Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re looking for a puppy and you weren’t already concerned with this information, you should be! Where your puppy comes from is something every responsible pet owner should be aware of. Knowing your pet’s background will help you predict health and behavior, and thorough research is the best way to support ethical breeders.

Our puppies all come from highly qualified breeders from around the country. Each breeder we work with is licensed, registered, and USDA inspected with no direct violations on their inspection reports. We provide our breeders’ information with every puppy.

My Next Puppy does NOT work with puppy mills, and are against breeders and pet stores who support them. A puppy mill is a breeder or facility that may overbreed, neglect, or mistreat their animals to sell as many puppies as possible with little to no regard for the health and treatment of their animals. Because puppy mills don’t take the extra time or money to ensure the health of their animals, they can charge much lower prices than reputable breeders. Most of these operations list very low prices online and restrict buyers from viewing where the animals have been cared for.

Some puppy mills will carry the same licensing and registration as reputable breeders, so it is important to research the status of such registrations and recent inspection reports. Puppy mills will often refuse to provide this information or will provide false or misleading information.

Remember, a breeder who cares about the health of a puppy will care about who they go home with. They will NOT sell a puppy to a someone without either meeting them first or doing a background check. You should keep this in mind when you consider having a puppy shipped to you.

No. To keep our prices low and our standards high, we are unable to work with local breeders. Those who meet our standards would raise our prices, and those who are more affordable do not meet our requirements. Instead, we work with breeders all over the country to bring a variety of breeds you might not be able to find locally.

Puppies must be at least 8 weeks old to be sold to us by the breeder. Once the puppies are vet-certified safe for travel, they are brought to us by one of our transport drivers, vet-checked once more, and placed on a hold-status while we watch for any health concerns before they are made available. Available puppies are typically between 9-12 weeks old.

Some prospective puppy buyers believe that a puppy can be purchased younger than 8 weeks. This is not only unsafe and unhealthy for the puppy, but is also illegal in the United States. An ethical breeder will make sure that a puppy is healthy and ready to leave the mom before sending it home with a new owner. Certain breeders will sell puppies before they are weaned and only allow pickup or delivery once they are ready. Some will even take “orders” and deposits on planned litters before the mom is pregnant, but buyers should be cautious of situations like this. Often, scam artists will try to take money for puppies that don’t exist, or that they don’t intend to sell.

If there’s a specific breed, gender, color, or size you’re looking for, we can put you on a wait list and notify you when we receive a puppy meeting your criteria. Because it can be difficult to locate certain types of dogs from breeders who meet our qualifications, we can’t order puppies specifically for you, but we will do our best to locate your perfect puppy.

If you prefer to just wait until the right puppy shows up instead of adding your information to our wait list, it may take longer. My Next Puppy selects which puppies to carry based on sales trends and popularity on our wait list. If a dozen people are interested in a Weimaraner but no one signs up for one, it’s unlikely that we’ll receive any, but if just one person requests a white female husky with one blue eye, we’ll start searching for it.

We carry a wide variety of puppies in all different sizes from toy to giant breeds. (See Can I order a puppy you don’t have?) Some breeds are more difficult to find, but the only breed we will not attempt to locate is the “pit bull” – not because they are stereotyped as aggressive, but because there are so many already in shelters and rescue organizations that need love too.

There are many breeds acceptable for people with allergies, but it will depend on how bad the allergies are. Some allergies are caused by dander, but dog allergies are more often caused by the oils in the skin and saliva. For slight allergy sufferers, a low-shedding breed is recommended, but you should avoid breeds that slobber or drool. For severe allergies, a hypoallergenic breed is best. There are a variety of hypoallergenic breeds of various sizes, including mixed-breeds like the Goldendoodle.

Some allergy sufferers may even react to certain hypoallergenic breeds. If you are still interested in purchasing a puppy you may be allergic to, your doctor may recommend treatment options. You should always consult a doctor with any allergy concerns.

