Buying a Puppy

Ideally a purebred puppy should be purchased directly from the breeder so that the mother can be present to be seen, talked to and studied. It is also possible to buy purebred  puppies from dealers and pet shops, but in both cases it is highly likely that the puppies have been obtained from a variety of sources. They may have traveled  long distances from  their  home and  may well have come into close contact with puppies from other litters and had time to pick up any germs. The stress of being removed from the comfort of the maternal home tests the most resilient of puppies and is compounded by transportation in a noisy train or van, the company of many strange, equally  frightened  pups,  temperature and food changes, and a motley of human  faces and voices.

For the prospective buyer, the best advice is to find a reliable breeder within a reasonable radius of home. The local veterinary practice often knows of local breeders, and this has the advantage  that something  will be known about the quality and the health of the pups. In addition, many small breeders advertise in a local press, to announce the sale of a forthcoming litter.  There are also several weekly and monthly magazines and periodicals devoted  to the world of mainly purebred  dogs. They discuss exhibiting, training  and  breeding, and virtually every  breed  has its separate  column; advertisements give details of pups for sale and addresses of secretaries of breed clubs. Major dog shows are excellent places for checking on a particular  breed, in respect of appearance and  temperament,  and  the major  breeders.

The next step is to find a breeder who has or will shortly have puppies for sale and to make arrangements to see the litter and discuss price. If everything goes smoothly, it then  becomes a question  of selecting an individual  puppy of the chosen sex and  possibly color, and  waiting patiently  until  the pups are old enough to leave home, at the age of six or preferably eight weeks. The  waiting me can be used to gather  together  the necessary basic equipment.