bearded collie

ford jedi

hi everyone ive been looking for a bearded collie for ages and finally found one up north but for some reason i remember reading some thread about a puppy farm in that area with bearded collies ,and am now very worried about it ,guy on phone was 100% with viewing dogs parents and surroundings but something is something is picking at me as all the comments abut a bad breeder i thought were from this site,, maybe i was wrong but if any one could fill me in this would alot be gr8 ,
thanks

Sigma Force

What to do is go up with the intention of viewing the dogs only, and let them know that you want to view the pups and then make the decision that you are genuine and not wanting to waste their time but you need to see the dog before you go and pick up all the puppy stuff etc.

I know some people buy their pups with only the first vaccination done but really for safety I would ensure the pup is fully vaccinated. Ask to see the pups vaccination papers etc. before you buy. Just some common sense too have a look around and ensure the place is clean etc. if the pups are housed outdoors then don't buy them. If they are breeding responsibly the pups will be allowed to socialise in the house to get them ready and used to all the goings on in a home.

A regd. dog doesn't gurantee a healthy dog but it's a start.

It makes sense to just view first and go away and think about it even if it's just for a few hours rather than jumping in because they are cute (and no doubt the pups if bearded collies will be super cute) it just helps make you make the right choice.

Aside from that prepare the home as well, invest in a few strong puppy toys and a mop and bucket etc.

Best of luck!

andreac

Where did you find the breeder and were they recommended to you by someone?

Best thing is go and have a look and talk ot the breeder and get a feel of him and the place and dont commit yourself to anything. Even if the pups are in bad conditions etc, just walk away and dont buy jut because you feel sorry for them.

Its best to get a breeder recommended to you by someone or the breed club or IKC so just go and have a chat and see the pups. You should know instantly if hes a puppy farmer or not.

Have all your questions ready for him and ask him lots about the parents health tests, registration papers, vaccinations, worming and so on. A good breeder will not hesitate to answer any of your queries.

ISDW

Unfortunately even if the dogs are in a home, it doesn't mean thats where they've been raised. Some puppy farmers will move the pups into their or a relative's home for viewings. Definitely ask to see both of the parents, if they are in the home and seem comfortable there, then the people are probably genuine. But, a dog that spends its life in a shed or barn, won't look like its at home in the house, so you should get a good indication.

Best of luck, I hope they turn out to be reputable and you get your healthy, well adjusted puppy.

peasant

If it's a genuine Beardie breeder, they will be easy to spot.
Beardies are relatively rare and there are only a handfull of breeders here who all know each other and all of them show their dogs. If the breeder is genuine they will have you bored within a few minutes with stories about bloodlines, pedigree, the latest shows they've been to and lots and lots of Beardie enthusiasm.

If they just show you a dog and just want to make a sale they are most likely not genuine.


General word of warning though (we've got a Beardie ourselves): the amount of care that their coat needs is unreal. Unless you're into hours long daily grooming sessions (and more importantly your dog is too ) you will end up with a dog whose coat is alternating between partially tangled and freshly shorn. In both stages though you will end up with a house that is swimming in dog hair.
The lovely beardies with the flowing coats that you see in pictures spend half their life on grooming tables getting brushed ... not really a dog's life.

ford jedi

thanks for the feedback lads ,,its not a breeder who has the pups ,i found breeders form the ikc system all impossible to contact with a few different breeds not one of them answers the phone ,im looking for a house dog and not a show dog ,,i realise they take alot of work to keep right,with coats,, etc ive lots of time on my hands so thats not a problem ,i,l make sure i visit the home of the dogs , will defo walk away if im not happy with the set up

andreac

Sorry i dont get it? Its not a breeder, then what is it? If they have a litter of pups then they are a breeder....
Where did you find the litter and how did you get in contact with the breeder?

The breeders through the breed club dont always have show dogs, they just breed good dogs in good conditions suitable for both pet and show homes so i would really urge you to go down that route.

Are you anywhere near dublin and you could pop along to a show and talk to some of the beardie people? They will know of any litters coming up and who to contact for puppies.

ford jedi

andreac i see where your coming from ,,i seen a private add for a lad selling pups sayes he,s not a breeder his dog just had a litter , my old dog had a few pups ,didnt make me a breeder, was just hoping people just knew of mr x as a breeder or person not to go near ,seem to find doggie breeder people to be a odd bunch awswering a phone dosent kill anyone but this seems to be the norm,, id buy a dog of a reg/ person if they,d just answer the phone,

whats with that whole buzz?

ford jedi

hey peasant i read a post by you saying ur dog was a little lunnie in what way or are they all a bit mad

peasant

ford jedi wrote: »

hey peasant i read a post by you saying ur dog was a little lunnie in what way or are they all a bit mad

No, they're not all mad. I've met Beardies that are perfectly normal. They are clever, active dogs and as such need lots of attention and good training, but they should be fine.

