Just because a breeder is close to you or because the price in the local ad is soooo much cheaper than what you have found on the internet is not a good reason to buy from that breeder. The following is meant as food for thought.

Can the breeder provide references?

A reference can be someone who has purchased a dog/puppy in the past, (more than one reference is better), the breeder's veterinarian, other breeders. This is especially important if you are buying a pup long distance and can't see the facility, the parents of the pup, etc. This does not mean it is bad to buy long distance - it does mean use your best judgment - the best pup for you may be the one you have shipped in.

See the parents.

With any breed (and crossbreeds in particular) seeing both parents and knowing that one is a cocker and the other is a poodle or both are cockapoos will help you be assured your pup will not grow up to look suspiciously like the golden retriever down the road despite the curly ears.

Some breeders use an outside stud. In this case you should be able to see a picture of him and copies of his papers.

Relatives.

If the breeder has relatives to the pup in question ask to see them.  Many hereditary things have a skip effect e.g. grandparents characteristics may come through strongly.   Breeders may have kept a pup from a previous breeding - especially since many breeders are breeding down through the generations.

Please note - while we do encourage you to ask these things of any breeder, you also need to understand that kennels are like baby nurseries and hospitals. There may very well be areas where the public is not invited or allowed in a kennel, such as in the newborn area of a hospital. This may vary depending on areas of the country as well as the season - infectious germs can vary by locale and time of year. Breeders work hard to maintain healthy breeding stock, and even with proper vaccinations and sanitation they must be cautious about the general public tracking in trouble on clothing, shoes, etc. However, that does not exempt breeders from having an area where the public can be to see parents and puppies, providing parent status allows for it and puppies are old enough (for example, if a mom is pregnant or nursing or puppies are still very young, it's possible for your request to be politely declined with the proper explanation).

Warranty

A written warranty should be given.  It should include remedies for a sick pup and/or congenital problems. Please note backyard breeders, occasional breeders and the one time breeder would have a hard time with a warranty, such as replace with like pup.  Something should be agreed upon (in writing) as a remedy for those cases.

Vaccinations and Parasite Control

A good breeder will provide vaccinations up to date and a record of same. The pup should be relatively free of fleas. A few fleas while not good, can be accepted as fleas can be very hard to control at times. An overload of fleas however indicates a problem. The pup should have been dewormed at least once before you get it. A schedule of when the next vaccinations are due should accompany the pup.

Registration

Can the breeder provide registration papers. NACR or AKC on parents?  Is a pedigree available? If genetic testing has been done then those numbers should be available as well.

Food

The breeder should give you a few days worth of the food the puppy is used to eating to make the change easier (or tell you in advance when shipping so that you may obtain some of the same food.) You may want to take a jug  to get some water if you are picking up your pup. (If you are having your pup shipped consider starting with bottled water the first few days.). Care and feeding instructions should accompany the pup. It is important to be able to keep the pup on the same food as the breeder has been feeding or at least have enough to wean ti over to new food gradually, since changes in food, and sometimes water, can cause stomach upset in all dogs, not just puppies. And don't forget, your puppy will be having to deal with many other changes as it comes hone with you, so food should not be one of them.

A few things to consider about quality

Many times inferior cockers and poodles are used to "manufacture"  cockapoos.  The demand for cockapoos is now greater than the supply and many people are jumping on the bandwagon. There are many qualities of Cocker Spaniels as well as Poodles.  Cockers that have longer thinner muzzles, shorter hair, feathering only on the back of the legs, are tall and leggy looking are just inferior cockers.  Poodles that are all legs or extremely long in the back, have very short muzzles, cottony haircoats, etc. are inferior poodles. Breeding these dogs will result in cockapoos - however - the look of the resulting cockapoo can't be better than what was used to produce it.

Also, temperament and intelligence of the dogs is directly related to parentage.  If the parents are mellow, intelligent, friendly dogs then the puppies will usually have those characteristics.  If the parents are nervous, poor quality, hyperactive or overly aggressive than the puppies have a good chance of inheriting those characteristics.

While training, care and love can help dogs with a poor background it is better to start with quality in the first place. The work and cost of raising, training and caring for will be the same whether you get an inferior pup or a superior pup. ( note - the inferior pup may be more likely to require more veterinary care just by being a weaker specimen)

Genetic testing or the lack of genetic testing.

Testing does not necessarily guarantee you will get a better pup.  Many great dogs have come from breeders using their best judgment and years of experience producing quality pups (note that after many years hereditary problems should have been seen if they existed). Genetic testing can give you an indicator that the parents may be free of problems thus giving the offspring a greater chance of being clear. For more information check the links to Optigen, CERF, OFA and Penn Hip.

Websites - helpful or not?
With the coming of age of the internet, purchasing pets has taken on whole new dimension. Websites can be a blessing or bain on this matter; excellent breeders can have "so-so" websites, whereas gorgeous or "warm fuzzy" websites certainly do not guarantee a reputable breeder. You need to make every effort if you are considering an online puppy purchase (and make no mistake, this process can work out wonderfully well) to do some research on that breeder - ask for, get and followup on references from previous clients; ask around on discussion lists to see if others have had experiences with that breeder; find out (even if it is not possible for you to visit personally) if the breeder is comfortable and welcoming to have onsite visits. Perhaps most importantly - follow your hunches or instinct. If you are not getting good feelings, listen to that little voice.