Buying a puppy
So you’ve decided you want to buy a puppy - you may even be thinking of responding to an advert for puppies for sale in the UK. First you need to carefully consider if the dog is right for you.
Make sure the puppy will be happy where you live
- Do you have space in your home for the puppy you have seen for sale?
- Will the puppies you’ve been admiring have outside space to play?
- The puppy you want to buy could leave a lot of hair on the carpet, is this going to be a problem?
These are all things you need to seriously consider before committing yourself to buying a puppy.
Never buy a puppy on impulse. Make sure you Get puppy smart.
How much time can you commit to the puppy you’ve seen for sale?
All puppies need exercise, training, play and interaction with other dogs and people. However different puppies need different amounts. If you have commitments that take up a lot of your time a puppy or more active dog may not be suitable for you.
You should also consider how much time you can spend grooming and clearing up after a new puppy. Some of the fluffy puppies for sale will need lots of grooming. Do you have time for this?
Is a cross-breed or pure breed puppy right for you?
Buying one of the many pedigree puppies for sale in the UK can be an appealing option. Whilst you will have a better idea of parentage and what to expect in terms of adult appearance, cross-breed puppies are less likely to suffer from the health and welfare problems associated with certain breeds of dog.
The known health and welfare problems associated with certain breeds of pedigree puppies fall into two categories:
Do your research before making a decision about which type of dog to choose, and select breeders who make use of available tests to ensure the future health of their puppies.
Buying a puppy that will match your lifestyle
Many people have a favourite type of dog but whether you admire German shepherd puppies, Labrador puppies or Staffordshire bull terrier puppies remember that choosing a puppy based on appearance alone is never a good idea.
And remember, whilst different breeds of dog have been selected for different roles and may be more likely to show certain types of behaviour, how your puppy will behave as an adult will depend a great deal upon its experiences as a puppy and throughout its life.
For example, whilst certain breeds may have a reputation for growing into friendly family dogs, if they aren’t trained and socialised correctly at an early age they could end up being afraid of strangers, unfamiliar dogs and even their own shadow!
Are you buying your puppy from a reputable breeder?
Our puppy case studies illustrate how buying a puppy from an irresponsible breeder can end in heart break.
Be sure that you aren’t being fooled, do some detective work:
- Phone before you visit - use our questions to ask the breeder.
- Follow our checklist when visiting a puppy.
Follow our helpful guide to buying a new puppy, ensure that your puppy buying experience is all happy waggy tails. Get puppy smart.
Adopt a dog
Give a dog in our care a new home
The many dogs in our care in need of rehoming all have their own unique personalities. Sme would prefer to live without other pets, others would be great with children or other pets.
Our staff take great care to help ensure each dog goes to the right home.
- Find out more about our rehoming process.
- Read some of our rehoming success stories.
- Find animals in need of new homes near you using our pet search.
Each dog we rehome is neutered to prevent unwanted pregnancies; and microchipped to give them the best chance of being identified should they become lost or stolen.