It is very common with this breed to be placed on a waiting list for a future breeding. Be careful of putting your name on more than 1 or 2 waiting lists. If you put a deposit on a puppy, make sure you understand if any portion or all of the deposit is refundable. Most breeders sell their puppies and dogs with some type of written contract. Contracts can be very basic, little more that a bill of sale or more typically require you to spay or neuter your puppy. Usually, a contract for a show or breedable puppy will require you show the dog or even to give back 1 or 2 puppies from a future breeding. Ask for a sample contract, so you may study the wording and terms carefully. NEVER sign a contract you do not understand or are not completely comfortable with.

Many breeders choose a puppy for the new owners rather than let the buyer choose from all the puppies in the litter. Breeders may ask you many questions about your lifestyle and needs in order to best match personalities and temperaments.

Ask the breeder if your puppy will have been checked by a veterinarian, wormed for internal parasites, vaccinated, and if the litter has been registered with the AKC. The breeder should provide you with this information as well as the registered names and individual registration numbers of the sire (father) and the dam (mother), the date of the puppies birth, the name of the breeder, and the AKC litter registration number.