Questions to Ask When Adopting a Puppy
These 55 questions are for anyone adopting from a rescue, a shelter or a foster home, and most of them are also the questions to ask when buying a puppy from a breeder or a private advert, with the places where a rescue's answer and a seller's should differ marked as they come up. They follow the order the decision does: where the puppy came from, health, temperament, the daily routine, the adult dog this puppy will become, then the fee and the handover. If you have ten minutes to decide what questions to ask about a new puppy, take the first group and the vet records.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
The source
Where was this puppy born, and where have they been since?
Why ask it
The answer should be a place you could visit, not a chain of hands. A rescue can usually name the pound, the foster home and the dates in between, and a seller who turns vague about the origin usually has a reason.
How old is the puppy, and when did they leave their mother and littermates?
Why ask it
Ask for a date of birth, and accept that a rescue may only have a vet's estimate from the teeth. Leaving the litter before eight weeks is widely advised against and restricted by law in many places, so check the minimum age where you live.
Can I meet the mother, or see where the litter was raised?
Why ask it
From a breeder or a private seller, a refusal is the clearest warning you will get. With a rescue the mother may genuinely be unknown, and the room the litter has been living in is the thing to see instead.
Why is this puppy looking for a home, and was the litter planned?
Why ask it
A rescue will have a short history: a pregnant stray, an unplanned litter handed in, a puppy returned after a week. With a private advert, listen for what the seller hoped to get from the litter besides the money.
Who has looked after this puppy day to day, and can I speak to them?
Why ask it
The person who feeds and cleans up at six in the morning knows more than the listing or the front desk. With a rescue that is the foster carer or one particular kennel worker, and a short phone call with them fills in what the profile leaves out.
Are there littermates still available, and would you recommend taking two?
Why ask it
Many trainers and rescues advise against raising two littermates together, because the pair can attach to each other more than to you. A source that pushes a second puppy on a first-time owner deserves the follow-up question of why.
How many litters or puppies do you have here at the moment?
Why ask it
One litter in a family kitchen and forty dogs in a rescue kennel are both honest answers. The answer to be wary of is several litters of different breeds on one site, each ready to go this week.
Was this puppy brought in from another country or region, and what paperwork and tests came with them?
Why ask it
Some rescues and dealers move litters across borders, and the rules on minimum age, rabies vaccination and travel documents depend on the countries involved. The papers and any disease test results should come home with you, since your own vet will want them: an infection that is common where the puppy was born may be rare where you live.
Is there an application, a home check or a waiting list, and how long does it usually take?
Why ask it
Rescues differ widely: some approve in a day, others want a form, a video of your garden and a landlord's letter. Knowing the steps at the start stops you falling for a puppy who will be placed before your paperwork clears.
Health
What veterinary care have they had so far?
Why ask it
You want dates: first vaccination, worming, flea treatment, microchip, and any examination. Written records matter because your own vet will need them, and a puppy leaving without any paperwork is a puppy whose history nobody can verify.
Which vaccinations are still to come, and on what dates?
Why ask it
A puppy usually goes home partway through the first course, so the remaining doses become your appointments and your bill. Take the card to your own vet, who will say whether their schedule fits what was started and when the puppy can walk in public places.
Did the vet find anything at the first check, such as a heart murmur, a hernia or an eye problem?
Why ask it
Some findings are minor and some change what this dog's life will cost, and only a vet can tell you which. Go by what was written down, not what was said in passing, and take the record to your own practice.
Has this puppy, or any of the litter, been ill: diarrhoea, coughing, vomiting, skin trouble?
Why ask it
Shelters and homes with many dogs pass infections around, and plenty of them are treatable when caught. What you need is the dates, the treatment and whether a vet has signed the puppy off, so that a loose stool in your first week has some context.
What have they been wormed and treated for fleas with, and when is the next dose due?
Why ask it
Ask for the product name and the date, since your vet will plan the next treatment around it. 'Wormed' with nothing written down could mean last week or once at three weeks old.
Is the puppy microchipped, and how does the registration move into my name?
Why ask it
A chip only helps when the database holds your phone number. Rules on chipping and on who must update the record differ by country, so ask how it works there and get the chip number in writing before you leave.
If the parents are known, what were they screened for, and is there paperwork?
Why ask it
This is mainly a breeder question: where a breed has hip, eye or DNA schemes, the parents' results should exist on paper. With a rescue litter the honest answer is often that nobody knows, which is useful to hear said plainly.
Is neutering included in the fee or required by the contract, and by what age?
