What Questions Should I ask the breeder?
 

Hi everyone!

I am going to see a litter of puppies next week that are 4 weeks old. I plan to purchase one and take him home when he is old enough.

What questions should I ask the breeder while I'm there to get a good idea of how she handles her parents & puppies? What questions should I ask about the parents of the litter? The parents will actually be there for me to meet, so I can see for myself their outward personalities, but is there anything else I should cover?

What documentation should she be able to provide me once I've purchased the puppy? (i.e. AKC papers, vet records, etc.)

Finally, has anyone ever heard of a breeder switching the puppy on a buyer when they come to take it home? For example, say I pick the puppy I want when I visit them, and place $100 deposit on him at that time. Then I leave, wait, and come back when the puppies are old enough. How can I be sure the puppy I originally put the deposit on is the same one? I mean, they will only be 4 weeks old when I see them, so it might be hard to tell them apart. And by the time they're 8-12 weeks old, who knows if i'm still getting the same puppy, right? I live about 2 hours away from this breeder so I can't really visit often to track the puppy I buy.

Is it rude to ask the breeder about this happening? Do you think it would offend the breeder to take pictures of the puppies to help me keep records? Or should I ask her to send me updated photos instead?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

-Mae

Hi Mae. COngrats on your up coming little furbutt!

you want to make sure BOTH parents (and grandparents if possible) have been tested for Liver shunts and that no Luxating Patella run in their lines.
Those are THE most important things health wise

other than that just watch how they play and interact with the breeder.. you want her to treat them all like they are her own pets...

You should get a bill of sale to prove you have paid your deposit and final amount.. you should get paper work if there is a heath guarantee.. she should send you home with some food that he has been eating, a toy or blanket with his smell would be great and her contact info. she hsould also send you home with how to register him online.

I picked Layla just through pictures so all i could do was study her little face but when i went there to get her.. i KNEW it was her... she looked a lot difffernet from her sisters :)

Good luck and post pictures when you visit him!

Make sure you get a copy of the contract and health guarantee now, before you pick the puppy up, so you have a chance to look it over.

As Marcella said, make sure the breeder is able to show you documentation that both parents have been checked for liver disease and luxating patellas. Yorkies are 36 times more likely to have a liver shunt than all other breeds combined. The Orthopedic Foundation of America ranks Yorkies #4 in cases of luxating patellas. Treatment/surgery for these conditions runs into the thousands so you want to make sure your puppy will be free of these inherited conditions.

Ask to see the pedigrees of both parents now, too. You want to see champions in the first three generations to make sure the breeder is breeding quality dogs. You want to make sure that a puppy you buy will grow up to look and act like a Yorkie is supposed to.

Look at the YTCA Code of Conducts and Code of Ethics. It tells you what a responsible Yorkie breeder should do. If a breeder violates any of the breed club's rules, find another breeder.

http://www.ytca.org/frame_index2.html