Buyers' Rights

Once you have selected a puppy from a litter you have chosen, here are things you should be given by the breeder.

1. You should receive the AKC "Blue Slip" which is the application enabling you to register your puppy with the American Kennel Club. Sometimes breeders prefer to register all their puppies with kennel names beforehand and this is acceptable, just so long as this is done promptly and necessary transfer papers are timely and in order. AKC has a 12-month time limit during which puppies may be registered without penalty, and there is no reason for a breeder to delay any of the paperwork involved. In addition, it is against AKC regulations for a breeder to charge for the registration certificate, and ethically it is wrong to charge for a pedigree.

2. You should receive the pedigree at the time you purchase the puppy, or before. You should not have to wait for this. It is part of the breeders' responsibility to keep their paperwork current.

3. You should receive a list of the vaccinations which the puppy has received and the veterinarian who has given them.

Some breeders vaccinate their own puppies, but you should receive a document stating when the vaccinations were given and which pharmaceuticals were used. In addition, you should receive a document stating when and if the puppies were wormed and which medications were given. If the puppies were examined by a veterinarian, there should be a certificate of health provided by the examining doctor.

4. The breeder should recommend that you take the puppy to a veterinarian of your choice within a specific time. Usually 48 hours from the time of purchase is considered reasonable. If the puppy, upon examination at that time, is found to be ill or with some visible defect the breeder should be willing to take the puppy back.

5. You should receive a guarantee that the puppy is healthy and free of known defects at the time of purchase.

6. The breeder should state in writing that he or she will take the puppy back if the buyer is unable to keep it, or that they will do their utmost to place the puppy in another home within a reasonable time.