Researching Puppies for Sale in NZ? Here’s How to Buy Right

Let us guess… you’re Googling “puppies for sale NZ” because you think you’re ready to bring a happy fur ball into your life? We’re sure loads of adorable potential fur kids are staring back at you from your screen. But are you clued up on everything you need to know before buying a puppy. What about puppy scams? Puppy farms? Puppy papers?

As a potential first time pet owner, you have quite a big responsibility resting on your shoulders. Not only should you consider carefully whether you actually want to buy a puppy instead of adopting one, you need to make sure you’re buying from ethical breeders and not giving your money to cruel puppy mills.

With November to March being a big puppy breeding period, we’ve put together a guide of everything you need to know about getting a puppy in New Zealand.

From avoiding puppy scams, to deciding on the best pup for you, to training and proofing your home for your new bestie… Here goes!

Puppies for sale in NZ: To shop or adopt?

There are many reasons people choose to buy a puppy rather than adopt one. Let’s look at some of these…

To shop?

Perhaps you have your heart set on a very specific breed, sex and colour of dog that just isn’t available at your shelter. If your dream is to own a tri-colour female Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, there’s little we can do to persuade you otherwise.

And we totally get it. Beautifully bred little bundles of fluff are pretty irresistible! Just be sure to thoroughly research how to find ethical dog breeders first. You want to find a professional breeder who treats breeding parents and their pups like gold. You also want to ensure they’re undertaking all the important health tests, like for certain hereditary and congenital conditions.

As your first stop, visit the Dogs New Zealand website for pedigree dog breeding and breeder information. It has a list of health tests that might be relevant for the breeds you’re interested in and a breed selector tool that helps you find the best breed for you. You’ll also find contact details for different breed clubs.

Side note: if you do go down the ‘to shop’ path, read all about how to prove your dog is purebred and about the difference between pedigree vs purebred.

Undecided about shop vs adopt? Don’t fall prey to one of the myths about animals from shelters – for instance that they all have behavioural issues, are unhealthy, unsocialised, or that shelters don’t have any pedigree or young dogs (these are all untrue, by the way). Which leads us to…

To adopt?

Adopting from a shelter, where there are plenty of puppies to choose from, can provide you with the right furry family member you’ve been seeking. Plus, it helps the animal community as a whole. Why? Each year, thousands of unwanted pups are euthanised in New Zealand, and tens of thousands more end up in shelters, desperate for a home.

Adopting literally saves lives.

Not only that, but adopted dogs will cost you less to bring home, usually come spayed or neutered, and offer all the physical and emotional benefits of a purchased dog (and more!). Not convinced? Read some more compelling reasons to adopt a pet.

If you’ve decided to adopt a rescue, congratulations! You’ve made a great decision. Because we love seeing this and want to give each pup and pup parent the best chance at a happy household, we’ve set up several guides on adopted dogs to ensure you’re well informed. Take a look at a couple now:

• Dog Adoption Checklist for New Pup Parents
• Older Dogs for Adoption: Pros and Cons

You’ll probably also want to know what breed/s your pup really is once you bring it home. You’re not alone – that’s the big reason why our dog DNA test article is one of our most popular! Have a quick read.

Ethical buying of puppies for sale in NZ

Okay, so you’re still keen to buy instead of adopting. With dog ownership increasing around the country (and globally), selling puppies has now become big business. Unfortunately, the laws that govern who can breed and sell animals in New Zealand have very few restrictions.

This has given rise to puppy mills. These are large, commercial facilities that make money from breeding dogs. Some puppy mills make their dog’s health and wellbeing a top priority. But many don’t and it’s only about profit. This can lead to terrible cruelty to the animals.

How do you avoid giving these places your money? Your first stop should be Dogs New Zealand to find a professional breeder. Also arm yourself with the info below.

Tips for spotting a nasty puppy mill

How do you know whether you’re buying from a puppy mill or not? First off, check out our guide on how to buy a puppy safely, then remember these points about puppies for sale in NZ:

• A big warning sign that you may be dealing with a mill is if the seller won’t let you come to their home or facility to view or purchase the dog. They may be hiding overcrowded, inhumane facilities.

• If you’re invited to the premises, check the conditions there. Where do the puppies sleep? Do they have clean sleeping quarters, food and water? Are they kept in cages or tied up? Do the dogs look happy and healthy? Do you see any signs of malnourishment or disease?

• Wherever possible, try to meet the puppy’s parents. How well are they socialised? A dog who’s terrified or overly aggressive may be so because they’ve been confined for breeding and aren’t allowed to mingle with other dogs.

Puppy mill owners are very smart at hiding their tracks and it can be hard to tell whether you’re supporting a mill or not. Read our guide on how to avoid puppy mills in New Zealand.

Avoiding scams with puppies for sale in NZ

The rise in demand for puppies has also increased puppy scams. This is where an online seller gets you to pay for a dog that usually doesn’t exist. Either that, or they sell you a stolen dog.

