Attending dog shows in your area is a good way to meet breeders in your region. If they are not actively in the ring or preparing to go in the ring, they are usually happy to talk about their dogs.
I provide my vets name and number, and testimonials of past buyers, I also give out numbers to my club and then have a contract for the potential buyer to ensure the dog has a good home, and I have a clams that if they cant care for the dog for any reason I will take it back.
I would like to find some breeders in my area, but I am not really sure where to start. Would the vet be a good resource? Is there a website?
Thanks!
Go to akc.org and search for the parent club of your breed. From there, you can get information on local clubs and referrals to breeders in your area.
I would suggest going to a local park or dog park and start asking questions. You will get good, unbiased answers this way as to who is reputable.
Try for clubs in your area or specific breeders. Many areas have “kennel clubs”, where people get together with dogs of different breeds. They can be listed in the phone book or newspaper sometimes. And vets can be a great resource. Try several in your area. You can also search on individual breeds and they will come up with a variety of options to find local breeders.
yea im pretty sure here is a website
breeders.net then click on breeder search
My suggestion is to start national and work your way down to local. Go to, find the National Breed Club for your breed then call and ask for your local breed club. Also attending dog shows in your area is a good way to meet breeders in your region. If they are not actively in the ring or preparing to go in the ring, they are usually happy to talk about their dogs.
its good to start doing extensive research on the breed you want. going to shows, calling the clubs of the breeds, getting a checklist. A good breeder will answer all your questions and do everything they can to put you at ease. I always tell potential buyers to come do a check of my place first, spend time with my dogs, and think it over before they buy. I provide my vets name and number, and testimonials of past buyers, I also give out numbers to my club and then have a contract for the potential buyer to ensure the dog has a good home, and I have a clams that if they cant care for the dog for any reason I will take it back.
Ask vets (like you thought) about dogs that they have seen, ask groomers, ask owners (at dog parks and shows like the other answers suggested), ask other breeders (who will give you biased answers so you will have to read between the lines.
And then when you have heard a name or a few names coming up either good or bad go see for yourself and get their references (remembering that they will only refer you to their successes as that is human nature).
This is a long term project but well worth the effort.
You could go to your vet to see if he/she knows anyone i did that when i found my bernese mountain dog but i also looked on puppyfind.com you type in the breed you want and then a picture of the breed will come up and click puppies for sale then all these puppies will show up and you go to the top and click search location United States should be on the top and the on the lower one click the arrow and go down to north carolina and the dogs in that breed will show up and find a good one that you like and you might need to look at the area codes for the phone number to see how close it is to you my bernese ended up being less than an hour away and i love her i did look on the akc web page and it didnt work for me just so you know the vet didnt have any thing so thats when i looked my bernese up on puppyfind.com
You should try (they have breeder classifieds available. And also to find a local breeder for you. You might also want to try that breed’s local breed club. Sometimes they have puppy referrals. Good luck.
Oh!!!! A intelligent question! Thank you for making my day! Good for you!
Several resources……yes, vets might be able to help.
Search on the..here are some guidelines
try akc.org also look up while there any shows in your area! There will be breeders at the show, and you can see their dogs in person!
search for (ie) Shetland Sheepdog breeders No Carolina
or Shetland Sheepdog clubs or Dog Clubs No Carolina
You can also search newspapers, in hand or web classifieds
the web is overwhelming…but stick to it! And good luck!
Vets are wonderful for referrals. They know the breeders, know what care the dogs receive, know if any testing is done, know if there are any problems with the breeders dog, etc. Call around to the vets. Tell them what kind of dog you are looking for and go from there. By the way, when someone asks my vet plus a couple of others for a reputable chihuahua breeder, my name is the one given out.
Go to some shows, find breeders whose dogs you like and find one who does all the testing they should and who is easy for you to talk to.
has an event finder so you can find shows in your area.
Find the local club for your breed of choice as well, think about joining….my club you don’t have to own the breed to join.
puppies and dogs are very cute, i always love to play with them during my spare time ;::