Buying A Puppy
General Points when Buying a Puppy
- Research the breed and breeders
- See as many breeders as possible.
- Ask to see any health screening or testing certificates of the mother and sire (not all owners will have a copy of the sire’s certificate but they should have made sure he has an up to date certificate before mating, and all puppies should be litter screened before leaving for their new home.
- Always see the mother with their puppies in their environment, which should be clean and dry – beware of puppies kept in outside conditions, they may not be socialised and may be more difficult to train.
- Never buy a puppy under 8 weeks of age.
- Take the puppy to your vet shortly after buying the puppy for a health check.
- The breeder should give you a diet sheet and an example of the food the puppy has been having – don’t change a puppy’s diet as this can cause diarrhoea.
- A new puppy can bring a major change to your life and household – be prepared, training a puppy isn’t always easy, don’t expect too much from your puppy, accidents happen, be kind and patient.
- Make sure you have a safe place for your puppy to sleep, “his own place”, where he can rest and feel secure.
- Night times may be stressful for your puppy, make sure he has a warm snug place to sleep.
- Only leave your puppy for short periods at first, long periods can be stressful.