Questions to Ask a Dog Breeder
For anyone about to put a deposit on a puppy, from the first phone call to pickup day. The questions run in the order the conversation usually does: first contact, the parents and their health testing, how the litter is raised, the visit, price and contract, and pickup and the weeks after. The note under each one describes the answer a careful breeder tends to give and the answer that should keep your money in your pocket for now.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
First contact
Do you have puppies available now, or a litter planned, and how does your waiting list work?
Why ask it
Careful breeders often have more homes waiting than puppies, so being told to wait several months is common and is not a brush-off. Ask how many people are ahead of you and what happens to your place if the litter is small. Be more cautious where puppies of several breeds seem to be on offer every week of the year.
What health screening have both parents had, and where can I look up the results?
Why ask it
Each breed has its own short list, typically some mix of hip and elbow X-rays, an eye exam, a heart check and DNA panels, and the national breed club usually publishes which ones it expects. Many schemes keep a public database searchable by a dog's registered name, so ask for both parents' names and look for yourself. A puppy's own check-up at the vet is a separate thing and does not stand in for any of this.
Can I visit to meet the puppies' mother and see where the litter lives?
Why ask it
A yes with conditions is normal: many breeders keep visitors away until the puppies are a few weeks old, ask you to leave your shoes at the door and prefer a video call first. What you should not accept is an offer to meet in a parking lot or to bring a single puppy out to you. If distance rules out a visit, ask for a live video walk through the house with the dam, as breeders call the mother, in the frame.
How old will the puppies be when they go home?
Why ask it
Kennel clubs, vets and in some places the law set a minimum age, most often eight weeks, so ask what applies where the breeder lives. Breeders of toy breeds in particular may keep puppies until ten or twelve weeks, and they should be able to say what the extra time is for. An offer to release one at five or six weeks because it is 'already eating by itself' is a reason to stop.
What is the hardest part of living with this breed, and what kind of home would you turn down?
Why ask it
Someone who knows the breed answers quickly and without flattery: the barking, the coat on every surface, the dog that needs two hours out before it can settle, the chase instinct that rules out a house with rabbits. A breeder who says the breed suits everyone is selling. If the hard part they name is something your household cannot live with, they have saved you a deposit.
How long have you owned this breed, and when did you raise your first litter?
Why ask it
Years of living with the breed count for more than the number of litters: someone who owned, showed or worked these dogs for a long time before breeding one knows what a sound adult is like. A first-time breeder is not a warning in itself, provided they can name a mentor, often the breeder of their own female, whom they call when a whelping goes badly. Check the dates you are given against whatever a search for the kennel name brings up.
Why did you choose these two dogs for this litter?
Why ask it
A breeder with a plan talks about what each parent adds: a steadier temperament from one side, better hips or a more correct coat from the other, a weakness in the dam that the sire offsets. 'They are both lovely dogs' or 'we wanted her to have one litter' tells you no plan existed. You do not need to follow every pedigree term, only to hear that there was a reason.
How many litters do you have in a year, and how many breeding dogs live with you?
Why ask it
There is no correct number, but it should fit the space and the hands available: one or two litters a year in a family home is a different operation from a dozen across several buildings. The telling follow-up is what happens when two litters overlap. Vagueness about how many dogs live there usually means more than one person can know individually.
Are you a member of a breed club or registered with a kennel club, and what is your kennel name?
Why ask it
Write the kennel name down and search it afterwards: show results, club listings and old complaints all tend to surface that way. Registration by itself only records who the parents are and says nothing about how the dogs are kept. Many breed clubs have a code of ethics that members sign, so ask whether theirs does and read it.
What will you want to know about me before you agree to sell me a puppy?
Why ask it
Many breeders send a written application, and some ask for a landlord's letter, a photo of the fence or a reference from your vet. It can feel like a job interview, and that is the point: a breeder this particular about buyers has usually been as particular about the pairing. A seller whose only question is how you will pay has told you what the sale is about.