There are a variety of different sizes of dogs; even dogs of the same breed can be classified as different sizes.

• Giant Breeds typically are breeds that have a standard adult weight over 80 pounds.
• Large Breeds typically are breeds that have a standard adult weight from 50 to 80 pounds.
• Medium Breeds typically are breeds that have a standard adult weight from 20 to 50 pounds.
• Small Breeds typically are breeds that have a standard adult weight under 20 pounds. It is common to see littermates in each of the small-breed classifications.
  • Miniature Breeds are a classification of small breeds that have a standard adult weight from 10 to 20 pounds. Some dogs may be called a “miniature” version of a larger breed and may not fit the 10-20-pound range; instead, they will fall into a weight range that is lower than the standard breed.
  • Toy Breeds are a classification of small breeds that have a standard adult weight from 5 to 15 pounds.
  • Teacup is a classification of small breeds that have an adult weight below the breed standard.

While we do have these smaller puppies available from time to time, it is very rare.

Teacups are not a breed, but a size of dog. “Teacup” generally refers to a small breed dog which does not reach the breed standard minimum weight as an adult. Breeds like the Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier are common “teacups” reaching no more than 3 or 4 pounds full-grown.

Although commonly sold as such, there is no such thing as a “teacup” puppy. Teacup only refers to the adult size of the dog. You can never be 100% sure of a puppy’s adult size while they are still young, and some puppies will take longer to reach their full size.

Did you know that conception in dogs can be spread out as far as 10 days? Since the puppy who was conceived first will determine the due-date, the puppy who was conceived last will likely be much smaller because it is developmentally younger regardless of birthdate. With an average gestation period of 63 days, the youngest puppy in this scenario is akin to a premature human baby born 45 days early. Often, these “preemie” puppies are mistaken for “teacups” when they just need a little longer to grow.

Teacup-sized dogs are more susceptible to a variety of health problems. Because they are much smaller, illness will affect them more than larger dogs, especially when very young or when transitioning to a new home. In many cases, especially when small dogs are bred to be smaller than usual, breeders may be less concerned with the health of the puppy. It is very important to verify and closely monitor the health of a teacup dog before purchase and during the first few months at home. Many teacups will continue to show health problems such as low blood-sugar and diabetes through their entire life. If you still want to adopt a teacup, you should be prepared for this.

Because teacups are at a higher risk of developing health problems, it is very important that they stay with their mom as long as possible to minimize that risk. A reputable breeder will keep a tiny puppy until it is stable and healthy enough to go home with its new family. A breeder who charges more for a “teacup” should only do so to cover the cost of extra care – NOT because teacups are “high-demand”.

Don’t be fooled! There are unscrupulous breeders who would take advantage of people hoping to purchase a teacup. Sometimes, these breeders will sell an unhealthy puppy at a higher price than its littermates simply because it is smaller. Others will go so far as to lie about a puppy’s age to convince the new owner they are purchasing a teacup rather than a larger puppy.

New puppies arrive every week! If you don’t see the perfect dog on your first visit, your new puppy might just be in the next group! Sign up on our wait list to be notified of new arrivals.

All our puppies are up-to-date on legally required vaccinations, but your vet may recommend additional vaccinations and boosters as the puppy gets older. Keep in mind that young puppies (under 16 weeks) may require additional vaccines at later stages; it can be unhealthy or unsafe to provide these all at once.

While we do our best to reinforce positive potty-behavior while in our care, our puppies are not fully housebroken. Introducing your puppy to a new environment can cause some stress, and accidents are bound to happen. Talk to our trainer, Scott, about how to potty-train your new puppy.

Don’t worry, all our puppies are cared for like family and all will eventually find their new families. While most of our puppies only stay a week or two, some puppies may take longer to find their perfect family. As puppies get older (over 16 weeks usually), their prices will start to drop to ensure they find the right home even faster. Often, a slightly older puppy is a better choice for families who are concerned about potty-training as they tend to have better bladder control.

