Buying your first puppy: 5 things to know before you buy

A first puppy is exciting, and that excitement is exactly what dishonest sellers rely on. The five steps below help you pick a healthy, well-socialised puppy from a responsible breeder, and stay on the right side of the law. They describe the rules in England; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so check locally if you live there.

1. Make sure a puppy suits your life right now

A puppy needs far more time than an adult dog. Expect to take them outside to toilet every couple of hours at first, to keep training sessions short and frequent, and to build up the time they spend alone very slowly. If everyone in the household works long days away from home, an older dog from a rescue may be a better fit.

Think about the next ten years or more, not just the first few months. The dog you bring home will need daily exercise, regular vet care, grooming and company, whatever happens to your job, home or family.

Choose a breed (or crossbreed) by its needs, not its looks. Compare size, exercise and grooming before you start looking at adverts.

2. Choose a breeder you can check

A responsible breeder will want to know about you as much as you want to know about them. Look for someone who:

• lets you see the puppy, with its mother, in the home or premises where it was raised;
• is happy for you to visit more than once before you take the puppy home;
• shows a council licence number in their adverts if they need one, and can tell you which council issued it;
• can show you the results of health tests on both parents, where tests exist for the breed;
• gives you written information about feeding, vaccinations, worming and the microchip;
• offers to take the dog back at any point in its life if you cannot keep it.

In England, anyone who breeds three or more litters in a 12-month period, or who breeds and sells puppies as a business, needs a licence from their local council. A licence number is not a guarantee of good welfare, but a missing one where it should exist is a reason to ask questions.

3. Know the law before you pay

Several legal rules protect puppies and buyers in England:

• Age. Puppies must not be sold or separated from their mother before they are 8 weeks old.
• Lucy's Law. Since 6 April 2020, puppies and kittens under 6 months old can only be sold by the person who bred them, or by a rehoming centre. Pet shops and other third-party dealers cannot sell them.
• Microchip. Every puppy must be microchipped and registered on an approved database by 8 weeks old, before it is sold. The breeder should be the first registered keeper, and the record should be transferred to you.
• Imported puppies. Puppies brought into Great Britain must meet strict age, rabies vaccination and health rules. Check GOV.UK before buying an imported puppy.
• Cropped ears and docked tails. Ear cropping is illegal throughout the UK, and in England tail docking is only allowed in limited cases for certain working dogs. Be wary of puppies or adults advertised with cropped ears.

If something about the sale does not match these rules, do not buy the puppy. You can report concerns about an unlicensed or unsafe breeder to the local council.

4. Ask about health, not just looks

Many breeds have inherited conditions that can be screened for before breeding, such as hip and elbow scoring or DNA tests. Ask which tests the parents have had and ask to see the certificates, not just a verbal assurance. The Kennel Club publishes the recommended tests for each pedigree breed.

Also ask:

• whether the puppy has been seen by a vet, and what was found;
• which vaccinations it has had and when the next ones are due;
• when it was last treated for worms and fleas, and with what;
• what it has been eating, so you can keep its diet the same for the first few days.

Book your puppy in with your own vet within the first week or so. It is a chance to check its health, plan vaccinations and neutering, and confirm that the microchip scans and is registered to you.

5. Get your home ready before collection day

Have the essentials ready before you bring your puppy home: a quiet sleeping area, the same food it has been eating, a collar and identity tag, a lead, chew toys, and a plan for toilet training. Puppy-proof the rooms they will use by moving cables, shoes and anything toxic out of reach.

Plan the first few weeks too. Short, positive introductions to new people, sounds, surfaces and calm, vaccinated dogs help a puppy grow into a confident adult. Reward-based training, starting on day one, works better than telling a puppy off.

Warning signs that mean walk away

• The seller will only meet you in a car park, at a service station or at "a friend's house".
• The mother is "out for a walk", "at the vet" or otherwise unavailable, or does not seem to know the puppies.
• Several breeds of puppy are for sale from the same address.
• You are pressured to pay a deposit before you have seen the puppy, or to pay by bank transfer straight away.
• The puppy seems unwell, very quiet or dirty, or the paperwork is missing or does not match.
• There is no licence number where you would expect one, or the council has no record of it.

If something feels wrong, trust that feeling. Walking away is better than buying a puppy to "rescue" it, which keeps poor breeders in business.