Introduction Warning Signs Questions
Recommendations Conclusions

Don't get ripped off! I know their dirty tricks!

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I. Introduction

Buying a puppy can be a very emotional decision. At least that's what many breeders want it to be. If you learn only one thing from this report, it is this:

All puppies are cute!

What does that mean to you? Ugly dogs were cute as puppies. Ill-bred dogs were cute as puppies. Unhealthy dogs were cute as puppies. Puppies that don't conform at all to breed standards were cute as puppies. If you buy a puppy based on how cute, or cuddly, or playful it is, you stand a good chance of ending up with a puppy that grows into a dog you are very unhappy with. Or worse, it could grow into a dog with health problems that cost you a small fortune in money and tremendous heartache.

I have spent my entire life as a dog owner and the last ten years I have been breeding dogs. I have bought about a dozen puppies. Some of what I know I learned the hard way. Some I have learned from the hundreds of breeders, vets, and puppy buyers I have dealt with over the years. I hope that my experience can save you from most of the pitfalls so common in the business of breeding and selling puppies.

The focus of this report is on the buying of a good quality pet. The purchase of a "show quality" dog is far beyond the scope of what I cover here. There is no reason that you cannot show a "pet quality" dog if you select it carefully, verifying the conformance of both of the parents to breed standards. At the local level, Dog Shows look for grooming and care, obedience and attitude, and for no serious deviations from breed standards. Many dogs bought as pet quality can be trained and groomed to compete locally in these shows. Occasionally, a real winner will come from a lineage containing few or no champions.

This report will teach you how to judge a puppy on traits other than cuteness or cuddlyness. The first section discusses some signs to watch for in dealing with a breeder. If you notice any of these warning signs, find another breeder, or at least be very alert. The second section of this report provides you with some ammunition to trap the breeder is he is up to no good. In the last section, I make some recommendations that will help you be more prepared in the entire puppy buying process. At the end, I have attached an appendix that lists the different groups of breeds, some of the breeds in each group and the characteristics of each group. Picking an appropriate breed for you and your lifestyle is the critical first step in having a happy dog ownership experience.

This main concept that this report will teach you is this: The only thing that you can learn from an 8-12 week old puppy is how healthy it currently is (and your vet is far better equipped to determine that than you are.) To learn anything about what a puppy will be like when it grows up (this will take less than a year), you must judge from the parents. If you wouldn't want to own either one of the parents of this puppy, don't buy the puppy. Most of this report concerns precautions that you can take to be more certain that the breeder is being perfectly honest about the lineage of this puppy.

There are some wonderful people in the dog breeding industry. They love their dogs. They do all than can to strengthen their breed by breeding better and better dogs each generation. But, as in all businesses, there are people who are in it just for the money, people who cut corners, break the rules and try to make a fast buck. They are unconcerned with whether you get a healthy dog that is close to the breed standards. They just want your money. You need to know how to spot them, and to avoid them. There are plenty of reputable breeders out there for every breed. With a little planning and effort, your puppy buying decision can be one you can be pleased with for many years.