Advice for family member-Getting a puppy

EraseAndRewind

my sister and her husband want to buy a pup in the new year-preferably a golden retriever but not certain

just looking for some practical advice to pass on to them

what should they look for when viewing pups-what type of adverts to stay away from?

is it a good sign if both parents can be viewed or is it a sign of a puppy farmer

they are both worried about buying from a puppy farmer and so would like some tips and signs to look out for

thanks for any help

lorebringer

*deep breath*

When viewing puppies, there are some very important things to look for. Viewing mother, and if they have the father, is one. Puppy farmers often use a dummy mother to show to potential buyers so be very sure that the dog you are seeing is the actual mother and not a random dog. Depending on age, pups will still be looking to suckle from her and will be reasonably attached to her. If the bitch seems really uninterested in the pups and you handling the pups (most bitches will be wary of strangers at their pups, may not be aggressive but certainly very interested in what you are doing with them) you should probably question if the bitch is the pups mother or not.

Always see where the pups and mum are kept. If they are brought in to you from an outside building, ask the breeder if you can go out and see their kennel or stall. Use your nose when you get there - does it stink? Is there poo everywhere? Are the loads of dogs crammed into a small area? If the breeder won't let you go out for whatever reason ("ah sure, I'll bring them in" "it's lashing rain out" "they only sleep out there" etc.), walk away. Good breeders would be perfectly willing to let you look around and inspect any place the dogs are kept. If the dogs are kept inside the house, make sure it's practical - if there just one bed by the fire for mum and pups it may be a scam. Dogs and pups create mess that needs to be cleaned up after constantly. There should be loads of dog stuff around the place (toys, bowls, beds etc) and a whelping box (or some kind of x pen when they get older) where mum and pups spend most of their time. Some breeders have a room dedicated to the dogs. If at any point it either feels too good to be true or something feels a bit off chances are your instincts are right. Bad breeders try to give the impression that they are wonderful owners, their dogs are indoors and happy, they house is spotless, the kids play with the dogs and that there is no chance that they could be BYBs or puppy farmers, so you need to be very wary.

Viewing both parents is not a red light but can be an indication to something dodgy. Some breeders keep with own sires but most don't. If they used an outside male to sire the pups, make sure to ask all the same questions you do about the mother (and if possible get copies of his certs etc.). If the breeder does have the father on site, see where he is kept etc.

Ask the breeder a million and one questions, they should be happy to answer everything and be able to tell you everything you need to know. Do your research before you go to look at pups so that you can quiz the breeder. They should be honest about the health problems in the breed (the phrase "we don't have any of that in our lines" is a big red flag) and should be able to tell you both the pros and cons of the breed. They should also be asking you questions about where the pup is going to be kept, how experienced you are with dogs etc. If they are a good breeder, they will have pup a lot of time and effort into these pups and will want to know where they are going and if the new home is suitable. Ask how many dogs the breeder has (and see proof), how often they breed, what they feed and why, any problems they have had, who is their vet, how long they have been breeding, do they show (and see proof), what do you get to take home with your pup and anything else you can think of. There is no such thing a stupid question or too many of them! They should not mind multiple viewings and taking at least 24 hours to make a decision about whether you will take a pup. It's very easy to take one when you are looking at them, but walking away and thinking about it will help you be sure it's exactly what you want.

Health certs. are a must. A good breeder will screen their dogs for any prevalent illnesses in the breed. With something like a Golden Retriever, hip scoring is the big thing that comes to mind. Ask if the father was scored as well as the mother. Vet certs, vaccination certs and microchip info for the puppies are also something the breeder should be able to produce. Make sure to check the chip numbers against the puppies chip, some dodgy breeders get one litter checked and use their certs for several, on all certs. IKC papers are a default with good breeders. They do not guarantee that the dog is well bred but decent breeders don't let pups leave without them. If the pups are not IKC registered, ask why? If the reason seems a bit odd, it is probably a load of crap and the breeder is trying to fob you off.

On finding a breeder, large advertising website are a maze of good and bad. They are a starting tool but most who advertise on them do not have the breeds best intentions at heart so tread very carefully. Contacting the IKC breed secretary for members numbers is also a very good starting point. You may have to see several liters before you find a good breeder that you are happy with. Many very good breeders have a waiting list for their pups so be prepared for this and you may have to wait.

Keep your wits about you and question everything that goes on. BYBs and puppy farmers have been doing what they do for a very long time so doing your research and making sure you are happy with the breeder you go with is very important. A good breeder wouldn't sell a pup for Christmas and The current demand for the Christmas market is ridiculous so well done to them for waiting until the new year. And good luck!

[/rant] :rolleyes:

tk123

I have a 15month old GR. He has a leg deformity and I've often wondered if I missed something or if the breeder was dodgy etc. His deformity didn't present itself until he was about 9-10 months and I wonder again if I could have spotted it quicker - were his parent's legs straight/where they a bit limpy? I don't think they were tbh and when he was in for routine stuff like shots/kennel cough vac. the vet said he was a good pedigree so it wasn't obvious but it's always in the back of my mind. If I was getting another pup I think I'd go to the breed club and get a list of breeders and wait until one of them had pups available rather then going with donedeal etc. If I was going to go with somebody from donedeal i'd google them/their number to see if they've had ads recently for puppies - eg are they breeding the dog at every heat to make money etc

If I was going to see a pup tomorrow I'd :
- Want hipscores/health certs for both parents
- Want to see both parents moving around - I've first hand experience of angular limb deformity now so think I could spot it
- See where the pups are being kept - is it relatively clean for somewhere pups weeing and pooing every five mins :pac:
- Ensure that the breeder isn't planning on letting the pups go at 6 weeks
- Want papers with the pup when we collect it
- Ask what they're being fed - the general consensus is that pedigree is crap so why would you choose to feed it to pups - surely they need a good start?!

sionnaic

Great advice lorebringer!