At night, puppies stay in their suites. The suites are like the puppies’ bedrooms, a safe and comfortable space. No one stays in the store with the puppies overnight, but we have a monitoring system throughout the building to keep an eye on them. In the morning, our kennel techs arrive to take care of the puppies, feeding, cleaning, and bathing if necessary.

The puppies get used to the daily routine – waking up when our kennel techs arrive, and settling down when it gets close to closing time. At home, your new puppy will get used to your schedule and will start to sleep through the night without bothering anyone.

Just like teenage girls, our puppies aren’t ready to be seen first thing in the morning – think puppy bed-head! Our kennel techs take a couple of hours before we open to make sure the puppies’ suites are clean and the puppies are fed and groomed.

All our available puppies are listed on our website, which receives live updates. Puppies that have just become available will appear on the site instantly, and puppies who are no longer available will be removed. Each of our available puppies is ready to go home today!

Our puppies go home very quickly, on a “first-come-first-served” basis, and we are unable to guarantee the availability of any puppy without a deposit. If you want us to “hold” a puppy for you, you can place a deposit of $200. A deposit will ensure that no one else can play with or purchase your puppy for up to three days, and will “lock-in” any current discount. The $200 will go toward the price of the puppy, but is non-refundable should you decide not to purchase. Deposits also cannot be transferred to a different puppy. If you will be unable to complete the purchase by the end of the three days, please let us know and we will do our best to work with you.

We recommend setting an appointment in case we get busy, but walk-ins are accepted as well. We do require that anyone under 18 years old be accompanied by an adult.

Of course! We welcome all furry family members, but suggest setting an appointment to make sure a larger space will be available. This can be a great way to test an interaction prior to purchase, but since a puppy store can be a stressful new environment, your dog may be more agitated than usual and it may not be an accurate representation of behavior at home.

You can take a puppy home the same day you meet them!

If you’re planning on taking a puppy home, you need to bring a photo ID and a form of payment. We accept cash and credit, as well as providing financing options which may or may not require a down payment.

All our puppies are for sale. Since the term “adoption” is associated so heavily with rescue organizations and shelters, we only refer to our puppies as “purchases”, though you will still be taking home a new family member!

To stay competitive, wo only provide our prices in-person. Because we work with breeders all over the country, we’re able to keep our prices competitive with local breeders and pet stores who meet the same standards we expect of our own breeders. (see Where do your puppies come from?)

Yes. We work with several finance companies to make it easier to take a puppy home on a budget. There are different options, from set-term contracts to revolving credit. Some interest-free options are available if you can pay off the full cost quickly. Monthly payments start as low as $100.

If you compare apples to oranges, you’ll always end up with a skewed perspective on the value. The value of our puppies is higher than that of lower priced breeders and pet stores. There are several factors that make up a puppy’s value. In addition to the quality of the breeders we work with (see Where do your puppies come from?), we also consider the following:

• Background and pedigree: A puppy’s bloodline can tell you a lot about how healthy the puppy will be throughout its life, and how closely it fits to the breed standard. Show-quality lineage typically means a dog that can be expected to reach the breed standard in form and temperament.
• Age: A younger puppy (as young as 8 weeks) will typically have a higher price than an older puppy or adult dog because the first year of life can be essential to the development of personality, training and behaviors, and bonding with their humans.
• Packaging: (see What is included when I purchase a puppy?)
• Guarantees: (see What are your guarantees)

Our prices tend to be much lower than local breeders and pet stores who meet the same expectations we have of our own breeders, especially once you factor in all the supplies and freebies!

Each of our puppies is sent home with one of our housewarming packages, including a crate for housebreaking, food and treats, toys and training supplies. We want to make sure you leave here with everything you need for your new family member! (see Housewarming Package)

No. Currently, we do not have the resources available to ship puppies. To make sure our puppies go to good homes, we would have to screen every potential buyer; background checks can be expensive and time-consuming, as well as potentially inaccurate.

