For a lot of excellent information about choosing a breeder.

Go to: www.dogplay.com

This is just an excerpt that I copied and found interesting. There are TONS of articles to read about and, I believe, all and any person looking for a puppy would gain lots of insight and avoid mistakes. I have not read them all yet, but I certainly intend to. I may not agree with everything written, but it sure is comprehensive! :+)

Just one of the articles:

Red Flags, Breeders you probably want to avoid

I'm really not a person who likes to use the words "never" or "always", so take the following as signs for caution. Yet, in some cases I will just have to use one of those words. Sorry, but keep reading, you will see.

• If you see a reference to a "registered breeder" and most especially to a "USDA" licensed or registered breeder just stop right there. The USDA concerns itself only with mass breeders. Mass breeders are breeding for the money. If there is ever a question between profits and the best interests of the dog, the dog loses. Please, don't let mass breeders profit from your money. If you want to check a particular breeder you can try http://www.nopuppymills.com/database.html

• "Champion bloodlines" is a term used by those who have no clue. A responsible breeder knows it just isn't a sales point. That doesn't mean that the responsible breeder won't brag about their dog's background. They do, and they should. But if neither the sire nor the dam has their own championship then the responsible breeder is going to be focusing on explaining why not, and how they know that the dogs are of good quality, and merely claiming "Champion bloodlines" is no evidence at all.

• "AKC registered" This is just as meaningful and just as important as a car advertisement claiming "DMV" registered. Yes, you want to know that, but no it is not a sales point. For more take a look on my article on "What does AKC mean?"
  
  A responsible breeder will include the information on the registry, so it's the tone or the focus you are looking at, not the mere inclusion of the information. If they think "AKC" is a selling point, they are clueless. Some breeds have their own registries that may be more careful than AKC, and in those cases listing the registry might be a selling point.

• Although there are reputable registries in the USA other than AKC and UKC (and CKC in Canada) there are also a lot that hand out completely meaningless "papers". Be especially cautious with any registry that has initials the same as a well-known registry. Be especially cautious of registries that complain of some imagined difficulty or expense in registering dogs through AKC. Look for excellent centralized record keeping, breed standards, and competitive events to determine degree to which a dog conforms to breed standards, and who controls registration requirements. Could you become an active participant in the process? If not, then doubt the registry.

• "Vet checked" is another meaningless term. Duh, it's like saying, "it runs" in a car ad. Not very impressive. Of course you want the puppy to be "vet checked" but if the breeder thinks that's a selling point they probably haven't CERF'd the puppies. Don't know what I mean when I said, "CERF'd" the puppies? Ooops, then you aren't ready to be talking to breeders yet. It's a basic eye check done in many breeds, and its one of the few tests that are actually done on both the puppies and their parents.

• Does the advertisement tell you the color of the puppies but not a word on health testing? Then expect someone who is a shallow breeder, breeding for appearance but ignoring health and temperament. This will either be because they don't care, or more likely because they lack the knowledge to do better. If you desire a healthy dog you will do better to get a random bred dog (mutt) over one where the breeder focuses on appearance but ignores genetic health.