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For episode three of the Pandemic Puppy Podcast, Kayla speaks to Amber Quann of Summit Dog Training and Megan Wallace of Dogs Deciphered about picking a breeder for your next puppy.
There’s not really a right and wrong way to do this, but we’ll cover our top tips for you.
We’re covering picking a shelter and shelter puppy in upcoming episodes, so hang tight if that’s your preference!
Discussed in this episode:
- Why good breeders matter
- They’ll be a valuable source of knowledge and education about your dog’s breed.
- They’ll help you select the right dog food and grooming supplies for your pooch.
- They can provide a timeline for what to expect during your dog’s puppy years, and may even be able to help troubleshoot training troubles.
- They’ll help match you with the puppy that’s best suited to your household.
- Recap of why a breeder might be bet for you: specific needs, goals, shelter scarcity, other preferences hard to fit in a shelter
Now remember, everything here is a generality. Some breeders are fabulous but bend these guidelines in places, and that’s ok!
We’re just helping you think about what to look for IN GENERAL.
- One litter at a time
- Parents on-site and available for meet-and-greets
- Puppies raised indoors
- Puppy raising program like Puppy Culture, Avidog, or ENS
- Working closely with the breeder to select the puppy (not just based on color or “which do you want?”)
- Parents over 2 years old
- Puppies not available until 8 weeks
- Health testing
- Not afraid of lots of questions
- Waiting lists, pricing, and deposits
- Only deal in 1 or 2 breeds (or purpose/mixes)
- Willing to take the puppy back
- Eager to provide guidance
- Proven lines for your goals
This podcast is supported by Journey Dog Training and our Puppy Raising Blueprint course. The full course covers topics ranging from common problem behaviors and socialization to the humane hierarchy of dog training. It’s all taught by yours truly, Kayla Fratt. If you need more personalized training support, check out journeydogtraining.com – we have a variety of courses, e-books, and remote training services available. Just check out your options in the menu above.
This podcast is also supported by our members on Patreon. For as little as $3 per month, you can support this podcast and get perks like submitting questions for us to tackle at the end of each episode. Sign up over at patreon.com/pandemicpuppy.
Over the next few episodes, we’ll cover how to pick a puppy from a breeder, selecting a shelter and shelter puppy, and how to prepare for your new puppy!
For Further Reading:
- How to Find a Good Dog Breeder (written by Kayla)
- Dog Adoption Guide (written by Kayla)
- Kayla’s dog selection spreadsheet (view only)
- Functional Dog Collaborative
- Am I Ready for a Puppy? How Do I Pick a Breeder and Breed?
- Pandemic Puppy Raising Support Group on Facebook
Kayla founded Journey Dog Training in 2013 to provide high-quality and affordable dog behavior advice. She is a Certified Dog Behavior Consultant who’s worked with hundreds of private clients, thousands of shelter dogs, and dozens of working detection dogs. Kayla’s dog and cat behavior advice has been featured in NPR, the Chicago Tribune, and Pet MD. She’s an avid adventurer who is currently doing #vanlife on the Pan-American Highway with her two border collies and a cat. Aside from running Journey Dog Training, Kayla also runs the nonprofit K9 Conservationists, where she and the dogs work as conservation detection dog teams. You can get 1:1 advice with a Journey Dog Training team member here.
