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.

Last one from a breeder. She breeds several breeds, as frowned on by MN, and the two we have had have both been lovely dogs. We like knowing she has researched blood lines and possible hereditary health issues.

Plus two others rehomed from family member who died. They would not have been rehomed by anyone else—old and overweight. We put them in boot camp when they arrived and skimmed them down.

Both of mine are from staffie rescues, current staffie is kc registered she was still chipped to the breeder when found!

Accidental litter. A man my dad knew from the pub. His dog gave him the slip during a heat and voila! A year later we had Ddog1

Last summer we bred our much loved pet Labrador with a much loved friend’s male labrador and I sold 5 of the 7 puppies on pets4homes - (only 5 because one went to the Sire’s family to live with his dad and one went to close friends). All five went to lovely people and homes and most post updates every now and again on the Facebook page I set up. I have 4 DC who adored having the puppies at home and all left as happy, healthy, very relaxed and well socialised puppies and the new owners are all extremely happy with their dogs. Just wanted to give that perspective and note that not all breeders on pets4homes are puppy farmers or people that don’t care about their dogs and the breed.

From an ad in our local paper, from a farm down the road (and actual farm, not a puppy farm). Not professional breeders and an ask around established they weren't breeding regularly from their dogs.

KC-registered breeder. Wanted a specific breed that is very rarely in rescues, plus have small children. About to write my update email to the breeder as she turns one tomorrow.

Breeder. I wouldn't rehome, you don't know what's happened to them.

Rescue. He's a great big bloody bulldog

Rescue dog.
IRL I don't know anyone who's got anything else!
Wouldn't even know where to look!

Embarrassed to say my girl was a gumtree dog. I wasn't as savvy to the whole puppy farm thing then. I was keen for a puppy. Found one. Paid however much. Took her to puppy classes, trained her, she's now doing agility courses...
she is bloody brilliant, my shadow, and great with the toddler.
Absolutely adore her. But feel sad that having got a fantastic dog out of it, it may have fuelled the puppy farms. Sorry. I do feel awful that I have basically funded a breeder.

In order:

Preloved (not a puppy, rehoming a young adult pedigree)
Breed specific rescue (another young adult)
Breeder (rare breed puppy, fully health tested, found through mutual connections)

All for specific reasons at the time and to fulfill specific needs.

All 4 are adopted from rescues.

We were looking for a small dog for my mum - we got her from Westie Rescue UK direct from her foster mum who did home checks.

She had previously been a breeding bitch in a puppy farm and now she loves camping and being a therapy dog at the school I work at.

A breeder I met through pets4homes.

Next time, I'm getting a rescue greyhound.

A farm, sheepdog!

Mine was from a show dog owner I met at a dog show. I was asking questions and she happened to mention she had a pup who was a bit of a runt, and wouldn’t be suitable for showing or breeding as they wouldn’t make minimum breed standard.

I had tried for two years to get a rescue with no luck. Small breeds are extremely popular and we were let down many many times by everything from failed fosters to turning up at dogs trust to meet the dog and a walk in minutes before having reserved it.

Dog is an absolute superstar. Would have preferred a rescue, but wanted a small breed for many reasons.

Both from families who had accidental puppies. They were living in the family home (and toilet trained by the time we got them) used to Cats and small children. The most lovely dogs. Having seen family members with rescue dogs, I personally wouldn't risk it with young children.

A breeder recommended by the society.
Having no luck with rescues as we have cats, and needing some specific personality traits as have an adult son with disabilities at home, we did our research to find a breed that fit our needs, met several breeders and went on a list. We chose someone who really examined us as much as we questioned them and all the relevant health testing was given to us.
Said puppy came home and she is adorable. And beautifully healthy!

I would have rescued by preference but there were too many risks for our circumstances.

Romania!

wow for goodness sake I'm not renting my dog . I found it reassuring that if anything happened to me or my circumstances changed radically that the breeder would be there to help. Viva is the voice of sense and I obviously bought my dog from a reputable breeder like they clearly are. I'm guessing if I were unscrupulous I could sell the dog on without my dogs' breeders knowledge but I think she knew it was highly unlikely given how much time we spent in discussion and handling the dogs. Why would I go through all that if I didn't want a dog for life?

Blue Cross

Specific breeder (working dogs).

We had one pup years ago from a local farmer. We'd always walk our dogs together in the morning, then we lost our boy. A few weeks pass and he turns up at the door with a tiny bundle of white fluff, and says he misses having someone to walk dogs with and he knows we miss our old dog and if we wanted we could have this puppy when it was old enough. My mum practically bit his arm off! He never charged us a penny for her.

Sadly that puppy grew to be a very old dog which we lost a few years ago, but we still walk our current two incumbents with him and our dogs niece and great niece!

From a breeder (specifically wanted a Yorkie). Advertised the litter due date on Gumtree, and we were in contact from not long after he was born until we could go and get him. Went to her home to pick him up and met his mum and sister (6 in the litter - our boy and the sister were the only ones left and had both been spoken for). Kept in contact and sent her Christmas pics for his first 2 years.

He is a yappy spoiled little bugger but also the most adorable dog I have ever owned.

Cheltenham Animal Shelter

Browsing pets4homes as we knew what breed we wanted and were wondering what kind of prices people were charging - saw an ad for the last puppy left in a litter in a village we used to live in, opened the ad as we were amused by the coincidence and it turns out the breeder was a friend of a friend - so we could confirm definitely not a puppy farm, but a litter of puppies from her very loved pets