Parents and health
Which inherited conditions turn up in this breed, and which of them can you test for?
Why ask it
'My lines are clear of everything' comes from someone who has not looked or has not been told. The fuller answer sorts the breed's known problems into three piles: what a DNA test can rule out, what a hip score or eye exam only lowers the odds of, and what nobody can screen for yet. Take that list to your own vet and to an insurer before you commit, since both will have a view on it.
What were the parents' actual hip, elbow and eye results, and who graded them?
Why ask it
'Health tested' is where this question starts, not where it ends. Formal schemes send X-rays or exam findings to specialist assessors and issue a grade or a number, which is not the same as a general vet saying the dog moves well. Which scheme applies depends on the country, so get its name, find out what counts as a good result in this breed, and read the dates: some results, eye exams in particular, are only current for a set period.
For each DNA test, are the parents clear, carriers or affected, and what does that mean for this litter?
Why ask it
Ask the breeder to walk you through it one condition at a time. For many recessive conditions a carrier mated to a clear dog is not expected to produce affected puppies, so the word carrier is not bad news in itself, provided the pairing was planned around it. A muddled explanation is your cue to request the lab reports and show them to your vet.
How old is the mother, how many litters has she had, and when will she retire?
Why ask it
Kennel clubs and breed clubs set their own limits on a dam's age and her number of litters, so ask which rules this breeder works to. Compare her age with the dates on her health results: a first litter from a dam too young to have finished screening was bred before anyone could know. Then ask what her life looks like once she is done.
Is the father your own dog, and if not, why did you choose him?
Why ask it
Driving several hours to the right sire often shows more thought than using the one who lives in the yard. You will probably never meet him, so get his registered name, look up his screening results the same way you did the dam's, and ask for footage of him around people. When the sire is on site, ask to meet him separately from the dam.
Can I see the pedigree, and do any dogs appear on both the sire's side and the dam's?
Why ask it
The same name on both halves of a pedigree means the litter is line-bred, which breeders do on purpose to hold on to a look or a working trait, and which narrows the gene pool at the same time. Some kennel clubs publish an inbreeding figure for a mating next to the breed average, so ask whether one exists for this litter. You are listening for a breeder who knows the number and can explain the choice.
How long did the grandparents and great-grandparents of this litter live, and what did they die of?
Why ask it
Health certificates describe young adults, and this question is about the other end of life. Real answers have ages and causes in them, the cancer at nine or the heart at eleven, and are worth more than a claim that everyone reached fifteen. 'I don't know' is fair about an outside stud's ancestors and thin about the breeder's own dogs.
Have any puppies from your earlier litters had a serious health or behavior problem, and what did you do about it?
Why ask it
Anyone with several litters behind them has a story here, and what they did next is the part to listen to: a pairing not repeated, a dog retired from breeding, the owners of the littermates told. If every past problem was the buyer's food or the buyer's training, expect the same verdict should your puppy have trouble.
What are the mother and father like with strangers, other dogs and sudden noise?
Why ask it
Ask for behavior, not adjectives: what the dam does when the doorbell goes, how the sire is on the vet's table, whether either has been in a fight. Temperament is partly inherited, and the dam is also the puppies' first teacher. A parent described as 'protective' or 'reserved with new people' deserves a follow-up about what that looks like on an ordinary Tuesday.
What do the parents do besides breed: shows, a sport, work, or family life?
Why ask it
A pet does not need champion parents, and plenty of sound litters come from dogs with no titles at all. What a show ring, a field test or an obedience trial adds is an outside opinion, from someone with no puppy to sell, that the dog looks and behaves as the breed should. With parents who are simply family dogs, lean harder on the health results and on meeting them.
Was this litter born naturally, and has either parent needed surgery on the airway, eyes, skin folds or joints?
Why ask it
Most useful for flat-faced, heavily wrinkled, giant and very small breeds, where the build itself can cause trouble. Planned cesareans are routine in some of them, and a breeder should say so plainly and explain what they select for to keep dogs breathing and moving freely. For a breed with a moderate build you can skip it.
