Are you on the hunt for puppies for sale, newspaper in hand? This is an exciting time for you and your family — but do you feel confident knowing what to look for when choosing a puppy for sale?

When it comes to choosing your longtime companion from that tumbling litter of fur balls, here’s a few things you’ll want to keep an eye out for:

1. A healthy puppy nose should be cold and wet, especially when she’s awake.
   You shouldn’t see any discharge or sneezing.
2. Healthy puppies should have clean ears. Check the inner ears — they should
   be light pink, not red, and free of discharge. You shouldn’t notice any odor
   coming from the ears.
3. Does the puppy have sweet breath? Her teeth should be white and straight,
   and her gums should be pink.
4. Check for a shiny, clean coat. Obviously, any signs of itching or bald patches
   are a bad thing. Also check for any signs of fleas, such as welts on the belly,
   or traces of what looks like black dirt on the belly, which is really flea
   excrement.
5. Puppy eyes should be clean and bright — no watering and no redness. The
   under lids should be a healthy pink.
6. Puppy skin should be clean and dandruff-free, with no sign of blemishes
   or sore patches.
7. The puppy nest (where they and mom stay) should be scrupulously clean, and
   show signs that not only does mom work to keep it clean, but the owners help
   her out by changing the towels, paper, etc. Puppies that start out life with
   a clean nest are significantly easier to housetrain.