I have organized the following into specific categories for easier reading. However, the order in which this is presented does not necessarily mean that this is the order in which these questions should be asked nor does it signify the importance of one question over another. This is not meant to be a complete list of questions or considerations, just a starting point to get you thinking before making this long term commitment.

1. Ask yourself "Why do you want a dog?"

   1. Pet/companion
   2. Showing
   3. Breeding
   4. All of the above


2. Learn how to choose the right breed for you

   1. Read about the breeds that interest you
   2. Attend a few dog shows and observe the characteristics of the breed you have chosen
   3. Find out what type of grooming or special care this breed requires
   4. Talk to and visit several breeders

      1. Ask about specific characteristics
      2. Ask about inherited problems
      3. Look at adults
      4. Look at puppies
      5. Remember: This puppy will be an adult longer than it will be a puppy -- do you like the adults of this breed??
   5. Always look at more than one litter before deciding on a specific puppy (by this I mean visit more than one breeder to view two separate litters) this way you have some basis for comparison.
   6. Have you considered rescuing an older dog rather than purchasing a puppy? Sometimes, an older dog is more appropriate for your household and you work schedule.


3. Questions to ask the breeder

   1. About the parents & grandparents

      1. Temperament of the ancestors

         1. shyness
         2. viciousness
         3. hyperactive
         4. what are they like??
         5. how are they to live with on a daily basis?
      2. Known hereditary problems (ask for certification that the parents are clear)

         1. Hip displaysia
         2. Eye problems
         3. Thyroid problems
         4. Bleeding disorders
         5. others specific to your breed of choice
      3. Results of prior breedings (if any)

         1. What type of puppies (mentally and physically) has this dog produced in the past?
         2. Mental and physical soundness of aunts, uncles, etc.
   2. About the puppies

      1. Health record

         1. What shots have they had
         2. What shots do they still need
         3. Have they been wormed
         4. What type of food are they eating
      2. Environment they were raised in (home vs. kennel)
      3. Describe an average day in the puppy's life at age 6 or 7 weeks.
      4. Anticipated temperament of each puppy in this litter (it is important to know as much as possible about the siblings of your puppy)
      5. If you are buying a show or breeding quality puppy, it is even more important to find out about the siblings.
      6. If you are buying a show or breeding quality be certain that the littermates are free of hereditary defects (this includes all males having both testicles -- even if you are buying a bitch puppy).
      7. Which puppy is breeding quality, show quality or pet quality (you don't want to get your heart set on one puppy then be told that that is a show puppy and is not for sale)
      8. What type of health guarantee does the breeder give for a show puppy? a pet puppy?
      9. Will the breeder take the dog back or assist you in placing the dog should you ever decide that you cannot keep it?


4. Questions the breeder should ask you

   1. Why do you want this dog?
   2. Have you researched this breed and what do you know about its character traits?
   3. Do you have other pets?
   4. Have you ever owned a dog? One of this breed?
   5. Were will the dog be kept? Indoors or outdoors most of the time?
   6. What hours do you work? Your spouse?
   7. Do you have children? What ages?
   8. Describe a typical week at your house now.
   9. Describe a typical weekend day at your house now.
   10. Project a typical week at your house after you get the puppy.
   11. Project a typical weekend at your house after you get the puppy.
   12. Project a typical day once he is an adult.
   13. Where will the dog go when you go on vacation
   14. What would you do if you could no longer keep this dog
   15. To sign a contract stating specific terms and agreements of the sale of this puppy.
   16. Will this dog be spayed or neutered?
   17. If you intent to breed this dog, why?

       1. To show the children the facts of life
       2. To recuperate the money you are spending to buy a purebred dog
       3. To attempt to produce puppies better than their parents
          NOTE: Answers 1 and 2 are not acceptable reasons for breeding.


5. If you do breed this dog, outline the process you will follow -- from choosing the stud to whelping the litter.

   1. Check for hereditary defects
   2. Attend shows and ask breeders' recommendations for stud choice.
   3. Shots current before breeding
   4. Prenatal care, diet of mother, vet care while in whelp, etc.
   5. The whelping

      1. Where will the litter be whelped (may depend on the time of year), indoors? outdoors? the garage?
      2. Where will you be during this time?
      3. Alert your vet when she goes into labor (have more than one vet available if possible)
   6. Where will the pups be kept (and until what age)
   7. What care will the pups receive prior to being sold (at what age will they be sent to their new homes)

      1. Shots
      2. Worming
      3. What will they eat (and at what ages)
   8. How will you sell the puppies
   9. How will you screen the potential buyers
   10. What type of follow up will you do once the pups have been sold
   11. Will you offer any guarantees
   12. How will you arrive at a sales price for the pups
   13. Will you provide a home for the pups for their ENTIRE lifetime (yes, even if they are sold and then returned to you for some reason)


6. How to evaluate the breeder (not the dogs)

   1. If the breeder does not ask you most of the above questions, maybe you should choose another breeder.
   2. Do they seem truly interested in your home environment?
   3. Have they evaluated the litter into show, pet, or breeding stock?
   4. Have they priced the litter based upon their expenses for the litter or upon their honest evaluation of the quality of the puppies?
   5. Are the puppies in a healthy environment?
   6. How are the adults kept? Do they receive adequate attention, socialization, nutrition?
   7. Speak to several breeders, if most breeders are telling you one thing and one does not, either he is ignorant of the fact or he does not care. Neither situation is good. If they cannot give you a satisfactory answer when you directly ask them about this point, choose another breeder to buy your puppy from.
   8. Do you get the feeling that once you walk out the door with the puppy, you are on your own? or do you feel that you could call this breeder for help at any time in the puppy's life?


