How to Buy a Puppy Online [10 Tips]

Embarking on the delightful journey of choosing a new furry friend can be a whirlwind of emotions and choices.

Navigating through the ocean of adorable faces and playful pups online might seem like a dreamy adventure, yet it comes with its own set of unique challenges and considerations.

Dive into our light-hearted guide that offers a sprinkle of wisdom and a dash of fun to assist you in finding your perfect canine companion in the vast digital world.

1. Search for Reviews

The first thing you should always do is search online for seller reviews. Many review websites allow previous customers to leave their experience with a company. You can read these before you buy anything from them, which will help protect your money in most cases!

You might also want to check this website’s Better Business Bureau page. This allows users to post feedback on each other, so you know what type of business they run too!

If no information comes up about the seller or only positive things are said about them, proceed with caution because it could be fake.

Make sure whatever site you’re using has some form where others have posted experiences before buying something from them as well.

2. Make Sure the Puppy is at least Twelve Weeks Old

Make sure that you can see a picture of the puppy with its mom and siblings. If they are not around this age, then chances are it is too good to be true.

A breeder will always ensure there is something for them to eat and drink until about eight weeks old when they start eating independently. This is because they are still babies and cannot survive independently until the mother stops feeding them every few hours.

If you buy a puppy that’s under 12 weeks of age, then there can be severe health complications for your new friend! They will probably not eat the food you give them correctly, which leads to malnutrition or even death if it isn’t caught in time.

It also means that it could have been taken away from its mom too soon before this point since puppies need attention from their moms for emotional support during those early months so they grow up properly. This isn’t good either!

You want to stay away from any listings where all they tell you about is how cute they are or what a fantastic personality they have.

If the seller has nothing to say about where they got them or how old they are, then it’s probably too good of a story to be true!

3. Ask For a Vet Reference

It’s always wise to ask for a vet reference from the seller.

You should be able to look them up online and ensure they are not lying about their location!

This is very important because you want your new puppy to get an exam before they come home with you, but also so that if there are any problems after getting them, then those can be caught early on too.

If all of this information checks out and it still seems like a great deal, then take the next step in making sure everything looks good by talking with the breeder or company through email or messages.

4. Ask Questions

Ask the seller many questions about where they got their puppy from. It should be easy for them to tell you everything that has happened so far and give some background on them too!

Make sure these are things only a breeder would know as well because if it’s not possible, then chances are there was no mom around when the puppy was born, so it’s probably a puppy mill, or perhaps they weren’t even born in this country at all. 

This can lead to more problems with your new friend since they probably won’t have proper vaccinations yet either, which means they could get sick once brought home.

If any red flags come up while asking these critical questions, then do yourself a favor and walk away before losing money or potentially losing your new puppy!

5. Make Sure You Can See the Puppy in Person

Don’t buy a puppy if you cannot see it in person. It is vital to make sure that they are healthy when meeting them and socialized too! This means knowing how they behave around other dogs and with people will be very helpful for their future at home too.

If possible, ask to meet both parents of your new friend so you can get an idea of their personality traits since this could help predict what type of dog they end up like later on. If nothing else, take some time to play or cuddle with them before taking off because puppies need attention from others, even more than food and water!

This is an excellent way to make sure the puppy isn’t too shy around people or has any significant behavioral problems that could require extra time and money down the road.

If you don’t feel comfortable meeting in person, there are other ways to ensure they will be okay at home! You can do this by contacting their previous owners for more information or even getting to know the people at their previous vet. This will give you an idea of how well they were treated before and what other dogs this breed is typically good with as well!

6. Shop Around

It is always wise to shop around before purchasing this kind. This means comparing different breeders or even potential rescue dogs so you can get the best deal for your money while also getting the exact type of puppy that works well with you!

You should never have to settle on anything less than what you want because if they aren’t perfect, then there are plenty more out there just like them who would be glad to come home with you soon enough. There is no need to rush into any decision without considering all of these factors first since it’s not worth losing sleep over later on!

7. Make Sure You Can Afford Them

You should make sure that you can afford to take care of your new puppy. This means having enough time for walks or playtime and money set aside in case he needs any extra vet visits later on too!

It is essential to consider every aspect before making the final decision because this will be a lifelong commitment, so it’s best to do everything possible beforehand. Hence, there are no regrets later on either. Just relax and have fun with them during this process since this will help keep things stress-free overall!

8. Get the Paperwork Together

When you finally decide on a puppy, make sure you get all of their paperwork together, including any registration forms or health records. This means knowing what shots they have already received and any known allergies to watch out for as well!

It is always wise to know this information before bringing them home since it can help prevent future problems with your pet later on too. The vet should answer more questions about these concerns once you have everything ready, so don’t hesitate to ask them first, either!

This could also mean making sure that they are microchipped and that the company is reputable enough. You want to ensure they can be easily reached if anything ever happens, and you will need them for this critical paperwork too!

It’s always best to get these forms filled out before bringing your new friend home if they get sick or do something wrong while adjusting too!

9. Bring It Home

Once you have everything together, then it’s time to bring them home! If they get sick or scared while riding with you, that could be the first sign of an issue later on, too, so make sure everyone is safe before heading out onto the road!

If anyone else at home has allergies, make sure they are aware and take precautions for how your new pet will affect their lives once brought into your family.

This means understanding how much attention each person can give depending on their needs which should always come first when deciding about taking on a new pet.

You don’t want to feel guilty about neglecting them at any point either, so be sure everyone is prepared before bringing them into your home, which could help prevent anything from happening afterward, too!

10. Be Patient

It’s important to be patient with your new puppy since they are still learning all about you and your routine. This means being extra kind when teaching him good behaviors or making sure that he doesn’t get into anything bad during this time as well!

If possible, try not to leave him alone for too long until he feels comfortable enough around others besides yourself either, because it could make things harder later on if there are any accidents at home while you’re gone.

You should also consider his personality traits before planning a schedule like this one since some breeds do better in certain situations than others overall!

This can mean waiting an extra week or two before leaving the house again after bringing them home since they might be a bit nervous about being left alone too early on.

Just make sure that someone is willing to check in with him now and then while you’re gone to see how things are going because this could help prevent future problems overall!

Conclusion

It is exciting to finally decide on the perfect puppy for yourself and bring them home!

Unfortunately, many things can go wrong even if you have been careful throughout the entire process, especially when you haven’t done it before.

Fortunately, this article has given some great tips and tricks that should help make everything easier for anyone thinking about getting a new dog!

The information here will be beneficial regardless of whether or not your puppy was bought online or found another way, so don’t hesitate to share this with other people, too, since they might find these suggestions helpful as well!