Questions to Ask When Buying a Puppy on Craigslist
A puppy ad on Craigslist, or on any other classifieds site, comes from a seller nobody has checked for you. These are 53 questions to ask when buying a puppy from someone you have never met, in the order the deal runs: the first message, the mother and the litter, health records, the visit, price and payment, then papers and pickup. If you are buying a puppy online and have not seen it yet, start with the first group, which is meant to be sent before you travel or pay anything.
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The questions
Each question, and why to ask it
First message
Can I come to the house where the puppies are living?
Why ask it
A seller who offers only a gas station or a parking lot may have nothing to hide, since classifieds sites often tell people to meet strangers in public. What you lose there is the mother, the littermates and the room they were raised in, so ask to see the home first and treat a flat refusal as a reason to keep looking.
Are you the person who bred this litter, or are you selling for someone else?
Why ask it
When you buy a puppy from someone on a listing, the first thing to settle is who that someone is. The owner of the mother can answer everything on this page from memory, while a go-between will be guessing about the birth date, the parents and the vet records.
What date were the puppies born?
Why ask it
A specific date beats an approximate age every time, and you can check it against the dates on the vet record later. Puppies taken before eight weeks miss weeks of learning from their mother and littermates, and many places set a legal minimum age for sale, so look up the rule where you live.
Can we video call so I can watch the puppy moving around?
Why ask it
Live video is how you defeat stolen photographs. Ask the seller to pick the puppy up, pan around the room, and hold up something you name on the spot, such as a spoon or today's date written on paper.
Why are you selling them?
Why ask it
Listen for a story that holds together across messages: a planned litter, an accident, a family situation. Answers that shift between replies, or that read like a template pasted in, are a sign the listing is not what it appears to be.
How many puppies were in the litter, and how many are left?
Why ask it
Someone living with the litter answers without thinking: seven born, four boys, two still here. Ask for the sex and color of the ones remaining and compare it with the ad, since a copied listing rarely survives a question the photos do not answer.
Is this your first litter, or do you breed regularly?
Why ask it
One family with an accidental litter is a very different situation from someone who always has puppies for sale. Search the phone number and the photos for other ads before you ask: several breeds listed at once from one number looks more like a dealer than a household, and you will know whether the answer you get is straight.
Can we talk by phone before I drive over?
Why ask it
Five minutes of conversation tells you more than a day of texting: whether the person knows the puppies apart, whether there are dogs in the background, whether the story matches the ad. If every request for a call is met with another text, ask yourself what a voice would give away.
If I cannot come myself, can someone I choose see the puppy for me?
Why ask it
When the puppy is listed online and too far away to visit, a friend or relative who lives nearer can stand in for you. Someone with a real litter can say yes to that; a fake listing runs out of excuses, because there is no puppy to show.
Is it all right if I bring a friend with me?
Why ask it
You are going to a stranger's address, possibly with cash, so go in daylight with company and tell someone else where you will be. The friend is also the one who notices the cough, or the second litter in the back room, while you are busy holding a puppy.
What would you like to know about me?
Why ask it
A household that cares where its puppies end up asks about your home, your work hours, your other pets and whether you have had a dog before. Being asked nothing at all means the only qualification is the cash, which is worth knowing before you make the drive.
Mother and litter
Can I meet the mother?
Why ask it
At this age the mother should still be with her litter and at ease with you near it. Her size, coat and temperament are the best preview of what you are buying, and 'she is staying at my cousin's this week' deserves suspicion, because a reseller has no mother to show.
Do you own the father, and can I see him or a photo of him?
Why ask it
With a planned litter the sire is known and often on site; with an accident he may be the dog from two doors down, or anyone's guess. An honest 'we are not sure' is more useful to you than a confident breed label, because adult size and coat are half his.
How old is the mother, and how many litters has she had?
Why ask it
You are looking for a grown dog who has had time to recover between litters, and a seller who knows the answer without counting. A very young mother, or one bred every time she comes into season, tells you the puppies are a crop, and makes it likelier that corners were cut elsewhere.
What breed or mix are the parents, and how do you know?