Meeting your puppy here in the store will ensure that you find a puppy with the right personality for your home. Wouldn’t you hate to order a puppy, wait for it to arrive, and find out its personality isn’t anything like you expected?

Crate training is recommended for housebreaking your puppy, and it is not mean to your puppy to have them in a crate. Crates are a safe space for your puppy that keep them from getting into dangerous situations when you aren’t around to supervise, like at bedtime and while you’re at work or school. Dogs are den animals who like to curl up in cozy, closed-in spaces; their crate is like their bedroom – a place they can go to feel safe and be alone.

Housebreaking a puppy is much easier with a crate for both you and your puppy. You don’t like cleaning up accidents around the house, and your puppy can get stressed out by letting you down. Dogs like to keep their “den” clean, and will try to avoid accidents inside. This usually means they will be ready to go potty when you let them out, so make sure to take them where you want them to relieve themselves. Just remember, very young puppies can’t be left in the crate for more than a few hours at a time.

When breeders cross a male and female, they do so after careful consideration of each parent’s bloodline and any potential results of the cross, including health problems, and strive to improve the bloodlines with the highest quality puppy fitting closely to the breed standard. When a litter is born, the breeders select which puppies are breeding quality and which puppies are pet quality. Breeding quality dogs are typically priced much higher than pet quality, and pet quality dogs should not be used for breeding due to the potential health problems that can be passed on. Due to this, breeders will often require a spay/neuter agreement for these puppies. All pet-store puppies are pet quality and should not be bred.

Additionally, spaying or neutering your dog can result in a longer, healthier life. With males, neutering can reduce territorial behavior and aggression. With females, spaying negates any risk of pregnancy or reproductive health issues, as well as not having to deal with menstruation.

Your first trip to the vet is covered by us ONLY at our vet, but you are free to use whichever vet you’re comfortable with after that. However, we may require that the puppy be seen by our vet for any health concerns relative to our guarantees.

Our puppies eat NutriSource brand dry dog food. It is a premium-quality, vet-recommended brand with no byproducts or fillers and grain-free options. You can read about it here, as well as locate AUTHORIZED retailers – you won’t see this at PetSmart or Petco; Amazon retailers are not authorized and may have old or expired products.

We recommend NutriSource because of its premium ingredients and ethically-conscious manufacturer. If you decide to use a different brand, make sure you’re comfortable with their ingredients. Some brands are full of byproducts and fillers, and do very little for the health of your puppy. Don’t be fooled by pretty pictures and advertising – make sure to read the ingredient label!

Your puppy will be happy with any brand you decide to feed him. If you want to switch to something other than NutriSource, you should do so slowly to reduce the chance of digestive upset by gradually increasing the amount of the new food mixed into the old.

If you think your puppy is too picky and doesn’t like his food, just leave it for a while and he’ll eat when he’s hungry. If you give treats and scraps because you feel sorry for him, your puppy may decide not to eat his food at all, which isn’t healthy. If your puppy is small and doesn’t want to eat, you can try to entice him with wet food mixed into the dry. Provide supplements to puppies who aren’t getting enough nutrition, and never let a small puppy go all day without eating. You can force-feed if necessary by putting wet food in a syringe.

Weather permitting, we take fully-vaccinated puppies on regular walks. Puppies who don’t get the chance to go outside get plenty of exercise playing inside with our visitors and staff.

You should get your puppy used to going outside on a leash as soon as possible, but do your best to avoid public areas where unfamiliar dogs have been until your puppy is fully vaccinated. Playing in your backyard or with dogs you know is perfectly alright.

Fleas and ticks can be detrimental to a dog’s health if they aren’t controlled. They can carry a myriad of diseases which can be transmitted to both you and your pets.

