if they doubt whether this is the right breed for you.
3. The Dog Mom
Ask to meet your puppy's mother on her own and with the puppies. You are about to buy a dog that will affect you and your loved ones for 10-14 years, so get to know your puppy's mother. Introduce yourself, stroke her, and interact. Who is she? Ask the breeder if you can all go for a walk. You want to see the mother in different contexts than just around the kitchen table. Maybe you can bring a friend with a dog who can come along for the walk (this is not recommended when the dog mom has puppies!). The mother and the visiting dog should not greet each other. You want to get an idea of the dog's social ability around other dogs and the breeder's teamwork with their dog. If something doesn't look right, consider whether it could affect your puppy. Also, ask the breeder how the dog mom behaved during previous litters and if she will be available for the puppies for their first eight weeks, as this is key for their development. For more information on puppy development, read the article Puppy's important development phase: giving your puppy the right conditions.
4. The Puppies
If it's time for a puppy visit, ask when, after the birth, you can come. The puppies should be at least four weeks old, preferably older. If a breeder lets you visit before that, it's a bad sign. Once there, consider how you are asked to interact with the puppies or if this is left up to you. If you have children, be curious if the breeder seems to care about what your child does with the puppies. Puppies not protected from energetic or insensitive handling can become insecure as adults, fearful, and even bite.
5. Good circumstances?
During your visit, check whether what the breeder previously said about their breeding seems to be correct. Are there plenty of resources, are the puppies handled carefully, and are they fed so that everyone gets enough (ask to see when they are fed)? Do they growl at each other or fight over resources? Is the dog mom present, are the kennel's other dogs allowed to roam freely around the puppies, etc.? Does the visit raise concerns or trust? What does your gut feeling tell you? There is a shortage of puppies, or the demand has hit the roof. Don't let this push you into an ill-considered purchase. It can end in headaches and heartache. Do a thorough evaluation, and do it wholeheartedly. Give yourself and your future friend a good start by choosing your breeder wisely!
Written by: Caroline Alupo
Caroline Alupo is Petli's co-founder. She has a master's degree in ethology and is also a trained dog trainer and dog psychologist. She has 19 years of experience as a professional dog trainer. Read more about Caroline here.
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