Buying a puppy can be a very emotional decision. At least that's what many breeders want it to be. If you learn only one thing from this site, it is this:

All puppies are cute!

What does that mean to you? Ugly dogs were cute as puppies. Ill-bred dogs were cute as puppies. Unhealthy dogs were cute as puppies. Puppies that don't conform at all to breed standards were cute as puppies. If you buy a puppy based on how cute, or cuddly, or playful it is, you stand a good chance of ending up with a puppy that grows into a dog you are very unhappy with. Or worse, it could grow into a dog with health problems that cost you a small fortune in money and tremendous heartache.

I have spent my entire life as a dog owner and the last twelve years I have been breeding dogs. I have bought dozens of puppies. Some of what I know I learned the hard way. Some I have learned from the hundreds of breeders, vets, and puppy buyers I have dealt with over the years. I hope that my experience can save you from most of the pitfalls so common in the business of breeding and selling puppies.

Picking an appropriate breed for you and your lifestyle is the critical first step in having a happy dog ownership experience. Please search the web for info for various breeds.

The only thing that you can learn from an 8-12 week old puppy is how healthy it currently is. To learn anything about what a puppy will be like when it grows up (this will take about one year), you must judge from the parents. If you wouldn't want to own either one of the parents of this puppy, don't buy the puppy. Most of the tips here concerns precautions that you can take to be more certain that the breeder is being perfectly honest about the lineage of this puppy.

There are some wonderful people in the dog breeding industry. They love their dogs. They do all than can to strengthen their breed by breeding better and better dogs each generation. But, as in all businesses, there are people who are in it just for the money, people who cut corners, break the rules and try to make a fast buck. They are unconcerned with whether you get a healthy dog that is close to the breed standards. They just want your money. You need to know how to spot them, and to avoid them. There are plenty of reputable breeders out there for every breed. With a little planning and effort, your puppy buying decision can be one you can be pleased with for many years.