Guide · UK · checked 3 October 2026

Questions to ask before you commit.

A breed profile cannot tell you how a particular puppy will turn out. The breeder, the parents and the paperwork can tell you a good deal more. This guide pulls together the Royal Kennel Club’s advice for people buying a puppy in the UK.

The checklists below summarise the Royal Kennel Club’s published buying advice in our own words; the figures and rules quoted are the Royal Kennel Club’s, not ours or the law’s. The advice is for buying a puppy from a breeder. If you are adopting, ask a rescue the same kind of questions about the dog’s history, health and behaviour, and see our adoption and responsible buying guide.

Before you visit

The Royal Kennel Club suggests phoning first, because it is hard to think clearly in front of puppies. Ask:

Did you breed the puppy yourself? The Royal Kennel Club says to buy direct from the breeder.
How many puppies are there, and how old are they?
Can I see where they were born, and see the puppies with their mother?
How old is the mother, and how many litters has she had? The Royal Kennel Club’s guidance is that she should not be mated before 12 months, be no older than 8, or have more than four litters in her lifetime.
Was the birth natural? The Royal Kennel Club says a dog should not have more than two caesareans.
Can I meet the father, if he is available?
Have the puppies had any health problems?
Have both parents been checked for inherited conditions, and what is the puppy’s inbreeding coefficient? Ask for the parents’ registration details so you can look these up.
Will the puppies be wormed and vaccinated before they come home?

When you visit

You should be able to meet and handle all the puppies and see them with their mother, who should seem relaxed. The Royal Kennel Club says to consider walking away if you cannot see the mother, even when a good-sounding reason is given.
Ask about both parents’ temperament, how the puppies have been socialised, and what experiences (people, other dogs, everyday noises, children if you have them) they have had.
You should be shown where the dogs live and sleep, and the space should be clean and safe.
The Royal Kennel Club says puppies should be 8 weeks or older before they leave, and should not look unwell (runny eyes or nose, weakness, diarrhoea).
A responsible breeder should be happy to give you their vet’s details, show you paperwork and answer questions, and may have a waiting list.
The Royal Kennel Club advises against buying if you feel pressured or have doubts about the breeder, and says not to make a snap decision. It warns that paying a breeder you doubt keeps poor breeding going, even if you feel you would be rescuing the puppy.

Health checks for the parents

All dogs, pedigree or not, can inherit diseases. The Royal Kennel Club says breeders can reduce the risk with DNA tests and health screening schemes, and by not mating closely related dogs. Which tests matter depends on the breed: look up the breed in the Royal Kennel Club’s Breeds A to Z, and ask to see certificates for both parents. Its Breed Watch information also flags visible health concerns linked to exaggerated features, such as breathing difficulty in some flat-faced dogs.

Our breed profiles do not give health-test lists or risk figures, because we have not reviewed them. Use the Royal Kennel Club’s breed page, your vet and the breeder’s certificates. For crossbreeds there may be no breed-specific scheme; ask which tests each parent breed has, and for the results.

Paperwork to expect

A signed contract of sale (puppy contract) setting out what was agreed, including any health claims and responsibilities on both sides.
If the puppy was advertised as Royal Kennel Club registered, the registration certificate, or written confirmation that it will follow. The pedigree too.
Microchip details and the puppy’s worming and vaccination records.
Copies of the parents’ health certificates.
Insurance details, if the breeder has chosen to insure the puppy.
Some responsible breeders also give written advice on feeding, socialisation and training.

Clarify what is in the puppy pack before you hand over any money.

Read it at the source

Limits: these are the advice and standards of one organisation, which registers pedigree dogs, not a legal checklist. We have not reviewed the evidence behind its numbers. Checking these things does not guarantee a healthy or well-behaved dog.