To ask honestly where you got your dog from

[wowowwow]

Ours came from an ad on Pets4homes. Had no idea this wasn’t good. Dog has been fine though.

One of my best friends is a vet and has been back here working for 6 years . In 6 years she has health tested one GS dog . One dog ? There was a lot of fake health test certificates easily available so be very careful .
A lot of the dogs she treats are obviously puppy farmed. She has a lot of clients who are backyard breeders too . Especially the pug, French bulldog , poodle crossbreeds.

Responsible breeders place endorsements on the registrations of the puppies they breed. The endorsements mean that any future offspring of the puppy can’t be kennel club registered or registered by an overseas kennel club. The owners could still breed their puppy or send it overseas but any offspring won’t be pedigree dogs and won’t fetch the same price pedigrees would.

People who can’t understand why breeders try to protect the puppies they breed are the type of people the puppies need protecting from.

My parents bought one from a show breeder. Very nice farm home, lots of documents and long history of safe inspected breeding.

I'd always get a rescue now but back them we didn't really know

Dog & cat both from animal rescue/welfare organisations here in Sydney

We got ours from Greyhound rescue groups in the UK, France and from Spain. One of our greyhounds, we spotted, was neglected and locked in a rickety shed. So, we broke into the garden, cut the chain of the shed and stole the dog. She was very emaciated and covered in fleas and loads of sores. She was not microchipped and the tattoo was illegible. So, we microchipped and registered her under our name. I fed her small bits several times a day till she got back to a healthy weight. She has since blossomed. She is the least greedy out of the lot

From a foster/relocation company.

Our dog was found on a highway in Alabama (where they have a quick kill policy). Her Mum (a Great Pyrenees) was dead. She been killed and gutted and six alive puppies stuffed inside her.

She came all the way up to Maine in a truck and had kidney failure so had to have one removed.

My last two came from Dogs Trust in West Lothian. The current mob are all rescues from a registered charity which supports a rescue shelter in Romania. One of the cats came from the local rescue and another from the cattery I used who was looking after him after he was found on the street and unclaimed - both kittens.

My children aren’t possessions either. It doesn’t stop me making decisions for them.

If you want to be a pedant, and clearly you do, then you don’t get free rein over your children, do you? You are required to meet certain government standards with regards to welfare, education, healthcare towards your children, and if you don’t social services would intervene and your children could potentially be taken away and “rehomed”. So I suppose you rent your children from the government, if we are to use your analogy.

Friend's parents dog had a litter.

From a friend who wasn't really coping with DDog's (extensive) needs and who was moving abroad and couldn't take him.

I already knew DDog very well and while he's still a bit complicated he's a darling to me, even if he is rather fond of causing public embarrassment.

An actual working farm (collie).

She ace.

What’s wrong with pets4homes? We are picking up our puppy this week from a breeder found via that website. How else are you supposed to find a dog? We looked at rehoming but DC are too young to be eligible and I wasn’t prepared to risk getting an older dog without knowing it’s full history (having had an extremely difficult rescue dog before DC). We saw the puppies with the mum in the breeders home, they have all been KC registered and vet checked,wormed, microchipped and 1st vacs. The breeder has sent us weekly video updates of them. Told us this was 3rd and last litter of the mum, makes a WhatsApp group so all the new owners can keep in touch and share pictures of the sibling puppies, says she likes to come and visit the puppies when they are older. Maybe it’s all a big lie (well the registration can’t be a lie and I can check with the vet that she’s actually been), but if it is the owner goes to a lot of trouble to keep the pretence up. I’m sure there are some rogue sellers on the site, but if you are sensible there are genuine people to be found too.

Local rescue
Rescued from a relative who wasn't coping
Breeder

My children aren’t possessions either. It doesn’t stop me making decisions for them

That doesn’t include being able to give them away to a relative or friend, or advertise on child4home if you get bored of them, have a change in circumstance or your new landlord says no children.

Social services would rightly step in. Breeders who take on that responsibility to take unwanted dogs into “care”, if you want to compare with children, once their responsible adult is no longer able to provide for their welfare.

I am looking to get a small dog when I retire. I would have had one now but want to make sure I have time for it and not be at work. I have a love of sausage dogs but you never see them at rescue centres. I tried to spell the correct name but auto correct wouldn’t have it so sausage dog it is. On a serious note how would I find a reputable breeder.

Years ago I had an German shepherd which we got from a KC registered breeder. She had a hip problem which is common in that type of breed.

Rescue centre #adoptnotshop

Dogs trust.

Of our current 5 rescued dogs (all Lurchers of different shapes and sizes):
2 from Lea Valley Rescue about 8/9 years ago.
3 from Lurcher Link Rescue who we also foster dogs for.

We’ve had another 2 rescued dogs who have passed away.

Our first 2 dogs were German Shepherds bought as pups from a good breeder in Yorkshire, around 16 years ago. They were healthy dogs, with flat backs and not the sloping ones seen at Crufts in recent years.

@Malteserdiet, I agree with the pp, health scores exist for a reason. Its great that the parents have experienced good health thus far but health testing and breeding compatibility are really important. You are right that good health scores cannot guarantee long lived and healthy dog or progeny but knowledge is power where really common issues like hip, knee and eye issues are concerned. As much as you love your dog, backyard breeding like this is irresponsible.

Snap LottaHogs we have a LL dog.

Think I get a mumsnet doggy gold star for getting a rescue lurcher

@Rainbowsintherain, pets4homes is where you’ll commonly find puppy farmers and backyard breeders, though it sounds like you’ve been lucky with yours.

AS for where do where others find responsible breeders, asking the breed specific club for recommendations , looking on the kc website and then doing some reading, asking some questions, visiting.

Breeder. Met her when she was 4 days old and brought her home at 8-9 weeks, shes 5 now and wonderful . expensive but so worth it. Best friend to my three boys and adores me

I am firmly in the camp that I would not pay a breeder for a pet while so many are stuck in rescue centres. Each to their own of course. All my pets are rescues. After being knocked back by Dogs Trust because I have cats, I rescued a dog from abroad. Fabulous boy who lives and sleeps perfectly happily with my cats!

Responsible breeder.

@Rainbowsintherain
“How else are you supposed to find a dog?”

Your local breed club?
A WhatsApp group is nice but I’d be far more concerned about appropriate health testing and the inbreeding coefficients of the dogs.

Also, anyone can register puppies with the KC, there is even a generic Affix each year for people who don’t have their own. E.g. this year’s is Kenynten.