Buying a puppy. Breeder applying pressure for payment.

[fandangored]

Breeder applying pressure for payment and asking for transfer or cash payment BEFORE viewing day with puppy at 4 weeks..?

Already paid a £200 pre reserve fee!!!

Should I continue or red flag and run?!

Breeder is making the point that they provide a full vet's report when you get your puppy.

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Mmm. Our "full vet report " consisted of several conditions with boxes ticked to indicate checked on vet's headed paper. Don't know why but I'd expected something more detailed from a professional body and breeder

I think I may need to train it with puppy classes

Yes, that goes without saying, whatever the breed you choose. You should carry on training it for a very long time.

And puppies are bitey little sods, on the whole, whatever their adult temperament.

Are you a complete novice as a dog owner? (We all have to start somewhere.) Maybe a Bichon or a Norfolk terrier would suit you.

OP your email to the 'breeder' was absolutely fine in my opinion, the fact you may have sent it late at night is irrelevant. What's the latest ? I don't think you should go ahead, alarm bells are screaming here. If you paid by bank transfer the £200 reserve fee your bank may be able to get your your money back if you raise a case

URM….Just go to the bank and withdraw £500…..sorry OP it’s actually YOU that sounds like the red flag, I wouldn’t sell my puppy to you :/

I got a cavapoo about 1.5 years ago. There is a facebook group - Official Cavapoo Puppy Club UK - that has an 'approved' list of breeders that they have made sure do health checks etc. I found the group helpful and we chose a breeder from there. Obviously you still have to make sure that you feel comfortable with their communication etc still!
P.S. We love our Cavapoo!!

I think I would write off the £200 and count it as educational. Get a non-hyped non-crossbreed instead.

Someone mentioned Schnauzers. You could get a well bred little Schnauzer for £1500 (I just looked at Champdogs for a ballpark amount). They do indeed like the sound of their own voices though.

Go and get yourself a lovely Tibetan Terrier. Honestly, I believe they are everything that is promised from a Poodle X and soo much more!
Great with DC, big personality, un-phased by most things. Happy with a quick or a long walk, as long as they can be with the family. Loyal, loving & will always make you smile - disclaimer: love to be the class clown!
They can be a handful in the first 12-18 months, but with training, patience and some guidance you'll have the best family dog in the world!
probably the most biased post on this thread. But then, keep in mind I also have a pooX & Tibetans, I know what I am talking about!

I also don't know hy somebody would be pissy about me emailing them at any hour, unless demanded a swift reply. That yes would be unreasonable. Otherwise you choose to read it when you're able to surely?

@fandangored DO not pay ANY money up front!

Did you go through a breed club?

NO reputable person will want money up front.

This is a ''greeder''. only after money and not the welfare of the dogs.

Puppy Farmer.

I think I'm the only one who doesn't see the issue here. You're complaining that she's business like? Surely that's a good thing. She is running a business and is acting professionally.

It is up to you to spend £2500 but looking online that looks like the (high side of) the going rate, but if she is a top breeder the. That's fine surely.

And she hasn't asked for payment in advance, she's asked for cash on the day.

On one hand you've said you've done your research to find a good breeder and then on the other hand you say you know nothing about her. Which is it? If she has a legit Facebook page with reviews going back 8 years as she says then this is pretty good proof she is genuine.

Though on saying all this I must add that I don't agree with dog breeding. Adopt don't shop (greyhounds make excellent calm pets that are great with kids and there's so many that need homes, look at the Retired Greyhound Trust online).

Also, poodle-crossed ARE NOT HYPOALLERGENIC. Christ on a bike. How many times will I need to say this on mumsnet?!

A few million more times I imagine. Just quoting it to save you one 😉.

The issue for me is that the breeder clearly hasn’t bothered vetting OP - if she had, and she was a responsible breeder, she’d never have even considered selling a puppy to her.

That automatically makes her someone no one should buy a puppy from. Breeders should spend time (I literally go through bank statements) vetting prospective buyers. The fact this breeder didn’t and is charging the same for an unhealth-tested mongrel that I charge for a pedigree with 7 generations (minimum) on both sides with full health tests (including non-mandatory ones) just proves the breeder is crap and in it for the money.

Facebook groups are not proof of ethical breeders - there was someone in the doghouse last week who posted about their goldie breeder who was recommended by Facebook, and the breed club, and was clearly a puppy farmer.

OP’s naivety and lack of research has come to bite her on the arse.

Dog 2 had hip scored parents, vet checked at 6 weeks, then again on adoption at 8 weeks, then had jabs/well puppy checks/an appointment because she was limping/an appointment because she got an abscess (grass seed stuck in skin), and it wasn’t until she was 5 months old that they picked up severe hip dysplasia. Despite the fact that one vet had her walking up and down in the car park to watch her gait when I took her in saying she was limping. Sometimes you’re just unlucky. £6500 for a total hip replacement later…(we were insured but that only covered half).

£2,500 for a MONGREL! The world has gone quite, quite mad.

My friend has a purebred , cost her £900 and the dog qualified for Crufts 2025 on her very first dog show.

She was asked to pay £100 deposit when viewing her puppy at 7 weeks, after the meeting with the entire family {her husband and 2 kids} went well.

The remaining £800 was paid when they collected the puppy at 9 weeks.

That's a shocking price for a crossbreed- a licence to print money, in fact.