Raising the litter
Where do the puppies spend their days and nights from birth until they leave?
Why ask it
The first three weeks are usually spent in a quiet whelping box and the later ones somewhere busier, so ask about both. Puppies kept in a kennel building or barn can turn out well, but then find out how many hours a day a person is in there with them and how often they come indoors. On the visit, check that the room you are shown looks and smells like a litter has been living in it.
What have the puppies seen, heard and walked on so far?
Why ask it
Good answers are concrete and a little odd: a wobble board, a cookie sheet, wet grass and gravel, a recording of fireworks, an umbrella opening, a man in a hat. Ask which of those the litter found hard, because a breeder who was watching will remember. Then compare the list with your own life, and tell them now if yours includes a city street, a wheelchair or a boat.
Who handles the puppies each day, and have they met children and visitors from outside the household?
Why ask it
You are hoping for several pairs of hands, some of them small and some unfamiliar, and for paws, ears and mouths to be touched as a matter of routine. Visitors before vaccination carry some infection risk, and breeders draw that line in different places, so ask how they manage it. If you have young children and this litter has met none, say so while there is still time to arrange it.
What start have they had on house training, the crate and being alone for a few minutes?
Why ask it
Many breeders set up a separate toilet area in the pen once the puppies are walking, and litters raised that way tend to arrive wanting to keep the bed clean. The details to collect are the surface they go on, whether they have napped in a crate with the door shut, and whether each has spent short spells away from the others. A puppy that has never once been alone will let you know on the first night.
When were they weaned, and what are they eating now?
Why ask it
Take a photo of the bag so you buy the same formula, and ask for the amount per meal in grams or cups and the times they are fed. Puppies should be eating solid food steadily for some time before they leave, so a litter still leaning on the dam at the planned pickup date is not ready. A raw or home-cooked diet is worth a conversation with your vet before you decide whether to continue it.
Which vaccinations, deworming and vet exams will the puppy have had by pickup, and what is due next?
Why ask it
The record should show dates, the product given and the clinic, because your vet will plan the remaining doses from it. In some places breeders give the first vaccine themselves and not every clinic counts that dose, so ask who gave it and check how your own vet treats it. Book the first appointment before pickup day, and let the vet decide when walks on public ground can start.
Has there been any illness in this litter or among your dogs in the past few months: parvo, kennel cough, giardia, worms?
Why ask it
Put the specific names in the question, because 'any problems?' is easy to wave away. If the answer is yes, ask what the vet diagnosed, how long ago the last case cleared and what was done to the pens and yard afterwards. A litter that lost puppies to something nobody identified is a different matter, and your vet should hear about it before you commit.
Will the puppy be microchipped, and how do I get the chip registered in my name?
Why ask it
In some countries the breeder must chip and register the puppy before it is sold, and in others it is left to the buyer, so ask what applies there. Find out which database holds the number and whether the transfer is something they start or you do. Have your vet scan the puppy at the first visit to confirm that the chip reads and matches the paperwork.
The visit
Can I watch the puppies with their mother first, and then handle them on their own?
Why ask it
With the dam in the room, look at her more than at them: a mother in good weight who greets you and then goes back to her business is what you hope for, allowing that some are wary of strangers near a young litter. Away from her, a healthy puppy is bright-eyed, clean at both ends and curious within a minute or two. Sit on the floor and let them come to you before you pick one up.
Can I see where your adult dogs sleep and exercise, including the ones that are no longer bred?
Why ask it
The retired dogs and the old ones show how this breeder treats an animal that no longer earns anything. Clean bedding, fresh water, trimmed nails and dogs that come to the gate wagging count for more than a tidy front room. If part of the property is off limits, ask why; keeping germs out of the whelping room is a fair reason, and it only covers one room.
Do I choose my puppy, or do you match puppies to homes?
