What to ask breeders when you call looking for a kees puppy:
How long have you been involved with kees?
What clubs do you belong to (all-breed, performance and kees clubs)? Have you held office or chaired committees with clubs? If the breeder is not a member of any dog clubs, that would be a red flag. Hang up & find another breeder.
How many dogs do you keep? If the answer is more than 10, that may be a red flag that you may not want to deal with this person. If they have too many dogs, how can they adequately care for these dogs physically and mentally?
How many litters do you have per year? If the answer is more than 4 or so, that may be a red flag that this person is cranking out puppies. It may also be that this person has a large extended dog family and can handle that many pups per year, but I would be wary.
Where are your pups raised (kennel or home or ?)? If they are raised in a kennel, how much human contact and what kind of contact do they get per day? Based upon the answer to this question, you may or may not want to deal with this breeder.
How long have you owned the dam of the litter? If the dam has not been with the breeder for a period of time, then ask where she was obtained. It could be the breeder has leased her from another breeder. Based upon the answer to this question, you may or may not want to deal with this breeder.
Are the parents on premises? (if they are, usually this is not a good thing… could mean a backyard breeder breeding their own bitch to their own dog time and time again)?
What tests have the sire and dam had? OFA for hips, CERF for eyes, OFA for Thyroid or an accredited thyroid veterinary test center, stifles check by a vet or OFA certified. PHPT (Primary Hyperparathyroid disease) testing should be done to render the parents Negative on this disease. Elbows normal by OFA. Heart testing rendering the parents clear of inherited heart problems.
May I obtain copies of the test results? (if the answer is no, then end the conversation, you don't need to deal with this breeder).
May I obtain a copy of the pedigree? The breeder may direct you to the Keeshond Pedigree database. That is ok. If the breeder cannot supply you with a pedigree, do not deal with them.
Do you show your dogs? If so, how many shows do you attend per year? If the person says they do not show, then you may not want to deal with this breeder. They may just be a backyard breeder or in it for the money without trying to better the breed through competing in AKC events.
Is this litter registered with the American Kennel Club? Note: there are many obscure registries these days, and unless this litter is AKC (American Kennel Club) registerable, its not worth buying. You might as well get a mixed breed dog.
Have the sire and dam attained their AKC Championships? If so, may I obtain a copy of their certificates? If they are not champions, ask why they are not. If the breeder says they breed for temperament only and not for show dogs, then you don't need to deal with this breeder. The true test of a dog worthy of breeding is in the show ring first. If the sire and/or dam are not champions or well on their way to their championship, chances are, they are not good enough examples of the breed to pass along their lack of breed type to puppies.
How many puppies in the litter will you expect to be show dogs and how many will you expect to be companions? If the breeder says all the pups may be show dogs, then they are looking through rose-colored glasses. If they say 1/2 and 1/2 that is more realistic.
What kind of food does the dam eat? (You would want them to have a diet that is NOT grocery store brand dog foods) What changes do you make in her diet when she is pregnant as opposed to when she is not? A good breeder will make changes in the dam's diet to add more fat, protein and natural calcium. This is all important to developing puppies.
What do you do for flea and tick control? (You would not want to have your little puppy reared in an environment where fleas are present.) The environment the puppy is reared in should be clean and free from fleas. Fleas can cause anemia and other maladies for puppies if fleas are not controlled in a SAFE manner. (See question below about visiting the breeder... then you can check for yourself about the environment the litter is reared in.)
What kind of socialization will the puppies get before they are old enough to go to a new home? (Handling of the pups from a young age is a good thing)
Do you sell your puppies with contracts? If the answer is NO, you should not buy from this breeder.
May I obtain a copy of your contract before I commit to a puppy? If the answer is NO, you should not buy from this breeder. The breeder should also have a Deposit Agreement stating the amount of the purchase price of the puppy and the amount of the deposit. This agreement should state at what age the pup will be released to you (or approximate dates) and when you can expect a deposit refund if the breeder should not be able to supply you with a puppy. However, if you back out of the deal after signing and sending in the Deposit Agreement, don't expect any money back.
At what age will the puppy be able to come to my home? If the answer is anything less than 7weeks of age, do not deal with this breeder. Reputable breeders usually let their puppies go to new homes at age 8weeks - 12weeks.
If I put a deposit down on a puppy from you, what guarantee do I have of actually obtaining a puppy from this litter? Most good breeders will say that they match the personality of the puppy to the home. Most good breeders will say that you will not have a choice of puppies, that they will choose one for you.
How many companion puppy deposits have you taken for this litter already and how many do you plan to take? If the answer is more than two deposits are taken, then there is a good chance you may not be getting a puppy from this litter.
How often will I receive updates on the puppies? The answer should be that you will receive weekly updates with pictures and weights. This may be on a website that you can access. If you cannot find out how often you will receive updates on the pups, you may not want to deal with this breeder.
May I come visit the puppies and mom before I actually take a puppy home? If the breeder does not allow you to come visit, there must be a reason why. (Bad living environment, poor care, a house that looks more like a kennel or worse.) You should be able to visit the breeder's home, see the puppies (after about 4-5 weeks of age) and ask any questions face to face.
If I get a puppy from you, what is the vaccine schedule that you recommend? If the breeder cannot supply you with this info, you may not want to deal with them. If the answer is more than 3 vaccines prior to age 10weeks, that is too many. The immune system of the pup may be compromised for its lifetime.
If I get a puppy from you, may I contact you with questions as the puppy grows, is teething and housetraining? If the answer is anything but a definite YES, you may not want to deal with this breeder.
You may ask the breeder for references in the form of past puppy buyers and other breeders that may work with them. Ask for email and phone numbers of these people so that you may follow-up. If the breeder does not want to supply you with this information, you may not want to deal with them.