Why ask it
Many rescues require it, and some pay for it or have it done before the puppy leaves. The right age is debated and varies with size and breed, so take the contract's deadline to your own vet before you sign.
Can my own vet examine the puppy within a few days, and what happens if they find something?
Why ask it
Agree this before any money moves and have the answer written down: a refund, paid treatment or taking the puppy back. A rescue or seller who resists an outside opinion is telling you something about what that opinion might be.
Temperament
What have they already met: children, cats, other dogs, traffic, stairs, a vacuum cleaner?
Why ask it
Ask for the list and for how the puppy reacted each time, since a calm first meeting with a bicycle counts for more than a frightening one. What is missing is not a fault. It is your job list for the first weeks at home.
Have they lived with an adult dog or a cat, and how would you introduce them to mine?
Why ask it
Sharing a kitchen with a cat is not the same as seeing one through a fence, so find out which it was. Many rescues will arrange a meeting on neutral ground before you commit, and your resident dog's opinion deserves a vote.
What handling have they had: nails, ears, mouth, being picked up?
Why ask it
Puppies who have had their paws and ears touched daily tend to grow into dogs who tolerate a vet and a groomer. If nobody has done it, that is a job you now own, and it is much easier at ten weeks than at ten months.
Do they bite hard during play, and what do you do when they do?
Why ask it
All puppies mouth, so the useful part is whether this one is rougher than the rest and what the carer does about it. Carrying on with that response is kinder than a new method in a new house.
Compared with the rest of the litter, is this one bolder, quieter or somewhere in the middle?
Why ask it
The first puppy to climb into your lap is often the pushiest one in the pen, and the one hanging back may be shy or may just have woken up. Someone who has watched them for weeks can tell you which it is, and a single visit cannot.
How do they react to a sudden noise or something new, and how quickly do they recover?
Why ask it
A startle is normal. The useful part is the recovery: a puppy who jumps at a dropped pan and is sniffing it ten seconds later is in a different place from one who hides for an hour.
How do they greet a person they have never met?
Why ask it
Watch it happen as well as asking, since you are that person. Wriggling straight over, hanging back to look before approaching, and refusing to come out at all are three different puppies, and the second is not a problem.
What do you know about the parents' temperament, especially the mother's?
Why ask it
The mother is the adult this litter has been watching, so one who is relaxed with visitors is a good sign and a fearful or snappy one is worth more questions. With a stray's litter the father is usually a guess, and it is fine for the rescue to say so.
Have they shown any guarding of food, chews or toys?
Why ask it
Stiffening or growling over a bowl shared by eight puppies is common and can ease once meals stop being a competition. You still want to know, because it changes how you feed in a house with children or another dog.
What are they like when they are overtired, and what helps them settle?
Why ask it
A lot of the wild biting and racing about happens when a puppy needs a nap. If the carer has a routine that works, whether a pen, a chew or a covered corner, copy it exactly.
Daily routine
What are they eating now, how much, and how many times a day?
Why ask it
Take the same food home for at least the first week. An abrupt switch often upsets a puppy's stomach, and making it in the week of the move leaves you unable to tell a change of diet from something that needs a vet.
How is toilet training going, and what surface do they use?
Why ask it
A puppy trained on newspaper or on artificial grass will look for that surface in your house. Knowing what they are used to lets you match it at first and change it deliberately rather than by accident.
Where do they sleep, and how are the nights?
Why ask it
Sleeping in a heap of siblings and sleeping alone in a crate are very different starting points. The first means crying for the first few nights at yours, and deciding who gets up is easier now than at two in the morning.
How do they cope with being left alone, and for how long?
Why ask it
You want what has actually been tried, not what they expect. Ten minutes is a long time for a puppy who has never been by themselves, four hours in week one is not realistic, and of everything on this list this answer has the most to do with your working week.
Have they been in a crate or a pen, and how did they take to it?
Why ask it
A puppy who already naps in a crate with the door open is weeks ahead of one who has never seen a crate. Ask what size it was and what went in it, so yours looks and smells familiar.
What time do they wake, eat, nap and go to bed at the moment?
Why ask it
Write the timetable down and keep to it for the first few days, even if it does not suit you. Everything else in the puppy's life is about to change, and the clock is the one thing you can hold still.
How much exercise are they getting now, and what would you advise for the next few months?
Why ask it
The usual advice for a growing puppy is short outings at the puppy's own pace, with extra care for large breeds, stairs and jumping. Ask for a figure in minutes and check it with your own vet instead of settling for a general 'keep them active'.