Ours is a bit "special" ...if she were a human you'd say she has "learning difficulties". But thankfully she's perfectly friendly and not at all agressive

andreac

ford jedi wrote: »

andreac i see where your coming from ,,i seen a private add for a lad selling pups sayes he,s not a breeder his dog just had a litter , my old dog had a few pups ,didnt make me a breeder, was just hoping people just knew of mr x as a breeder or person not to go near ,seem to find doggie breeder people to be a odd bunch awswering a phone dosent kill anyone but this seems to be the norm,, id buy a dog of a reg/ person if they,d just answer the phone,

whats with that whole buzz?

To be honest, these are the type of people you stay well cleer of when getting a puppy. As chances are the parents arent health tested if he just "has" a litter.
I would go along to a show and talk to the bearded collie people there and ask around about puppies. I really wouldnt be going out and buying a pup that i saw on a local add, paper etc, these people are usually very dodgy and their dogs arent well bred, health tested and so on so please do bit more research for your breeder and dont just rush into getting a dog you saw on a private add.

Good breeders dont usually have to advertise their pups as theres always a waiting list so its its best to wait for the right pup and find a good breeder.
Im sure if you do a little bit more research you will find the right breeder, but this one you have found really doesnt sound too good in my opinion...

ford jedi

hey andreac you seem to be into the dogs whens the next beardie get together where i could meet a few of theses breeders
cheers

ISDW

ford jedi wrote: »

andreac i see where your coming from ,,i seen a private add for a lad selling pups sayes he,s not a breeder his dog just had a litter , my old dog had a few pups ,didnt make me a breeder, was just hoping people just knew of mr x as a breeder or person not to go near ,seem to find doggie breeder people to be a odd bunch awswering a phone dosent kill anyone but this seems to be the norm,, id buy a dog of a reg/ person if they,d just answer the phone,

whats with that whole buzz?

There is the possibility that the people you were trying to contact were away showing their dogs. The Munster circuit was on recently, a week of dog shows, and most people who show go away and stay away from their homes for that week.

I wouldn't get a pup from someone in the scenario that you're describing. How do you know that the sire is a beardie as well?

ford jedi

i got the details of the beardie breeders from ikc and rang every day for 3 months as i said i have plenty of time on my hands left aload of messages and none of them ever returned 1 call , rang some women who ran the beardies association around 100 times no returned calls not even a pick up,no one is that busy combing dog hair,, any ways cest la vi,,

i bought a boxer from a breeder a few years ago dog developed all sorts of crazy problems , vet said defo in bred so who knows??

so im not sold on the breeder thing, they can tell u all the stories of blood lines but after so many litters i think u still end up witha near inbred dog anyways,,

like anyone selling u anything be it car dealer or dog breeder they tell u what u want to hear,, anyways my main concern is do u dog breeders actually know of any known puppy farms or people involved to steer clear of.no need to name names just pm me cheers lads, yous have me worried no with this puppy lark

cheers

mymo

If you go to the IKC website and look on the header for a tab saying "shows and trials" then click on show dates, a green bit saying "you can download show dates here" or something, you click on it and scroll down to sept, oct etc and the dates and whereabouts of the shows are listed.

It took me a while to get through to a breed club a couple of years ago, but I did eventually and now have a lovely dog, from a great breeder who i'm still in touch with. (not a beardie sorry)
Any breeder you see should show you copies of the IKC papers and any health testing certs they have for both parents. You know yourself what to look for home wise with the pups, just be careful and don't be in a rush, the right dog is worth the wait.

I would be very wary of someone who says they're not a breeder and just happened to have a litter. A lady I know went and got a quite expensive puppy some years ago from someone like this, saw a male and female of that breed in the house, puppies looked happy and healthy, papers would be posted on etc. when she bought pup to the vet he said it was much younger than she'd been told and very big to be that breed, after a few months the pup was getting bigger and bigger(way bigger than it should have for that breed) and turned into quite a monster of a dog, not the little lap dog she was after and papers never arrived.
It was meant to be a cairn terrier and turned out almost lab sized, god knows what kind of cross he is, lovely dog but no way is he a cairn.