Need advice about getting a golden retreiver pup

[KAM13291]

I have recently spoken to a lovely couple who have been breeders for several years they are kennel club registered and have also had their 7 golden retreivers they currently have in shows etc. She lives 5 miles away from me, problem is I had to get my support worker to take me there as it was in the middle of nowhere. We spoke about transport as she knows I'm epileptic but thing is she seemed to of been funny about it afterwards and asked how would I get puppy to the vets for emergencies etc or how would I take the puppy in general. I said I have two vets only 10mins away from me each side. I have a free bus pass and I cannot help that I can't drive, it is not my fault. The way she spoke after saying "it is going to be really hard with a pup if you have transport issues" just because I asked if I could pop up again while me my partner and son wait for one of her dogs to mate. Then the moment i said I would be getting a bus up this time round she became funny about it. I explained I cannot help I can't drive epilepsy is not something you want. And I don't understand how others who cannot drive who have noone and partly blind have had their dog from a pup that then ended up being their guide dog I just didn't understand what the big deal was. I know she is very protective and caring which makes me very adamant she is a good breeder but surely me having a medical condition that stops me from driving anymore shouldn't be an issue that much because I would beable to look after him/her properly when the time comes, I have vets all close by, I have support from family, friends, a support worker who is my friend as well as professional who didn't need to go out her way in taking me down there to visit them and I even have training classes nearby inside the actual vets themselves so I don't really know what else to do. I thought maybe having a dog would have also helped my son and partner who both have aspergers as they seem alot better when they have a dog around as we used to foster and also look after family pets. Someone help me out what do you think I should do?

[adaline]

Maybe she's just not the breeder for you. You certainly don't need a car to own a dog, unless perhaps you live a decent hike away from the vets.

[CantWaitToRetire]

There must be thousand upon thousand of dog owners who don’t drive. Non-abled people use dogs as guide and assistance dogs, you just learn to adapt. You either have a support network, or some vets have association with service providers who can provide a kind of pet ambulance service. This breeder sounds a bit up themselves so may be worth trying someone else.

Alternatively what about a rescue dog? I have a Golden Retriever and this is my third one. Theyve all had health problems and I’m sure they had been inter bred too much. There are plenty of dogs in rescue centres waiting for their forever homes, including young ones. My next dog will certainly not be a pedigree.

[KAM13291]

That's what I was thinking as I know plenty of people out here who cannot drive with pets and they manage fine. I explained im on the exact same road as a vet and its 10min walk or a bus takes me right outside the building as well or I have another one down the opposite way who I trust more which is also around 10mins away so would have thought that would be enough

[KAM13291]

I'd love a rescue dog if I could. I used to foster them to see what it was like but I was put off not by the dog but my being told false information about their history then my son had became frightened twice because we were given a 6 month old puppy who we were told had been in shelter with their mum all their life and then another one in the rescue team had said no he's been a stray and never saw his mother as he was dumped in the middle of nowhere with the rest of the puppies where bears would run wild and was possible he was taken in by someone who may have abused him due to having to be careful with certain things you do. I had no experience or had no idea on what to do and I began not to trust dog rescue centres two of which I was volunteering for because of the lack of communication and information I was given was always false then my son always became so frightened when one of them didn't want them to be touched at all and was frightened of us all and we were never given any help or advice on what we should do. We were also told that they were not suppose to allow us to foster with a child under 5yrs old not just for a risk thing but because its more likely that the parents will end up giving up because alot of parents with child under 5yrs and with also the extra support they need due to having special needs cannot usually cope trying to keep a child and the dog happy enough emotionally for them both to get on. That's the only reason I got put off by it. I've found lots of more decent dog rescue teams out there its just not very local and they all do want their children to be 5yrs or over even the more professional ones who train them first