Buying a Puppy in Ireland: A Safer Checklist

Start with the commitment, not the advert

A puppy may live with you for well over a decade. Before contacting a seller, consider housing, exercise, training, veterinary care, insurance or emergency costs and who will care for the dog when you are away. Research the likely adult size, temperament and health issues associated with the breed or cross.

• Consider a reputable rescue as well as a breeder.
• Avoid making a decision because an advert creates urgency.
• Do not pay a deposit until you have identified the seller and understood the arrangements.

Meet the puppy where it was raised

Arrange to see the puppy in its normal home environment. For a young puppy, ask to see it interacting with its mother. A car park, roadside handover, delivery-only arrangement or refusal to show where the puppy lives should stop the transaction.

• Check that the environment and other dogs appear clean, calm and appropriately cared for.
• Make sure the puppy in front of you matches the photographs and description.
• Ask why the puppy is available and how it has been socialised.

Check identity and ownership

In the Republic of Ireland, a dog being sold, purchased or rehomed must be microchipped and registered on an approved database. A dog advert must include the microchip number. Ask for the registration certificate, compare the recorded animal and owner details, and have a vet scan the chip if anything is uncertain.

• A 15-digit format alone does not prove that a chip is registered to the seller.
• Ask which approved database holds the record and confirm the ownership-transfer process.
• If the seller supplies six or more pets in a year, check the DAFM seller register; a Dog Breeding Establishment should be registered with its local authority.

Health records and payment

Ask about vaccinations, parasite treatment, diet, known illness, inherited conditions and veterinary treatment. Documentary claims should be supported by the original record. Consider arranging an independent veterinary examination before completing an expensive purchase.

• Get the seller's real name, address, telephone number and a written receipt.
• The receipt should identify the puppy, microchip, price, date and both parties.
• Be wary of pressure to use cash, cryptocurrency, gift cards or an irreversible transfer.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland has its own licensing and enforcement system. DAERA advises that a dog kept, sold, purchased, given away or rehomed must be microchipped and registered on a database accessible to councils. Check the applicable council and DAERA requirements before proceeding across jurisdictions.