Looking for a Puppy for Sale?

Finding a puppy for sale is easy, finding the right puppy for you can be more challenging.Buying a dog is an exciting experience, if you've evaluated the work and committment involved and are ready to take the plunge, read on:

Your first step will be to determine what you're looking for in your next puppy and what to be alert for when evaluating where to buy your puppy. Please read the Dog Buying Guide to prepare yourself for your puppy buying experience.

Once you have determined the breed and gender of the dog you're looking for, there are a number of places to look to find a good puppy for sale. If you're not picky, the local pound or humane society can be a good place to start.

If you're open to getting an older dog, consider a breed rescue society as well.

Top Five Places to Find a Puppy For Sale

1) Classified Ads in Newspapers

Buy any local newspaper of a decent sized city, or look in the free give-away ad circulars, and you'll see an abundance of ad for "Cute puppy for sale. The ads are usually sorted alphabetically and run with the breed of dog as the leading sorting criteria.

If you know what type of dog you're looking for, this is a great place to start. Call up several breeders, say you're looking for a puppy for sale, and ask if you can visit the pups.

Refer to our Free Dog Buying Guide to know what to look for once you get there.

Also, if you're not too picky about the breed, you can sometimes find mixed breed or mutt puppies for sale for a discounted price or sometimes even for free! If you're on a budget, it doesn't hurt to ask the breeder if they have any extra dogs that they would be willing to let go at a discount. If so, make sure you're aware of any health problems or the "faults" causing this dog to go for a lower price.

Sometimes it can be something as trivial as their markings or head shape are not idea for the breed. However, sometimes it can be something more serious like a confirmation problem with the set of the jaw or hips. Be on a alert - getting a new puppy checked by the Vet is always a good idea.

2) Network with a Vet to Find a Puppy For Sale

Speaking of Veterinarians, they are a great resource to talk to when you're looking for a puppy for sale. They see hundreds of dogs each month and often help with the mother's care before and after giving birth.

You can ask him if he is aware of any upcoming or recent litters that you might want to know about!

3) Talk to a local Breeder at a dog show or dog club

If you are a serious fan of a certain breed, the best way to find out who the "hot" breeders are in your area is to start talking to other dog fanciers in your niche! Dog shows are a great way to meet aficionados of a certain breed and you'll often have the opportunity to meet many of their dogs and get a sense for the size, personality and other characteristics of a certain breed.

Tell the folks you meet that you're looking for a puppy for sale and ask if they know of anyone who will be having a litter soon. They will all be jumping over each other to tell you about the exclusive and well-regarded breeder who provided them with their beloved companions.

4) Dogs advertised for sale on the Internet

This one you were probably already aware of... maybe it's even where you started. Puppies for sale on the Internet can be great, or they can be a nightmare. It's especially important to be cautious when buying dogs or puppies over the Internet because you are often buying long-distance and won't have an opportunity to meet your puppy's parents or examine the kennel facilities where they're kept, as recommended in the dog buying guide.

Although most breeders are well intentioned, run small, clean operations and work to improve the breed with every litter, there are some professional web sites that are essentially the "next generation" of the "Puppy Mills" folks have warned you about. These business specialize in mass-producing dogs. They are very prevalent when it comes to "popular" breeds of dogs, "designer dogs," and "new" breeds or mixes like puggles and "doodles" (half poodles), as well as creating miniature dogs.

These dogs sell like hot cakes, but often they are poor specimens, in bad health due to their small size, youth, inherent fragility and questionable rearing and breeding. I don't want to harp on this too long, but do be cautious when you buy dogs online. See if you can phone up the owners of the web sites and do a little interview to get to know more about them and their dog care practices.

You won't find as many "hobby" breeders or "accidental" breeders on the Internet because it does take some time and effort to put up a web site and advertise it effectively. (Ask me how I know!) That can weed a lot of people out.

And the web can also be a great place to find a selection of good quality dogs bred for a particular purpose (such as for show, agility, herding, hunting, etc.) and rare or unusual breeds. What you will find is

a) Professional/Serious Breeders who are committed to raising good quality dogs b) Directories/Advertising sites who help these small-time breeders get noticed c) Businesses that mass produce all sorts of dogs and turn around their "inventory" quickly. It's these dog businesses that you want to shy away from.

Look for a good-quality, healthy puppy for sale who has been raised with love and good planning. A health and satisfaction guarantee is also a good sign!

5) Pet Store Puppies

Last on the list is the pet store. The song "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" popularized the idea of rescuing the beautiful little puppy for sale at the local pet shop. However, fewer and fewer shops offer any puppies for sale these days.

Pet supply stores were getting a bad rap for encouraging impulse buying of dogs that families were not prepared to take care of, selling lower quality dogs from puppy mills, and not housing the dogs where they could get a lot of attention and exercise.

As a result, many pet stores have switched to hosting "dog adoption" fairs on the weekends where dogs housed by local animal shelters come in and are offered for sale. These pets can make wonderful companions if they're trained well, and not too badly emotionally damaged from their past environments.

Some puppies end up in shelters after spending their short lives neglected, abused or on the streets. Find out as much as you can about your potential puppy's history, and see if you can make an appointment to come and visit him at the shelter a few times before you make your buying decision.

Buying a puppy for sale is a momentous occasion. Enjoy the process - don't rush it! It's important to find the right dog for you as this dog will be your friend and companion for ten years or more!