Researching for the correct dog breed is part of a very important process when searching the right dog breed for you and your family. It is vital that you’re fully prepared and have all the knowledge required to make an informed decision when choosing to buy or adopt a puppy. Of course, they’re all incredibly cute, but certain dog breeds come with certain genetic disorders; you also need to consider their size and whether shedding of their coat is an issue.
Like with any life changing process you must be patient and full of knowledge regarding your decisions. When buying or adopting a pedigree puppy, it's important that you understand what formalities are required and the correct paperwork you should be given when you bring your puppy home from the breeder. This is to ensure that you are covered should any potential circumstances may occur and that the law is on yours side and to also provide you with the knowledge should anything happen after buying or adopting a puppy.
Another factor to consider when deciding on owning a pet dog is be certain that your financial situation can cover any eventuality and able to take care of your dog correctly. Feeding and grooming your dog can be costly (depending on their diet and size) so can visits to the vets. All responsible dog owners insure their dogs so they’re covered should anything go wrong, for further advice on pet insurance please read our article on pet insurance.
However, with all the information readily available about buying or adopting a new pedigree dog, there is very little information on what the formal paperwork should contain. After deciding on the breeder, you must ask what treatments or visits to the vets that the puppy has had to-date. Your new puppy should have been and had a health check at the vets, and must have had their first of their two rounds of vaccinations and their flea and worming treatment, which all should come with certificates and legal paperwork. It is important that you receive all of this paperwork and if necessary, call the veterinary practice to verify all of the above. When collecting your new puppy, you must ensure that all of the paperwork is ready for you to collect.
To get a better understanding on what the paperwork should contain please carry on reading.
Contract to protect the buyer and seller
To make the purchase of your beloved puppy watertight, it's worth considering having a formal contract drawn up between the seller and yourself. You can choose to use a solicitor or other professional to write up the contract to cover you for any possible occurrences that may arise after the purchase of your puppy. As with any formal contract you must ensure that all the clauses are relevant and cover both parties involved in the sale of the dog. To help you understand what clauses should be included; written below is some of the topics you may wish to cover.
- Comprehensive description of the puppy, along with their full details, such as their name and microchip number. Any distinctive details that can deter the puppy in question from the rest of the litter.
- Warranty and any health claims made by the seller regarding their hereditary or potential genetic health conditions
- Legal declaration that the seller is the owner of the puppy in question and they have the right to sell or put the puppy up for adoption
- Declaration from the seller that the puppy in question is in good health and to the best of their knowledge, not suffering from any illness or injury at the time of the sale
- Confirmation of the information provided in the formal contract is accurate and relevant to the puppy you are buying or adopting.
- Lastly, you must also include any other information that you deem relevant between the sale of the puppy. Again, if you’re not sure on the legalities of the contract, it’s best to seek legal advice.
Breed registration paperwork
Another important point to consider when buying or adopting your pedigree puppy, you must ensure that you receive the formal breed registration paperwork. This paperwork will confirm that the puppy is a pedigree.
If the seller seems reluctant to hand over the paperwork or informs you that the registered puppies have not yet received their certification paperwork back, then something may be wrong and you should be cautious. If the seller is waiting for the paperwork to come back from the Kennel Club or the breed registry, you are able to verify this independently with the organisation in question.
As with anything, nothing is ever guaranteed and if you are suspicious on their behaviour or something doesn't seem right, you must stop the purchasing or adopting process and report them to us.
Finally, as with any monetary transaction you should obtain a proof of purchase from the seller which will be in the form of a receipt, regardless of whether you have paid by cheque, cash or card. You will then have proof of documentation which will confirm that you have purchased the puppy for the amount agreed and have received the pet. You must ensure that the receipt is dated accordingly to the time of purchase and has the exact details of the dog that you've purchased and the payment method.
