What to look for in a dog breeder

[thorgrim29]

I'm thinking about getting a dog. I haven't had one since I left my parent's house and miss having one around, plus I work from home and some company would be nice (also, I hear they are good for attracting women, so bonus :) ).

To get in front of all the "you should get a rescue dog" comments, I thought about it and since I have some pretty specific criteria (between 40 and 50 pounds or so, hypoallergenic, does well in apartments, not too barky so my neighbors don't kill me) and I would really prefer to get a puppy (there's something satisfying on a primal level about the idea of raising your dog from A to Z) I'm keeping an eye out in case one come up but I don't think it's a super likely option. Feel free to judge me but this isn't a thread for a rescue vs breeder dog debate.

Given my criteria I'm probably looking for a poodle mix of some sort. Here's my reasoning based on hypoallergenic dogs I have experience with:

We had miniature Schnauzers growing up and while I loved them to bits they bark a lot and are smaller than I'm looking for, and in my experience standard Schnauzers are beautiful animals but they have a ton of attitude, not ideal for my first 100% "my" dog (my grandfather had one named Ceasar when I was a kid who won all sorts of ribbons but was kind of a ****).

My uncle has a Bouvier des Flandres and while it's an awesome dog it's the size of a bear cub and not suited for a 2 bedroom appartment

As far as personality goes I like standard poodles but there's something about them aesthetically that doesn't quite do it for me (their mouths are so narrow...) even though they fit my criteria perfectly. It's very possible that I change my mind on this though.

So anyway, there are oodles of poodle mixes these days (maybe even a doodleplex?) which leads to irresponsible breeders and sick dogs. I'd like to avoid giving people like that my money for both moral and practical reasons (if I'm signing up to spend 10-15 years with a dog I'd prefer it to be healthy). Other then the obvious (permits, clean installation, healthy and happy breeders) what should I be looking for?

[erikun]

While I am no expert on dog breeding and dog breeds, I will note that puppies need a lot of time and attention (and training) to become well behaved dogs. Especially if you're looking for a reasonably quiet dog which doesn't make a mess in an apartment, I'm not sure how well a puppy can fit your criteria. It might be worth trying to get information about a dog trainer as well, at least so you can ask questions and find out just want to expect in training a puppy of the particular breed you want.

[Keltest]

While I am no expert on dog breeding and dog breeds, I will note that puppies need a lot of time and attention (and training) to become well behaved dogs. Especially if you're looking for a reasonably quiet dog which doesn't make a mess in an apartment, I'm not sure how well a puppy can fit your criteria. It might be worth trying to get information about a dog trainer as well, at least so you can ask questions and find out just want to expect in training a puppy of the particular breed you want.

Can confirm. We got a puppy about a year and a half ago, and while she was and is the sweetest dog I have ever met, she is very large and very loud. Even knowing what breed(s) are in the puppy, you can never quite know what youre going to end up with just from looking at how they are at birth.

Personally I recommend looking for one about a year old. For most dogs that means theyre on the end of their puppy-ness, theyre done growing, and you can get a feel for their personality without it being unchangeably set in stone.

As far as size goes, I love beagles. My other dog (not the puppy) is a beagle-coonhound mix, she is just small enough she can sit on my lap without hurting me, and she loves playing and cuddling both. Plus, of course, she's very cute to look at. They can be played with for a long time but don't need it to rest, and while they will bark if you get a constant stream of strangers in your house, they aren't usually timid or super aggressive either.

[Algeh]

Since you seem set on a puppy, one thing to keep in mind with mixes is that it can be unpredictable exactly how large they'll grow up to be (this is true of all dogs, but mixed breed dogs have a much wider range than a dog with a specific breed standard).

First-generation crosses (both parents purebred whatevers, just different whatevers) can be fairly predictable sometimes (not all the time), but second generation crosses are less so (this is for a variety of reasons having to do with genetics that I won't infodump all over this thread). You also may or may not get the lower-allergen coat style in the specific dog you end up with if it's a feature of one parent's breed but not the other.

Personality is also something that can be hard to guess with puppies, in the same way that it is with human babies (I don't know about you, but I spend a LOT less time randomly screaming in the middle of the night now than I did when I was a baby).

You can up your odds of good results on those unknowns if you can visit with both parents of your puppy and, ideally, get some idea about how previous litters turned out.

For a known quantity with size and personality though, you'll always have less of a risk going with an already-adult dog than you will with a puppy no matter how much research you do. Around here (and it might be different where you live) there are breed-specific rescues you can work with if you know what kind of dog you want, and they'll help you keep an eye out for a dog with the right temperament to fit your situation. (We've gotten several older basset hounds that way over the years.)

[Honest Tiefling]

My mother bred cats, so take this advice with a grain of salt. But VISIT the breeder. See where the puppies are, and if they have a space to run around in (and evidence that they are). Ask about the mother (I can't use the proper term, can I?), and if you can, meet her. You might not be able to meet the sire, but some breeders probably keep him around on the premises. Ask about the area, their living arrangements and how they are being socialized and trained.

I don't know if mixes will have paperwork regarding being a purebred, but presumably someone in the family tree does. Ask for information on it, and look up the organization they are registered with. Most should have information on the family line.

You could also perhaps find a club of poodle or poodle mixes owners. It might be more worthwhile to ask around a group of people owning dogs, not selling them.