Finding a puppy or rescue dog

Where a dog comes from affects its health and behaviour for life. The two sound routes are a rescue organisation and a breeder who can be visited at home; most of the trouble lies with sellers in between.

Rescue centres

National charities, local shelters and breed rescue societies rehome dogs of every age, including puppies. A reputable rescue assesses each dog's health and behaviour, neuters, vaccinates and microchips it, asks about the adopter's home and routine, and takes the dog back if the placement fails. An adoption fee is charged.

The assessment is the main advantage: an adult dog's character with people, children, cats and other dogs is already known. Dogs with a difficult past may need time and training, and a good centre is frank about that.

Dogs imported from abroad by rescue groups can carry diseases that are rare or absent in Britain, some of which can infect people. Asking which tests have been done, and telling the vet where the dog came from, is essential.

The law on selling puppies

In England, a puppy under six months old can be sold only by the person who bred it; sales by pet shops and other third parties have been banned since April 2020, and Scotland and Wales have similar rules. Puppies may not be sold before they are eight weeks old and must be shown to the buyer with their mother at the place where they were born.

Anyone in England who breeds three or more litters in a year and sells any of the puppies, or who breeds and advertises dogs as a business, needs a licence from the local council. The licence number must appear in advertisements, and the council can confirm it.

Signs of a responsible breeder

• The puppies are seen at home, with their mother and littermates, on more than one visit.
• The mother is healthy, relaxed and clearly the puppies' own mother.
• The breeder shows the results of the health tests recommended for the breed, for both parents.
• The puppies have been raised in a household, handled daily and exposed to ordinary noise and visitors.
• The breeder asks searching questions about the buyer's circumstances and is willing to say no.
• There is a waiting list, and the breeder has one breed, or at most two.
• The puppy comes with its microchip registration, veterinary record, a written contract and an offer to take it back at any age.

A standard puppy contract, drawn up by British animal welfare charities and available free online, sets out the information a seller should provide.

Warning signs

• The seller offers to deliver the puppy or meet at a service station or car park.
• The mother is "at the vet" or "out for a walk", or a dog shown as the mother takes no interest in the puppies.
• Several breeds are for sale, or puppies are always available.
• A deposit is demanded before the puppy has been seen.
• The puppy is quiet, thin, dirty or younger than stated, or its paperwork is missing or foreign.
• The ears have been cropped. Ear cropping is illegal in the United Kingdom.

Puppies bred on large commercial premises, or smuggled from abroad and sold through online advertisements, are often ill and poorly socialised. Buying one out of pity pays for the next litter; concerns are better reported to the local council or the RSPCA.

Before collecting a puppy

The breeder is legally responsible for microchipping the litter and registering the puppies before they leave; the new keeper then updates the database with their own details. Most puppies have had their first vaccination. A vet check in the first few days confirms the puppy is healthy, and many insurers offer cover from the day of collection.

Preparing the house is covered under preparing a home for a puppy, and the choice of breed under choosing a dog.