Do they answer to a name yet, and are there words or sounds they already know?
Why ask it
Rescue puppies often arrive with a kennel name they have heard for only a fortnight, so you can change it without much fuss. A feeding call or a whistle the litter comes running to is worth keeping, since it is the start of a recall.
Which toys, chews and games do they go for?
Why ask it
A puppy who will chase a ball, tug a rope or work at a chew has an outlet you can offer the moment teeth land on your sleeve. Ask what has been safe for them so far, and check anything new with your vet if the puppy is very small.
The adult dog
What do you know about the breed mix, and what does that mean for adult size?
Why ask it
Guesses at mixed breeds are often wrong, and the difference between a fifteen kilo dog and a forty kilo dog changes your housing, your car and your costs. Find out what the estimate rests on: the mother's size, a vet's opinion or only the look of the litter.
What will the coat need, and how often?
Why ask it
Grooming is the cost people forget. A coat that keeps growing means a professional clip on a regular cycle for the dog's whole life, and a heavy shedder means hair through the house instead, so get a local groomer's price before you decide.
What was this type of dog bred to do, and how much energy should I expect at a year old?
Why ask it
A collie cross wants a job, a terrier wants to dig and chase, and a guarding breed will notice everyone who passes the window. When the mix is uncertain, plan for the busiest breed in the guess.
What do people who take a puppy like this struggle with between six and eighteen months?
Why ask it
Adolescence is when a sweet puppy becomes a strong, distractible young dog who has forgotten the recall. A rescue that takes dogs back can tell you what goes wrong at that age, and hearing it now lets you book the training before you need it.
Are there health problems common in this breed or mix that I should watch and budget for?
Why ask it
Flat faces, long backs, giant frames and some popular crosses each come with known risks, and insurance quotes often reflect them. Ask what the rescue or seller has seen in related dogs, then put the same question to your vet.
Is this a breed or type that is restricted where I live, or that landlords and insurers turn down?
Why ask it
Breed laws, tenancy agreements and insurance policies vary by country, state and provider, and some judge a dog on its looks instead of its papers. The rescue will know how its own dogs have fared, but read your lease and ring your insurer yourself before you commit.
What would make you tell me this puppy is not right for my household?
Why ask it
Describe your home honestly first: the hours you work, the stairs, the children's ages, the cat, the garden. A good rescue or breeder will name a reason. Someone who has no reservations at all is placing puppies rather than matching them.
Fee and handover
What is the fee, what does it cover, and what paperwork will I receive?
Why ask it
Expect the microchip registration transfer, vaccination card, worming record and, from a breeder, registration and health test documents. The gaps matter as much: what is not included, and roughly what the first month at your own vet will come to.
Do you take a deposit or a holding fee, and is it returned if the puppy fails a vet check or I pull out?
Why ask it
Be very wary of paying to hold a puppy you have not seen in person or on a live video call. A deposit to a breeder is common, but the terms for getting it back belong in writing before you send it.
How do you take payment, and will I get a receipt with the puppy's details on it?
Why ask it
A bank transfer or card payment leaves a record that cash in a car park does not. The receipt should name the puppy, the microchip number, the amount and the person you paid, which is what you would reach for if ownership were ever questioned.
Can I read the adoption contract or sale agreement at home before the day?
Why ask it
Contracts signed with a puppy in your arms do not get read. Ask for it by email, mark anything you do not understand, and remember that what a clause means in practice depends on the law where you live.
Does the contract put conditions on me, such as a secure garden, a training class or telling you before I rehome?
Why ask it
Rescues often keep a say in what happens to the dog later, and some reserve the right to check in or to have the dog back first. None of that is unreasonable, but you should hear it before the visit and not find it on page three.
Can I foster this puppy first, or is there a settling-in period before the adoption is final?
Why ask it
Some rescues offer foster-to-adopt or a fortnight's trial, which suits a household with a nervous resident dog or a doubtful partner. Ask who pays the vet during that time and what happens to the fee if the puppy goes back.
What support do you offer after I take them home, and what happens if it does not work out?
Why ask it
Many rescues and careful breeders will take the dog back at any point in its life, and some contracts say it must come back to them and nobody else. Get the name of the person you would call in week two when nothing is going well, because that is the week the question gets answered.
What should I have ready at home before collection, and what can wait?
Why ask it
A crate or pen, the same food, bowls, a collar and lead that fit today, and an enzyme cleaner cover the first week. Beds, toys and a full-size harness can wait until you know how fast this one grows and what they chew.
What will you send home with the puppy?
