After you have exhausted all your research concerning the breed of dog you are going to adopt the next step is finding a reputable dog breeder. Please do not visit your local mall to adopt! It is extremely difficult to be able to go through the steps needed in selecting your companion from a pet store. They very rarely will have the necessary information available to you in order to make the correct decision on your new cherished pet.

One the best ways to find a breeder involves a bit of research. Having narrowed down the breed, now turn to the breed club. Most, if not all, dog breeds have a corresponding club that deals only with the specific breed of dog you have chosen to adopt. Examples: German Shepherd Dog Club of America, Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America etc etc. A simple Google search will turn up the dog breed clubs. On the clubs website there is a list of reputable breeds that have been researched to some extent for quality of breeder. Although this is not a complete recommendation, most clubs will post a disclaimer saying they are not responsible for the reputation of the breeder.

Another great place to research dog breeders is at a dog show. The AKC (American Kennel Club) will post dates and times of sanctioned shows. You can check the local papers for dog shows, although a more thorough listing is provided on-line through the American Kennel Club (AKC). At the show talk to people with the breed you have selected that have entries into the show. Most people are more than happy to share experiences and knowledge about their dog and its breed. You can surely get breeder references here and people involved with showing their dogs are generally proud of them and readily available to exchange information about the breed, showing, breeders and local dog clubs they belong to. These local clubs are another excellent venue for breeder information. You will also more than likely get information about breeders to stay away from.

Once you have a breeder or list of breeders, now it's time to get down to business. Call them, let them know you're looking to adopt and how you came up with their name. Arrange a visit. This is an extremely important part of adopting. You must visit the breeder's site if at all possible. Sometimes it's not physically possible to do this in which case other research must be performed. In your visit you should be concerned with the cleanliness of the breeders facilities. Dirty breeders breed dirty dogs. It's always best to ask a breeder if they have both puppy's parents on hand. Although this is not always the case, a lot of times both sire (dad) and dame (mother) will be at the breeder's location. The breeder should provide a well kept, clean and healthy environment for both puppies and parents. Ask to see the dogs AKC registration and write down the registration numbers so you can check with the AKC to make sure they are fully registered. The breeder should also provide the puppy its first shots.

Puppies should never leave their mother before six weeks. At six weeks all puppies need to be checked by a veterinarian for general health, a stool sample for worms and parasites and the first of its shots for distemper, parvo virus, hepatitis, para-influenza and parvo carona. This is usually one shot for all of the vaccinations. In addition, at the puppies first vet visit they should be checked for fleas, ticks and heartworm and placed on necessary preventative medicines.

Choosing the right breeder for your adopted friend will alleviate many problems down the road. Our next article will deal with the inherent breeds tendencies and how to check dog lineages for genetic problems (OFA - Orthopaedic Foundation For Animals).