Start with the life you can offer the individual dog, then check the source, records, costs and support. Adoption and purchase both need careful questions. You can take time, leave a decision open and seek independent advice before paying.
Create an adoption and ownership worksheet to summarise your circumstances, compare routes and edit a preparation checklist. No score or signup is needed.
Compare the actual source and process
For a pet shop, use AVS's current registry and buying guidance. If someone describes themselves as a breeder or advertises online, confirm their authorisation and the dog's source with AVS rather than assuming that description establishes legitimacy. Ask how visits, payment, collection and the ownership transfer will work.
For adoption, ask the actual rescue about its application, visits, any home check or homestay and support after arrival. Processes, fees and included care vary. Use the adoption guide and current rescue listings, and confirm availability directly.
Records and questions to bring
- Identity and source: which microchip and source records can you inspect, and how will the licence or ownership transfer be handled?
- Available care history: which veterinary records are available, what care is still due and what remains unknown? Ask a vet to explain relevant health-screening evidence.
- Observed behaviour: what has been seen around handling, people, pets and absences, and in which setting? A description is not a temperament guarantee.
- Price and inclusions: what does the written quote include, what is excluded and what are the deposit and refund conditions?
- Support: who responds after arrival, what costs extra and what do any written health, return or rehoming terms actually say? No fixed guarantee period is assumed.
Housing, licensing and declarations
Read the applicable HDB pet rules and AVS ownership limits. A pet licence does not approve the premises. Check requirements for the individual dog and any applicable adoption route, rather than treating a size or breed label as clearance.
Follow current AVS licensing, first-time ownership-course and transfer guidance. For a pet-shop purchase, AVS sets out pre-sale screening and the Pet Purchase Declaration, including online completion through PALS for dog or cat ownership transfer. Ask the retailer to explain the steps before committing.
Costs and reasons to pause
Use the existing dog cost calculator for setup, ongoing care and a separate emergency reserve. Its starting figures are planning estimates, not seller quotes. Include daytime and travel care, and ask what happens when needs or circumstances change.
Pause if the source or records cannot be explained, terms or costs remain unclear, household arrangements are unresolved, or you feel pressured to commit. Ask about a discrepancy rather than assuming every missing record proves wrongdoing. If importation is involved, confirm the applicable requirements with AVS before payment; this page does not assess an import plan or predict its cost.