Sourcing of pet dogs from illegal importation and puppy farms 2016-2017: scoping research

Appendix V: Focus Group Guide

A. Experiences before you bought your dog

1. Tell me a little about your dog and experiences of buying or looking for a new dog

2. Were you looking for a specific age and breed of dog? Why were you looking for this age & breed of dog?

3. What characteristics were important to you?

4. Did you research breeds before buying?

5. Did you research how to go about buying?

a. Did you learn about good practice in buying/choosing a puppy?

b. Did you learn about the signs for farming and smuggling? How aware of these issues were you?

c. How much time did you spend researching?

d. Did you get advice from anywhere (would you recommend any sources for advice?)

e. Where did you look for your puppy? (problems and benefits)

B. Experience of buying your dog

6. Where did you find your puppy?

7. What happened when you bought your puppy (who, where, when - positive/negative experience)?

8. Was the puppy as advertised?

C. Improving the experience

9. How can seller behaviour be improved?

10. How can buyers' behaviour be improved?

11. What would you like to see in future to help purchase a puppy?

12. What would you prefer not to see in future?

13. What would help influence your decisions in future (pop ups online, celeb endorsements, etc.)?