Sigh. Despite the common knowledge of the existence of puppy farms and how to actually buy/adopt a puppy responsibly being circulated for over a decade now, would-be pet owners still (knowingly?) fall into the trap of the former. With us being in a pandemic right now, with many forced into a temporary existence at home, people have rushed into buying dogs and puppies, a hefty commitment they didn’t have the time for before. However, this has caused irresponsible breeders to flourish-not just puppy farms-as many responsible registered breeders have made wise decisions to stop producing litters for the time being. So with good places to buy a puppy from being so scarce paired with impulsive buying out of desperation against their better judgement, a lot of badly bred dogs have been produced. This can inevitably lead to heartbreak and a drain of time and money months (or weeks even) after the puppy has been purchased, when it’ll fall ill due to improper care by it’s breeder. So when you’ve decided to add a new Min Pin puppy or any puppy to your life, ensure you follow these vital steps;

• Shop around. Contact many different breeders or those people selling puppies and if they live far from you, this should not be a barrier in our opinion-your dream healthy, happy puppy that will be with you potentially for almost two decades could be at a distance from your location. Be prepared to travel. Keep reading for other reasons why you may need to shop around.
• When you first contact the breeder, ask if you can view both parents and interact with them. Also ask if you will be able to view where the puppies were raised i.e. look around the environment and surroundings. Ask if you will be able to see veterinary health records for both the parents and puppies. Ask if you can do all these things on a preliminary visit without being obliged to buy a puppy. If the answer is anything other than an affirmative yes, walk away.

As we have explained here, research, time and being selective about where you get your new addition from should be top of your list and is certainly something that should not be rushed-pandemic or not. A healthy new pet is the greatest asset to you and your family, so please take your time and embrace the wait.