Criteria of a good dog breeder and what to look for when adopting a dog.

My ideal dog breeder has a small kennel, one litter at a time. Females are studded no more than once a year. The whelping area is in the house. The puppies are gently handled by many hands, including children’s. Emphasis is on gentle. Once they are a bit older, they are allowed to venture outside. They play with their littermates and meet other, adult dogs on the premises. If the breeder is in a rural area, the pups go for a car-ride every so often, so that they are acclimatized to the smells and sounds of a town or city. Both housetraining and leash walking has begun before they are released to their carefully chosen new families at the age of 10-12 weeks.

The pups are up-to-date on vaccinations and come with a contract that guarantees health and temperament. The contract also states that the breeder has first right to the dog, if the owner can’t care for him/her any longer. It should prohibit that the dog is surrendered to a shelter or re-homed without the breeder’s consent.

A good breeder asks a lot of questions, maybe for references and might even do a home inspection. In turn, he/she answers all questions and offers to be available for continued advice.


Breeders like that exist and can be found in the show rink and backyard. Contrary to popular belief, backyard breeders aren’t necessarily a bad place to get pup from, and show dog breeders don’t automatically do things the way they should be done.

Even if it takes some time, try to find one locally, so that you can check living conditions for yourself. Pay attention to the litter, and the other dogs on the premises. Are they friendly, approachable, fearful, hyper? Is the breeder attentive to you? Or on the phone with other clients, busy selling her dogs? Do the puppies have access to water and food? Is the place clean (as much as it can be with dogs and a litter of puppies)?

A good dog breeder helps you with mindful temperament testing, is honest, and will deny a pup to someone he feels is a wrong match.


Adopting a dog is giving him/her a second chance. It is noble, but not for everyone, because some dogs have behavioral problems that go beyond what the adopters are able to deal with.

Animal shelters and rescue organizations, more often than not, don’t have much information about a dog’s past. Even if a dog is surrendered, owners are not always truthful when they reveal disposition, behavior or medical problems.

Nevertheless, there are a few things you can pay attention to before you adopt, which increases the likelihood that life with the new family member will be harmonious.

Good shelters and rescue groups, like good dog breeders, are caring places. One would think that the fact that people work at, or for, an animal refuge is in itself a guaranty that dogs are treated and cared for mindfully, but that is unfortunately not always the case. Dog breeders should be investigated before a purchase, and shelters as well.

Every shelter should have a few people on staff, or helping as volunteers, that have a deeper insight into dog behavior. That ensures that existing behavior problems are not made worse, inadvertently, while the dog is in their care. It also increases the possibility to match a dog with compatible dog and people personalities.

Dogs should be assessed, mindfully and knowledgably, and not by a 5-minute chart test that just evaluates out-of-context actions.

Every dog should have outside time, either play or walk, a crate, bed and an interactive toy in his/her run. The handling methods should be positive and mindful.

A good shelter and rescue group screens adopters thoroughly, to ensure the experience level matches the needs of the dog, and might do a home inspection.

They individualize, rather than having a one-rule adoption policy. For example: many shelters stipulate that adopters must have a fenced yard. A good shelter does adopts dogs to apartment dwellers, if they are dedicated and take the pooch for walks. Or the adoption contract states that dogs must be neutered before they are released, but know that it is more important for a 10-week old boy to begin socializing and training with his new family than sitting alone in his run until the second testicle descends. A good shelter lets that pup go home, but will not surrender ownership till the dog is neutered. Or the shelter might have a mandatory rule that adopters participate in a training group class right away, but make exceptions for dogs who would be too over-stimulated in a group setting, and refer to a private behavior expert instead.

Shelters and rescue groups that are open-minded, make an effort to learn about dog behavior, care for each and every individual dog and make decisions that are in his/her best interest, are worth supporting. If people would only support these places, and conscientious dog breeders, it would force others to follow suit, and in time improve life for all puppies, breeding- and homeless dogs.