Animals are like children and they need 100% attention and medical care.  It is important that someone who decide to buy/adopt an animal know about the responsibility too.

Before you buy a animal

Do your research and ask yourself for what reason you want the pet. 
Do not go to a puppy mill or to an backyard breeder. Those animals are produced to sell. They are not born to be loved, they are born to make the fast $$$ with them. Don't think those breeders make long research about the bred and with what animal they bred! You will get your puppy cheap, but you will end up with a lot of Vet Bills later on.
A good breeder take care of the animal, they love them and they make sure they got a good family for the puppies'. They made the research about the female and male they produce puppies with. A good breeders dogs are a lot more expansive, but you will have a good chance to get an healthy dog.

If you are not interested in breeding and shows, you should consider to adopt an animal. Our Shelters in the USA are full with homeless dogs. And it is sad, but the most of them will get  legally killed after couple of days. That's fact...Purebred or Mix, dosent matter. The Shelters and Rescue Places are so full, because of uneducated people. I agree Puppies are cute, but puppies are not easy to handle. They chew, they make a mess in the house, they are sick....like stated before "Children". This people who become a puppy owner should see all the negative sides on a puppy too.  Sadly the most people getting tired of a pup/dog and handle like this "It's just a dog, let me throw him/her away, the dog will survive"
IT'S NOT JUST A DOG AND THE DOG WILL NOT SURVIVE
The dog will reproduces themselves, they will get more and more strays on the streets and the dogs will die fighting over food, sickness or will be killed in the shelters.
If you decide to get an animal you need to spay/neuter and give them all the shot protection they need. NO EXCEPTION!

We spend monthly between $1200 to $1500 on our animals, because of people like named before. All our dogs would be killed in Shelters, because of their raise, the age, the medical condition they are in when they arrive in our home.

We turned people away from our dogs, because they refuse to sign our Contract. Our Contract is fair and in the best interest from the dogs/cats. We are asking to spay/neuter the puppies and give them the medical care they need (shots, heartworm prevention and flea medication). If somebody cannot agree to this condition they do not need to become an dog owner. 
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please do excuse my English I'm original from Germany