Where to buy a puppy (SW London/Surrey)

Frugalista

krlyr wrote: »

seeing that the breed is a "Sproodle" raises far more concerns than any of the points I previously mentioned.

I agree 100%.

Caroline_a

Dear OP. I really hope you aren't going to be paying much money for what is basically a mongrel. I'm sure the puppies were very cute (aren't they all!), but I have see so many cowboys advertising these so-called designer crossbreeds at ridiculous prices, I do feel that people are being ripped off.

I would expect to be paying no more than £50 for a dog without a KC certificate, unless it was from a rescue centre that had vaccinated, wormed, and provided a voucher for neutering when the dog got to an appropriate age.

Sorry to put a downer on this... but I have seen some of these advertising these types of cutesy-named pups at over £500 in some cases, which is just a total rip-off!!

kittykat23uk

Please consider a rescue!! There are so many animals needing homes that there is no need to add to the demand for breeding more.

Person_one

Caroline_a wrote: »

Dear OP. I really hope you aren't going to be paying much money for what is basically a mongrel. I'm sure the puppies were very cute (aren't they all!), but I have see so many cowboys advertising these so-called designer crossbreeds at ridiculous prices, I do feel that people are being ripped off.

I would expect to be paying no more than £50 for a dog without a KC certificate, unless it was from a rescue centre that had vaccinated, wormed, and provided a voucher for neutering when the dog got to an appropriate age.

Sorry to put a downer on this... but I have seen some of these advertising these types of cutesy-named pups at over £500 in some cases, which is just a total rip-off!!

Now, I'm not actually opposed to sensible crossing. I'm not a believer in 'racial purity' in humans or dogs and I don't think there's any such thing as 'just a mongrel'. Dogs are dogs whatever their family tree!

That said, deliberately crossing a springer and a poodle sounds like madness! You're likely to end up with a incredibly high energy, highly intelligent explosion of dog with a completely unmanageable coat and a high prey/work drive. If the poodle was a standard it will be big too!

Are the parents health tested? 'Hybrid vigour' isn't as simple as some of these 'doodle' breeders want you to think.

Oh, and I can guarantee you it won't be hypoallergenic or non-shedding!

Chakani

Jimmy, those are two active breeds you have chosen to combine! I'm not about to wade in about the breeders, I don't know a lot about them, and besides, my own dog is a crossbreed from an accidental mating, so I would be calling the kettle black.

I would refer you back to my previous post though, since you have chosen such an intelligent and high energy combination, and would strongly suggest you think very carefully about whether you can manage what I described all day every day.

I knew what I was taking on with my collie x springer mutt, I have owned both breeds before, but even so, having a puppy along with two small children (and it was something I wanted very much to do) made me think "what have I done" quite frequently, and there were several occasions when I seriously thought I was going to have to rehome her, because it was all too much. And that is with the benefit of 30 years experience of dogs, plus the help and advice of a team of excellent dog trainers.

She was too bouncy and uncontrolled to walk alongside the pushchair, or with a walking child, and her limited exercise (as advised by the vet) meant she couldn't come running with me, so I was having to do everyone's exercise at different times - I was (and still am) having to get up an hour before my OH to make sure the dog is walked, worked, fed and settled before the children got up. Is there someone in your house willing to do that 7 days a week? Because that puppy is not going to be calm and relaxed when the children come downstairs in the mornings otherwise (probably won't be anyway, but take it from me, it will be disastrous if everyone gets up at the same time!)

We are all sounding terribly negative about the whole thing, I realise that, and I, for one, certainly don't want to put you off having a dog, or a puppy for that matter. It's just that the two breeds you mention are both high-intelligence, high-energy breeds, which makes for a very challenging combination for a novice owner and trainer (and you will be a dog trainer, as will the rest of the family).

I am sure that if you are truly determined to take on this puppy that it is possible to make it work, if you have enough help and support from someone (maybe a local dog training club) who knows what they are doing, and you all work hard at it. But I am also fairly sure that you aren't anticipating fully how much work it will be to do things properly (because I didn't, and I probably wouldn't have done it if I did ). In your position, I think I would be doing some serious research and thinking before you commit yourselves for the next 15 years. (If you are anywhere near me, we're in West Kent, you would be very welcome to borrow our pup for the day to see if you enjoy having one around. She would still give you a taster of what it's like!)

cjmumto2

I saw an ad in our petshop for "Cockumber" pups ROFL

krlyr

OP, the information pack/PDF on this link may be worth a read
http://puppycontract.rspca.org.uk/home

The first few pages are aimed at the breeder to fill out but even those pages will help - they'll give you an idea of things the breeder should have considered or achieved. It then goes on to give information on what to look for in a breeder/litter etc.