Flea and tick medications are available from your vet as well as various retailers. Drops, collars, pills, shampoos, and other supplies can be used, as well as some non-medicated alternatives.

In addition to the various registries our puppies are already affiliated with, each new puppy leaves our store fully registered with AKC Canine Partners.

Breeder registration and puppy registration are handled separately. A registered breeder is recognized by that registry as compliant with their standards. Each registry has different standards, so it is important to make sure that your breeder is inspected by the USDA.

When a puppy is registered, it means that registry recognizes its pedigree and bloodline as being accurate. A puppy registered as a purebred is recognized by that registry as having a pure bloodline.

Some registries will also accept mixed-breeds and purebreds without established bloodlines. These registrations will be labeled differently than standard registration and are accompanied by different perks.

Some registries only offer closed registration to dogs with established pedigrees through their own registries. In some cases, registration is limited for dogs without breeding rights. Sometimes a registry will offer open registration for any dog, or only for dogs who meet certain requirements like a pedigree from another registry.

In most cases, there is no real difference in the quality of a dog from different registries. While many people recognize AKC as the “best” registry, they do not allow dual registry except in rare cases. While this ensures that AKC registered dogs’ purebred status, new dogs can’t be introduced into the gene pool, which can create higher instances of inbreeding in small populations and with less cautious breeders. For this reason, many breeders will use registries that allow registration of dogs with pedigrees established outside of their registry. By drawing from a larger gene pool, breeders are better able to prevent genetic disorders and improve overall breed health.

An unregistered dog may still be purebred.

There are many different pet registries in the USA, and even more throughout the world. These registries include:

• American Kennel Club (AKC)
  • Est. 1884
  • Closed registration for dogs with both AKC registered parents.
  • Open registration is offered for a limited time to newly recognized breeds who have established pedigrees in other registries accepted by the AKC.
  • Limited registration is for dogs who have an AKC established pedigree but no breeding rights. Dogs are eligible for all events except for conformation.
• AKC Canine Partners
  • AKC offers open registration for mixed-breeds and purebreds which are ineligible for AKC registration
  • Registered dogs are eligible for non-conformation events such as obedience and agility.
• American Canine Association Inc. (ACA)
  • Est. 1984
  • “America’s Largest Veterinary Health Tracking Canine Registry”
• International Canine Association (ICA)
  • ACA offers open registration for mixed-breeds and purebreds which are ineligible for ACA registration
• American Canine Hybrid Club (ACHC)
  • Est. 1969
  • For mixed-breeds only
• American Canine Registry (ACR)
  • Specialty breed registry, started in 2000 as a Rat Terrier registry and has since expanded to include all established breeds.
  • Only registry that recognizes the Harlequin Pinscher; only US registry that recognizes the Biewer Yorkie
  • ACR helps breeders develop their own breeds through their sister registry, “American Pedigree Registry”
• America’s Pet Registry, Inc. (APRI)
  • Est. 1992
  • Closed registration for dogs with both parents registered to APRI
  • Dual registration available for dogs from other registries
• American Purebred Registry (APR)
  • Est. 1979
  • Provides open registration for purebred dogs and cats
• Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC)
  • Est. 1949
• Canadian Kennel Club (CKC)
  • Est. 1888
  • Not to be confused with Continental Kennel Club (also CKC)
• Continental Kennel Club (CKC)
  • Est. 1991
  • Not to be confused with Canadian Kennel Club (also CKC)
• Designer Breed Registry (DBR)
  • Specific to designer breeds, but also registers purebred dogs under a different category
  • Helps breeders establish breed standards for new breeds.
• Dog Registry of America, Inc. (DRA)
  • Formerly the “US Kennel Club”
  • All-breed registry; registers all purebred dogs, rare and exotic breeds, designer dogs, hybrids and unrecognized breeds.
• Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI)
  • Est. 1911 “to promote and protect cynology and purebred dogs by any means it considers necessary.”
  • Disappeared during WWI, re-created with new articles of incorporation in 1921
  • Legal personality by decree in 1968
  • aka “World Canine Organization”
  • Worldwide dog registry
• International Designer Canine Registry (IDCR)
  • Parent company est. 1995
  • “The IDCR offers breeders and owners of designer breeds the opportunity to document and record ownership, parentage and ancestry of their designer canines and in so doing record their name and their dog's place in breed history.”
  • Only registers Designer Dogs with known breed percentages.
• Kennel Club of Great Britain (KCGB)
  • Est. 1891
  • Voluntary registrar for purebred and crossbred dogs.
  • The UK’s largest database for both pedigree and crossbreed dogs (through partner registries)
  • Runs the world’s largest dog event, the world’s largest dog agility event, and licenses more than 4,500 other dog events.
• National Kennel Club (NKC)
  • Est. 1964
  • NKC is an “all-breed” registry that recognizes all established and “rare” purebreds.
  • Active in wildlife preservation efforts
• National Hybrid Registry (NHR)
  • Only registers “Hybrid” dogs with both parents purebred and eligible for registration in the NKC
• New Zealand Kennel Club (NZKC)
  • Est. 1886
  • NZKC is an “all-breed” purebred registry.
• North American Purebred Registry, Inc. (NAPR)
  • Est. 1995 as North American Beagle Registry
  • Expanded to include all purebreds in 1998 (NAPDR)
  • Incorporated in 2009 (NAPR)
  • NAPR Registers all purebred dogs and cats
  • Primary focus is fast and friendly customer service (24-hour registration turnaround)
  • Mixed breeds registered separately
• United Kennel Club (UKC)
  • Est. 1898
  • International registry
  • Does not register dogs with known breed faults
  • Provides “Purple Ribbon” Registry status to dogs with 14 generations registered through UKC

