It’s important to do your research before bringing a dog into your home. The Kennel Club’s research suggests that a quarter of puppy buyers do less than two hours research before buying their puppy.
The Public Protection Partnership would always ask that you consider a rescue dog. There are many, many dog rescue centres across the UK with thousands of rescue dogs looking for a home. All dogs will have had a health check and as much background information as possible will be provided by the rescue centre.
Once you have decided on a breed start by asking friends and family, training clubs and your local vet for recommendations about where to get the dog from.
It’s important to know what to look out for when researching breeders so you know how to recognise a responsible breeder and notice any potential red flags that could mean a puppy has not been bred in a welfare positive environment.
Puppies bred on puppy farms are much more likely to have serious, often fatal, health issues as well as social and behavioural problems. Although it's tempting to 'rescue' the puppy, you'll be financially supporting the puppy trade and another puppy will just take their place.
A responsible breeder will:
- Spend time chatting to you on the phone.
- Arrange a time for you to visit to meet their puppies, along with their mum and siblings, in the place where they were born and raised.
- Be happy to have more than one meeting to ensure you and the puppy are compatible.
- Be happy to answer all your questions - and ask you just as many to make sure their puppies are going to a good home.
- Be happy to show you their Local Authority licence if they're breeding and selling pets as a business (to make a profit).
- Ensure each puppy is microchipped and registered on a Government compliant database.
- Issue a puppy pack, which includes food, paperwork and advice on progressing socialisation.
- Provide genuine paperwork/certificates for puppy vaccinations, microchipping (which is a legal requirement), worming and any health test results.
A responsible breeder may also have a waiting list for their puppies. Remember, a responsibly bred puppy is worth the wait!
A responsible breeder won't:
- Rush you into parting with cash in exchange for a puppy.
- Stop you seeing the mother by saying that the mother is at the vet's, asleep or out for a walk. If mum isn't there, then the puppy wasn't bred there.
- Offer to deliver a puppy to you or meet you somewhere random like a car park.
- Hand the puppy over before it's 8 weeks old - it's illegal to sell them younger than that.
- Say 'it's normal for the breed' about health issues such as snoring - all puppies should be born with the best chance of living happy, healthy lives, whatever breed they are.
- Use Kennel Club registration (or any other registration) as a guarantee of quality or health and happiness.
Report it if you have any doubts or feel pressured to buy. Or want to check the person selling the puppy is licensed to do so.
Contact us at 01635 503242 or using our online form here:
