If you are buying a Kennel Club registered pedigree puppy, the breeder should supply you with the following:

The Puppy’s Kennel Club Registration Certificate
Check that the names of the parents (sire & dam) match those on the pedigree. Make sure you understand any endorsements that may prevent you from breeding from the dog or exporting it. The breeder should sign to transfer ownership to you. Make sure you send the form off to the Kennel Club to have the puppy’s registered in your name.

The Puppy’s Pedigree
This is a chart showing the names of the puppy’s parents and ancestors. There is no requirement to show a specific number of generations, but three should be the minimum and five is common. It should be signed by the breeder to certify its accuracy.

Photocopies of the Parents’ Health Certificates
Many breeds are prone to hereditary diseases, such as hip dysplasia. Good breeders have the parents tested to try to reduce the risk of hereditary defects being passed to the puppies. Each breed has different test requirements. You should be given photocopies of all the current test certificates relating to both parents. Check to make sure that the names on the certificates match the parents’ names on the puppy’s KC Registration Certificate.
Note: These certificates do not necessarily guarantee that the puppy is free of hereditary defects, but testing the parents and only breeding from better dogs reduces the risks of puppies being severely affected. Some DNA tests can indicate whether the puppy will be clear, a carrier or affected by the condition tested. You can read more about it health tests by clicking here.

Good breeders should, as an absolute minimum, also provide the following:

A Contract for Sale of the Puppy
This should set out the terms of sale, any restrictions on the registration and any guarantee offered by the breeder. Read it carefully.

A Diet Sheet
This should tell you what brand of food the puppy has been fed and how often and how much to feed it. It should detail how the quantities should be increased as the puppy grows. Many breeders will give (or sell) you a small quantity of the food for the first few days.

A Worming Certificate
This should detail when the puppy was wormed and what product was used. Ideally it should also include advice on worming your puppy in the future

The Kennel Club Accredited Breeder Scheme
This is a recently introduced voluntary scheme under which accredited breeders must provide, in addition the the registration, pedigree, health certificates and sale contract, a special Puppy Sales Wallet containing advice and information. They must also undertake to provide a reasonable after-sales advice service and assistance in rehoming the dog if, at some future time, the purchaser can no longer keep it.

Accredited Breeders agree to adhere to a code of conduct. The Kennel Club does not specifically check these breeders, but puppy buyers are asked to complete and return a questionnaire to provide feedback to the Kennel Club. Negative feedback may result in accredited status being withdrawn.