Where are your litters raised?
The answer must be “in the home; in the middle of our living space”. That is the only answer I would ever accept. If the breeder answers “in the house” pay attention to the answer to “where”.
The basement is technically “in the house” but it is just as bad as the garage or out in a kennel. There is no way to provide a kennel or garage or basement raised litter the same experiences as a home-raised litter. Even if the breeder is spending 6 hours per day with the litter (and they aren't) the experiences and early training are not the same. They just aren't.
Also why wouldn't a breeder want her puppies right there where she can keep an eye on them? If the breeder sequesters her litters to a room far away from “all the action” in the home or to an outbuilding you have to question the motivation. I can't think of one single reason for this decision that isn't a red flag.
Puppies are messy little devils. They are round-the-clock pooping machines. There should not be a bad smell to a puppy box and/or nursery because the breeder should be as much of a cleaning machine as those babies are pooping machines. I can’t even imagine needing to make the hike out to a kennel 12 times a day to change puppy bedding.
Again, this is a big red flag. No one should be having too many puppies. Refer to the question about the number of litters the breeder has per year.
If a breeder doesn't train her dogs not to use her carpet as a toilet she isn't a breeder you want to do business with. Likewise if a dog is guarding her puppies or doesn't want to be around the "action" of the humans in the home when she has a litter of puppies she does not have the right temperament for breeding and should not be used for pups.
Puppies not in the middle of the action at home is a deal-breaker answer. If the puppies are not raised right in the middle of the main living space in the house you need to avoid this breeder.
The basement is technically “in the house” but it is just as bad as the garage or out in a kennel. There is no way to provide a kennel or garage or basement raised litter the same experiences as a home-raised litter. Even if the breeder is spending 6 hours per day with the litter (and they aren't) the experiences and early training are not the same. They just aren't.
Also why wouldn't a breeder want her puppies right there where she can keep an eye on them? If the breeder sequesters her litters to a room far away from “all the action” in the home or to an outbuilding you have to question the motivation. I can't think of one single reason for this decision that isn't a red flag.
- Are the puppies being kept elsewhere because they're left filthy until they get cleaned up and go home?
Puppies are messy little devils. They are round-the-clock pooping machines. There should not be a bad smell to a puppy box and/or nursery because the breeder should be as much of a cleaning machine as those babies are pooping machines. I can’t even imagine needing to make the hike out to a kennel 12 times a day to change puppy bedding.
- Are the puppies being kept elsewhere because there are simply too many litters at one time to keep in the house?
Again, this is a big red flag. No one should be having too many puppies. Refer to the question about the number of litters the breeder has per year.
- Are the puppies being kept elsewhere because the mother of the puppies isn't house-trained? Or perhaps she does not like being around people and family when she has a litter of puppies?
If a breeder doesn't train her dogs not to use her carpet as a toilet she isn't a breeder you want to do business with. Likewise if a dog is guarding her puppies or doesn't want to be around the "action" of the humans in the home when she has a litter of puppies she does not have the right temperament for breeding and should not be used for pups.
Puppies not in the middle of the action at home is a deal-breaker answer. If the puppies are not raised right in the middle of the main living space in the house you need to avoid this breeder.
What early training do you do with the puppies?
Early training and socialization is critical and this window of time closes rapidly and cannot be made up for. The very best dogs will be handled and carefully socialized and exposed to many different noises and experiences in their first two months of life. The breeder should be able to give you a detailed program for the puppies and should have studies to back up her methods.
