i am buying a pedigree dog for the first time and have joined champdogs to seek advice from the many experienced breeders and owners who use the site.I have found a kc registered breeder and gave her a £50 deposit on a pup which we are going to see in 3 weeks when it will be 6 wks old.
What i want to know is what sort of things should i be looking for when i go to see the pup,what questions should i be asking and what should i expect to see and hear from a reputable breeder.

Right, I'll try and put as much down as I can think of right now...

* The breeder should not have more than 3 (maximum IMO) different breeds but should not have more than 1 litter of pups at a time.
* The bitches should be atleast 2 1/2 when first mated and not be mated every season (most repuatable breeders I know of will not have more than 3 litters from one bitch over the course of its breeding life which is up until the age of 8)
* Both the bitch and dog (parents of the pups) should have been checked for any hereditrary illnesses for their specific breed and be free from them, as too should their parents, their grandparents, etc, etc.
* If kennelled all individual kennels should be draft free and warm but allow in plenty of light (i.e. not a shed!) with an attached run of adequate size or a fully enclosed garden for safe play.  Most breeders I know of let all their dogs in and out of the house during the day even if they do sleep in an outside kennel construction.
* If house reared the pups should have a 'puppy pen' or secure area so they have a safe and quiet place.
* A deposit is not always asked for but some breeders do want to 'secure' homes for their pups and it prevents 'time wasters'.
* When you see the pups they should not only be with their litter mates but also with their Mother.
* All pups should be bright eyed and showing no signs of illness.
* The bitch should be of a good 'standard' and with a good temperament.
* The breeder should be more than happy to answer all of your questions regarding the pup, the bitch and the stud dog (extensive research into the chosen stud dog should have been conducted by the breeder before 'use' so they should know a lot about it!)
* The pups should have been wormed atleast every 2 weeks since they were born and also fleed.
* The breeder should have the KC paperwork for the mother and show you (on request).
* The pups should not be taken away from their mother until atleast 8 weeks old.
* The breeder should ensure the pups have their first vaccinations but it is (generally) your responsibility to ensure it gets its second vaccine a fortnight after the first.
* Reputable breeders (generally) give a 'puppy pack' including up to a weeks supply of the food the pup has been weaned onto, a feeding sheet with times and amounts on and 6 weeks free insurance.
* You should get the pedigree (showing parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc) with the pup you pick.
* A 'change of ownership' form should be signed and dated by the breeder for you to send off to register the pup in your name.
* The breeder should want you to keep in contact and ask any questions you may have long after you've got your dog.  They should also say that if you need to rehome the dog for any reason to take it back to them.

I can't think of anything else at this moment in time but I'm sure other will :)

Thanks for that ,the only thing on your list i had thought of was the registration papers and pedigree of parents!
ps
its a rough collie we are getting so any advice particular to that breed from anyone would be appreciated.

CEA - Collie Eye Anomily (sp?) - is a biggy to be checked for in this breed so its essential this hasn't been apparent in the breeding line.  Also Hip Displasia should have been checked for even though its not particurly common in Collies.  We have a Shetland Sheepdog and have had another two Shelties in the past :D

Hi Kevin, good choice! ;)

Are you buying a puppy as a pet, or to breed from?

Info stated above is good. I would recommend that you don't buy from a breeder who doesn't test puppies for CEA, but if you are just buying as a pet then you don't need to be put off by a mildly affected puppy. If you are told that they don't test because they don't have a problem with eyes, walk away ...

I assume you have checked about KC registration, as you mention it. It is not unheard of in this breed for papers not to be forthcoming, so if they're not available when you collect the puppy, make sure you get a receipt saying that the pup will be Kennel Club registered and that papers will be forwarded.

Just cos I'm nosey, feel free to PM me (click on my name and then press send message) and let me know what breeder/litter you've booked from.

M.

I agree completely with Brihow kevin.  Make sure that your pup will be eye tested.  It doesn't matter if it's not clear but IT DOES matter that it has been seen by an Opthalmic Veterinary Surgeon. :)

Just out of interest, were you asked for a deposit before you met the breeder and saw Mum & pups, or did you offer it?

M.

Kayleigh & Luka were gorgeous looking dogs and lived to a good age didn' they!  We lost our previous 2 Shelties when they were both 10 unfortunately - like your RC's one was a tri and the other sable

They certainly were gorgeous, both in looks and temperament. Do think a tri and a sable look good together.

M.

Yeah they compliment each other don't they

We offered a deposit as we thought it was the best thing to do,i realise that may not be the case if i get to see the pup and it or the breeder does meet my expectations.Was i naive in assuming any kc reg breeder would provide top quality service?

Breeders on here may say I'm wrong, but I don't think the fact that the breeder is KC registered is any indication of the level of service they provide - they simply have their 'prefix' registered and recognised by the KC - there are no tests carried out to gain registration. Some 'commercial breeders' are registered by the local council, and they will have to maintain minium levels of care and housing for their dogs, but the levels are minimal and only refer to the dogs physical welfare rather than pyschological :(

I agree Digger, even some of the breeders who are registered with the KC accredited breeder scheme seem to be nothing more than puppy producers - even though they at least do health tests, they seem to churn out far too many litters to be able to properly socialise the pups before they go to their new homes.

Note: The main post I made has been edited several times but the time limit passed before I could add the fact that I have edited it :rolleyes:

Would query the expectation that a puppy should have had its first injection - I wouldn't look for this, and wouldn't particularly welcome it either, as many vets will insist on starting again.

M.

If the pup has had its first injection it will come with a record of the vaccination.  IME vet's won't query it or request "starting again" if the 'proof of vaccine' is produced :)

IME unfortunately vets will restart vaccinations if the brand they use is different to the one already given

I can understand why if its a different 'brand' as there is always a possibility of something being different within each :rolleyes:  However, if the other poster isn't already registered with a vet they could find out what 'brand' is used by the breeders vet before hand and ensure they register with a vet (a good vet!) that utilises that brand too

I would add to that list that you too should expect to be questioned on your own experience of dogs - what sort of home will you offer  - do you have a garden/is it secure  - will there be someone at home with the puppy all day - if not, what arrangements will you make for ensuring it is not left alone for more than 2 hours? - will you crate it?   Are you hoping to show/do obediene/agility?   How many children will be close to the puppy?   Do you have other dogs/cats/small pets?

Are you prepared to neuter?   And finally - do you agree to return the puppy/dog to the breeder at any time during the life of the puppy should you be unable to keep it, for whatever reason?

Margot

From my research on this site i realise that a good breeder would question me about the environment that the pup will be living in, after all they do not want the pups going to unsuitable homes.

Can i ask why a breeder would ask for a deposit before you've even seen the pups?

see where your coming from Lel (and agree)
But if you look up I think you'll find Kevin said:

>we offered a deposit as we thought it was the right thing to do<

offered as oposed to gave, led me to believe they weren't asked?

;)

I wouldn't accept a deposit from a potential buyer that I hadn't met.  I might not like them or think them suitable for one of my pups when I did!!!!:rolleyes:

I would also query that The pups should not be taken away from their mother until atleast 8 weeks old.  Mine go at 7 weeks if they're ready.

Debs

Yes my breed start to go from 7 weeks or jsut before 8 weeks, but some toy breeds woudl not go until older, say 10 or 12 weeks.

I put "atleast 8 weeks" because I know that some toy breeds are not rehomed for longer but I am aware that some breeders (generally of the larger breeds) do let theirs go at 7 weeks.  However, I didn't put this in my original post so as not to confuse the other poster as 8 weeks is the most common age thats all :)