What to ask a breeder before getting a puppy

Before buying a puppy, ask the breeder about the puppy’s health, temperament, and lineage. Specifically, inquire about health testing of the parents, vaccination and deworming history of the puppy.

Key questions to ask a breeder:

1. Health and Genetic Testing:
Have the parents of the puppy been tested physically for strength of patella (done after 1 year old) and/or have they had eyes and heart checked?
Are the parents OFA CHIC certified?

Have the parents of the puppy had a DNA test performed to check for things like PRA, IVDD (CDDY), pattering, etc through a company like Optimal Selection (NOT EMBARK)
Embark does not run a true test for CDDY (THE MOST IMPORTANT TEST) but only a linkage test, so be aware Embark is not good.

What is the health history of the line?

2. Puppy’s History and Care:
What is the puppy’s vaccination and deworming history?

Has the puppy been vet-checked and declared healthy?

What are the puppy’s dietary needs and what food are they currently eating?

What kind of environment were the puppies raised in?

What are the puppy’s parents like?

3. Breeder’s Practices and Reputation:
How long have you been breeding?

Can I meet the puppy’s parents?

Can I see the puppies’ living space?

What are the puppies’ temperaments like?

Do you have any references from previous buyers?

Will I receive a registration certificate for the puppy?

What is your return policy?

What is your process for selecting homes for puppies?

4. Other Considerations:
What can I expect from this breed in terms of temperament and behavior?

Do they expect their puppies to typically get along with children and other animals?

What is the puppy’s age?

When can I take the puppy home?

What is the deposit amount and payment schedule?

AZ Doxies is committed to providing the healthiest puppies. All of our sires and dams are patella, heart, eye certified. All are DNA tested as well as AKC registered with proven bloodlines. If interested in a puppy please fill out a puppy application form from our website. You can also contact us at 352-339-3877 or on our Instagram at @az_doxies

AZ Doxies is a breeder of minature dachshunds located in Crystal River, FL. Our dachshund puppies are all DNA tested as well as health tested. We service all of Florida and provide dachshund puppies to approved homes. We are quite picky with the homes we release a puppy to. Our focus is the well-being of the puppy. There are many breeders to choose from in Florida. We are a different than most dachshund breeders in Florida. We breed our doxies using dachshund standard and dachshund confirmation is paramount as well as favorable DNA and health traits. Having healthy, well adjusted dachshunds is our top priority. We offer minature dachshunds with different colors and patterns. Longhair and smooth coat doxies are available. However, we consider ourselves a small breeder. All of our dogs are inside of our home. We do not breed to get rich but for the love of the breed. We love to see joy on a young couple or childs face when they get a new doxie puppy.

Our goal is to continue to learn and to make sure we are breeding the healthiest dogs available. Our focus is on combatting IVDD through genetics as well as exercise therapy, and holistic medicine treatment. CDDY is the genetic mutation that increases a dachshund’s suceptabity of having IVDD. We want to stop IVDD before it can start. We need to keep those discs in the spine nice and maluable. The discs should be the texture of foam. Figure eight movements are one example of physical exercise to strengthen your dachshunds back. After a dachshund is two years old, you can have their back scored. Back scoring measures the levels of calcification in the vertebral discs.

AZ Doxies, based in Crystal River, Florida, can delivery a puppy for an additional fee. We often deliver in areas such as Miami, Gainesville, Pensacola, Orlando, and Tampa. We focus on Florida only. We see a need in Florida for legitimate breeders who really want to breed for confirmation and who want to do DNA and health testing.

Pet stores will usually have a ACA registration which is for puppy mills. We have done a lot of reseach finding out how these puppy mills in places like Ohio ship dogs after 8 weeks old to pet shops across the United States. You can tell by the pictures and the lack of communication that people are nefarious. Common sense and trusting your gut goes a long way. After all, we arent just picking up a used car, this is a living being that hopefully will be with you for 18 years. By the way, AKC and CKC are the only real dog registries in America. There is no $500 dachshund. Not one you would ever want, anyways. Please be careful of cheap dachshunds from breeders with no records for pedigree and no testing for basics like PRA,dapple, and CDDY.

If you would like to discuss with us more about our breeding philosophy or just have questions we are here for the public. Please do not hesitate to call us at 352-339-3877. We are based in Citrus County, Florida.