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Acquiring a new puppy should be a joyous event. However, it is important for buyers to be aware of unscrupulous individuals who sell puppies. Regrettably, some of these puppies become sick or even die shortly after their purchase, resulting in large veterinary bills and heartbroken buyers.
Here are a few helpful hints to increase the likelihood of making the right choice when buying a puppy:
• Purchase your puppy from a local source. Make sure you meet with the seller and write down the seller’s name, full address and phone number. Ask the seller for a list of references that include previous buyers and other breeders.
• Visit the puppy two or three times before making the purchase. This will allow you to check out the facility more than once and will also let you better understand the animal’s actual temperament and health.
• Insist on seeing the mother and inspect her.
• Examine the puppy’s and the mother’s vaccination records. If the record is in a foreign language, make sure to ask a local veterinarian’s office what the vaccinations cover.
Also, take notes as to the vaccination dates and the age of the animal when it was vaccinated as this will help the vet’s office verify that the animals are on an adequate vaccination schedule.
• Inspect the actual pedigree. Pedigrees should have the VDH (Verband für Hundewesen) and FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) symbols, and dogs with these pedigrees must be identified by either an individual tattoo or a microchip.
These identification numbers must appear in the pedigree as well as the numbers from the animal’s ancestors. For further advice, consult with your veterinarian.
NOTE: Remember, if one of the owners in the household is German, the puppy needs to be registered with German authorities and dog taxes must be paid.
Also, according to German Animal Protection Law, dogs should be properly kept. According to the animal protection association, dogs should not stay alone without being walked for more than five hours a day. Dogs should not be kept in a crate all day long, chained up within the house or kept locked in a separate room.