Yes. All our puppies are microchipped prior to arrival at our store. Microchipping is a safe and harmless way to identify your pet. Microchips are inserted under the skin near the shoulder blades of an animal. A scanner can be used to identify the microchip number, which is searchable through various registry databases.

Each puppy leaves our store registered for one year with Petkey microchip registry. With Petkey, you can keep track of medical logs and registration information, update your contact information, and upload new pictures of your dog. In the event that your puppy is lost or stolen, Petkey will notify pet stores, groomers, vets, shelters, and other organizations nearby.

We guarantee the health of our puppies for up to 1 year on major hereditary medical conditions related to the knees, hips, eyes, spine and heart, and up to 3 years on genetic disorders.

There is no “trial period” to take a puppy home. If you have concerns about how the puppy will get along with the rest of the family, you can bring them here (including other dogs) to see how they interact. We want to make sure everyone is ready for the commitment of a new puppy before they go home, and we’re here to answer any questions you have.

Getting a puppy for someone else is a great idea! Getting a puppy as a surprise gift should be done with caution.

If you get a puppy for your children, you should be prepared to handle 100% of the puppy’s care. Children are often less responsible and may lose interest when the “newness” wears off, or may be unable or unwilling to help with things like training and cleaning up messes.

If you get a puppy for an adult or someone else’s child, you should be sure ahead of time that the new owner is ready for the 10-15-year commitment. They should be physically and financially capable of caring for a puppy, and above all, you should never get a puppy for someone who doesn’t want one. The safest bet is to bring them with you when you plan on purchasing.

My Next Puppy does not accept returns on puppies unless a veterinarian determines the puppy was unfit for sale. If you have special circumstances, please contact a manager and we’ll do our best to assist you. My Next Puppy cannot guarantee whether a refund or return will be accepted.

We no longer have the resources available to offer grooming services for our customers.

We no longer have the resources available to offer boarding and daycare services for our customers.

Yes. While we don’t currently offer training classes, we have a multi-agency certified trainer who can come to your house for affordable private training sessions geared toward your specific needs. (See Training-Flyer.pdf)