Most reputable breeders will be registered with the American Kennel Club, so they should be willing to show you their credentials and confirm they are a registered breeder. The puppy's parents and grandparents must be professionally evaluated, including genetic tests, to check that any issues or problems with the breed have been addressed. The breeder should also be comfortable with explaining to you in detail the potential genetic and developmental problems inherent to the breed. They should offer you guidance on how to take care and train the puppy, and be available for assistance with any issues after you take your new puppy home, especially if you've never owned a dog before. Most reputable breeders will have a strong relationship with several local vets, so they should be able to show you individual records of the vet visits for the puppy. These records ensure the puppy has been checked for diseases and health issues by a licensed veterinarian and has a clean bill of health. The breeder should also not require you to use a specific vet for the puppy's check ups. A reputable breeder should have references they can give you from other families who have purchased one of their puppies. You can also ask the breeder if they sell puppies to unknown buyers over the Internet. A reputable breeder will only sell their puppies to individuals they have met in person. They should allow you plenty of time to read the contract thoroughly and not pressure you into a quick sell. The contract may require you to spay or neuter the dog unless you plan to turn the pup into a show dog. As well, the contract may state you will return the dog to the breeder should you be unable to keep the dog. These are all normal stipulations of a breeder contract. In fact, a reputable breeder should be concerned about who they are selling to, and want to feel comfortable about relinquishing one of their pups into your care. They may ask you why you want a dog, who will be responsible for the pup's daily care and training, where the dog will spent most of their time, and what "rules" you will have for the puppy. They may also ask you for proof of residency, like your lease or mortgage papers, to ensure you can provide a stable home for the pup. The reputable breeder will likely give you a reference to a good veterinarian if you don't already have one.
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One-sentence summary -- Ask the breeder if they are registered. Confirm the breeder has documentation on the puppy's lineage and breed. Ask for records of vet visits for the puppy. Check for references from other individuals who have purchased puppies from the breeder. Make sure the breeder gives you a written contract and a health guarantee. Be prepared to answer questions from the breeder.

Researchers are exploring a potential link between the Epstein-Barr virus, which causes mononucleosis (mono), and MS. Mono is transmitted in saliva. You can avoid this virus by not kissing or sharing drinks, food, or toothbrushes with people who may be infected. Washing your hands frequently is the best way to avoid getting this virus, which research shows may be a risk factor of MS. The disease often appears among children as the Roseola rash, so it's especially important to teach children good hygiene. The virus Chlamydia pneumonia, which is also potentially linked to MS, can best be prevented through good hygiene. This means covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, washing your hands, and using hand sanitizer. Make sure you have been given the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is often administered in childhood as a way to prevent these diseases. Research is exploring a potential link between the measles virus and MS, so getting vaccinated may reduce your risk of contracting the disease.
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One-sentence summary -- Don't get mono. Avoid contacting Human herpes virus-6 (HHV-6). Prevent pneumonia. Get the MMR vaccine.

the staff, the parts of a note, and the basics of notating durations of notes and rests. Make sure you understand the above, and then let's dive into the fun stuff: reading music! The C major scale is the first scale we use when teaching how to read music because it's the one that uses just natural notes (the white keys on a piano). Once you have that locked into your brain cells, the rest will follow naturally. First, we'll show you what it looks like, then we'll show you how to make sense of it, and begin to read music! Here's what it looks like on the staff. See the "C scale" above. If you'll take a look at the first note, the low C, you'll see that it actually goes below the staff lines. When that happens, we simply add a staff line for that note onlythus, the little line through the note head. The lower the note, the more staff lines we add. But we don't need to worry about that now. The C scale is made up of eight notes. These are the equivalent of the white keys on the piano. You may or may not have a piano handy, but at this point, it's important for you to begin to get an idea of not just what music looks like, but of what it sounds like, too. " That may sound intimidating, but chances are, you already know it: it's the fancy way of saying "do, re, mi." By learning to sing the notes that you see, you'll begin to develop the skill of sight readinga skill that can take a lifetime to perfect, but will be useful right from the beginning. Let's take a look at that C scale again, with the solfege scale added. See the "C Scale Solfege 11" above. Chances are, you know the Rogers and Hammerstein song "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music. If you can sing the "do re mi" scale, do that now while you look at the notes. If you need a refresher course, you can hear the song on YouTube. Here's a slightly more advanced version, walking up and down the C scale using the solfege notes. See the "C Scale Solfege 1" above. Practice singing Solfegepart II a few times, until it becomes familiar. The first couple times, read very slowly so that you can look at each note as you sing it. The next couple times, substitute the "do re mi" for C, D, E. The goal is to sing the actual notes. Remember our note values from before: the high C at the end of the first line, and the low C at the end of the second line are half notes, while the rest of the notes are quarter notes. If you imagine yourself walking, again, there is a note for each step. The half notes take two steps.
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One-sentence summary --
We now have the basics down: Learn the C scale. Learn a little sight singingor "solfege. Congratulations, you're now reading music!