How to Find a Responsible Breeder

Animals love people and they learn their social skills early in life. If an animal is isolated and neglected he may develop undesirable character traits that would cause him to be fearful or even hostile around humans. Choose a breeder that raises animals “under foot”. This means that the kittens or puppies have the freedom to roam throughout the house, rather than being locked in cages. All pups should be breed for structure and sound temperament. Puppies from good breeders will not be sold until they reach at LEAST 8 weeks old.

A clean environment is also very important. When visiting breeders check to see whether the animals are living in a well kept area. Does the breeder take pride in his or her animals? Ask specific questions about the breed and test their knowledge. You will be able to distinguish between a breeder that is only in the business to make money and one who truly cares for her animals.

If possible meet the mother of the puppy or kitten to get an idea of her health and how she rears her little ones. In most instances some of the kittens and pups may still be nursing so it usually isn’t a problem to see the mother. If the mother is healthy her babies are also likely to be very healthy because they get their milk from her. Check her eyes for clarity and look at the condition of her coat and paws. If the mother has fleas, ticks, pink eye or other problems, her offspring will also suffer with the same symptoms.

In addition you also want to avoid breeders who run puppy or kitty mills. Over-breeding for profit is a major problem. Many over-breed animals suffer horrible health conditions and display painful symptoms. Some animals have sores on their bodies and problems walking. These conditions are very sad to see and one wouldn’t want to support this type of breeding by purchasing a cat or dog from an unethical breeder. If you come across one of these breeders move on and report this person to the local animal control authorities.

Questions to ask the breeder:

How long have you been breeding cats or dogs?

Do you give your females a rest between litters?

When do you retire your females?

How many pregnant females do you have at one time?

Does the breeder have a contract and papers for each puppy or kitten?

Whether you want puppies suitable for showing, obedience or just loyal family pets. Whether you seek puppies which are pedigreed or a non-pedigree, do take care to make sure that your puppy will be :

1.Healthy, happy and home raised.
2.Supplied with health guarantees and contracts provided.
3.From a healthy adult dog, as this leads to a healthier litter.
4.From a dog breeder that has the availability of facilities to isolate a mother and her pups from the rest of the adult dogs.

There may be more requirements which you may have, but the point is that there is scarcely a pet store than can guarantee that these requirements have been met. Pet stores cannot tell you any personal stories about the parents of your puppy, nor can they tell you about the grandparents. Also, you cannot call pet stores to tell them stories about your puppy like its first experience with an obedience command!