Why ask it
On a classifieds ad, purebred and every designer-mix name are the seller's word and nothing more. Ask whether they own both parents, whether either has registration papers or a DNA test, and pay a mixed-breed price for anything that comes with a shrug.
Were the puppies born here, or were they brought in from another state or country?
Why ask it
Puppies moved across a border usually need a health certificate, and the rules differ by state and country, so ask to see the paperwork and check what applies where you live. A litter that arrived last week also means the person in front of you did not raise it.
Where have the puppies slept and spent their days since birth?
Why ask it
Kitchen, spare room, garage, shed and outdoor pen each produce a different puppy by eight weeks. Ask now, then look at that exact spot when you visit: bedding, water, warmth and how it smells will confirm or contradict what you were told.
Who has handled the puppies, and what have they seen and heard so far?
Why ask it
Children, visitors, the vacuum, a short car ride: what a puppy meets in its first weeks does a lot to decide what it takes in its stride later. A litter that has known one person and one outbuilding can take months of patient work to catch up.
When were they weaned, and are they eating solid food on their own?
Why ask it
A puppy ready to leave eats puppy food several times a day without help from its mother. If the answer is that they are mostly weaned or still nursing a little, the puppy is not ready, whatever age the ad gives, and you should ask to watch it eat.
What are the parents like with strangers, children and other dogs?
Why ask it
Temperament runs in families, so the mother's greeting at the door is information about your puppy. Be cautious about a dam who has to be shut away while you visit, and ask plainly whether either parent has ever bitten anyone.
Health records
Which vaccinations has the puppy had, and can I see the record?
Why ask it
Ask for the clinic name and a record with dates and product names on it. A handwritten note saying shots were done at home tells you nothing about what was given, whether it was in date, or whether it was ever refrigerated.
Can I call your vet?
Why ask it
The willingness matters more than the answer. A clinic confirming it saw this litter is the one piece of outside evidence you can get before you hand over money, though it may need the owner's say-so before it tells you anything.
Which shots are still to come, and when is the next one due?
Why ask it
Puppy vaccines are given as a series over several weeks, so one shot at six or eight weeks does not make a puppy fully vaccinated, whatever the listing says. Take the dates to your own vet, who will set the rest of the schedule and tell you when walks on public ground are sensible.
Has a vet examined this puppy individually, and was anything noted?
Why ask it
A litter weighed and waved through is different from an exam of the puppy you are taking. A heart murmur, a hernia, a misaligned bite or an undescended testicle can be picked up at this age, and any of them changes either the price or your decision.
Have any of the puppies been sick, and did any die?
Why ask it
Parvo, giardia and coccidia move through litters quickly, and an honest seller will say so. Diarrhea, lethargy, or a runt that was lost in the last few weeks changes what you are walking into and what your first vet bill looks like.
Have they had worms, fleas or loose stools, and what was used to treat them?
Why ask it
Worms are ordinary in young puppies and no scandal, so the answer you want is a product name and the dates it was given. 'They have never had anything' usually means nobody looked, and a pot belly on a thin puppy says the same thing.
What health testing has been done on the parents?
Why ask it
Many breeds have known inherited problems and screening tests for them: hips, elbows, eyes, heart, and DNA panels for particular conditions. 'Both parents are healthy and have never needed a vet' means no testing was done, which is common on a listing like this and worth knowing before you agree a price.
Is the puppy microchipped, and how does the chip get moved into my name?
Why ask it
Ask for the chip number and have your vet scan for it at the first appointment. A chip registered to a third person is a question about whose puppy this is, and each registry has its own transfer steps, so ask which one holds the record.
At the visit
Can I see the whole litter together before you bring one out?
Why ask it
Watching them play shows you what normal looks like for this litter, and which one coughs, limps or sits apart. Being handed a single puppy at the front door takes away every comparison you came to make.
What is this puppy like compared with its littermates?
Why ask it
Someone who has watched the litter can tell you who is bold, who hangs back, who complains in the crate and who sleeps through the night. If the puppies are interchangeable to the person selling them, nobody has spent much time with this litter.
Can I pick the puppy up and look at its eyes, ears, teeth and belly?
