Finding a responsible breeder means doing your homework. Here are just a FEW of the questions to ask:

Does the breeder belong to an AKC Breed club or local kennel club? (nearly all kennel clubs require that breeders meet elligibility requirements such as providing health guarantees and proof of attainment of titles in either conformation or working or obedience of some sort.

Does the breeder provide health guarantees that are backed up by paperwork? (proof of OFA certifications or other types of proof that the sire(s) and dam(s) have been health tested?)

Does the breeder allow you to see and touch and interact with both the sire and the dam of the puppies? (Breeders may not have the stud dog on the property, but certainly you should be able to physically interact with the dam) **be aware that when the puppies are very young or are at a susceptible stage as far as parvo or other diseases you may NOT be able to see them or the dam due, but at some point before purchase you should be able to "mingle" with all the puppies and the dam of a litter***

Does the breeder have clean facilities and does it look as if all the dogs are healthy and happy? (a good breeder who has several dogs may indeed have those dogs penned, but there should be evidence that the dogs have plenty of room to run and are often allowed to come out of the pens and into the home or other kennel areas)

Does the breeder limit the numbers of breeds to one or tow? (Do not be upset if there are a lot of dogs...it is important to remember that for breeders of quality, there may need to be as many as fifteen or even thirty or more dogs simply to provide the kind of quality in the bloodline that the breeder is
trying to work with. NUMBERS of individual dogs is not as important as numbers of breeds. Good breeders usually only work with one, or possibly two breeds, and devote their passions and purpose to just those two breeds.)

Does the breeder provide AKC papers with the puppies? (puppy mills no longer use AKC registration papers, they use papers such as APR (American Puppy Registry) which do not provide for a continuous stud/dam line and may or may not have any accuracy of pedigree, whereas AKC registration requires DNA proof of pedigree) All AKC sales are subject to the requirement tht the buyer is entitled to AKC registration papers on the puppies or a written contract specifying other terms.

Does the breeder provide a written contract which specified the terms under which the puppy may be purchased and requires that when or if the puppy is no longer wanted it MUST BE returned to the breeder? And does the contract require spaying or neutering of a pet puppy, and is the puppy being sold on a "limited registration"? (Most responsible breeders will only sell pet puppies on very limited terms which will not allow for future breeding.)

Is the breeder someone who treats you with respect and do you feel comfortable with him/her? Being at ease and comfortable with your breeder and knowing that you can contact him/her at any time of the day or night is important. You need to be able to request help and feel confident that you will get such help when necessary.

The above is just a SHORT LIST of the things that will point you in the direction of a RESPONSIBLE BREEDER