10 Reasons I’m Going to Buy a Purebred Dog

Responsible purebred breeders help ensure their puppies will grow into happy, healthy dogs. Here are just 10 of the reasons why I’ll be buying a purebred puppy.

1. Once I begin looking for a puppy of my own, AKC Marketplace will connect me with a responsible dog breeder who loves their dogs like family. The breeder I choose will always be available, by phone or email, to answer my questions, provide expert advice, or just enjoy all the photos of my puppy growing up. Not only do I get a healthy puppy, but I’ll also get a friend and mentor for life, someone who is totally devoted to their chosen breed.
2. Because I would like a puppy whose parents have been carefully chosen for health—and have gone through a series of genetic tests to make sure that the puppy I get has the very best chance of being healthy, well-socialized, and well-adjusted.
3. Because I don’t want any surprises! I’ll be able to predict my dog’s adult size, exercise/grooming requirements, temperament, and more from 100-plus years of traceable pedigrees. Also, because I will have a personal relationship with the breeder, they’ll be able to match an individual puppy’s temperament perfectly to my individual lifestyle. In every litter, puppies exhibit a range of personalities—some are more dominant, while others are more laidback and mellow. By observing and evaluating the litter daily, the breeder will find the puppy that suits me best.
   

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4. When training my dog, I’ll benefit from the breeder having begun that process early on. My puppy has been handled from birth and has already begun to be socialized, which greatly affects how well-adjusted they’ll be as an adult. My puppy and their littermates have probably been exposed to other dogs, cats, and children, along with loud noises like dishwashers and vacuum cleaners. They’ve also already spent individual time in a crate. All of this early training gives my puppy added confidence as he joins my family.
5. My puppy will have received excellent care from day one. Perfect nutrition, the best medical attention, and lots of supervised playtime—all the components that go into making a happy, healthy adult dog.
6. If anything should happen to me, my family won’t have to worry about finding a caretaker for my dog. My responsible breeder promised in writing to take the dog back. They are my dog’s advocate for life.
7. There’s nothing more thrilling than witnessing a dog’s natural instincts (which have been carefully, expertly bred into them for generations) come to life. Watching a herding breed start to move cattle in a barnyard? Watching a pointing breed aiming their muzzle at a bird, even though they’ve never hunted a day in their life? Amazing!
   

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8. It’s so rewarding to nurture those instincts in my dog. I have fun earning medals and titles for my dog in sports like Herding, Lure Coursing, and more. Doing this will build an unbreakable bond with my dog as we work together as a team.
9. That new puppy comes with a huge community of great people who love their breeds and their breeders. The American Kennel Club offers a large network of dog lovers, available to give me expert advice and invite me to sports and play sessions. There are many new friendships waiting to be made.
10. I’ll be investing the time to research a breed that suits my personality and lifestyle. By doing that, I’ll be virtually guaranteeing that the bond with my dog will be like nothing else I’ve ever experienced. I’ll have a partner in crime, a friend that will never judge me but will share my joy and my tears for years to come. They will break my heart when they pass away because they’ve been in my life since they were a baby—and even so, I know I’d do it all again.