Advice for buying a dog

Col67

Well done for choosing not to go to a puppy farm breeder! I would definitely look at local rescue groups. I often look at dogsblog.com which has lots of different rescue centres in all areas of the country. If you change your mind and decide to go for a pedigree just remember that even if a breeder is KC registered it does not guarantee that your dog will be 100%. I have unfortunately been caught out twice using a KC registered breeder, two dogs I have bought through them have both had hip dysplasia. You need to make sure that the breeder is a Kennel Club Assured Breeder because they are made to use health screening for hip and eye problems. When I informed the KC about the hip problems they basically said they didn't want to know. My current dog has hip dysplasia but we manage it by making sure he stays at his ideal weight, exercise and he is on medication. He has just turned 8 and he is mad as a box of frogs! Our next dog will definitely be a rescue dog because there are so many out there looking for good, loving homes. Pup Aid has launched an e-petition to help ban the cruel practice of puppy and kitten farming in the UK. You can find out more on their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pupaid?directed_target_id=0

The petition can be found here:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/49528

_Andy_

Why would you want to 'buy' a dog when there's thousands of dogs out there that need rehoming?

WTFH

I can recommend the dogs trust:
http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/

You won't get an inbred (sorry, pedigree) from them, nor are you paying someone who is just going to breed more dogs that end up unloved. Instead, you'll get to help out a dog who needs a new home.

danih

I hope the dog you have found works out. Getting a slightly older, unwanted dog will give you a huge sense of satisfaction for years to come.

A good walk every day will reduce any behaviour problems and calm doggy down for the rest of the day - provides lots of stimulation and the exercise will tire them out - a little anyway, for an 18 month old

I find a harness better then a collar - spreads the strain across the bones and muscles off the whole chest, rather the concentrating the strain in a narrow band around the neck.

Good luck

con1888

First of all thoroughly research the breed, not every breed will suit you.

Then my advice would be to look up the health TESTS required for that breed ( hips/elbows/eyes/ears) as they are breed specific.

Then contact a breed club ( Kennel Club has a list of them) and tell them what you are looking for and can they put you in touch with any breeders.

Then ask the breeders if they do the above tests on the parent dogs, they should show you proof.

Don't use gumtree/freeads/newspapers/preloved etc as the majority are NOT reputable breeders ( some will be but it's a minefield)


Kc registered on it's own does not mean reputable, it only means both parents were KC, not that health tests have been done, breeding has been done ethically etc.

Good luck

veyrongirl

ADOPT ADOPT ADOPT

whether from Dogs Trust, RSPCA or a breed specific rescue, there are so many dogs needing homes. Do not get a dog from an ad on Gumtree or similar

krlyr

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with approaching a reputable breeder over a rescue dog. There are various reasons why people may prefer to do so, and also, just because you buy from a breeder it doesn't prevent you helping rescues. I know plenty of people who have both bought and adopted dogs - even breeders who have gone to rescues themselves.

We need good dog breeders in the world. Yes, there is an abundance of rescue dogs needing homes at this moment- but if all good breeders were to stop, where would the dogs of the future come from? In 10-20 years time, when all those breeders have stopped and there's no more reputably bred puppies, where will people get dogs from? Back-yard breeders (BYBs) and puppy farms will rub their hands in glee at the demand for puppies being solely filled by them. Or the third option, accidental litters - because accidents will always happen - which will happen between these badly bred dogs that originate from the former two options, therefore a perpetuating the generations of dogs with poor breeding and the related health issues.

Good breeders, those who perform (and prove that they have) health tests (not just "health checks" which is a term BYBs will use to try to confuse buyers into thinking they do health tests - a health check is literally popping to the vet and having the eyes, ears and heart checked, it won't show the multitude of diseases and conditions that health testing can detect and help avoid), who ensure they have waiting lists for all puppies before they even breed a litter, who do all the appropriate socialisation (this is not just about letting the puppy meet other dogs - but about introducing the puppies to household noises like the hoover, TV, washing machine, to various floor textures like grass, slabs, gravel, to lorries, cars, bicycles, and so on). There are masses of differences between a good breeder and a BYB, and I really would have no qualms in supporting the former.