Why ask it
Breeders who do the matching usually wait until seven or eight weeks, when the puppies' characters can be told apart, and they will want to hear about your days first. Where buyers choose, find out the order and the age at which you pick. A puppy reserved from a newborn photo has been chosen for its markings and nothing else.
Which puppy would you send home with a household like mine, and which one would you steer me away from?
Why ask it
Describe your real week first: the hours the house is empty, the toddler, the cat, how far you walk. The breeder has watched these puppies for two months and you have watched for an hour, so a reasoned recommendation deserves weight even when it is not the one you fell for. 'Any of them would be perfect for you' means the question was not taken seriously.
Who is the boldest in this litter, who is the quietest, and where does this one fall?
Why ask it
First-time owners are often steered toward the middle of the litter, since the pushiest puppy and the one hanging at the back can both take more experienced handling. Push for examples: who climbs out of the pen, who cries longest in the crate, who gives up a toy without a fuss. Bear in mind that the one asleep in the corner may simply have been up since five.
Has a vet noted anything on this puppy: a heart murmur, a hernia, the bite, a retained testicle?
Why ask it
Small findings on a puppy exam are common, and a breeder may not think to bring one up unless asked directly. Some turn out to matter very little and others mean monitoring, a later operation, a lower price or a dog that cannot be shown, so get the vet's own wording and have it written on the health record. Your vet can then recheck the same thing at the first visit and tell you what it means for this puppy.
How big are the parents, and what did puppies from earlier litters weigh as adults?
Why ask it
Adult size is easiest to predict from relatives, so ask for the weights of both parents and of grown dogs from a previous litter of the same pairing if there was one. Be careful with labels like teacup, micro or king-size, which are sales terms and not recognized varieties in most breeds. For crossbreeds the spread is wide, and a truthful breeder gives a range instead of a number.
Would you ever sell two puppies from this litter to one home?
Why ask it
Raising two littermates at once is hard enough that plenty of breeders will not agree to it: the pair can lean on each other more than on you, and every bit of training has to be done twice and apart. An eager yes, or a discount on the second puppy, mostly helps the breeder empty the pen. For a household set on two dogs, the better question is what age gap they would suggest.
Can I speak to someone who owns one of your dogs that is now two or three years old?
Why ask it
By that age the joints have been through adolescence, the adult temperament has arrived and the owner has needed the breeder at least once. Ask that owner what surprised them and whether calls were returned after the sale. After a few litters, naming someone the same day should be easy.
Price and contract
What is the price, and what exactly is included in it?
Why ask it
Two breeders quoting the same figure can mean different things by it, so ask what is inside: the vet exam, the first vaccinations, the chip, registration, a starter bag of food, a few weeks of insurance. The remaining vaccine doses and any registration transfer fee usually fall to you, so add those to your own sum. A price far below what other breeders of this breed charge needs explaining before it counts as luck.
Are all the puppies in this litter the same price, and if not, what changes it?
Why ask it
A higher price for a puppy judged to have show potential is a traditional reason. Charging more for a 'rare' color, an undersized puppy or one sex is a marketing decision, and some of those colors fall outside the breed standard or are linked with health problems, so check with the breed club. One price for the whole litter is the simplest sign that the puppies were not bred to a price list.
How much is the deposit, when is it due, and when would I get it back?
Why ask it
Deposits are often non-refundable once a puppy is reserved, and whether that holds depends on the wording and on the rules where you live, so ask how theirs works. Test it with examples: no puppy of the sex you wanted is born, the breeder decides the match is wrong, the puppy is unwell at pickup, you change your mind. Pay by a method that leaves a record, and only after you have seen the puppy and its mother, at least on live video.
Can I read the whole contract before I pay anything?
Why ask it
Ask for it by email as soon as you are on the list, not on pickup day with the puppy in your arms. Check that it identifies this puppy by chip number or description and states the price, the registration terms and what each side has promised. How far such an agreement can be enforced varies from place to place, so if a clause puzzles you or a lot of money rests on it, get a local legal opinion before you sign.
What does the health guarantee cover, for how long, and what would I receive under it?
