You may be wondering where to buy dogs if you are preparing to add to your family? Consider this list of of where to buy dogs, before you purchase your new dog. If you are sure you are looking for a newly born dog we have another article on where to buy puppies.
When looking to purchase a dog, I believe the majority of people automatically think “breeder”. The list below will not only help you find the best dog for your family, but also the best place to purchase your dog.
The AKC has a fun simple questionnaire that can help you determine the type of dog that would best fit you and your lifestyle. You can try it here.
Humane Societies, Pounds and Shelters
My first go to, for find where to buy dogs is always a humane society. The majority of these dogs make excellent pets; they are up to date on vaccines, generally spayed or neutered, and are house broken. Almost every county has a shelter of some kind – so once you know what kind of dog you’re looking for, swing on over to your local shelter first!
Petfinder
This is the website I used when looking to buy my dog Clark. When it comes to where to buy dogs, I believe Petfinder to be one of the best options. You can add filters for age; gender, size and family lifestyle needs. Then quickly search by radius all the humane societies and shelters from the comfort of your home. This makes searching for a specific breed fast and easy. Once you’ve spotted a pooch that you’re interested in, simply contact the location and setup a play date.
Allpaws
Similar to Petfinder, All Paws has a much bigger database – so often if you can’t find a breed you’re looking for on Petfinder… you can find it on All Paws.
Adopt A Pet
Another site that is very similar to Petfinder. Adopt A Pet allows you to setup a profile, so that if you can’t find a dog from the current list of available candidates… Adopt A Pet will send you email notifications whenever a dog that meets your criteria becomes available.
Where to Buy Dogs on Facebook Groups
Believe it or not, Facebook groups are great listings for where to buy dogs. Just like shelter dogs, many of the dogs listed in these Facebook groups are needing to be rehomed. When searching on Facebook keep these few things in mind.
1. Buy locally
2. Pay in person
3. Get all the dogs vet records before you buy the dog.
To find Facebook Groups where you can buy dogs, do a simple search for “dogs for sale in ___” add your state in the search to narrow down the results. Join the group, scroll through the posts and see if there are any dogs you would want to take a look at.
Where to Buy Dogs at Local Breeders
Local breeders will complete my list for where to buy dogs. Sometimes breeders will sell an adult dog after they’re no longer breeding them. This is a great opportunity for you to get a dog that is well trained, has been well taken care of and allows you to experience this breed before buying a puppy. The condition of an adult dog is the perfect way to tell if you have found a good breeder or not.
The best way to find a breeder is… word of mouth. You can also find a local breeder by doing a Google search for your specific dog breed. You can also do similar searches on Facebook. When buying dogs from a breeder keep the same 3 things in mind as listed above.
In closing a small piece of advice… be very cautious when choosing to buy dogs from breeders, from Facebook, Craigslist or any randomly searched website. Do your due diligence and never purchase a dog in haste. It is a living thing that you will be responsible for and should become a part of your family.
We hope you have enjoyed this article on Where to Buy Dogs and can find a canine companion that is perfect for your family.