I feel that we, as a whole, need to encourage good breeders and educate buyers into recognising the difference and actively avoiding the bad breeders. Good breeders are the ones who will secure the dog species for our future and increase the overall health and temperament of dogs to come.

Back to OP. There are a few good guides online on how to choose a good breeder, though a lot are US based (but still pretty applicable to the UK)
http://www.apdt.co.uk/dog-owners/choosing-a-puppy (UK based)
http://www.apdt.com/petowners/gettingadog/frombreeder.aspx
http://www.champdogs.co.uk/blog/finding-a-good-dog-breeder

As said, bear in mind that KC registered means just that - the dog's parents were registered with the KC so the dog is registerable (actual conditions of registration here, makes an interesting read http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/registration/registering-your-pedigree-dog-litter/litter-registration-faqs/ ). This doesn't guarantee health tests etc. but to have genuine papers can be a sign that the breeder is willing to spend some money on the litter so may not be a BYB. However, it's also worth bearing in mind that registering a puppy costs £15, so not masses - I've hear several cases of BYBs charging an extra £100-200 for KC registration, because owners don't realise how little it costs to actually do.

A good breeder will never feel like you're asking too many questions - think of it that you're checking if the breeder is good enough for you, not whether you're good enough for the breeder. A good breeder will love to be grilled about health tests, about the temperament of the parents and so on.

They should be happy for you to want to visit the litter - and use the visit to check out the surroundings, be very wary of somewhere with puppies out in a shed or kennel (how likely are they to have been exposed to a normal household - will they freak at the hoover, TV, etc. if they've never seen them? Is the breeder hiding something, e.g. multiple litters in other kennels or sheds?).

Run a mile from a breeder offering to drop off the puppy or meet halfway rather than let you visit - whilst good breeders will import and export dogs worldwide, in the grand scheme of things the UK is quite a small country and many people won't flinch at driving 3 or 4 hours (or more!) to visit a good breeder - so the drop-off thing is often something a BYB will do to avoid buyers seeing their setup (or knowing where they live incase the puppy gets sick or died)

A good breeder will offer lifetime support - taking the puppy back if you can't keep it, keeping in touch to give advice and to monitor the puppy's health, take any concerns in health seriously and consider whether it's something hereditary that they should investigate more seriously and so on. They will most likely want you to sign a contract - which can seem daunting, but is usually made to protect all of you - breeder, buyer and puppy.

This PDF has a good list of red flags. Again, US based but still pretty applicable. There's some obvious things, e.g. advertising loads of different breeders of dogs, selling aimed at Easter/Christmas puppies (many good breeders won't time a litter to be ready at those sort of times as a house is too loud and busy at Christmas, too stressful for a new puppy)
http://www.bmdcnv.org/puppy/BadBreederRedFlags.pdf

Expect the puppy's price to reflect the health tests and all the time and effort put in by a good breeder - but actually, with the fad of "oodles" lately, sometimes a good breeder actually charges less than a BYB does! But bear in mind when a price seems high, over the dog's lifetime, an £800 pricetag for example could only be £60 a year.


However, one thing to bear in mind (that many people don't realise) is that you can often find puppies in rescues, even as young as 8 weeks old. Some rescues specialise in puppies - e.g. Pupsneedinghomes, and some rescues do have a higher volume of puppies due to the nature of their rescue (Many Tears in Wales will take puppies from Welsh puppyfarms - controversial to some, but does mean they often have litters of puppies available). Obviously you don't get the health tests etc. going down this route, but you have the perk of helping out a rescue dog!

Like I said, I would be open to both options. All of my dogs have been rescue dogs, but I did approach a breeder for a puppy before (typically the day before we were due to visit, a relative offered us a puppy they were having to rehome). I'd just say really do your homework in either situation - you can get bad rescues (e.g. bordering on animal hoarders, 'dog dealers' under the guise of a rescue, rescues who've got in over their head and simply don't have the resources to properly assess dogs or provide appropriate backup, and so on)

Good luck And don't forget to do your research on raising a puppy before you get it, having everything in place, having found a good training class (try http://www.apdt.co.uk) and a good vet, having read up on things like housetraining etc. before bringing a pup home will really help prevent making mistakes and then having to put more work into fixing them. Gwen Bailey's book is well recommended - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Perfect-Puppy-Britains-Number-Care/dp/060061722X