Buying a puppy!
Hi, and welcome to my first blog post! As a first post I thought it would be fitting to write about buying your first puppy, what to look out for and what to expect especially since a lot of people might be thinking of using this isolation time to bring a furry new family member into their homes.
We are all aware of the unfortunate existence of puppy farms however a lot of people would not know the signs and may well be duped into buying a puppy from one of these horrible places. Here are my top five red flags for spotting an unscrupulous breeder:
1. The seller agrees to meet you somewhere half way between your locations with the puppy or bring the puppy to you: classic puppy farmer, doesn't want you to see the abhorrent conditions the pups are brought up in. You should Always try to go and see your puppy in person, at home.
2. You go and see your potential new puppy and all of the puppies are lovely and fluffy and clean but mum is nowhere to be seen. Be very suspicious! A reputable puppy breeder will be only too happy to show you mum, (and dad, if he lives at the same place.) Looking at the condition of mum will tell you a lot about how well these pups have been looked after. All female dogs tend to lose weight while they are feeding puppies but if she is very skinny, dirty or overly anxious or timid I would worry about how well they are being looked after and how well socialized the dogs are.
3. The seller has multiple ads for multiple breeds of dogs - ok not a definitive sign of a puppy farmer but a warning flag, definitely go and visit this establishment and find out what the go is.
4. Crucially! The puppy does not have paperwork showing that he has been health checked, vaccinated and microchipped by a VET or "the paperwork will be sent to you in the mail" or "I can't find this puppy's vaccination card right now". It is really important to look carefully at this! Some puppy farmers will provide you with very professional looking vaccination cards with vaccination stickers and dates of vaccination but there Must also be a vet's signature and legible practice name and address. It is illegal in Queensland to sell a dog or cat without a registered microchip.
5. The puppies are being let go to new homes at or before 6 weeks old. Puppies really need to be with their mum until at least 6 weeks old. Puppies first vaccinations can only be given from 6-8 weeks old so selling a puppy before this is definitely doing the wrong thing.
