What Paperwork is Required When Buying a Puppy
You need a receipt for your payment. If you are paying by PP or online banking put the microchip number of your puppy on the payment, after you have a photo or scan of the microchip registration number to the database, so you know there is a dog with that chip and it is registered.
If paying in person, create a receipt showing the date of payment, the payment method, and the specific details of the dog you have bought. Add that the exchange of funds and goods is witnessed by a third party if at all possible with their name and contact details on the receipt.
You need a formal declaration/bill of sale that the seller is the legal owner of the puppy in question and that they have the legal right to sell the puppy. The Microchipping of Dogs (England) Regulations 2014 means all breeders have to microchip the puppies by 8 weeks of age and the breeder will be the first registered owner on the database. However this does not prove ownership, so ask for a copy of the dam's microchip registration showing the breeder's name and address as the keeper.
Verify that the formal breed paperwork/pedigree accompanying the puppy is true for that puppy and that the details contained within it are relevant and accurate. Only pedigrees can be registered with the Kennel Club of GB.
If choosing your puppy some weeks before it can leave, one way is to write on a postcard the puppies microchip number from the registration and/or your name and ask the breeder to sign and date it, then place it next to the puppy and take some photos.
Details of any warranty or health claims made by the seller in terms of hereditary or genetic health conditions A declaration from the seller that "The puppy is in good health and not suffering from any illness or injury at time of collection (add a date) to the very best of their knowledge or so far as they could reasonably be expected to know." Often a pet insurance covers the first 6 weeks but it will not cover any illnesses that would have been know about before collection.
Full and detailed information on the seller's liability to you if the puppy should be found to be seriously ill or have any serious or ongoing health conditions that are discovered within a given period of the time after the sale, and the responsibilities (if any) that the seller has to you in these circumstances.
Any other responsibilities or agreements you make with the seller, for instance, to have the dog neutered or to offer them first refusal of buying the dog back should you be unable to keep them in the future. It is very important to include the time period and the exact sums of money. A good breeder will always want to know when a puppy that they have bred needs re-homing for its entire life and will assist. If you live far away from the breeder you may include costs of moving the dog.
This paperwork is very important, the breeder may be very busy at the time due to caring for the litter and dealing with several buyers at the same time, but it is BUYER BEWARE, so take enough time when it is quiet to read, re-read and understand what you are getting into for the next 10-15 years.
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