Why ask it
The length gets advertised and the remedy gets skipped. One guarantee pays toward treatment and lets you keep the dog; another offers a new puppy only in exchange for the one your family has loved for a year, which almost nobody accepts. Ask the breeder to tell you about the last time a buyer made a claim and how it ended.
What would void the guarantee: a different food, a supplement I do not buy, the vaccination schedule, when I neuter?
Why ask it
Conditions like these are where a generous-sounding guarantee shrinks. A requirement to keep feeding one brand or to order a particular supplement through the breeder's link should make you ask who benefits. On vaccination and neutering timing, take the clause to your vet before you sign, because you may be agreeing to something your vet would not advise.
Is the puppy sold on a spay or neuter agreement or on limited registration, and what are the terms?
Why ask it
Registries have different names for it (limited registration, endorsements, non-breeding papers), so ask what theirs calls it and what it stops you doing: usually registering any litter, sometimes entering certain shows. Find out whether there is a surgery deadline, what proof the breeder wants and whether your vet's advice on timing can change it. Anyone hoping to compete or breed later should raise it before a puppy is allocated, not at pickup.
Which papers come with the puppy on the day, and which follow later?
Why ask it
Sort the pile into what you leave with and what is posted: registration certificate or application, pedigree, contract, vet record, chip details, copies of the parents' health results. Papers that are 'on their way' at pickup sometimes stay that way, so ask for a date and note it on the receipt. A registry you have never heard of deserves a search before you count it as registration.
After I take the puppy home, how many days do I have for my own vet to examine it, and what happens if they find a problem?
Why ask it
Many contracts give a short window, often counted in days, and some require the visit for the guarantee to apply at all. Agree in advance whether a serious finding means a refund, a return or a contribution to treatment, and have that sentence in the contract. It is the hardest clause to use, since by day three the puppy has a name, so decide beforehand what you would do.
If I cannot keep this dog, at any age, what do you want me to do?
Why ask it
'Call me first' is what most careful breeders say, and many put a return or first-refusal clause in the contract so their dogs never land in a shelter. Ask whether that still applies when the dog is nine and has a health problem, and whether they would help you find a home directly instead. A breeder who has never been asked is not expecting to hear from buyers again.
Pickup and after
Do puppies have to be collected in person, and if I live far away, how would mine travel?
Why ask it
Some breeders will not let a puppy leave with anyone but the buyer, and it is fair to read that as care, not inconvenience. Where they do arrange travel, ask which method they have used and how many puppies have gone that way, since the rules for a courier in the cabin, a ground transporter and cargo change with the airline and the country. Never pay a separate shipping, crate or insurance fee to a third party you did not choose.
What should I have ready at home, and what size crate and pen do you suggest?
Why ask it
The breeder knows how big this breed is at eight weeks and at eight months, which can save you buying a crate twice. Ask what the litter sleeps on and copy it, and ask what this breed chews through, squeezes under or jumps over. Most send a few days of food; if no bedding is offered, leave a small towel in the pen at your last visit and collect it with the puppy.
What do the first few nights usually look like, and what do you suggest when the puppy cries?
Why ask it
Breeders hear from buyers on night one more than at any other time, so they have a routine to offer: where the crate goes, when the last trip outside happens, whether to sit nearby. Follow one approach for a week before judging it. Their advice is experience, not veterinary care, so a puppy that will not eat or seems unwell goes to the vet whatever the hour.
How much exercise should this puppy get in the first year, and what should I hold off on?
Why ask it
Advice varies with size: breeders of large and giant breeds are often cautious about stairs, long runs and jumping while the dog is still growing. Ask for something you can act on, like minutes per outing at three months and at six, and then check it with your vet. For a working breed the answer should also cover what the puppy's brain needs, which is usually the bigger gap.
Can I call you with questions once the puppy is home, and what news would you want to hear from me straight away?
