So you've decided on a getting a particular dog breed and you either didn't want to get it from a rescue agency or save one from the pound. Getting a purebred dog from a dog breeder has a lot of advantages, but you're still going to need to do some investigating. The problem with Breeders is, the easier they are to find the more likely they are to be an unethical breeder or ever worse, a puppy mill with a happy front.
So where should you look? Let me recommend against print ads. While you might have better luck in industry magazines than newspapers, many dog breeders advertising this way are either amateurs or unethical breeders, neither of which are going to give you what you want. Don't get me wrong, good breeders will use print adds, but many don't simply because they can't keep up with the demand they already have. Choosing a breeder based on a print add and they're nearby is a crapshoot.
The problem is, as a good dog breeder becomes established and progresses in the art of breeding dogs, they tend to advertise less and less to the point where the only way you'll hear of them is to involve yourself in "the scene". They simply don't advertise because they don't need to. Their puppies are placed litters in advance of when they'll be born and people are waiting in line to get them.
That still doesn't help you find breeders though. The first place I'd recommend you look is the internet. Not for dog breeders themselves, but for the closest breed club or rescue organization. Talk to those people and see who they'd recommend and if there's any particular dog breeder they'd steer clear of. Another good source of information is dog shows. Chances are good that the people there will now what they're talking about. Other places worth checking with are your local vet, kennel, and groomer.
Okay, so now what? What sort of clues should you look for? What sort of things should you ask? What can you expect? Well, just check out the appropriate link about dog breeders below.
Signs of a good breeder
