Puppy farm?

[fessmess]

Going to look at a puppy tomorrow after breeder put us off from last week (family illness) and now their advert on Pets4homes has changed. Two pups (11 weeks old) have disappeared from ad and now they're selling a different puppy 3 weeks younger! The photos of mum and dad are the same though. Would you be suspicious or is this normal?

Very suspicious- sounds like a puppy farm to me

Sounds dodgy. Don't buy puppies through the small ads. Find a proper breeder or go to a rescue.

Never, ever get a puppy off Pets4Homes or gumtree or similar. Reputable breeders simply don't advertise on them so chances are yes, it's almost certainly a puppy farmer.

Do not go as you will feel sorry for the animal and bring it home regardless , it sounds dodgy in the extreme.

Don't go. And don't buy off Pets4Homes. What sort of dog are you after?

A goldendoodle. The ad is full of 'the right info' but my gut is telling me it's wrong. Hubby thinks I'm just being a sress-head.

Goldendoodle? Ffs. Smh.

Charming! What does Smh mean?

Def either a BYB or a puppy farm , but if you want that particular X I doubt you will find a 'properly' bred one though .

A back yard breeder? But aren't all private breeders BY?

No .

How can you tell the difference? I would really appreciate some advice here. Feel like I am about to have a lucky escape...

Anyone who is breeding the popular 'designer dogs' and is offering puppies of varying ages so close together is 100% a puppy farmer.

If you are buying a dog from a proper breeder they will have done all the required health checks on the parent dogs , for retrievers that would be hip scores , elbow scores and eyes (PRA I think) , for poodles there will be a similar list . Most BYb , don't bother with these but tell you that the pups have been checked by a vet , this means nothing as hip / elbow problems from being bred from unsuitable parents will not show up until later .

You need to read up on breeders before you get an animal. Puppy farm dogs are more likely to have behavioural and health issues.

Also if you buy from a puppy farm your giving them the thumbs up to continue the disgusting trade.

Dh thinks she's just copied and pasted and now has another litter mate. BUT the first time we saw the advert there were four phantoms and now there's an apricot one. THis is crazy, my youngest is now in floods as she wants to go and look at it, my dh says he wants to go. I feel like the only one with any sense!!

Before you buy off a puppy farm, I would suggest you first take a look at the charity website manytearsrescue.org. Not to look for a puppy (though they do have those) but to give you a picture of the market you are supporting / life you are condemning the breeding dogs to. It was a massive eye opener for me. I mean I knew about puppy farms, but was still horrified at the implicit size of the market, and the extent many the dogs (most young 1-3yrs) are thoroughly traumatised in their short lifes. Go look at some of the oldest listings (e.g 6months old) with multiple updates from their foster families. It is heartbreaking. Many of these breeding dogs have physical issues as well as emotional scars- blindness or a shorter leg to give a couple of examples. Many of these dogs will ever be a 'normal' pet and remain timid/ terrified.
Anyway take a look at that first. And then if your conscience is clear, go ahead.
I would however also beg you to consider a dog from a rescue. They do regularly have puppies at the rescue. And many 1-2 year old pedigree type dogs (which apparently get abandoned when they grow up). I have been fostering rescues from a London based charity for a while now. Now everytime I see a golden doodle or cavapoo etc puppy in the park, it makes me tremendously sad for the abandoned dogs living a dull & lonely life in kennels (as I can't foster them all!). They have so much love to give, and are so grateful for a warm, safe home.

A goldendoodle is not a breed. It is a cross. I doubt the breeder has done any health checks. They just want the money. Somewhere there are dogs being bred from (probably in horrid conditions) until they are no good for that anymore.
Pick a breed. Do your research and go through a breed club. Or rescue.

This is a very good article about finding a breeder. Obviously it's geared towards pedigrees but most is relevant whatever breed/cross you're looking for.

One thing I would suggest with poodle crosses is to make sure the breeder has the poodle parent (or poodle cross parent) DNA tested for Von Willebrands. A lot of cross breeders don't bother with it because the disease isn't present in the breed they're crossing with. Unfortunately vWD isn't a simple autosomal recessive condition and some carriers can become symptomatic, albeit more mildly than a truly affected dog. This test not being done screams of a lack of genuine research and understanding of the conditions they should be trying to avoid.

Show your dh Google images of puppy farms. See if he still wants to go.

Also explain to your dc in a child friendly way why you can't go. It's so important to teach children the truth about these situations. It can help stop the next generation doing the same thing.

Most certainly a puppy farm dealer
They buy the pups in every week or two, and have a stunt 'mum' they keep in the house.
By going for a stupid 'designer' breed, you make it so much more likely this is a pup that's been churned out for profit with no consideration to the health and wellbeing of mum and pups

Please, please don't go. You cannot prop up this horrific industry

I think you're right and your H is wrong. This stinks of puppy farming. I'm so sorry your dd knows about the puppy viewing bit and is upset, as she's far too young for a conversation about the moral principles of this horrible business.

That's why you shouldn't go because once the DC have seen the cute puppy there is no way you will say no .

I'm sorry your DD is upset, but she will be far more upset if it turned out to be an unhealthy pup, and I don't suppose your DH would be pleased to be landed with vets bills either.

Yes, you're being sensible, please do listen to whats being said here (and your gut feelings, well done for realising not all was well!).