Buyers shape the market
Every purchase from a questionable source pays for the next litter. Looking closely and asking questions takes away the basis of this trade.
Knowledge · Buying a dog
Buying a dog: healthy and from a reliable source
A dog will be your companion for many years. That is why it pays to take a close look before you buy: where does the dog come from, and what health information is available? A lot can be checked on site, and genetics helps with the essentials: the dog's identity, its inbreeding level and, depending on its origin, its breed composition.
Origin matters: buying a dog is animal welfare
The dog market is changing. Interest is focused on mixed breeds of all kinds and on “designer dogs”, the deliberate cross of two breeds. Demand is high, and it is not only met by responsible breeders and dealers. Many of these mixed breeds later end up sick or with behavioural problems in shelters.
Television reports show again and again how dogs are literally produced in so-called puppy mills: mothers forced to deliver litter after litter, and puppies separated from their mother too early and transported over long distances.
Pity is a poor advisor
A puppy that looks sick or frightened makes you want to rescue it. That is exactly what the illegal trade relies on. It is better to report such offers to the local veterinary authority.
Reputable means verifiable
A reliable source has nothing to hide. It shows you the mother, the rearing conditions and the documents, and lets you verify that they are genuine.
What you can check yourself
A lot can be seen during a visit. Take your time, feel free to come more than once, and do not let anyone rush you.
Buying a puppy: age
In Germany, a puppy must not be separated from its mother before eight weeks of age. Reputable breeders usually hand their puppies over a little later and introduce you to the mother.
Buying a puppy: rearing conditions
Can you see the mother and where the puppies are raised? If the mother is supposedly away at the moment, be careful.
Health and behaviour
Clear eyes, clean ears and a well kept coat, alert and curious. Ask about vaccinations, deworming and a veterinary check.
Place of handover
No sales from the boot of a car, in a car park or as a delivery to your door. A reputable breeder wants to know where the dog is going and will ask you questions as well.
Documents
EU pet passport with microchip number and vaccinations, a written purchase contract and, for pedigree dogs, the pedigree from the breed club. Compare the chip number in the passport with that of the dog and check with the breed club.
Price and time pressure
Unusually cheap offers, many breeds available at once, payment in advance or pressure to decide quickly are typical warning signs.
Only a DNA-verified identity is reliable
Microchips used to identify dogs serve the same purpose as ear tags on cattle: they let you check on site which animal you are dealing with, for example by comparing the value read from the chip with the entry in the pet passport. They are not a reliable, tamper-proof proof of identity.
Microchip
- identifies the chip, not the dog
- can get lost or fail
- can be swapped or removed
DNA identity
- innate and unchangeable for life
- stored in every cell nucleus
- verifiable at any time from a sample
How do I proceed?
Some breed clubs include DNA-based verification of identity and parentage in their DNA programs; in that case it is worth asking the breeder about it.
If there is no such program for the breed you want, ask the breeder whether they have had the DNA identity determined anyway. A breeder who does this shows that they can and want to prove where their dogs come from.
Hereditary diseases and inbreeding
Every individual carries hundreds of defective genetic variants as risk factors in its genome (“genetic burden”). As long as they do not accumulate, they can largely be compensated for; much then depends on environmental conditions. Inbreeding increases the probability that defect variants exceed the critical threshold. No animal's inbreeding level can be seen from the outside.
Are mixed breeds healthier?
Mixed-breed dogs are not automatically less inbred than pedigree dogs. What matters is how closely related a dog's ancestors are genetically. Street dogs in particular often form small, closed populations with little diversity. On the other hand, there are breeds with genetically diverse breeding lines and a low inbreeding rate.
Reliable reports
Any printed document can easily be manipulated despite stamps and signatures, and so can digital versions and templates with the help of AI tools. Electronic signatures, as used in every Generatio report, provide a remedy.
It's quite simple
- Ask for the original reportOur reports are issued as signed PDFs and can therefore easily be sent by email. If you are shown a printout, ask for the original PDF by email.
- Check the signatureUse our SignCheck function or another service. Details are available at SignCheck.
- Compare with the dogCompare the name, breed and chip number in the report with the dog in front of you.
- Have it tested if in doubtIf you have doubts about the dog's identity or its stated breed, send us a sample and we will carry out the ID check.
Ask for proof
Ask about origin, identity and an inbreeding analysis. A responsible breeder will be happy to support you. Please verify Generatio reports with SignCheck.
Go to SignCheck