Why ask it
A few days of the current food, the vaccination card and something that smells of the litter tend to make the first night easier. If nothing is offered, bring an old towel on an earlier visit and ask for it to be left in the pen.
What day and time suit collection, and when should they last eat before the journey?
Why ask it
A morning pickup at the start of a few clear days gives the puppy daylight hours to explore before the first night. Ask the carer how long before the car to feed, since they know whether this litter travels on a full stomach or loses it.
In the first week, what would make you want me to ring you or a vet straight away?
Why ask it
The person who raised the litter knows what is normal for this puppy: the soft stool after a food change, the quiet first day. Ask them to draw the line for you, and when in doubt about a very young puppy, call the vet first and the rescue second.
Adopting a puppy: what to check and what it takes
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you go and see one
Decide your limits in writing
Maximum adult size, coat type you are willing to maintain, hours the dog would be alone, and the monthly figure you can actually spend. Write them down before you meet a puppy, because none of these decisions can be made sensibly with a puppy in your lap.
Work out who does the mornings
Puppies need feeding, toileting and company at hours nobody volunteers for later. Agree the rota in the household now, by name and by day, rather than assuming it will settle itself.
Book the first vet appointment and the training class in advance
Good puppy classes often fill weeks ahead, and many set an upper age for joining. Having both booked before collection is the difference between a plan and an intention.
Be ready to leave without a puppy
The most important skill in this process is walking away from a sick puppy, an evasive seller or a breeder who cannot show you the mother. Going with someone who will support that decision makes it far easier.
What to look at while you are there
- If the mother is there, whether she is relaxed and behaving normally around her litter.
- The condition of the space: clean, warm, room to move, toys that have been chewed rather than arranged.
- Eyes, nose and rear for discharge, and the coat for bald patches or scratching.
- How the puppies react to a new person in the room. Curiosity is good, and so is caution, but a whole litter cowering is not.
- Whether the puppy will follow a rolling object, react to a hand clap, and settle again after being excited.
- How the carer or seller handles the puppies, and whether they are comfortable with you handling them.
- How many litters are on site. Several at once, with several breeds, is a commercial operation whatever it is called.
- Whether they ask you questions. A source that does not want to know about your home is not screening anyone.
The real cost and the real time
- Vaccination course, worming, flea treatment and neutering in the first year, then boosters and check-ups on the schedule your vet sets.
- Insurance, or a savings buffer, from the day you collect them.
- Food that changes as they grow, plus the things they will destroy before they stop chewing.
- Puppy classes, and for many dogs a trainer or behaviourist at some point.
- Professional grooming on a regular cycle for the dog's whole life, if the coat requires it.
- Boarding, daycare or a walker for the weeks your working pattern does not fit a dog.
- Broken nights at the start, and toilet trips every couple of hours through the first weeks.
- Daily walks for the whole of the dog's life, often well over a decade, in weather you would not otherwise go out in.
The first two weeks at home
- 1Keep the same food, the same schedule and, if you can, something that smells of the litter.
- 2Confine them to one or two rooms at first. Full access to the house is overwhelming and makes toilet training slower.
- 3Take them out after every sleep, every meal and every burst of play, and go with them rather than sending them.
- 4Start leaving them alone in minutes, not hours, from the first week, while you are still in the house.
- 5Book the vet check in the first few days, and take the paperwork with you.
- 6Introduce new things deliberately and one at a time: the vacuum, the postman, the car, a calm adult dog.
- 7Contact a vet promptly about persistent diarrhoea, refusal to eat, lethargy or coughing. Young puppies can go downhill quickly and it is better to call early.
Reasons to walk away
The mother cannot be seen
From a breeder or a private seller, excuses about her being at the vet or with a relative are a familiar script, and a litter with no mother in the building may not have been raised where you are standing. A rescue is different: the mother may never have been found, and one that says so plainly is being straight with you.
Meeting anywhere other than where the puppy lives
Car parks, service stations and doorstep handovers keep you from seeing where the puppy was raised, and a seller has no good reason to insist on one for a first meeting. A rescue that moves dogs by transport may use a meeting point, but it should have shown you the puppy in its foster home by video first.
A puppy available immediately, at any age, in any colour
Choice and instant availability are features of a supply chain, not of a litter. Ask how many litters they produce a year and watch how readily the number comes.
No paperwork and no willingness to let your vet look first
A source confident in the puppy's health has little reason to refuse a vet check as a condition of the sale or adoption. Refusal, or pressure to pay a deposit before you have met the litter, is reason enough to stop.