Many black market scammers find puppies to be easier to sell than the usual contraband they deal in. In Australia, more than $300,000 was lost to online puppy scams in 2020!

Puppy scams aren’t limited to specific breeds, but they usually target small, popular and expensive breeds like English and French Bulldogs and hybrid dog breeds like the Spoodle.

How do puppy scams work?

While puppy scam tactics vary, there are patterns with how scammers operate. Here are some:

• An “XYZ breed puppies for sale NZ” ad or similar will usually be on Trade Me or Facebook. Because it’s easy to delete your profile and disappear from these platforms, they’re often used by scammers. But some do go to the trouble of creating bogus websites.
• Some puppy scams offer a free puppy and say that you only have to pay for the freight to get the dog to where you are. Once you transfer the cash for the freight, the seller disappears or blocks your number. Jetpets NZ has issued a warning advising of this particular type of animal travel puppy scams.
• Scammers may use free email service providers like Yahoo or Hotmail, while legitimate breeders will likely have a business email address pertaining to their website, like [email protected].
• Puppy scams pros often use untraceable payment methods and will request payment via services such as Western Union.
• If their correspondence is full of errors, that’s a red flag because legitimate breeders will take the time to create a professional impression.

Choosing the dog that best suits you

There are many aspects of dog ownership that you need to consider before deciding on your perfect pooch. From lifestyle and location fit, to upfront and lifetime cost, to grooming and dog breed exercise requirements and beyond, there’s a lot for you to carefully ponder.

Take a look at our How to Find Your Perfect Pup article for a whole bunch of advice on the different considerations you’ll need to make to ensure you make the right choice. A canine companion is a serious commitment, one that should encompass all that lucky dog’s years.

Make sure you’re definitely ready and you’re at the right stage of life. Be certain you understand how your pup will fit into that life and what happiness and health you can provide it.

And if you already have one or more pets, you’ll also want to make sure you know how to integrate your new pup into the fray. So, read about how to manage lots of pets together.

Preparing for the new arrival: Puppy proofing

Before you adopt one of the legit puppies for sale in NZ, you’ll want to make sure your home is ready for a new furry arrival. Here are some tips for puppy proofing your home:

• Puppies love to chew! Not only can this cost you thousands in damage to your property, but chewing is a dog choking hazard. Ensure any chewable items are safely off the floor and out of reach before your pup arrives, and keep it that way.
• Along the same vein, remove anything that’s small enough to be swallowed. A lot of things that are swallowed can’t be digested or passed through the other end, which can mean eventual surgery to remove them.
• Remove any rugs, mats and carpets that aren’t fixed. Until the poopy place has been firmly fixed in your pup’s mind, get yourself some puppy training pads too.  Don’t worry, it’s just temporary.
• Pack away any dangerous household goods. This includes cleaning substances, essential oils and medicine. You don’t want them ingesting it, nor do you want them spilling it, getting in on their fur and causing a hazard for others too.
• Close doors to no-access areas. This includes floor level cupboards that should be fastened with cable ties/baby proofing equipment or locked. Close bin lids and toilet lids; perhaps even keep the toilet and bathroom doors closed.
• Puppies love to explore and this can get them into trouble, especially if they get entangled in strings, cords or hanging objects. That’s why you should ensure your blinds and curtains are drawn up or tied so that your fur ball can’t reach them.

Read more info on how to puppy proof your house like a pro.

Training your pup

Now that you’ve brought home your happy fur ball, you’re bound to find they can be quite the handful. From chewing up everything in sight, to going to the bathroom everywhere except where they’re supposed to, to having absolutely no clue how to walk on a lead.

These are all things your doggo still has to learn. Luckily, we’ve handy guides on each aspect of your puppy training journey:

• Top Tips for Puppy Sleep Training
• Toilet Training Your Puppy – Tips to Help Get It Right
• How to Teach Your Puppy to Walk on a Lead
• Crate Train a Puppy – The Benefits
• How to Stop My Puppy from Crying
• Teething Puppy Survival Guide 101
• How to Find a Trusted Puppy School in New Zealand
• How to Find the Doggy Daycare They Deserve

The best puppy plan? Insurance

Now you know about puppy scams and ethical risks around buying puppies for sale in NZ. You’re across how to prep well for your new puppy pal too. Also understand that whether you’re choosing to adopt or buy, the best gift you can give your new fur kid (and yourself), is one of our dog insurance plans.

It’s easy to manage and claim, and it’s inexpensive, covering most tests and treatments for accidents, illnesses, infections, allergies and more. PD Insurance even covers hereditary conditions, provided they’re not pre-existing and your waiting period is over. Hospitalisation and prescription medication are big costs pet insurance can cover too.

Avoid hairy situations now and into the future by getting your pet health cover as soon as you get your pet! Let’s look after our nation’s puppies, ensuring they grow into a future generation of healthy, happy dogs.