Trust
Questions to ask a dog breeder before you choose a puppy
By Casa Trufa ·
Ask about the parents, about health, about how the puppies are raised and about what happens afterward. The fifteen questions in this guide share one thing: a good breeder answers them with a document, a date or an invitation to come and see, not with “don’t worry, they’re healthy.” A good breeder will also ask you questions.
What should you ask about the parents?
- Can I meet the mother? And the father? In person or on a live video call. Their temperament is the clearest clue to the puppy’s.
- How old is the mother, and how many litters has she had? The breeding regulations of the ACCC (Asociación Club Canino Colombiano, Colombia’s FCI member kennel club) set ages and a maximum number of litters per female; a responsible breeder does not reach that maximum.
- What health tests do both of them have, and can I see the documents? Every breed has its own. The answer should include the name of the test, the result, the date and who carried it out.
- Are they registered? For a breed recognized by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), ask for the ACCC registration number. For a cross (Maltipoo, Cockapoo), the honest answer is that there can be no pedigree.
What should you ask about the puppy’s health?
- Which vaccines and deworming treatments will the puppy have on handover day? They should appear in a vaccination record signed by a veterinarian.
- Who is the veterinarian, and what is their professional license number? That way you can call the clinic.
- Will the puppy be microchipped? It is the form of identification the FCI uses.
- Has there been any hereditary disease in the line? No line is flawless; what counts is that they tell you.
What should you ask about how the puppies are raised?
- Where are they born, and where do they spend their first weeks? A home, with its noise and people, is not the same as a cage in a shed.
- At what age do the puppies go home? Never before eight weeks. If you are offered a younger puppy “so it bonds with you,” look elsewhere.
- How many litters do you have a year, and of how many breeds? A family kennel has few. “All year round” and “every breed” describe something else.
- What has the puppy experienced before leaving? Children, other dogs, the vacuum cleaner, the car. The first weeks cannot be made up later.
What should you ask about the contract and what comes after?
- Is there a written contract? Can I read it beforehand? It should identify who is handing over the puppy and say what the guarantee covers. In Colombia, an animal handed over by a breeder is protected by the legal guarantee in the Consumer Statute.
- What happens if I can’t keep the dog? A responsible breeder would rather have the dog come back than see it in an ad.
- Can I write to you in six months, or in six years? Support after the handover is what separates someone who breeds from someone who sells.
What should the breeder ask you?
This is the part almost nobody expects. A breeder who cares where their puppies end up wants to know how you live: house or apartment, how many hours the dog would be alone, whether there are children, whether you have had a dog before, which city you live in and at what altitude.
It is not mistrust. It is the only way to tell you, for example, that a Border Collie is not for someone who works ten hours away from home, or that a Bernese Mountain Dog is not for Barranquilla. If nobody asks you anything, nobody cares about the answer.
At Casa Trufa that conversation starts with a short quiz and continues on WhatsApp.
Which answers are a bad sign?
| Question | Bad sign | Good sign |
|---|---|---|
| Can I see the mother? | “She’s not here,” “she gets nervous” | “Of course: come over, or I’ll call you now” |
| What tests do the parents have? | “They’re as healthy as can be” | A dated document |
| At what age do the puppies go home? | “Whenever you like” | “Not before eight weeks” |
| Does this Maltipoo have a pedigree? | “Yes, of course” | “No: it’s a cross” |
| When do you have puppies? | “Always” | “There’s a waiting list” |
Frequently asked questions
What documents should a breeder hand over with the puppy?
The vaccination record signed by a veterinarian, the health certificate, the contract with the terms of the guarantee and, where the breed allows it, the registration papers. You should already have seen the parents’ health tests.
At what age can a puppy go to its new home?
Not before eight weeks. We found no national rule setting a minimum age, but it is the minimum responsible breeders recommend and the age from which, according to the press, Aerocivil (Colombia’s civil aviation authority) lets a puppy fly. There is a bill that would raise it to four months.
Is it normal for the breeder to ask me questions?
It is what you want. Someone who asks about your home, your schedule and your experience wants the dog to fit. Someone who only asks how you are going to pay wants something else.
What should I do if the breeder won’t show the health tests?
Assume they do not exist. Health tests are the most expensive and most valuable part of a breeder’s work; those who have them show them. Look for another breeder.
Sources
- Asociación Club Canino Colombiano: Reglamento de crianza 2024 (ACCC breeding regulations, 2024)
- Ley 1480 de 2011, Estatuto del Consumidor (Law 1480 of 2011, Consumer Statute). Legal guarantee and the information owed to consumers
- Royal Canin Colombia: cómo elegir un cachorro (how to choose a puppy)
- Noticias RCN, 7 de octubre de 2025: normas de Aerocivil para viajar con mascotas en cabina (Colombian news channel, October 7, 2025, on the civil aviation authority’s rules for pets in the cabin). Press source: confirm the conditions in force with each airline
- Senado de la República: ponencia para primer debate del Proyecto de Ley 002 de 2025 (Colombian Senate, committee report for the first debate on Bill 002 of 2025). A bill, not a law; we could not confirm its current status. The citations of Decree 780 of 2016 also come from this text
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