The identity and registration set
Your Tervuren puppy should arrive with registration paperwork or a clear written explanation of how the litter registration transfers to you, plus a multi-generation ancestry record naming the sire and dam. Check that the puppy described on those pages matches the puppy in front of you: colour, sex, date of birth as recorded by the breeder, and any litter name or registration number should line up across every document.
Expect a microchip record or a dated plan for chipping at the first vet visit, with the chip company and number recorded once it is placed. Keep the breeder's full name, address, and phone number on the contract, because a Tervuren breeder who stays reachable is a real resource for a breed this intense and sensitive.
The sale contract and what it should promise
Read the signed contract before paying a balance. For this breed it should cover the health guarantee and its conditions, what happens if a serious hereditary problem is found, whether breeding rights are included or withheld, and the breeder's return clause. A responsible Tervuren breeder will usually require the dog back rather than allow resale or surrender if your circumstances change, and that clause should be written, not spoken.
The contract should also state what food the puppy is eating, the handover age the breeder has set, and any conditions about training or sport homes if the litter was placed with working or performance expectations. Keep the receipt with the contract; together they prove ownership and the terms you agreed.
Veterinary records from the breeder's vet
Ask for a health record signed or stamped by the practice that examined the litter. It should show each examination, vaccinations already given with their dates and product stickers where used, worming treatments and dates, flea prevention if given, and the vet's notes on heart, eyes, bite, and, for males, whether both testicles were felt at that check.
For a Tervuren, also ask whether the puppy had any episodes the breeder observed, such as a sensitive stomach during weaning, a slow start feeding, or a reaction to a treatment. A short written litter log is more useful than a verbal summary at a busy handover, because your own vet will ask what has already happened in the puppy's first weeks.
Parent health screening for a herding breed
Request copies, not summaries, of both parents' screening results. In Tervuren lines that typically means hip and elbow evaluations, a recent specialist eye examination, and any additional screening the breed community in that country recommends or the parents' own history prompted. The names on those certificates must match the sire and dam on the ancestry record; a certificate for a different dog is a red flag worth pausing over.
Ask the breeder directly about epilepsy and stomach or eye problems appearing in close relatives, and expect a straight, specific answer. A breeder who can discuss the extended family honestly gives you information no certificate can, and your vet will value it at the first visit.
Socialisation and guidance notes
A Tervuren puppy's paperwork should include more than forms. Look for a written note of what the litter has experienced: household sounds, car rides, handling by visitors, time on different surfaces, and early separation from littermates. Add the feeding schedule, the food itself, and the breeder's guidance on exercise, rest, and mental work for a puppy who will want a job long before his body is ready for adult workloads.
Once home, take the full set to your vet promptly and file the contract, registration, chip details, and screening copies in KinsLe's Pet Passport, keeping your Tervuren's breeder records, health packet, and future visit notes together from the very first week.