All breeders should give you the opportunity to see the litter with their mother. This will give you an opportunity to see the temperament of the mother, and may also give you an idea of the future characteristics and size of the puppy.

Take the opportunity to see all the puppies and be able to handle them, rather than just seeing the puppy being offered to you.

For Kennel Club registered puppies, it is the responsibility of the breeder(s) to register the litter, and each puppy in the litter will initially be registered in the name of the breeder. The breeder(s) will name all the puppies and may include their Kennel Name as part of the puppy’s Kennel Club registered name.

Under normal circumstances, litter registration with the Kennel Club takes about 14 days (5 working days if the litter is registered online), after which time the breeder(s) will receive the appropriate registration certificates. If there is a query with the naming of any of the puppies or with any other aspect of the form, the Kennel Club will contact the breeder to clarify the position, and this may delay the registration process.

You should ask the breeder for information on the following:

1. A Contract of Sale - It is recommended that the breeder provide you with this. Amongst other things this should detail both the breeder(s) and your responsibilities to the puppy. The contract should also list any official Kennel Club endorsements (restrictions) that the breeder has placed on the puppy’s records, and in particular on what basis the breeder may be prepared to remove the endorsement. Before or at the time of sale, you should give a signed acknowledgement of any endorsement placed.

2. Written advice on training, feeding, exercise, worming and immunisation.

3. A pedigree certificate detailing your dog’s ancestry

4. Copies of any additional health certificates for the sire and dam.

Remember to ask for details on what and how much the puppy is eating and if the puppy has already been wormed, de-flea-ed and inoculated.

Good luck with your new pup!