Seeking a healthy puppy (or adult) from a well-bred litter?

Contact  Breeder Referral  and go to a dog show or two. Talk to breeders and exhibitors when they are done showing, if they have time.

Choose a breeder with good dogs who is trying to breed to the Standard.

Look for a predominance of CH titles in the pedigree.

Choose a breeder who is breeding from healthy stock.  Verify all claims of health checks.  Absence of proof is not proof of absence.  And lack of information is just that, lack of info.  In Afghans:

• CERF  (eyes--CERF certification is valid only for one year due to the nature of eye diseases like JC and PRA, and one certification at 1 yo is not proof of eye health at age 5.  Online database.)

• OFA (hips--look at the grades of other get from both sire & dam, as well as littermates and parents.  Online database which also lists eye and thyroid certifications, as well as elbow, heart, etc.  Hip dysplasia isn't definitively understood, but why invite trouble?)

• PennHIP (hips--this scoring system uses a distraction method as well as the "OFA View".  Though promised for several years, there is still no online-database by which you can check scores, so ask to see certificates.)

• Thyroid (the profile, not just the T4 test!  OFA will register/certify results, or ask for a copy of the results from your breeder.)

• Though I'm unaware of any published data on number of affected Afghans, a breeder might check for von Willebrand's Disease:  currently no genetic test for this in AHs, so testing is limited to measurement of von Willebrand's Factor.  The result of the assay is reported in % ranging from 0-180.   See Vet Gen for an example of correlation of DNA test with factor assay in two other breeds.  This might give you an idea of how much meaning you might be able to put in a vWF result, or might not.  Also see this paper  vWD facts

• Some breeders also check for Elbow Dysplasia, get Cardiac certifications, etc., either due to concern or availability of testing.

Don't expect a breeder to subsidize your pet ownership by selling you a puppy "cheap". A well-bred litter is not cheap to produce (but a poorly bred litter is).

If you are looking at a litter of puppies from untested, non-CH stock and you spend $500, you're an idiot.  Spending $1500 on such a pup is proof that you are certifiably dumb.

A well bred pet pup from certified, healthy stock for $1500-$2000 is a BARGAIN. The breeder of such a pup is not earning a living by selling pups, usually only recouping a portion of what she has spent on producing that pup.

Health checks are not a guarantee, but, again, why invite trouble?