You've heard the term "responsible breeder" but what exactly does that mean? Very simply, it means a person who is interested in improving the breed rather than making money from selling pups. A responsible breeder will follow a set of ethical guidelines usually set forth by the breed's parent club to which they belong and they will only breed dogs which closely meet the parent club's standard for the breed. A responsible breeder will always care what happens to the puppies they produce.
Finding a responsible breeder can be a daunting task. You will increase your chances and feel more comfortable if you are knowledgeable and know what questions to ask.
To help you in your search we offer this Checklist of suggested questions to ask breeders which you may print out for reference. It is not intended to be emailed to breeders. Responsible breeders in turn, will want to ask many questions of you.
This list is only intended to help you start a dialogue with the breeder. You should talk to the breeder in person or at least initially, by phone. In some cases, there is no perfect answer to the questions we suggest. However, we feel that some items on the list are critical in determining if a breeder is responsible.
Please read the section at the bottom of the form for detailed explanations.
Best wishes for finding the best breeder and that new pup!