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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Just put a deposit down for a puppy but having doubts

132 replies

gabsid · 27/10/2012 22:03

Today we drove 3 1/2 hours to see cockapoo puppies. DC adored the 4 week old puppies and chose one.

However, the breeder told me that the cocker spaniel mum didn't have papers, nor a health check and I am not sure whether to go through with it.

Is there a cooling off period? Can I get the deposit back?

OP posts:
lurcherlover · 27/10/2012 22:15

Run a mile. Who breeds from a pedigree dog without a health check? Cockers have their fair share of inherited diseases. Did you sign a contract when you paid the deposit?

Then find a dogs' home with puppies and take home a nice healthy crossbreed...

VivaLeBeaver · 27/10/2012 22:16

Doubt you'd get the deposit back.

I wouldn't be worried about papers, more so about the health check.

A friend of mine bred some springer spaniels from her unchecked pet dogs. Turned out they both carried a gene and some of the puppies went Blind at a few months old.

HoneyDragon · 27/10/2012 22:16

Leg it. Potentially the pup could cost you a lot more than a deposit.

Scuttlebutter · 27/10/2012 22:22

DC will adore pretty much any 4 week old puppies (hell, I would too).

Please don't buy these pups. You will be funding the continuation of misery for the bitch, and pups with a very uncertain future, health wise. No responsible dog owner would want to do this.

If you like, pass me the details of the breeder, and I can tell you if they are already "flagged" by anti puppy farm campaigners. Where did you see them advertised?

Original poster
gabsid · 27/10/2012 22:31

Thanks all.

Its in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire. A lady called Sue.

I forgot to ask on the phone and then after the long drive, arghhh. If it had been closer to home it would have been easier to just go.

OP posts:
Original poster
gabsid · 27/10/2012 22:32

Oh, its on Pets4Homes website.

OP posts:
Toughasoldboots · 27/10/2012 22:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Baffledandbewildered · 27/10/2012 22:49

All cocker that are bred from should be BVA tested for GPRA optigen dna test for prcd - PRA and fn and have a yearly test for glaucoma . That just one side of your potential puppies breeding all these tests are for eyes .they should also be hip scored ! Without these test you are buying from someone who does not care about the welfare of their pups. Poodles also need eye tests . Don't go ahead go and get a puppy from someone who has the pups best interests at heart.

Baffledandbewildered · 27/10/2012 22:51

Oh and to add we bred pedigree puppies fully tested parents ! And I have never kept a deposit when someone changes their minds. It annoying but I would rather the pup went to the right home than just make money !

tooearlytobeup · 27/10/2012 22:56

Scuttlebutter can I be really cheeky and ask you about a 'breeder' someone I know is getting a puppy from? It looks dodgy as hell to me but she insists they are fine. If I'm right I will put in an extra effort to disuade them

lucyellenmum · 27/10/2012 22:56

My DP came home with a puppy once, he had paid £350 for it, from a breeder, out of the blue was this five month old puppy in my kitchen. I have never really forgiven him for that - we kept the dog two days, it just wasn't right, it was a bag of nerves and already possessive of his food. I wasn't willing to take the chance on this puppy as it was a large breed (rottie) and i just knew it wasn't right (having had two rotties in the past) and we would have problems with him. I was devestated to have to send him back to the breeder because i knew he would be hard to home but i couldn't take the chance. It makes me Angry just htinking about it - also, we didn't get the money back. But i had to go with my instincts and i suggest you follow yours.

Original poster
gabsid · 27/10/2012 23:00

I did expect her to ask us some questions, but she didn't.

She lived in a fairly small house with two other dogs, but the garden appeared fairly generous.

We were planning to go away and think about it, but in the end we didn't.

It is the health check that really bothers me.

OP posts:
Scuttlebutter · 27/10/2012 23:01

Yes, send me a PM, and I will do what I can.

Scuttlebutter · 27/10/2012 23:03

Gabsid, also bear in mind that a house you see may not be where hte pup are bred. It's quite common for breeders and dealers to put pups in a home just before they are sold - the host family gets a few quid cash in hand and it makes it look as though they are "family pets" Sad.

Baffledandbewildered · 27/10/2012 23:19

Again you are right to worry about health test and ps its not a sales pitch from me I don't breed cockers or poodles :)

Original poster
gabsid · 27/10/2012 23:20

I didn't get the impression that they were placed into a family home because she doesn't seem to have family living with her and the puppies were kept outside with a heating lamp, and other doggy stuff was outside.

However, I feel quite down now as most breeders with puppies that might be right for us are quite some way away, and even then you don't seem to be able to say whether its a read family pet. Sad

OP posts:
Original poster
gabsid · 27/10/2012 23:25

Can't help thinking that she might have done a health check on the cocker spaniel mum, there were problems and therefore she says that there isn't a check.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 27/10/2012 23:26

Yes she may be a dodgy breeder and I'm not condoning that in any way , and I think you made a hasty decision ,however the way I would look at it is if you had gone to a local rescue and taken that pup at perhaps 12 weeks old you wouldn't have any idea about its long term health prospects . The same goes for all of us who have taken on rescue pups. The only difference is the amount of money it's costing you . If you like the pup get it well insured and hope for the best , lets face it someone will eventually be its owner and it may be fine .

RedwingWinter · 28/10/2012 01:03

The only difference is not the amount of money it's costing. The difference is also whether you are supporting continual dodgy breeding practices and all the pain and misery they cause, or supporting the welfare of dogs.

Suppose you got the exact same dog at an older age from a good rescue. They would have had a behavioural assessment, so that the rescue knew they were suitable for adoption and what kind of home they could go to; they would be fully vaccinated; they would already be neutered/spayed; some behavioural advice would be available if needed; they would come with free insurance for a limited time (6 weeks - long enough to be sure it has no major health problems); and the rescue would take the pup/dog back if for some reason you couldn't keep it any longer. And you'd have a clear conscience that you hadn't encouraged further dodgy breeding.

LST · 28/10/2012 01:15

I agree with floral. You have a pup from a rescue and you won't have the first clue of where it's from.

LST · 28/10/2012 01:16

And our rescue centre is vile. I wouldn't ever get a dog from them. I have many many bad experiences Sad

LadyTurmoil · 28/10/2012 01:24

look what you could get from a rescue (I know not all support MT on here but it's got to be better than a dodgy breeder) www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=5280 or www.manytearsrescue.org/display_mtar_dog.php?id=867

recall · 28/10/2012 01:28

I'm more of a cat person, but before I sell a kitten, they are vaccinated twice and that is the point at which the vet does the the health checks. I would have thought that if the bitch (mum) was vaccinated, she would have had the health check then ??? If the pup comes to you vaccinated, it will have had a health check. I don't know about hip scores and eye tests when you cross breed.....

SofiaAmes · 28/10/2012 01:36

Why not get a rescue dog a save an animal's life?

Floralnomad · 28/10/2012 01:40

I don't disagree with you Redwing ,but I'm not talking about older rescues I'm talking about puppies , for example has the lab X that has been discussed on another thread this week got any papers to prove its parents were health checked? If not then that poster is taking a risk as we all do if we take rescue puppies. And let's face it if your rescue dog turns out to have health issues you'd be a pretty poor owner to return it . In this particular case the OP has already handed over money and encouraged this trade by driving for hours to purchase a X breed . But let's not pull that thread again !