How to buy a puppy

GUNDOGS

Everyone I talk to is full of advice — much of it conflicting — about how to go about finding a good puppy. What is your advice?

To make a sound decision on where to go for your puppy you need as much information as possible. That means trawling the internet looking at well-established breeders and deciding if their dogs tick all your boxes. It should always be a top priority to buy a puppy from fully health-tested parents.

Individual kennels may have specific reputations for the way their dogs look or their trainability or temperament, so talk to as many people as you can and ask plenty of questions. If you like the look of certain stud dogs that you may come across in your search it is worth chasing up litters they are siring, but remember that the dam of the litter must also meet your criteria. Remember that the more questions you are asked, and the more thoroughly you are “interviewed” as a prospective owner, the more it says about the high standards of the breeder.

There are always vast numbers of puppies on the market, but it is very much a case of caveat emptor — buyer beware. JH

Ensure that any litters you visit are from fully health-tested parents