Desperate Advice Needed on Puppy Purchase.

Fin53

Hi..I've bred dogs & quite frankly, if someone can't come to view Mum with her pups, choose their pup from the litter etc you wouldn't get a puppy from me! I've had people come 400 miles to view pups & choose one, then when pups are 8 weeks they do the whole journey again. Saying that... it's done & dusted now. Pups can have a runny tummy simply due to the change in water in different areas. All my dogs have had upset tummies on arrival here but it usually settles down. 3 days isn't long enough for your pup to settle in.

hollydays

Only constructive thing I can suggest is to get a friend to pretend to enquire about the remainings dogs and try and find out who their vet is-if they even have one - and make some enquiries about these sellers this way.

MaryMurphy

We bought our dog from a local breeder (well, he was about an hour away, so local by our –rural – standards!) and I must agree with what others have said above.

I researched buying a dog extensively and my experience was excellent, I am very glad I put in the legwork to understand what I should and shouldn’t expect.

For the benefit of others who may be looking to buy a dog from a breeder, this was our (very positive) experience:

Met the breeder at their home (we met him twice and saw the pups with the mother both times, once when they were 6 weeks old and then the second time when they were 8 weeks old);

Went over the pups’ health history (he was very honest and straight away pointed out that one of the pups we were handling appeared to have a little hernia);

He subtly and politely enquired about our own home environment (did we have children, a garden, availability to play/walk and generally be with the pup) and our experience with dogs;

On our second visit he left us alone with the pups and the mother so we could handle the dogs and make a decision without feeling pressured;

He mentioned in passing how he’s had his own female dog (our pup’s mother) for a number of years since she was a pup herself, and how she loves being on his boat when he goes fishing;

He also went through some of the more common personality traits of the breed, and appeared reassured when I went through a few others I’d researched (I spent a lot of time checking this particular breed’s temperament etc);

He confirmed what the puppy needed, what shots he’d had, and confirmed we could ring him anytime if we had any follow-up questions (I did contact him a few days after to double-check when he’d last been de-wormed as I couldn’t remember when he was due, and he replied very quickly with the answer, and asked how we were getting on);

When we chose our pup on the second visit, he asked if we’d brought a blanket for him (we had) and rubbed it against the mother so he’d have a familiar scent.

He had the pups registered with the Kennel Club, and we have his papers at home.

We were very reassured this wasn’t this guy’s first rodeo in terms of dog breeding, but that he had the dogs’ best interest to heart.

I am aware not everyone is so lucky and that problems can happen even if the breeder and home environment tick all the boxes.

It’s very unfortunate the poor little thing has an upset stomach (and I truly hope that’s all that’s wrong him him), but why would you introduce something to your home environment that is likely to cost you money (dog food, lead, chew toys, possibly a crate if he’s being crate trained, insurance payments, etc), at a time when money is clearly an issue?

There are undoubtable health benefits to owning a pet, but I can’t help thinking that this was an ill-timed choice for your current situation. I’m afraid you may now be “stuck” with an unwanted dog due to their potential health issues, due to your own lack of proper planning and foresight.

I don’t mean to be harsh, but I watched a documentary on the BBC last week about puppy farms in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the conditions of some of these poor animals was absolutely heart-breaking. If you suspect someone is a puppy farmer, DO NOT buy from them. They will continue doing what they’re doing unless people stop buying from them.

I have little doubt the person you bought the pup from was a puppy farmer. There is no way someone reputable would’ve sold you a pup without meeting you properly.

maninthestreet

What were the OP's family members thinking of when they bought a dog for the OP? The OP is going bankrupt, but a dog has to be fed (costs money) and cared for (vets bills!) - unbelievable!!

unholyangel

Digestive problems are listed as a "health problem" for GSDs (although the most common is hip/back end problems, especially in old age).

As someone else has pointed out, the tummy problems could also be from stress or because they've eaten something off the ground/they're not used to.