Also, goes right back to basics - http://www.getpuppysmart.com/

JimmyTheWig

I think I'm going to stop posting on this thread. Feel like whatever I do or say gets dissed.
Maybe the dog we're getting won't be as "proper" as one that we'd have to go on a waiting list to get, but we've done our best, gone for the breed / puppy that our children like the look of and we're happy.

If some of the posts here are true then I'll be back in six months asking for advice on rehoming. We shall see...

krlyr

It's not about the dog being "proper" but about whether the breeder has done everything they can to breed the healthiest puppies with the most stable temperament.
Many health conditions are inherited - so breed two parents with bad hip scores (x-rays done to check the state of their hips) and you could end up with a puppy that is a criple by 3 years old. I'm not exagerating here, unfortunately I have been through this first hand, having to euthanise my previous dog at age 4 after two years of struggling with her hips - she reached the stage where she couldn't lift herself up in the morning from the pain and we had to make that tough call. A relative had bought her from a freead magazine, paid a considerable amount for her, but the breeder had obviously not invested that profit into doing the health tests necessary for both parents.
English Springer Spaniels, for example, are prone to quite a few conditions including several relating to the eyes. They can be prone to ear infections, skin disorders, hip dysplasia and epilepsy. I have heard many times of "rage syndrom" in Springers - a form of epilepsy that causes dogs to descend into a "red mist" usually causing severe aggressive behaviour. Another condition is Fucosidosis, one that affects the motor function even at a young age, but can also present with aggressive behaviour caused by disorientation - and it is a fatal condition.
Combined with the Poodle health issues, many that affect the same areas - again, eye issues, hip dysplasia and epilepsy, alongside Addison's, Cashings, hypothyroidism, patellar luxation to name a few, you can see why it is so important for the parents to have had thorough health tests and have come from a healthy lineage.

Temperament can also be inherited, and as you have children I would really urge you to tread carefully. Nervousness can be worse than outright aggression - a dog that guards food items can at least be fed in a seperate room, but a dog that gets nervous can be a ticking timebomb around children, who can be somewhat unpredictable (especially when excited). Even things like how much self-control a dog has can play a huge part in whether you'll have issues - a high-energy dog that doesn't have an "off" switch could end up accidentally injuring a child, e.g. getting carried away if they are running around with the dog and knocking it down, or a dog with little self-control may snatch food from a child's hands or paw at them for attention (one of my dogs came to me with this bad habit and I have to say it does hurt when he catches you with his claws - he's caught me and my OH on the face a couple of times and left bright red marks)

I really don't mean to scaremonger but the chances are you're paying just as much as you would for a purebreed Poodle or Springer, but if you can just hold off a few weeks to find a more reputable breeder, it may save you hundreds of pounds in vet bills or behaviourist fees throughout the dog's life. You may be happy now, but will your children be happy if the dog has to be locked away from them due to behavioural issues, or to have to say goodbye to their best furry friend in just a few year's time because of a health problem that could have been avoided with the correct health tests and carefully chosen breeding lines?
I own a crossbreed myself, so I'm certainly no "purebreed snob", but it is rare for a decent breeder to purposely cross two breeds together it would make me question whether they are doing everything else in the interest of the puppies' health.

Chakani

I'm sorry you feel that way, because I believe most, if not all the posters who responded here were trying to be helpful to you. I'm sure you understand that people's causes are very important to them, and people who work hard to change the culture of something are likely to be quite vocal about it.

I sincerely hope you won't be here in six months time needing to rehome him/her. I'm sure that if you put in the work, you will be able to make it work, and I hope that the work will be worth it for the fifteen years of pleasure your dog should bring you. I think, though, that in six months time, you might find yourself giving the same advice to someone else thinking about taking on a crazy puppy, even if you wouldn't change yours for the world

I also think you'll find that the people who have responded on this thread aren't really trying to "diss" you personally (though I can understand it must feel that way), and that when you have your puppy home, I'm sure they will do what they can to support and help you.

Good luck with the puppy