Why ask it
Some run a group chat for each litter, some ask for a photo at a year, some only want to hear about problems. The detail to pin down is which news is urgent to them, typically a diagnosis of anything inherited, since that changes what they breed next. Wanting updates for the life of the dog also means advice on offer to you for a decade or more.
What do new owners of your puppies most often get wrong in the first month?
Why ask it
A good last question, because it lets the breeder give the warning they have given everyone before you. Too much freedom in the house, too many visitors in week one and a sudden change of food come up often. Whatever they say, write it on the schedule that goes on your fridge.
How to talk to a dog breeder before you commit
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you get in touch
Learn the breed's test list first
Find the national breed club's health page and note which screens it expects of breeding dogs. With that list beside you, the health question on the first call takes a minute, and you can tell a full answer from a partial one.
Start from the club, not the ad
Breed club lists, show catalogs and owners whose dogs you admire lead to people with a reputation to keep. Classified sites and sponsored search results lead to whoever paid to be there. A breeder with no puppies will often point you to one who has.
Write your own description
Put down the hours the house is empty, the ages of any children, other pets, the yard, your experience and what you hope to do with the dog. A careful breeder will ask for all of it, and sending it with your first message gets you a fuller reply.
Split the list between email, phone and visit
Availability, pickup age, price and the parents' registered names can be settled in writing. Keep the call for the breed and the pairing, and the visit for the dam, the premises and the puppies. The price and contract questions belong at home, with the document in front of you.
On the visit
Look before you ask
Spend the first few minutes noticing: the smell, the noise level, the water bowls, the nails and coats of the adult dogs. Some mess is normal wherever a litter is living. Dogs that hang back from the person who feeds them are not.
Give the dam ten minutes
The mother supplies half the genes and most of the early education. Ask to see her away from the puppies as well, since a mother can be on guard in the pen and easygoing in the yard. If she cannot be produced at all, the visit has answered its main question.
Go once without the means to pay
Nobody chooses well with a puppy asleep on their shoe. Make the first visit a looking visit, say so when you book it, and decide at home. A breeder who is comfortable with that is comfortable being compared.
Bring one clear-headed adult
A friend who is not getting a dog will notice what you miss and remember what was said about the deposit. If children are coming, bring them on the second visit, once the adults have already decided this is a breeder to buy from.
Reading the answers
Paper beats adjectives
'Health tested', 'champion lines' and 'vet checked' cost nothing to say. A certificate carries a registered name, a date and a result you can look up. When the two disagree, or the paper never arrives, go with the paper.
Unflattering detail is a good sign
The breeder who tells you about the hip score that was only fair, the litter that had giardia or the puppy they took back at two years old is showing you how they will talk to you later. A history with nothing in it is more likely edited than lucky.
When two good breeders disagree
Pickup at eight weeks or ten, raw food or kibble, when to neuter: careful people land in different places on these. Hearing two views is not a sign that one of them is careless. Take the question to your vet and follow the advice that fits your dog and where you live.
Count the questions you were asked
By the end of a good call you should have described your home, your work hours and your plans for the dog without having volunteered much of it. If you did all the asking, the next buyer could be anyone, and so could the last one.
Reasons to walk away
No mother, no premises
'She is at the vet', 'she is with my sister' and 'let us meet halfway to save you the drive' all end the same way: you buy a puppy without seeing where it came from. Reschedule once. If the dam is missing a second time, stop.
Several breeds, always in stock
A website with a cart button, five breeds and puppies ready this week is a shop, whatever the photos of green fields suggest. The puppies may come from kennels the seller has never visited. Ask where each litter was born, and ask to go there.
Pressure and pity
'Another family is coming at four' is a sales line. So is a sad, dirty puppy you feel you must rescue: paying for it funds the next litter raised the same way. If the conditions worry you, leave without buying and report them to the local animal welfare authority.
Payment that leaves no trail
Gift cards, wire transfers and cash sent ahead to someone you have not met are how money disappears, and a contract is how a real sale is recorded. A breeder with nothing to hide gives you a receipt, a signed agreement and a name that matches the registration papers.