Our Assured Breeders scheme helps puppy buyers find breeders that breed to high welfare standards and are passionate about the health and welfare of dogs. Our Assured Breeders have all been inspected by us and are continually monitored to ensure that they maintain high standards.
What is the Assured Breeders scheme?
Our scheme is the only scheme in the UK to set standards for breeders. We ensure that breeders carry out breed-specific health testing and screening, giving the puppies they produce the best chance of living a long and happy life. To ensure that our scheme is robust and impartial, we are accredited by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to certify breeders on the scheme.
To find out more, Assured Breeder Jenny Campbell, known from Dragon's Den, explains what our Assured Breeders scheme means to her and her puppy buyers:
How can I find an Assured Breeder?
There are two ways that you can find an Assured Breeder:
- Assured Breeders that are currently selling puppies - If you’d like to find an Assured Breeder that currently has puppies, then you can check on our Find a Puppy resource, where they will appear with a large green tick next to their name. You can search on the website by area and your chosen breed
- A list of all Assured Breeders - You can access a list of all of our Assured Breeders using our Find an Assured Breeder resource
Why you need a responsible breeder
There are many fantastic, passionate dog breeders out there who want to produce healthy puppies. Unfortunately, there are also people who breed dogs for the sole purpose of making money at any cost. These individuals often put profit before health, keeping their dogs in poor conditions. Taking the time to find a good breeder, who responsibly breeds healthy puppies, will increase your chances of ending up with a happy, healthy dog that lives for a long time.
Why buy from an Assured Breeder?
Our Assured Breeders take every step to ensure that the puppies they sell have the best possible start in life by:
- Testing and screening any breeding dogs for health issues that relate to their breed, reducing the risk of their puppies being affected
- Maintaining high standards of welfare
- Providing advice and assistance to you before and after you buy from them
- Taking each puppy to the vet for a check before selling them
Our Assured Breeders will give you:
- A puppy pack that includes helpful information on what your dog should eat and how much, information about the breed, worming, immunisation, how to look after them as they grow up and how to socialise them
- A contract of sale, outlining the expectation and arrangements
- Assistance with rehoming, should the unthinkable happen, if you’re unable to care for the puppy throughout its life
Are puppies from an Assured Breeder healthier?
Whilst there can never be a guarantee when buying a puppy, our Assured Breeders scheme provides the best opportunity for you to find a breeder whose priority is the health and happiness of their puppies. On average, owners who buy from an Assured Breeder spend nearly 20% less in vet bills throughout the lifetime of their dog, compared to those who do not to buy through an assured breeder (statistics from Agria Insurance).
Do Assured Breeders care about who buys their puppies?
Assured Breeders care about the puppies that they breed and want them to go to their ‘forever home’. Our Assured Breeders will want to make sure that you’re knowledgeable about the breed of dog that you’re taking home, and that you’re able to care for it, so be prepared to answer lots of questions.
Buying a puppy from an Assured Breeder will give you the confidence that your puppy has been bred with care and attention by from someone who has their health and welfare as a priority.
How are Assured Breeders monitored?
We police our scheme in the following ways:
- During application – An applicant’s records with us are checked to make sure that they are likely to be able to fulfil the basic scheme requirements. Sometimes we might need extra information to check this
- Breeder assessment visits – Each member is visited by one of our trained assessors before they are accepted on to our scheme and at least once every three years after that. Our assessment visits check on information about the breeder, their facilities, how their dogs are cared for, how records are kept and their paperwork, such as puppy packs and contracts
- Registering a litter – Each time one of our Assured Breeders registers a litter, we automatically check that both the sire and dam of the litter are microchipped and have met all the breed-specific health tests and screening that we ask for
- Puppy buyer feedback – Whenever one of our Assured Breeders sells a puppy, they must give the new owner a feedback form. The forms are returned to us so that we can check that our Assured Breeders are complying with the scheme. We also compare the feedback we receive to the number of puppies each Assured Breeder registers, to ensure that we receive an appropriate number of feedback forms
How can I give feedback on a puppy I’ve bought?
Everyone who buys a puppy from one of our Assured Breeders should be given a feedback form to let us know how they found the experience. We receive hundreds of feedback forms from new puppy buyers each month; most of the feedback is positively glowing. However, if any concerns are highlighted then we investigate fully and take the appropriate action. In some cases, this might include removal from the scheme.
Unfortunately, with all living things, it’s entirely possible that a problem can develop in a puppy that’s outside of the control of the breeder and owner. However, in the unfortunate event that someone has a problem with a puppy bought from an Assured Breeder, or they believe that a member is not upholding the standards of the scheme, then there is a robust complaints procedure in place.
Give us feedback about an Assured Breeder.