Searching for a Responsible Dog Breeder

Not all breeders are created equal. The saying "you get what you pay for" could never be truer then when searching for a puppy. This is not to say that you can't get a free puppy from a friend's litter of puppies or adopt a nice puppy from your local animal shelter, but that is not the best way to go about it. Keep in mind that the purchase price is the cheapest amount you will spend on your future family member. That $200 puppy you get from the newspaper at a bargain price may wind up costing you even more than that in un-expected medical bills. Your new family member will hopefully be with your family for the next ten years or longer which is why it is so important to do the proper research in advance. Do purchase your pup from a pet shop where they receive puppies from puppy mills, mainly in the Midwest, which are mass produced with little care for health, temperament, or well-being of the dogs. Responsible breeders want to know the people purchasing their puppies. You may feel like you are applying to adopt a child when you seek to purchase a pup from a responsible breeder.

Before you even begin searching for the breeder you need to know what breed of dog you are looking for. A good place to meet responsible breeders is to attend a local dog show. This will give you a good chance to meet adults of the breed you are considering in person and make sure it is the breed you are looking for. Keep in mind when people are showing things are hectic so they may not be able to chat with you right away, but responsible breeders will welcome your interest in their dogs when things calm down. Good breeders do not need to advertise much at all and most have a waiting list for their puppies. Your local breed club or the national breed club website are good resources for searching out responsible breeders also.