Newspaper ads are most often the first place to go to buy a puppy. That Sunday paper is often filled with "Pug ZKC $350 ready now" ads that make you think it will be easy to just drop in and pick up a puppy.

Hopefully by now you realize that sure, you can pick up a puppy anywhere, from the Wal-Mart parking lot to a pet store to the local shelter to breeders of all sorts. But finding a puppy that's healthy, that's well socialized, that's been properly cared for before you get it - that's a little harder!

Many of the ads you see in the newspaper are from breeders or just families whose dog is pregnant. There are all kinds of dogs listed in the paper. Some are nice, healthy dogs. Some come from places that breed too many puppies at a time. Some come from places where they simply want to make some extra cash. Be very careful when you buy a dog from a newspaper ad. Go to their house or kennel and look for clean, healthy, happy, and well-behaved dogs. As the questions found on other pages of this site.

You will find that newspapers can have any kind of puppies advertised, and so you have to screen them. If a breeder doesn't know what the personality of each puppy is, how much time do you think they have spent with the puppies? If a breeder can give you detailed descriptions of their antics as they've grown, how much time has this one spent with them? Which one do you want to buy a puppy from?

Sometimes there may not be any Pug puppy ads in the papers, but that doesn't mean there are no breeders nearby. Normally newspaper ads only run after puppies are born, and so they are only advertised for a short time. If you're considering purchasing a puppy, you may want to cut out ads that interest you now - and save them to call and talk to the breeders later. That doesn't mean they'll have a puppy ready when you want one, but you can talk to them when they're not nearly as busy.

If you are lucky, you live in an area where the local dog club also runs an ad, or a local breeder runs an ad offering information. Feel free to use them as a resource in your search. The local club often knows of breeders in the area, or those who participate in local events. These breeders many never advertise, so you've found a valuable connection. Some breeders run "Do you want to know more about ??" ads, and even if it's not your breed, they also may know someone local.

While newspapers may be the most often used resource, it's not always the best. But, you can turn it into another tool to use to find the ideal Pug puppy for your family.