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1.
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First
and foremost, you will not find a reputable breeder in the newspaper. |
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2.
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How long
have they been breeding and how often do they have a litter available?
More than 2-3 litters per year is too much. |
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3.
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How many
breeds do they breed? (more than one is a red flag) |
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4.
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How many
dogs do they own or co-own? |
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5.
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Are they
members of a Pug dog club? |
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6.
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Are they
involved in some degree in rescue? |
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7.
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Are all
their breeding pugs registered? |
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8.
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Do they
show their pugs? (not a requirement, but if they don't, ask question #9). |
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9.
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Are they
familiar with the Pug dog standard? (Study the standard and know what a
nice quality Pug should look like... more on that below). |
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10.
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Has any
Pug in their breeding program produced puppies with a hereditary flaw?
This is a big one and if you find a breeder in the aforementioned area and
they say they have not, ask for proof in their breeding pug's genealogy at
least 3 generations back. |
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11.
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Have
their Pugs been screened for genetic defects? (i.e.; luxating patellas,
elongated palettes, hips and eyes. Remember that even if they test for
these things, like eyes for example... you can test for eye problems at 2
years old and 6 months later a problem can crop up...but the important
thing is if it does that they DON'T breed that dog anymore!). |
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12.
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What
kind of health guarantee do they offer? (Minimum of 1 year is good. Walk
away if it's only 48 or 72 hours!!) If they are confident in their
bloodlines health they will at least offer you a year genetic health
guarantee. Make sure their name and signature is on this document. |
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13.
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Do they
require a spay/neuter contract on "pet" puppies? (A reputable
breeder will require this, so if they don't care if you breed your
"pet" quality pup down the road...walk away). |
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14.
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Will
they be available to answer questions you may have any time during the
dog's lifetime? |
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15.
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If a
situation arises in where you can no longer keep the dog, i.e.; a move,
health reasons, etc... Will they take the dog back? (reputable breeders
will require this as part of their contract.) |
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16.
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Do they
have the parents on the premises and encourage you to visit with them? |
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17.
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Lastly,
a reputable breeder will interview YOU as well. They will ask you about
your living situation (house vs. apartment), work schedule, and family
members. They care where their pug puppies are going to live and most of
the above information will freely be given to you - sometimes before you
even ask. |