Where to buy a puppy (SW London/Surrey)

JimmyTheWig

Thanks all.
I sort of saw going to a shop rather than an individual as being like buying a used car from a dealer rather than from a private advert.
Seems like I may have been wrong!

Will rethink...

gettingready

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Thanks all.
I sort of saw going to a shop rather than an individual as being like buying a used car from a dealer rather than from a private advert.
Seems like I may have been wrong!

Oh dear.....

Caroline_a

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Thanks all.
I sort of saw going to a shop rather than an individual as being like buying a used car from a dealer rather than from a private advert.
Seems like I may have been wrong!

Will rethink...

I would spend a little time researching what sort of dog you want. How much time do you have to spend with the dog, are you people who love to go on long walks, or is it more a turn around the block? Do you want a dog that you can groom at home, or are you happy to let it go to a groomers (with the resulting costs). There is lots of good information on the Kennel club website, particularly here

Good luck, and if you have any more questions, I'm sure the experienced dog owners here can help.

krlyr

I can understand where you're coming from, but unfortunately in the doggy world, petshops are just an outlet for those individuals you're trying to avoid. Plus the puppyfarms breeding en masse, though the petshops do try their best to present them as some kind of well-bred, perfect specimen of their breed.
Do be wary of which individual you do approach - just because they breed and sell outside of a petshop, that doesn't automatically make them perfect either, so do your research. Reputation is something that spreads through word of mouth at dog shows and within show circles so that can be a good place to start - plus if you go to general dog shows, you can meet various breeds to try to narrow down what breed you are after.
Well done for at least doing some research now though - at least you've realised the mistake while you have the chance to correct it

OnAndUp

JimmyTheWig wrote: »

Thanks all.
I sort of saw going to a shop rather than an individual as being like buying a used car from a dealer rather than from a private advert.
Seems like I may have been wrong!

Will rethink...

Yes you are definitely wrong!

Like someone else said I didn't know where to start to answer your question! Buying a dog from a Pet Shop is wrong on so many levels it's hard to explain. It fills me with horror and I find it unbelievable really that in this day and age that it's legal and that anyone would consider buying a dog from a pet shop. For all the terrible reasons that people have said about puppy farms etc plus just on a basic level it can't be healthy behaviour / socialisation wise for a puppy to be kept in a cage in a shop for god knows how long at the start of it's life?

BUT.....Don't take this the wrong way......it's many people's ignorance about where these pups come from that allows these companies to carry on selling / making lots of money. And if you hadn't asked on here you, like probably a high percentage of the population would be none the wiser. Let's face it if you don't know and go to visit a shop like that who can resist a cute puppy!

Like ChrisnTj said rescues are not for everyone. If I was you I would make a list of what you want in a Puppy ie you want a small dog some small dogs will need as much exercise or more than a bigger dog others not so much. Non moulting / short or long hair which will need a lot of grooming or regular trips to a groomer to keep it short. Then try to narrow down a breed or two and then look for some local Reputable breeders go and visit them meet their dogs. Then you will know exactly where your puppy comes from.

Don't think that people are lecturing you or trying be snotty / superior about it. It's just they are animal lovers and know all about these things and some people have worked in rescues and see the desperately sad fallout from these puppy farms first hand too.

Any questions about all this keep asking as people will gladly help you, so that you should get a healthy puppy with a sound temperament that will give you a lifetimes joy not a sickly one that will cost you a fortune in vets bills and heartache.

I know it seems like a minefield but once once you get your head around it - it's not!

Good luck with it all!

JimmyTheWig

So are private adverts on the likes of Gumtree and Preloved likely to be just as bad, or should they be more honest?
What about the ads on those sites that say the puppies have KC papers?

Failing that, how do you start going about finding a good breeder?

krlyr

Gumtree, Friday Ads, etc. are all likely to be the individuals you want to avoid. A good breeder will get most of their "customers" by word of mouth, or advertise in more specific places - like Champdogs.
KC registration - it's not always a sign that they're a good breeder but it does add an element of tracability. I believe that if you have the parents' KC registration numbers/names, you can look them up on a register to see if the tests the breeder claims to have done have been done, and check the results. So don't assume that they're a good breeder if they're KC registered, but do be wary of those that aren't.
http://www.apbc.org.uk/articles/good_breeder covers some good points on how to choose a good breeder. Have a read of this page too - http://www.dogsey.com/dog-breeders.htm
Basically, it will most likely involve more effort than logging on to Gumtree - it may require going to a few dog shows (fortunately there's a few in the South East), visiting some breeders to chat face to face, and perhaps being prepared to travel a bit of a distance for a good breeder, but remember that a dog may be with you for the next 15-20 years of your life - a little effort now to ensure it is a happy, healthy dog for as many of those years as physically possible is worth it IMO.

Gonzo33

I would echo what everyone else has said to you. The ladies and Gents on Dogsey are extremely helpful, and have led me to my perfect additional family member.

Chakani

[STRIKE][/STRIKE]It seems that the original question has been thoroughly covered, but from the perspective of someone with young children and a puppy - how old are your children?

I have had dogs all my life, but having a puppy with young children in the house has been one of the most exhausting things I've ever done (our pup is now nearly 5 months old, so still a long way to go, and the children are 3 and 1). You have to be constantly watching both dog and kids, because neither can be trusted to behave appropriately towards one another. The pup might frighten the children by being boisterous, and the children will have to learn how to deal with this. The pup will have to be trained, which takes a lot of time, every day, for months on end. My puppy is very good, but her attention span can be measured in nanoseconds! That will improve as she gets older, but at the moment, she gets distracted by the slightest thing, so I have to be constantly on the ball to anticipate the next bit of trouble she's heading for - usually stealing and hiding/chewing/burying a child's toy... and when it's removed from her, going straight for another one.

Another problem is visiting children, who will wind up the puppy, but don't know how to behave or what to expect. It makes playdates rather hard work for me.

What I would recommend, especially as you will be a first time owner, is to look for a young to middle-aged adult dog, maybe 2-5 years, that will be over the worst of the puppy phase, but still give you lots of time for fun as your children grow. Breeders who have taken pups back from owners who can't look after them might be a good place to look, or talking to local vets, who might know of dogs looking for new homes - maybe from an older person or someone whose circumstances have changed. That way, you could end up with a dog whose history is known. Also, you could talk to rescues (depending on the age of your children - many might be reluctant to home a dog with you if you have any under 5, partly for the reasons I gave above), but they have a vested interest in matching dogs to the right families, so if you are willing to wait, and be open-minded, you might end up lucky. I have had numerous rescue dogs in the past, and all had good temperaments, even if one or two had slight weirdnesses - not all dogs in rescue centres have been beaten or abused.

Just to illustrate how demanding they are, in the time it has taken me to type this, I've had to let pup out for the toilet and back in, she has stolen [STRIKE]6 [/STRIKE] 13 toys, brought me a ball to throw/hide [STRIKE]a dozen[/STRIKE] I've given up counting how many times, chewed a dustpan, a plastic bottle, a sippy cup, knocked over and licked the baby (baby thought it was hilarious, but she still shouldn't do it), run off with the three-year-old's trousers, tried to chew my feet and trouser legs, and is back again with the ball. She does this all day.

Chakani

On the other hand, they do all have fun together