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Personalized guide

Choosing a Healthy Puppy

Everything you need to understand before choosing a breeder — including the things most dog owners don’t know they need to know. From the health screenings and DNA tests the parents need, to what the results actually mean, how to give the breed a fulfilling life, and whether it truly fits your life. Pick the breed you are considering and we personalize the guide for your home, your household, your lifestyle and your routine.

Choose your breed
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Or start with a popular one

11.99 CAD for your first breed. Every breed after that is 8.99 CAD and ends with a chapter comparing them side by side. Available to Canadian residents.

Whether it is your fifth puppy or your first

Your next dog

Your last dog was a while ago

The health testing behind a litter looks different than it did ten years ago. Your guide lists the screenings and genetic tests this breed’s parents should have today, says in plain language what each result means, and compares the breed against the dogs you have already lived with, so you can see where this one would be the same and where it would not.

Your first dog

This is your first puppy

Start with what a healthy litter looks like for this breed: which results to ask a breeder for, what a clear one actually tells you, and an honest read on whether the breed suits your home, your schedule and the space you have. You get a question script you can take into any call, so you are never guessing what to ask.

Questions

What makes it personalized?
Seven quick questions about your home and household write your guide. If you take the free home-fit check first, it answers them, and your guide opens as soon as you pay. Inside the guide, a few more questions about your schedule, the activities you have in mind, your province and dogs you've had add their own sections. Your guide uses your answers to suggest enrichment ideas, write your breed match, plan for time alone and the activities you love, cover your province's climate and local rules, compare the breed with dogs you've had, and add questions for your household. You can update your answers any time and your guide updates with them.
Do breeders see my answers?
No. Your answers are only used to personalize your guide.
Can I keep a copy?
Yes. Read it online in your Paction account whenever you like, or download a printable PDF.
I am considering more than one breed.
Each guide covers one breed. Once you own one, every additional breed's guide is 8.99 CAD and ends with a bonus chapter comparing the breeds side by side, including how each one fits your home. Use the breed picker at the top of this page to preview another breed's guide.
Can I buy a guide if I live outside Canada?
Not yet. Personalized guides are only available to Canadian residents, and checkout needs a card issued in Canada with a Canadian billing address. The advice for your province is written for Canadian provinces and territories.
Is this veterinary advice?
No. It is general information to help you prepare for conversations with breeders. Talk to your veterinarian about your puppy’s health.

Every breed with a guide

359 breeds have a guide ready today.