going to look at a puppy on weds, what am I looking for?

[ditavonteesed]

Have obviously read everything I ca, know I need to see mum etc.
any hints and tips gratefully recieved, pup will be 3 weeks I think so a long while before it can come home, is a bitch and a dog, had decided I want a bitch but no real reason why. Breeder is kc accredited.

Being a member of the KC means nothing, they could still be unreputable.

Ask if the parents have been tested for any relevant herditary diseases that could be passed on to the puppies. (what breed are they?)

See where the puppies are kept.

Take note of the general condition of the bitch and also her temperament. (Is she shy and withdrawn or a friendly confident dog)

TBH any breeder advertising their dogs or not breeding dogs for a reason besides making a profit isn't really that great.

What do you mean by this, Countrygirl:

TBH any breeder advertising their dogs or not breeding dogs for a reason besides making a profit isn't really that great.

Dita
I would ask how many litters the mum has had, and when the last one was.

they are border terriers, would bitch not be shy anyway because of having pups? obviously looking for clean, happy and confident, need to ask about vaccinations, worming, socialization.
Reason for breeding?
they are asking for a deposit to secure puppy once I have been. is this normAL?
I know advertised puppies isn't the ideal way yto find them, they are off the kennel club website, don't know where else to look though, obviously not epupz or anywhere like that.
Women on phone was good and asked me a lot of questions about my family, house and lifestyle in general.

Ask what they would do if things don't work out for whatever reason when you get the puppy home. Good breeders will say that they would want to take the puppy back and give it a good home (rather than you having to rehome it).

A good breeder will ask you lots of questions about your home situation, dog experience, etc.

Don't use someone who is breeding several times a year.

Look at where the dogs are and how they are treated; a good owner will have the dog as a pet, not just a breeder, ergo it should be in the house with clean cosy surroundings as if it were a member of the family IYSWIM. My nanna went to look at a cav puppy once and I remember it was a scatty old lady's house, the bitch and puppies were on newspaper on a concrete floor and it smelt horrid.
MrsJohn's advice is good.

We bought a pup back in February. We looked for:

• A clean, safe and loving environment for the pups;
• Calm but confident mum who didn't mind us interacting with her pups;
• The breeder was very upfront with us and told us over the phone that she was looking to interview us as much as we were interviewing her;
• A contract with the breeder which establishes that they will be on hand to help support you and pup and that the dog should be returned to the breeder if we felt we couldn't cope or if the dog needed to be rehomed for any reason whatsoever.
• Hip scores and health checks on both dam and sire (original documents not copies).

The breeder we used was KC registered but I also contacted the breed societies to see if they had any knowledge of her and the sire/sire's owners.

Good advice from tulpe there which I certainly can't top. All I can add is that you contact a couple of rescues near to the breeder to ask if they too know anything of her and look to see whether the breeder has any other dogs there, how many, what breeds and so on. I'd personally be wary of anyone who bred a lot of dogs.

Also ask how many litters the mum has had and when the last was. A lot of dogs breeding (ie 5 or more in the previous 12 months in the same household or even within the same family or kept elsewhere and made available for sale rather than kept by the breeder) will require a licence. If the breeder has a lot of breeding bitches ask to see her licence. If she is a licensed breeder the bitch must have had 12 months between one litter and the next. IMHO this should be the case for ALL breeders, regardless of how many dogs they own, but I'll get off my soapbox before I start!

Good luck... and pictures please!

oh yes, forgot about the amount of time between litters

Also perhaps check at what age mum had her first litter too. Apparently some less scrupulous breeders will breed a bitch too early.

Can I ask what is wrong with epupz? A lot of the sellers of the puppies of the breed I am looking at mention that the bitch has come from one of the well-known breeders (it is quite an uncommon breed so there aren't that many). If the animals are kept in the home and are well socialised, and are ok healthwise, what is the problem? This is a genuine question, as epupz seemed ok as they specifically say they campaign against puppy farms.

mmmlindt,

what I mean is, a lot of good breeders actually have a waiting list for their dogs and also breed for show purposes or as a hobby if they have an interest in improving the breed, not just for making money. (which is actually quite impossible unless you cut corners on looking after the bitch and pups.)

I think the KC specify how many litters a bitch can have and the time in between whelping.

Looking forward to the pics

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, it was all perfect, I am going to be a puppy mummy in 5 weeks. now to get organised.

Countrygirl
Thanks, I see what you mean now. We got our pup from a local woman whose dog had puppies, she was not an official breeder.

Dita
Congratulations. Have you decided on a name yet?

she is to be cherry. she sat on my knee for half an hour licking me and we are in love.

GL Dita How exciting!! It's like waiting for CHristmas