Why ask it
Clear eyes, clean ears, a nose without discharge and a belly with no lump at the navel are things you can check in a minute with the puppy in your arms. Wash your hands first if you have been around other dogs, and take note of a seller who would rather you did not touch.
How does this puppy cope with sudden noises, like a dropped pan or the vacuum?
Why ask it
Ask, then test it gently with the seller's permission: drop your keys a few feet away and watch. A startle followed by curiosity within a few seconds is what you hope for, and a puppy that stays frozen or hidden will need slower, more patient work at home.
How big are the parents, and how big do you expect this one to get?
Why ask it
The mother standing in front of you is the best evidence there is, and with an unknown father any adult weight is an estimate. If your lease or your car has a size limit, plan for the top of the range and not the middle.
What are you feeding them, and how often?
Why ask it
You want the exact brand so you can keep it going for a week and avoid an upset stomach on top of the stress of moving house. If nobody can name the food, ask to see the bag and photograph the label.
Where do they go to the toilet now, and how are the nights?
Why ask it
Pads, newspaper, grass or wherever they happen to be are four different starting points for house training. Ask too whether this puppy has ever slept away from the litter, because that predicts how loud your first three nights will be.
Is there anything about this puppy you would want a new owner to know?
Why ask it
Leave a silence after this one. People who have lived with a litter tend to volunteer the picky eater, the small hernia the vet mentioned or the puppy that cries in the crate, and what they say now is worth writing down with the date.
Can I think it over and come back tomorrow?
Why ask it
Go the first time without the cash, so the decision is made at home and not with a puppy asleep on your arm. 'Someone else is coming in an hour' may even be true, and it is still pressure you do not have to accept.
Price and payment
What is the total price or rehoming fee, and what does it include?
Why ask it
Craigslist's posting rules have long barred selling pets while allowing rehoming for a small adoption fee, so read the current rules before you reply. Whatever the ad calls the money, get the total in a message before you set off, because a charge at the door for papers, or for vaccines already given, is how a cheap listing turns expensive.
Is the price firm, and why is it lower or higher than similar listings?
Why ask it
Check a few other ads for the same breed or mix in your area first. A figure far under the rest is either bait or a sign of money saved on vet care, and a price that halves the moment you hesitate tells you how the number was chosen.
How do you want to be paid?
Why ask it
Requests for gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or a payment app with no buyer recourse are the clearest sign of a scam. Cash handed over in person, after you have seen the puppy, is the ordinary answer.
Do you take a deposit, and would I get it back if I changed my mind?
Why ask it
Deposits sent for a puppy nobody has seen are a common way people lose money on these listings. If you pay one at all, pay it in person after a visit, and get the amount, what it holds and the refund terms written down.
Do you ship, or use a transport company?
Why ask it
Some established breeders do ship, but on a classifieds ad the offer is often the opening of a second scam, in which a courier you never chose asks for a crate fee, then insurance, then a vaccination fee. Collecting the dog yourself is the only version in which you see it before you pay.
What happens to the puppies that do not sell?
Why ask it
A plan to keep them, keep advertising or call a rescue is the answer of someone with time. 'They go to the shelter on Friday' may be true, but a deadline attached to a price is a sales method, and pity is a poor reason to skip the vet records.
Papers and pickup
What paperwork comes with the puppy: a bill of sale, vet records, registration?
Why ask it
Ask for a written bill of sale with both names, the date, the price and the puppy's description, whatever happens with registration. Registry papers are easy to promise and slow to produce, so treat them as a bonus rather than as proof.
Can I see ID that matches the name on the bill of sale?
Why ask it
It is a fair request when you are handing cash to a stranger, and you can offer yours in return. A photo of a license sent in advance proves little, since copied ID travels with fake listings; the card in the person's hand at their own address is what counts.
Is there a health guarantee, and what does it require from me?
Why ask it
Where a private seller offers one at all, it tends to run for a short window, cover a narrow list of conditions and promise a replacement puppy, not money. Read what it asks of you, such as a vet visit within a set number of days, and check whether your state or country has its own rules on puppies sold sick.
Can I take the puppy to my own vet within forty eight hours, and what happens if something is found?
Why ask it
Agree this in writing before any money changes hands, including who pays for the exam and whether the remedy is a refund or a return. A flat no to an independent vet check is one of the few answers on this page that is reason enough to walk away.