Just to point out a few things about the breeder's requests.

If you've paid the reserve fee, it's likely been used to confirm you can afford to enter into the agreement and potentially to confirm your identity if it was transferred by bank. Breeders and puppies are at risk when you allow strangers to view them without confirming ID.

This breeder likely prefers to take payments on a payment plan rather than cash at the end to avoid people backing out when the puppy is nearing rehoming age due to no having the full 2500 at that time.

She has likely asked the whole family including the children to meet the puppy to make sure the puppy is a suitable fit for your family, and that your children will behave in a way that is safe for the puppy. Not all children are good with small animals, so any responsible breeder will want to meet everyone who will be living with the puppy before making a sale.

As to the price, that is what these crosses are commonly selling for, so there isn't much point commenting on that.

She should forward you the contract to view in advance and answer any questions in writing or in the contract on which health conditions would automatically grant you a refund, what proof you would need to get that refund, and if the refund will be still be given if you decide not to return the puppy.

Having a profile on Facebook doesn't make someone a bad breeder. It also doesn't prove they are a good breeder. If she has provided references from other customers, you should do your research and get reviews on her.

Being registered with the council is a requirement now in most areas for all dog breeders, it doesn't mean you breed lots of dogs or are a puppy farm. However it's good to note that councils register both puppy farms and good home breeders so you must do your research when deciding who to purchase a puppy from.

There's red flags all over this to be honest.

OP, in the nicest possible way you sound a bit clueless, and like it's been a bit of an impulse/got carried away with everything kind of circumstance?

There's nothing much out of the ordinary with the breeder, except she sounds like she breeds on an industrial scale and caters for people who are, well, a little bit clueless and therefore she gets away with the bare minimum. This suggests she runs very much as a business and not for the love of the breed/dogs.

Children going to meet the pup is an absolute must and I would insist on this too as a breeder. Also, the deposit as people are awful and mess breeders around. The £700 overall sounds about right before collection, but WOW, £2500 is a huge amount for a puppy.

Poodle crosses are unpredictable to how they'll turn out, and to be honest it's very much a trend and a not great one.

Miniature poodles are lovely little dogs, and worth looking at. Alternatively, one of the lapdog breeds like a Lhasa or a Bichon would be worth looking at if you want lower exercise requirements. A lot of breeders of pure bred dogs do so for the love of the breed and the dog, and would be only too happy to talk through any concerns, and tell you all about their breed. Going to Crufts is a good idea to discover about the different breeds.

Puppy training and finding someone knowledgeable to mentor you is a MUST.

Those advocating a rescue, in a perfect world yes, but sadly a lot of rescues have severe behavioural issues which yes, are human caused but makes them highly unsuitable for novice owners. Our town is full of rescues who are reactive, have separation anxiety and need a lot of remedial work from experts, not the novice owners they've ended up with who love them, but cause them more anxiety and issues sadly.

2,5k? for a mongrel yes that is what itis

i ddont unerstand the need to pay so much

Adopt a dog. There are thousands waiting for homes. You don't need to give money to unscrupulous breeders

Spot on.

Most purebred people who breed the occasional litter dog so because they want to keep a female to keep their ''line'' going - good homes at fair prices are sought for the rest of the litter, and often the buyers of these become friends with the person they bought the pup from {and the other pup buyers}

Going through a Breed Club is a good idea if one wants a purebred, as the breed club tends to know who is responsible and puts the dog's welfare first and foremost.

Meeting the whole family is essential.

Poodle Crosses are often nervy and neurotic - probably as bred purely as a cash crop.

Someone bought a Labradoodle who has ongoing problems with his ears - he needs a general anaesthetic twice yearly to remove thick, ingrowing hair from his ear canals that cause repeated infections and irritations - a direct issue with the ''poodle'' crossing.

EDIT: I don't breed animals and never have!

A lot of people with younger children can't adopt dogs, {for the good of the dog}
But the poo crosses...there are supposedly loads in rescues at the moment.

Breeders should spend time (I literally go through bank statements) vetting prospective buyers.

This shocks me. I find it hard to believe anybody is willing to let a stranger go through their transactions and I don't understand what you think it gives you. If you want their income, a pay slip is less intrusive.

£500 isnt exactly over the top OP. YABU

Why?

You wouldn’t believe how many people have lied to me about their finances - and about their address - to try and buy one of my puppies. Lots of people also have additional income that isn’t covered by a payslip - I do. I have my breeding, my business, my ‘job’ etc. Payslips do not show the whole story of someone’s finances. Just because someone earns £4K a month doesn’t mean they can afford the upkeep of a dog - some dogs can cost hundreds a month to keep and if, like that OP the other day, you have a mortgage that’s 60% of your income…chances are you can’t afford a dog.

Just because someone can afford the one-off payment for a puppy does not mean they can afford the upkeep - as multiple threads recently have proved.

Lots of people also have additional income that isn’t covered by a payslip - I do. I have my breeding, my business, my ‘job’ etc. Payslips do not show the whole story of someone’s finances.

Neither do bank statements, unless someone has just one bank account and only ever pays out of it (no cash either way).

Your concern about multiple sources of income, where applicable, could be solved by looking at their tax return summary. The point is that you're not entitled to know in detail how they're spending their money now and I'm surprised people are desperate enough for a dog to give up their privacy to let you.

Well, I hope you're GDPR compliant!