What to look out for when buying puppies?

Always make sure you see mum and her pups together, and never buy a puppy if you have doubts about the breeder or situation - buying the puppy will only fund their illegal operation. Be sure to follow our tips for spotting adverts from bad breeders. Check out our top tips on finding a good breeder. The Puppy Contract can help you avoid becoming another victim of the puppy trade. It will help guide you through the process of buying a puppy and give you the confidence to make the right decisions about your future puppy.

Do your research, not just about the breeder themselves, but also the breed. Many brachycephalic dogs such as pugs, french bulldogs and shih tzus will have respiratory problems throughout their lives. Always read up on the breeder’s background, do a ‘Google’ search on their name and see what comes up. Never buy a puppy without viewing, it’s unfortunately more common than you’d think for people to, quite literally, click a ‘Pay Now’ button and have the puppy ‘shipped’ to them. Video calls are not a substitute for seeing a puppy in person as ‘happy family’ scenarios can be easily staged. Take a digital or printed list of questions you want to ask the breeder when viewing the puppy, questions you could ask include: When was the puppy weened, If the puppy is over 8 weeks old, where and when did they have their first vaccination, How many litters has the mum had, Does the puppy have a microchip, Do you have any paperwork for the puppy and/or parents. One of the questions you ask should be if the puppy has any paperwork, it’s common practice for puppies to go to their new homes from 6 to 8 weeks of age. Buying a puppy is a big decision so take your time, it’s better to miss out on ‘that’ puppy than to bring home one that may only last a few weeks or have a life-long condition. If you’ve perfectly executed our top 5 tips and something still doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not, your gut instinct is nature’s way of helping you to avoid a potentially bad situation.