Initially, I bought my first mini at a pet store. In case you don't know this, it is a MAJOR mistake to buy one of these cute bundles from a pet store. I know, they do look all sad and pathetic in the cages, but purchasing one only perpetuates the horrific conditions of the doggie parents. MAYBE some puppy mill operators have a minimally comfortable environment, most do not and as soon as the mommy dog comes into heat again, she's bred...OVER and OVER and OVER...get the picture?
So as a response to discontinue this terrible practice, you should ask for a list of breeders from the AKC or local breed club. With this list in hand, you should still be selective and cautious...not everyone or everything is always as it appears. Read up on the breed you want, and know what to ask for concerning your new puppy purchase: health gurantee, tested for genetic defects (in minis it is the eyes), temperment, a discearning breeding program, general assistance from breeder with any questions you may have, buy or take back policy, and references, references, references. A breeder with nothing to hide will meet your requests gladly.
Something that I discovered rather recently, is dog rescues. It never occurred to me that there was such a thing. Usually handled much differently than a local dog pound, a dog rescue (or breed-specific rescue) is a group of individuals that foster dogs of a paticular breed until a suitable adoptive home can be found. Rescuing a dog can be much less expensive than buying from a breeder, if money is an option. Usually a small adoption fee is required. A majority of these dogs and sometimes puppies are surrendered because of many reasons: sickness of owner, moving, death of owner, etc.
If you want an older dog, rescue is surely a great place to start. It's kind of like you know what you're getting before you take it home.
The section Backyard Breeders is a verbatem, of a post from the Hoflin Miniature Schnauzer Discussion Group that describes and scolds the practice of "backyard breeding". I have not edited it and it is listed in its entirety. Please read it if you have questions about what a backyard breeder is.
