If he is going to be so particular about what he wants in a grown dog, then he should NOT get a puppy. He would have a better chance of finding a dog that suits his needs by searching through the shelters or rescue groups. Adopting a full grown 1 year or older mutt will be his best bet and most shelters and rescue groups will already have the dog spayed/neutered and current on vaccinations. Rescue groups that use foster homes know a lot about the dogs and will be able to match the right dog with the right family. By getting a free puppy out of the newspaper he takes the risk of not knowing what kind of personality, temperament, size, grooming needs or exercise needs the puppy will have once it is an adult. Free puppies usually will not have any of the medical work already done, leaving the chance that it will come down with parvo or something that could cost him thousands of dollars in vet bills to fix.