New puppy?

Over the years I have noticed people don't really know how to proceed when looking for a new puppy.
So I have decided to list a few things that will hopefully help in the process of finding that life long pet.

First of all, internet shopping is the most popular place to shop.
PLEASE... when surfing the Cocker web sites, if for ANY reason you don't have a good feeling about what you see, PLEASE go to the next web site. All puppies are cute, but some may not be healthy.
Don't buy a puppy because you feel sorry for it in the condition it is in. You could end up with
expenses from an unhealthy pet and a life long heart ache.

Questions I feel are important to know about the puppy and parents....
1. health of parents and are the puppies vet checked before sale? Ask for a written certificate from their vet with dates.
2. what type of health guarantee do they provide? Make sure it is a signed, written guarantee.
3. pedigree on the parents? ( a pedigree is a print out of the family tree usually 4 or 5 generations)
The reason I feel this is so important is...if they don't have a pedigree, how do they know what they are breeding?
4. size of parents or weight of parents. (you will have a better idea of the size the puppy will mature to.)
5. Ear infections a problem with the parents?
6. coat texture (a heavy coat requires a lot of grooming.) For example a chocolate color tends to have a very
full, thick coat requiring a lot of grooming and trimming. This can get expensive.

7. the age of the parents. (I retire all my dogs by age 6.) I have found that an old female tends to
produce more health problems in puppies.
8. How many litters has the mother had? Has she been a puppy factory or has she had a break?
9. shots and worming record complete for age of puppy? What type of puppy food has it been on?
10. has the puppy been around people and played with?
11. if you can't afford a good quality puppy, please wait~~sometimes our heart is ready, but check book is not. Puppies need a lot of care, time and love.

These are just a few that come to mind. If the person is uncomfortable answering these questions,
or doesn't know the answers... do they know what they are doing?
But again, you have to feel good about the person you are dealing with.
Listen to your Angels talking to you. I hope this has helped you to find your perfect pet.