Rant

[Booboostwo]

This is just a rant so I don't scream in RL.

Friend (DF) had two Cavalier King Charles, one of which died 2-3 weeks ago. DF has 3 young children and has been struggling for a while simply because they are young, they don't sleep well, they bicker, one is a baby, etc. Just usual stuff, but it's hard to cope with three under 5s.

DF was, understandably, very upset her dog passed away and wanted to get another one, ideally CKC, ideally an adult as she felt a puppy would be too much to deal with. I said I would keep an eye out for her through the dog club and the local dog warden who is a friend (we are not in the UK, dog rehomings are much less formal here), but it takes a while for the right dog to come up.

This morning DF announced that they have a dog. They went to see a litter over the weekend and the breeder said they should just take one so now they have a 5 week old (WEEK not MONTH) Border Collie cross some kind of Terrier. WTF?!!! I did tell her she should return the puppy but apparently that is not an option. She also cannot afford puppy classes which are 100 euros for six months.

The puppy had two ticks on it and I'll eat my foot if it has ever been wormed. The mother was too unwell to look after the puppies apparently, but we don't know why she was sick. She's taking it to the vets on Wednesday but I think she's in for a shock when she sees the bill for worming, flea/tick treatment, and future bills just for vaccinations and microchipping.

People are just thick as shit sometimes.

[missbattenburg]

Sigh

For a long time I would think "people just don't know any better" but having seen a fair amount of dodgy puppy-aquisitions plus read about them here and elsewhere, I am now of the belief it's willful ignorance.

In so many cases it's not that someone doesn't know better. It's that they deliberately don't WANT to know better because it means they cannot get a puppy right now, no questions asked.

Those people would probably describe themseleves as dog lovers...

[Booboostwo]

I get being overwhelmed by a puppy, they are all cute, I love them too! But she's a fucking adult, she can foresee the reality of getting a puppy in a financially tight and emotionally difficult situation. I want to fill my house with puppies but I stop myself. People are just so self-indulgent, aren't they? I want a puppy now, I'll get one now. I am fed up with my adult dog now, get rid of it.

[TeacupRex]

Wow, that poor puppy is likely to end in a rescue centre, if it even makes it past puppyhood after being taken from its mum so young, or if it contracts parvo from not being vaccinated. They're going to have a rude awakening when they find out a collie/terrier temperament is nothing like a Cavvie!

[JoxerGoesToStuttgart]

Your friend is an absolute idiot. 5 weeks!!! That poor dog. She will reap what she does with this one 😂😂😂 3 under 5 and a poorly bred, poorly cared for and poorly raised border collie X terrier? Ha. Wait til he’s in full teen pup mode.

[Booboostwo]

It sounds like a joke doesn't it, but unfortunately it isn't!

I had to raise a 5 week old rescue and it was hard work. He sent his time either on me or with one of my adult dogs that, thankfully, adopted him. It is not something anyone should do by choice.

[missyB1]

That poor puppy she will end up rehoming it.

[JoxerGoesToStuttgart]

Actually yes- good point- this poor thing probably won’t be her problem by the time it’s a year old. It will be either dead or she’ll have rehomed it.

[Veterinari]

5weeks is way too young to be away from mother and siblings. The dogs will be much more predisposed to behaviour problems.

I’d strongly suggest downloading a bespoke socialisation plan from this website
www.thepuppyplan.com/the-science/week-5-7

[fivedogstofeed]

Rant away. This is the kind of stupidity I listen to every bloody day ( guessing you're in Ireland @Booboostwo ?)
The truth is if your friend is daft enough to do this, she's also not bright enough to listen to any advice about health or socialisation of a puppy too young to be away from his mum.
Give it three weeks and the pup will be back on Gumtree.

[Booboostwo]

I agree Veterinary and have told her so, but there isn't more I can do. I will translate and pass on the puppy plan but I am not holding my breath.

fivedogstofeed in France. They love dogs, but are surprisingly uneducated about them.

[Milicentbystander72]

I do despair of people.

I have 4 very normal, quite intelligent well read people who had all got their puppies from Gumtree it Pets4homes - all crossbreeds because they've heard that pedigrees are really 'unhealthy'.
They're all completely convinced that these puppies are properly breed from proper breeders or people who 'accidentally' had puppies (and then a fortune for them)

My Border Terrier is 4 now and it took my over a year to find a breed club, get to know a breeder, wait for her bitch to come into season, wait for the pups, visited around 5 times. Keep in contact with the breeder.
Apparently this is 'dicking around' and waiting unnecessarily. 🙄

I've lost count of the amount of Poddle crosses I've met who claim they're crossed with something they really aren't just by looking at them. My SIL thinks she's got a Cockerpoo - she really hasn't. It's got something tiny like a teacup Yorkshire terrier or something. Size of a large guinea pug anyway, I also met a lady the other day who said she had a labradoodle but the dog was the size of a rabbit.

Sorry I digress a bit. I don't mind crosses at all, but be aware you don't really know what you've got and the chances are you will have got it from a dodgy place.

[fivedogstofeed]

Agree absolutely @milicentbystander72. My neighbour had a puppyfarmed cavalier with horrific health problems, and when he was gone she bought a puppy farmed 'maltipoo' "because crossbreeds are healthier..."

But plenty of deluded people will be along in a minute to tell you about their poo x they bought from a lovely family home.

[pigsDOfly]

Sounds like this little dog will be lucky to survive.

Oh god yes, the pedigree dog that isn't. I really offended a woman in the park once when I asked her what breed her dog was.

Turned out her huge dog was a pedigree, the same small breed as my dog apparently, even though it looked absolutely nothing like the breed and was about three times the size.

She was told what it was by the 'breeder' otherwise known as the person who runs the puppy farm, so it must be right.

[Boristhecats]

That’s a re homing case waiting to happen. I know someone who took on a springer collie 12 week cross a few weeks ago. This lady is in her late 70’s. I did try to tell her that she has taken on a lot but she just smiled and said oh we will be all snuggled up when he gets older.
I walked away. No way a reputable breeder would have sold her that dog.

[fivedogstofeed]

Boristhecats I wish someone could explain the logic of buying a puppy for their elderly relative or even facilitating it. My friend's neighbour, in his eighties, was recently gifted a doodle pup by his family - you don't need to be a genius to work out that will go

[fairydustandpixies]

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/25/creator-labradoodle-says-inventing-breed-lifes-regret-many-now/

[Booboostwo]

Apparently the dog will go to work with her Dh...who is a plumber! I can't imagine how this would work!