7. How to choose your puppy once you have chosen the breeder you wish to work with.

   1. Male vs. Female
   2. What type of adult do you want

      1. Active vs docile
      2. Show vs. pet
      3. Will the dog live primarily indoors or outdoors
   3. Ask the breeder to project what a puppy's temperament will be like as an adult
   4. Evaluate temperament first as the dog will be your pet first and foremost. He cannot be anything else unless he is a good pet. If you cannot enjoy living with the dog, why have it? We choose to have a dog -- it should be a pleasure not a burden.
   5. Coat color, markings and eye color should be the last consideration after you have decided on the type of temperament you can live with and which sex you prefer. If you are adamant about specific color or markings, wait until they are on the puppy with the appropriate temperament for you.
   6. If you are buying a show puppy, attend enough shows, read enough books to have a basic idea of what you want in a show dog then ask the breeder to help project what each puppy may turn out like as an adult. REMEMBER: No one knows for sure, it is just an educated guess at best!
   7. If you have questions or concerns about your puppy (behavior, physical development, etc.) at any time after your purchase -- call the breeder immediately. Don't be afraid to ask for help! It could save you a lot of heartache in the long run.
   8. Remember, by purchasing this puppy, you are committing to its care for the rest of its life. But, in the event that you cannot keep it as you had planned, call the breeder immediately. A good breeder always wants to know where their pups are. They will also help you place the dog or approve a new home if you have lined up.
   9. It is very important that you maintain contact with the breeder of your puppy. If you do not feel comfortable doing that, perhaps you chose the wrong breeder to purchase a puppy from. You buy the breeder as well as the puppy so try to be sure you get a good one of each!!!

1. How long has the breeder been working with the breed?
2. What dog clubs does the breeder belong to?
3. Does the breeder show his/her dogs? Where?
4. What does the breeder hope to achieve in the breeding program?
5. What tests or health scans have been used to evaluate the sire and dam?
6. Are your dogs and puppies raised in the house or kennels?
7. How are the dogs and puppies introduced to everyday sights, sounds, people and animals? In other words, how are they socialized?
8. Will the breeder be available after the sale to instruct with grooming, training and other aspects of ownership?

1. Why do you want a dog or puppy?
2. Why do you want a Cairn?
3. Who will be primarily responsible for the dog's care?
4. Have you owned a dog before?
5. How will you exercise the dog?
6. Are their children in the household? What are their ages?
7. Does anyone have allergies?
8. Does you living situation permit a dog?
9. How often is someone home to care for the dog?
10. Will that person have time to care for the dog?
11. Does the buyer have a veterinarian or know of one?
12. How does the buyer feel about training classes for the dog?

For those who think that registered, responsible breeders are too difficult, too ‘elitist', too hard or too expensive to get a puppy from because all you want is JUST A PET- read on!

• Why do you turn JUST A PET into a negative?
• Why do you think that JUST A PET is less than a show dog or an obedience or trials dog?
• Why do you think that you are settling for second (or third or worse) best?

And those reading this who have decided that they want a Terrier JUST AS A PET, why do you want a Terrier? Because of its temperament? Because of its looks? Because of its energy? It's joy in life? Or some of the many other wonderful Terrier traits?

How do you think we keep these things in our breed? Simple! It's by careful, selective, planned breeding to always try and produce the best possible puppies of our breed. So that any JUST A PETs we put in homes can give those characteristics that are so much a Terrier. It costs a caring breeder just as much to produce JUST A PET as to produce a show or working dog.

Responsible breeders would never breed a litter to simply produce pets for the pet market. This type of behavior is puppy milling conducted purely for profit. This is MUCH cheaper for the breeder as they do not need to work hard at proving their dogs’ abilities or `true to breed standard' type through showing or obedience results. They do not need to check on the dogs’ health and temperament. They do not need to match up the BEST stud for the bitch they have. The first entire male they find will do as a sire and it's even easier if he lives at their place and cheaper.

The fact that a responsible breeder would never breed a litter to simply produce pets for the pet market does not mean that they would not sell to JUST A PET homes - it means that they would be getting the quality Terrier they deserve as their JUST A PET! But the responsible breeder will inform you of the breed characteristics, to ensure it suits you and your family. They will tell you the good and bad points of the breed, they will ask you many questions, may want to check your yard or meet the family, and will value the pet dogs as much as the show dogs in the litter.

If this is not what you want from your puppy there are plenty of ‘breeders' out there who mate (or ‘accidentally' allow the mating of) a male to their bitch and will happily sell you a puppy. They will probably even proudly announce that the pups are registered with the controlling kennel club – WELL, SO CAN ANY PUREBRED DOG BORN OF PUREBRED PARENTS. That doesn't mean a thing about the health, quality and temperament of the puppy. A responsible breeder wants to improve their breed, and will be aiming to keep a puppy from their litter. They will offer you follow up support and advice, and will always want the dog back if you are unable to keep it, at ANY time for the rest of the dog’s life.

It is up to you to decide where you want to get your JUST A PET dog from. But remember, your JUST A PET dog will be a companion to you and your family for many years.