What to look for in a puppy Puppies should be healthy, clean, and happy with clear eyes and noses. A puppy should stand with all four feet pointing forward, cat paws, medium bone. Puppies should be out-going and curious with happy "tailwagging" dispositions, rather than cowed or shrinking from visitors. Age is important. Beware of the breeder who tries to sell you a puppy that is less than eight weeks old. However, many breeders do not let a puppy go to a new home before it is 10 to 16 weeks old. There is no preference given to color in the Breed Standard or in the show ring. The colors are: black, black & tan, red (ranging from tan to dark red), and belge (mixture of red, black and gray hairs). Visible faults can be checked in young puppies--bad bites, feet badly turned in or out, retained testicles. It becomes your responsibility as a buyer to discuss faults you do not understand with the breeder. Puppies should have been started on their first set of immunizations and been dewormed before they go into a new home and the purchaser instructed to have the puppy examined by a veterinarian and to follow his advice to the letter about all follow-up vaccinations.