IKC Papers?

kkumk

I've been looking for a puppy for a while now and I've finally found one that I really love but there may be a problem with its IKC papers..

The seller seems legitimate but he says that due to a delay with Ulster Bank, he only began registering the puppy for the IKC two days ago (sent off reg forms or whatever). He says they hope to have it by next week, but I'm hoping to purchase on Monday and he says if they don't have it by then he can forward them to my home address.

I'm just wondering if this is standard practice or should I be worried? Everything else about them seem fine, the pups all live in a family home, the mother and father are there and are IKC and EKC registered and the puppy is wormed, vaccinated and micro-chipped.
If the seller did not forward on the IKC papers after I had bought the dog, is there any action I can take? Can I try to register it myself? Or perhaps could I call the IKC tomorrow and ask if they have even received an application of registration?
Finally, what are the consequences if the puppy turns out not to be IKC reg'd, assuming I don't want to breed it or show it; I mean does it really matter in the long term apart from the status value?

Sorry for the lengthy post and sorry if I seem a bit ignorant about how the IKC works, I've tried to do my research and ensure I'm not buying from a puppy farm but I've been finding it difficult where to draw the line.

Cherry Blossom

Where did you find this breeder and are they registered with the relevant breed club? Also, what breed is the dog and is there a contract?

kkumk

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Where did you find this breeder and are they registered with the relevant breed club? Also, what breed is the dog and is there a contract?

A family member suggested them to me as they are local to her (but other side of the country for me!). It's a Chihuahua and I'm not sure if they're registered with Chihuahua breeders club, but I suspect not. I know this isn't ideal but I honestly can't afford to pay upwards of 1000euro for one that is from a breeder whose dogs have won all sorts of shows etc. The most important thing for me is that the dog comes from a healthy, happy background.

I haven't asked them about a contract as I'm unsure as how to go about it but if they are shady about it when I do ask I'll be running in the opposite direction.

Zapperzy

I'm not really fully up to scratch on IKC papers and the in's and out's so maybe someone else might be able to advice better. Do the breeders seem genuine in every other way? Do they show or work the dogs or have copies of health certs? Or are these just 2 family pets they decided to breed? If the latter I would seriously think about walking away, they may actually be genuine about a hold up with the papers but if they don't have proof of health tests and neither show nor work their dogs they really are no better than a puppy farmer I'm afraid. Papers really aren't a stamp of quality but it's a very basic minimum that a reputable breeder will have.

Someone else may know more about IKC/EKC, can pups be registered if one parent is EKC registered or is there such a thing as dual registration?

Edited to add: I'm not sure what health issues chihuahuas need to be tested for you'l need to research that yourself but please don't pick a breeder based on price. This is a dog that you hopefully will have for the next 12+ years, an extra €400-500 is nothing spread over that length of time compared with vet costs for an unhealthy dog which could easily rack up to €400+ with a few tests not to mention the emotional heartbreak that goes with it. Chihuahuas are popular little dogs for puppy farmers for that exact reason, they have small litters so are expensive to buy from reputable breeders so the puppy farmers skip the expensive parts of breeding (health tests, quality food etc.) and offer them at a lower price. Have you met the breeder in person yet?

Cherry Blossom

No Breed club code of conduct to abide by or no sales contract = no guarantee, no come-back, nothing.

andreac

To be honest, unless you know this breeder very well, do not hand over any money until you have the papers in your hand!!!

If i had a euro for every time i heard that story about sending on the papers then id be loaded!!

If the breeder is legit and reputable, they will have no problem waiting until the papers arrive to give you the puppy.

Tell them you will give them a deposit to hold the pup and when the papers arrive you will pay the balance and collect the pup.

I breed and i would not expect anyone to deal the way your breeder is and would have no problem holding pups until all paperwork is in order.

One thing i noticed, you say you cant afford to pay for a good dog yet you say you want a happy, healthy pup? If the breeders dont carry out health testing then you will not get a good quality pup. If you pay cheap, its usually for a reason, prob not what you want to hear...

Why not keep saving and go to a really good breeder and get a good pup, its worth it in the long run.

Hooked

andreac wrote: »

To be honest, unless you know this breeder very well, do not hand over any money until you have the papers in your hand!!!

If i had a euro for every time i heard that story about sending on the papers then id be loaded!!

Why not keep saving and go to a really good breeder and get a good pup, its worth it in the long run.

The last line above!!!



I "nearly" bought my Siberian Husky from a backyard breeder, with no papers and at a lot less money... In the end, we waited... and got VERY lucky. Spent waaaayyy more than I'd have originally liked to but God was it worth it!

When I handed over my cash I was given (in a folder) his papers (back to great great grandparents), full vaccination record, HIP Score, a bag of kibble, breakdown of his feeding, next scheduled shots, vouchers for the next lot and most importantly a dog that has never seen the inside of a VET's practice a year later.

You're investing in something that you'll hopefully have for 12, 13, 14 years... Better to be safe than sorry IMO.

An ounce of breeding is worth a ton of feeding. Wait for the papers.

pawrick

Deposit definitely - do not hand over the full amount. If they are legit this is no problem.

Health Screening - I came across someone who had sold a Chihuahua pup last year.

What the couple who purchased the pup didn't know was that the other two pubs in the litter had complications, one died at birth with a mal formed head/organs and the other died shortly after also. One pup survived and she sold this one without mentioning this fact - I would have serious concerns about the future health of this pup. btw she won't be breeding them again.

If they don't do health screening you are putting yourself at risk of buying a pet which will cost you a lot in VET bills down the road especially for certain breeds. At least ask to see the other pups in the litter it there are any.

kkumk

andreac wrote: »

To be honest, unless you know this breeder very well, do not hand over any money until you have the papers in your hand!!!

If i had a euro for every time i heard that story about sending on the papers then id be loaded!!

If the breeder is legit and reputable, they will have no problem waiting until the papers arrive to give you the puppy.

Tell them you will give them a deposit to hold the pup and when the papers arrive you will pay the balance and collect the pup.

I breed and i would not expect anyone to deal the way your breeder is and would have no problem holding pups until all paperwork is in order.

One thing i noticed, you say you cant afford to pay for a good dog yet you say you want a happy, healthy pup? If the breeders dont carry out health testing then you will not get a good quality pup. If you pay cheap, its usually for a reason, prob not what you want to hear...

Why not keep saving and go to a really good breeder and get a good pup, its worth it in the long run.

The breeder has said he can hold the pup for me until they get the papers but I suppose its just me being excited and wanting it now that's the problem lol, I know I should be putting common sense first but it all goes out the window when I see puppies :rolleyes:

And yea I fully accept your point about cheap puppies, like I see ads on the net with Chihuahua's for 200euro and they don't even look like Chihuahua's and they don't have papers or anything, but I'm willing to pay up to about 700euro and I feel that that IS quite expensive, like I've already been saving for it for a while, but I dunno maybe it isn't when we're talking Chi's, which seem to be a lot more expensive than other breeds...

andreac

Well thats a good sign then if the breeder will hang on.

Trust me, the breeder will want to sort this as soon as possible to get everything in order. The quicker they get paperwork sorted, the quicker they get the puppy sorted and sold and in its new home. Time shouldnt be an issue with a good breeder so dont be too worries about rushing. The pup will still be there in 2/3 weeks if thats how long it takes.

If the breeder is dodgy and you hand over money you will never, ever get the papers as they have your money so why would they bother sorting it for you?