Reliable breeders will not misrepresent their dogs and genuinely try to match the right puppy to the right home. The Breeder has invested a lot of love, time, and money in his dogs and wants to know that his puppies have found loving, responsible homes.

Although a knowledgeable breeder should be able to label puppies as show or pet prospects by two months of age, it is impossible to know whether a puppy purchased at an early age will mature as a show specimen or at an exact size. When it comes right down to it, purchasing a young puppy for show is a gamble - youre betting on the breeders track record, the quality of the pedigree behind the puppy, and the appearance of the puppy at a young age. Rarely do attractive puppies from mediocre pedigrees mature into a winning show dog and top sire or dam of the breed. Conversely, even a dog with an excellent pedigree may develop some undesirable trait during the course of maturing.

Any problems that arise with a new puppy or dog should be reported to the breeder immediately. In addition, a reputable breeder will always take one of their dogs back and be willing to find it a new home. A reputable breeder also provides health guarantees in writing on his dogs and should be willing to send you a copy of his contract along with pedigrees and photos of the puppies and their parents. Getting a video is a good idea if you cannot make a home visit, because it is the best way to gauge temperament and quality of the dogs, as well as a chance to see their living conditions.

Although ancestry is important, dont be fooled by pedigrees or touting titles. There are dogs with ill-deserved titles and a title does not guarantee quality. Judge the dogs for yourself, or have your veterinarian or other canine professional take a look at the video, contract and other information provided by the breeder.

Most quality breeders only sell dogs into pet homes on spay/neuter contracts in order to insure the future quality of the breed and that their dogs will not be used improperly. A spay/neuter contract simply stipulates a deadline for altering the dog and states that the papers will not be forwarded until the breeder receives "proof of alteration". In addition, most reputable breeders actively show their dogs, participate in breed clubs and only breed top show quality dogs that are registered with UKC and AKC.

A word of caution, be careful of Toy Fox Terriers (or any other breed) for sale in pet shops as they are not bred by reputable breeders. These dogs are not bred for quality or adherence to the standard and may have a number of health issues to be concerned about as well as being extremely "off-type". In addition, they are often advertised as "UKC registered" when in reality, they are Universal Kennel Club registered, instead of holding the "United Kennel Club" registry. The Universal Kennel Club registry is a separate registry that places no purity restrictions on the bloodlines and, therefore, is not reliable.

A good dog comes from a conscientious breeder who cares about his dogs and is trying to improve the breed.