Would you take the puppy back if it did not work out?
Why ask it
The answer you hope for is yes, at any age and for any reason, from someone who cares where the dog ends up. A blank look means nobody has thought past the handover, and that the fallback plan for this dog is yours alone.
Are there any conditions on the sale, such as spaying or neutering, or not breeding from the dog?
Why ask it
Private sellers seldom have a contract, so anything promised or required out loud should be written on the bill of sale and signed by both of you. Rules on sterilising and on selling puppies vary by city and state; ask what applies locally and do not rely on the seller's summary.
Can I take home a few days of their food and something that smells of the litter?
Why ask it
A bag of the current food lets you change diet slowly, and a towel rubbed over the mother and littermates makes the first night in a strange house less lonely. Bring your own towel in case the seller has nothing to spare.
When did the puppy last eat today, and has it ridden in a car before?
Why ask it
A full stomach and a first car ride are a messy combination, so plan the pickup around the feeding time if you can. Bring a second person or a secured crate, paper towels and water, and ask your vet beforehand about stopping anywhere other dogs have been.
Can I contact you after the puppy is home, and what is the best number?
Why ask it
Try the number before you pay: call it while you are standing there. Flippers and scammers disappear the same afternoon, while a family who raised the litter generally wants a photo in a month and will tell you how they settled the puppy at night.
Will you tell me if one of the littermates gets sick after I leave?
Why ask it
Some infections take days to show, so a message from the seller a week later can give your vet a head start. Offer the same in return: if your puppy falls ill, the other homes will want to know.
Answering a puppy listing safely
Practical guidance for the conversation itself
Before you go
- 1Ask for the birth date, the breed of both parents, and the address, all in the same message. A reply that skips one of the three deserves a second, direct ask.
- 2Run the listing photos through a reverse image search. A picture lifted for a fake ad usually turns up on a breeder's site, an older listing or a stock library.
- 3Ask a question whose answer is not in the ad, such as the color of the puppy's collar or how many are male.
- 4Line up a vet appointment for the day after pickup before you commit to anything.
- 5Take a second person, tell someone where you are going, and go during daylight.
At the visit
- Look at where the litter sleeps, not just at the puppy handed to you at the door.
- Check whether the puppies are clean, whether the space smells of ammonia, and whether there is fresh water down.
- Watch the mother's reaction to the puppies and to you. A dam kept away from the litter is worth asking about.
- Pick the puppy up and put it down again. Note whether it recovers and comes back to you, and whether it can walk without stumbling.
- Look at the eyes and nose for discharge, the rear end for signs of diarrhea, and the belly for a hernia or bloating.
- If anything about the place makes you uneasy, leave. Buying the puppy to rescue it funds the next litter.
Scam patterns to recognize
- A price far below the going rate for the breed, with urgency attached.
- A seller who will only communicate by text or a messaging app and will not take a call.
- A request to pay by gift card, wire, crypto or a friends-and-family transfer.
- A shipping company that appears after payment and asks for a refundable crate or insurance fee.
- A story involving a missionary trip, a military deployment, or a relative who has to rehome urgently.
- Photographs of a puppy that is visibly older or younger than the age quoted, or that never changes between messages.
Buying a puppy online from someone you cannot visit
Treat the distance as the main risk
Nearly every check on this page depends on someone standing in the room with the litter. If the seller is hours away, make the trip or send a person you trust, and count the fuel and the day off as part of the price of the puppy.
Ask for proof made today
Old photos can be copied and a video can be borrowed from another listing. A live call in which the seller carries the phone from the front door to the whelping box, with the mother in the frame and a word you choose written on paper, is much harder to fake.
Pay nothing until the puppy has been seen
Not a holding fee, not a crate charge, not half now and half on delivery. Money sent to a stranger for an animal you have not seen is very hard to get back, so ask your bank or payment app what it would and would not cover before you consider it.
Keep the listing and every message
Screenshot the ad, the seller's profile and the conversation on the day you first reply, since listings are edited and deleted. If the deal turns out to be a fraud, those screenshots are what the site, your bank and the police will ask for.