What to Look For When Buying a Well Bred Pug Puppy

If you're thinking about buying a Pug puppy, you need to make sure you choose one that is healthy, intelligent, friendly, and mentally stable. It's in your best interest to get the best Pug you possibly can, so that it can spend many happy years with you. Not all Pug pups are well bred. In fact, some breeders only see their pups as money signs rather than actual, living creatures. Unfortunately, these types of breeders believe that quantity is better than quality, and don't do a good job of taking care of the Pug puppies at all.

You need to speak with breeders in person to find out all you can about their procedures. Never buy a Pug puppy without first seeing it up and close. Ask the breeders questions about their puppies' health. Ask to see the mother and the father dog to make sure they're well taken care of. Do they look well groomed? Are their gums and teeth healthy? Is their coat shiny and clean looking?

Do a background check on the breeders themselves. Sometimes, the best ones are the ones who have other, regular jobs. Since they don't rely solely on the breeding for money, they tend to be more trustworthy. On the flip side, those who do rely solely on dog breeding for their income don't always make the best decisions for their dogs' health. Keep that in mind when doing your background check.

You should also ask to see any vet papers. If they haven't yet had a chance to take the pups to the vet, ask to see the parents' vet records. While you're at it, ask about titles and the results of health tests. Ethical breeders usually put the health of their dogs and puppies above all else. Not all professional breeders are ethical, therefore professional isn't necessarily what you want to look into. Ethics and responsibility should be top on your list of things to look for in a dog breeder.

One question you really need to ask is how old the puppies are. No ethical breeder will sell a puppy before it's at least nine weeks old. They have a lot of socialization skills they need to learn from one another in the first eight or so weeks of their existence. Plus, taking a Pug puppy away from its mother just a few days too soon can result in some health problems.

Whatever you do, DO NOT buy any puppies from any pet stores! Many pet stores, including well known ones, are nothing more than puppy mills on a large scale. If you want to rescue one, then check into rescue options in your area. If you want a well bred one, make sure you do a background check on the breeders and that you only buy from ethical, responsible owners. Never, ever buy a Pug puppy without first visiting it, its litter mates, mother, and father.