What To Look For When Visiting A Breeder?

[**Super_Dogs**]

I think you just need to use common sense. Meet mum, have a look where the puppies are living. If you don't have a good feeling - don't do it.

If the puppies are raised only inside or outside, this is not going to make much difference with toilet training. If the puppies are always inside they don't know about grass, and if the puppies are always outside they don't know they are not meant to 'go' wherever.

I personaly like the balance of both, this is how I raise my puppies. Outside they get the benefit of spending time on the grass (yes there are some puppies that are raised on cement) and while inside they get use to 'normal' household noises.

As for the puppies being sold on Main register, there seems to be different opinions about this (there have been posts just on this topic). Some breeders only sell on main, while others only on limited. So I would not let this be the deciding factor.

If the breeder does not have a website with information about the parents, I would ask them to email you copies of the parent pedigree, health tests and photos.

Hope this helps! Good luck.

[Alkhe]

I am always happy to meet my puppy owners and they can see the mother - father also if he is my stud dog - also I send photos weekly of the puppies progress - especially to people who have not been able to see their puppy due to distance - I also start to paper train my pups from 3 weeks so when they leave they at least are paper trained - I also give pedigree copies of mum and dad and with our last litter we put them on youtube so interstate buyers could see their puppy - our pups are reared in the home and given a lot of attention from day one - look for a breeder who does it for the love of the breed not just the dollars - who is willing to answer any questions has certificates on any health checks that are available for the breed - and one who asks you some questions -before I let one of my puppies go I like to feel assured they are going to a good home where they will receive all that is needed to give them a good and happy life - I tell them it is a 16 year commitment so do your homework and try and be as sure as possible - I also I include in my paperwork that if for any reason they cannot keep their dog to contact me to help find a new suitable home.

I get lots and lots of emails from my puppies and photos that I put on my website - I also try as best as I can to work out the temperament of any pup so as to suit the family or person - puppies also go with a family tree photo page showing photos of mum and dad and the 4 grandparents.

Raising a litter of pups for me is a real commitment as I feel it should be to turn out pups that a healthy and well socialised also starting to get used to some grooming and on a good diet. These are just a few things you could try and find out before you buy your new baby.

Good luck hope it all goes well.

You sound like the kind of breeder I'd feel really comfortable speaking with and buying from.

I bought my girl (at 3 years) from a breeder, and felt very comfortable asking her questions, and her love of the dogs instantly came across. For better or worse, this is key for me - to deal with people who are genuinely concerned about the welfare of their dogs, who wouldn't be happy selling them to just anyone or the first person who called them, and who had all the paperwork and vetwork there for me to see. And where possible, the parents - in my case, I was buying a 3 year old who had just had a litter, and who was bred by somebody else. So I got to meet one of her puppies, but not her own parents.

I was also very reassured and heartened to hear that the breeder kept reiterating that if anything happened, she wanted the dog back and would rather die than see one of her puppies in a pound. These things just give me the right kind of feeling - buying a pet, that's what I'm most concerned about

Also, slightly off topic, but while it's always great to have met the breed you're about to buy, in some cases it's just not possible. I don't think I've ever, in my entire life, met a purebred Shih Tzu. Hundreds of crosses, but nobody I know or have come across has had a purebred. So look, do your research, but don't let that stop you!

[raineth]

I must say I went to a Shih Tzu specialty show and I was very, very impressed with what I saw of them.