Recognising puppy farming

Thoie

A friend of mine is travelling to another county tomorrow to (hopefully pick a pup). The extent of my knowledge about his trip is:
None at the rescue places, but I'm going to meet 7 puppies in <county> tomorrow.

I'm sure the place is legit and everything, but what would be your warning signals that you might be looking at puppy farm puppies?

00112984

You should be able to see comfortable living conditions that the pups are being kept in- big enough crates, nice clean outdoor sheds/haysheds etc. are fine but things like tiny cages are not. Their area should be free of dirt and poo and there should be plenty of fresh drinking water around. Bowls should be spotless.

See the mother (and the father too if the breeder owns him)- she should be happy, strong looking, have a comfy bed, shiny coat and be interested in the puppies. If anything, she'll be a little protective but should be happy to have the owners pat her and the pups.

Be very cautious of a breeder who breeds loads of different breeds- as in someone who'll show you labradors, poodles, maltese and alsations or who tells you they can get you another breed if they feel you're not interested in what they have.

Same goes for someone who has one breed but litters of different ages, only a few weeks apart.

Ask to see vaccinations (for pups) and IKC papers (may not have for the pups but will for the mother).

Breeder should ask you questions too and not just want you to hand over cash, take a dog and leave.

Ask what the pups are being fed. Check under their tails for signs of diarrhea. Have a look at eyes- should be open and alert, not clouded or weepy. By about 6 weeks, the pups will be able to stand and walk quite well and should be able to run and tumble. If a pup is just lying there and scared of his surroundings, be cautious.

If a breeder is letting you look at pups, they can do that from any age but shouldn't even consider letting the pup go with you until he's at least 8 weeks old.

A good breeder should have an interest in the breed and the individual puppies and be able to tell you plenty about them. Ask questions and use common sense. Don't feel pressured into buying. You should coming away knowing that the breeder is a genuine dog person, maybe even a little sad to see a pup going but has asked enough questions to know that the dog is going to a loving home.

Sigma Force

That's not much info. is it a breeder she's visiting or a rescue or just a person that let their dog have pups or an accidental litter?

Puppy farmer or not I would not buy any pup if the mother and pups were housed outside the more socialised in a house a pup is the easier it is for the pup to adjust not saying puppies outside can't but when you are paying out for a specific breed and these people are going out of their way to breed then the pups should be indoors.

Place has to be clean, doesn't need to be a show home but not piled high in poop.

Is there a sticky on the board yet with guidelines on what to look out for when buying and choosing a pup and also the basics of what to get, if not it would be handy ..if any mods are reading hint hint.

00112984

Guineapigrescue wrote: »

Puppy farmer or not I would not buy any pup if the mother and pups were housed outside

Have to disagree with you on this point, GPR.

When I bought my Old English Sheepdog, she was one of a litter of ten and the owners didn't want any pups leaving the mother until they were ten weeks old. They also owned the mother and father and another rescue OES. The pups along with the mother were kept in a lovely hayshed right by the house and were socialised very well and played with every day (the couple I puchased Blue from had three little boys- the poor pups probably fancied a break most days ) It's just not practical to have that many large dogs indoors.

While I think that ideally, a mother and a litter tucked up in the middle of the kitchen is lovely, depending on the breed I'd be much more guided by other factors than whether they were in or outdoors.

convert

I'd have to agree with the above poster. Sometimes it's just not feasible to have dogs kept in the house, and could actually prove unhealthy for them in some cases, especially if the house is too warm.

If the dog is kept in suitable and comfortable conditions outside, as described by 00112984, then I wouldn't be overly anxious. If, however, they're in a small kennel/stable/enclosure with very little space, then that's a different issue.

Most of the time you'll just get a 'feel' for the place - gut instinct is rarely wrong, especially in these kind of situations.