I'm not sure why you think its parvo after the vet has said its not. Parvo is severe. I've been unfortunate enough to witness it after a few friends purchased puppies from the same breeder and it was been painfully obvious the dogs were suffering a life threatening condition - which resulted in immediate vet treatment with the dogs being kept in for weeks, being on an IV etc.

Does he have a quiet/dark area he can go to for peace & quiet thats away from draughts? (any children should also be taught not to follow/prevented from following the dog into this area).

Most of the rescue animals I foster always have the runs the first few days - mainly due to stress and/or change in diet. Its the standard that you feed them plain chicken and rice if they have an upset stomach as its very gentle on their stomach (you can also give them a bit of mash potato - no salt or butter - to help firm up their stool). If there was any serious cause for concern, I'm sure your vet would've wanted to keep the dog in for observation.

Third party insurance via dogs trust - £25 a year I believe. Ask your vet if they have an insurance plan. My local does a plan which would be £15 a month for a GSD (at adult size) and that covers you for 2 annual check ups, boosters, year round worming & flea treatment, £5,000 accident insurance and also 25% off any other treatments/products you get.

peachyprice

maninthestreet wrote: »

What were the OP's family members thinking of when they bought a dog for the OP? The OP is going bankrupt, but a dog has to be fed (costs money) and cared for (vets bills!) - unbelievable!!

And not even a small 'cheap to run' dog at that!

soolin

Ironically I am just reading this after having seen something in the local paper about a litter of dogs having been abandoned outside a local vet . It's all the usual chit chat about how people need to have their dogs 'done' to avoid unwanted litters when there are already so many unwanted dogs looking for families. However it goes on to warn people that although these puppies will be up for adoption once all health checks have been done, it is not just a case of phoning up and asking for one. Apparently no puppy will be released to a new home until full home checks have been done and even then the local dogs charity will be doing follow up inspections to ensure the dog has settled and that the new owners can cope with it.

So, an abandoned puppy gets more careful looking after than a breeder bred dog?

Also, I only have a cat as I can't fit a dog Into my lifestyle, much as I am desperate for one, but people I know with dogs spend hundreds if not thousands a year on all the jabs, food, health checks, etc- I am extremely worried that some who is facing bankruptcy may have to skimp on all this if their child is not to have to 'go without' to fund it.

Country_Cousin

Soolin - whilst I am in agreement with all you have written, the only thing I will slightly disagree with is that an abandoned puppy gets more careful looking after than a breeder bred dog - that is not the case if you buy from a good breeder and to buy from a good breeder you must do your research first. A good breeder will home check, will meet you and your children to ensure you are a suitable owner, will ensure everything is in place before you take the puppy home and will keep in touch after you have the puppy for advice and assistance. A good breeder will also take the dog back if the owner decides at any point in the future they cannot keep the dog. :-)

soolin

Country_Cousin wrote: »

Soolin - whilst I am in agreement with all you have written, the only thing I will slightly disagree with is that an abandoned puppy gets more careful looking after than a breeder bred dog - that is not the case if you buy from a good breeder and to buy from a good breeder you must do your research first. A good breeder will home check, will meet you and your children to ensure you are a suitable owner, will ensure everything is in place before you take the puppy home and will keep in touch after you have the puppy for advice and assistance. A good breeder will also take the dog back if the owner decides at any point in the future they cannot keep the dog. :-)

that's what I thought, thank goodness that is the case. A friend of mine got a spaniel last year, it seemed very complicated, they had to turn up for several scheduled visits and the breeder also came and looked at their home. They certainly couldn't just order it over the phone like you would a pizza.

foxtrotoscar_2

Absolutely nothing about this puppy 'purchase' has been done correctly.


I'm speechless...and that's perhaps not a bad thing.


The OP is not in the financial position to have a pet and God only knows what their family were thinking.


A dog is not just to cheer you up !!!!!!.