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?

[miserablemoo]

Google the contact number in the ad for the pups. They probably have multiple adverts all over the place. If so, stay away. Good luck.

[Bubble2bubble]

It has puppy farm written all over it, please don't even consider it.

There is a lot of good information here specific to poodle crosses.

[TrionicLettuce]

Is the breeder licensed by their local council?

If so then they're almost guaranteed to be puppy farmers, even if on only a relatively small scale. The vast majority of councils only require someone to have a licence if they're breeding five or more litters a year which is far more than any decent breeder would produce.

Being licensed makes these breeders appear reputable however in reality it's pretty much a huge red flag.

[GazingAtStars]

Do not take your child to see the puppies otherwise you will definitely come home with one

[BeBopTalulah]

A 'backyard breeder' is someone who essentially breeds their pet dog(s) because they would like to earn some money from the puppies, with no thought about the problem they are contributing to. Even if they are not 'puppy farms', it is an irresponsible thing to do and you could still end up with an unhealthy and unsuitable pup.

An apricot goldendoodle? I would not pay a pedigree price for what is essentially a mongrel cross breed. I'm sure they are the most lovely dogs in the world, but there are so many brilliant dogs in rescue centres, even puppies. If you want a pedigree puppy, look for a reputable breeder in a breed club or the KC.

As pp said, NEVER buy a puppy from Gumtree or in small ads placed in random places. You are the responsible adult questioning this and you need to make a decision which might not be popular at home.

[fessmess]

Well, I am the most hated person in the world round here as I have said I am not going to view pup. I'd rather that than drive there, see it and then drive away. My dh is disappointed but understanding and supporting my decision. I am considering reporting her.

THank you for all your replies.

[GinIsIn]

You are completely making the right decision - you need to explain to your DD & DH about puppy farming, and the lucky escape you've had - a lot of puppy farm pups either die shortly after you take them home due to the conditions they've been kept in, or have long term health conditions. That would definitely make your DD cry more!!

We have a dog who was a puppy farmed puppy - we took her on from a rescue - and in the first year of her life were at the vets almost weekly and it cost us thousands of pounds.

[BeBopTalulah]

Here's a link with guidance from the KC about what to do: Puppy farming
Buying a puppy should feel like a job interview - a good breeder will assess you and you may be put on a waiting list. Puppies shouldn't be available like commodities, but unfortunately they are.

[FabulouslyGlamourousFerret]

It's an absolute minefield isn't it, we were looking for a puppy a while back and discounted bybs and puppy farms, we found a breeder up the road that bred about 4 different breeds (poodle crosses) but was well respected, the bitches were healthy and happy and she had been breeding for 40 years but that didn't feel right either. We ended up with a rescue dog, an ex working cocker spaniel, he is adorable and all the hard work had been done, he is house trained, has fabulous recall and manners and is an absolute pleasure to own. I'm so glad we didn't get a puppy. Whereabouts in the country are you?

[WellErrr]

Dare I ask how much one pays for a 'goldendoodle?'

The sooner this stupid craze is over, the better. I know of someone who breeds poodle crosses. He always has a litter for sale and there are people queuing up to hand over hundreds of pounds for these magical non-shedding (yeah right) funny named dogs. He's making thousands. Literally thousands.

I wouldn't have one given, knowing where they come from.

[Bubble2bubble]

Around here it would be £7-800 :(

I have only known one 'goldendoodle'. His owners gave him up at 10months because they couldn't control his play biting and thought he was aggressive. ( he wasn't agressive,but an untrained, under- exercised hugely bouncey dog)

[BeBopTalulah]

£7-800???

There is clearly a huge problem here. I had no idea that's how much a pup like that could go for. Is it any wonder people do it?

[user1471927379]

Wow. I got my mini yorkie fron pets4homes and did not realise it could of been from a puppy farm. Looking back now the ad was really strange and she was very cheap. My god, I feel awful.

[WellErrr]

Tbh Be-bop, although I don't have much sympathy for these 'breeders,' the temptation must be huge.
One litter can generate around £4000-5000 and if you have a couple of bitches you could easily make £20000 a year from them, as there are so many idiots happy to pay it.

It's no wonder there are so many on the bandwagon.

[Bubble2bubble]

Bebop if you really want money get yourself a couple of french bulldogs, their pups on Gumtree are £1700. One appeared recently in our local council pound and there was a complete bunfight over her :(

[BeBopTalulah]

Things have changed in the last 20 years. I knew it was bad, but had no idea it was that profitable. How long is a bitch that is having two litters a year supposed cope longterm? I remember waiting lists for good labs, like gold dust. Now everyone wants a 'designer breed'.

[Bubble2bubble]

Someone will be along soon to say that breeding is not that profitable, and I agree that doing it properly does not make huge money. However puppy farming and BYB are making immense profits with no regard for animal welfare, and as long as people think it's ok to buy puppies on free internet sites, nothing will change.
Reputable breeders do not need to advertise on Pets4homes and Gumtree.

[GinIsIn]

user did you not to any research? FFS - it's a living, breathing creature, not a pair of jeans. Please educate yourself!

[WellErrr]

Breeding doodles is massively, massively profitable, because for some reason people seem happy to pay silly money for random cross breeds with silly names.

I breed working dogs. Probably no more than one litter every two years. We breed as we need more working dogs, and sell the surplus.
I probably turn 10-20 people away every time if they're not quite right.

At the end, from a litter of 5-8 I'll make around £1000. Definitely not much for the time and effort.

Now if I got rid of mine and bought a poodle, a shitzhu and a chihuahua I could probably stop working and just churn a few doodleshits or whatever they are out every other month and rake it in.

I won't though because I have morals and a conscience.

[averylongtimeago]

I have two golden retrievers from the,same breeder. When I first enquired we had to go for an interview before we were even able to view the puppies. The pups parents are hip and elbow scored, eyes tested, the pups also hip and eye tested plus micro chipped before leaving mum.
We met the mum, dad, grandparents, lots of the family. The breeder will take any dog back if your circumstances change.
I think you have done the right thing, OP. Hope you find your perfect pup soon.

[user1471927379]

FenellaMaxwell you'll be happy to know my dog is well loved and looked after but at the time I didn't do research no. Which I definitely should of and if it was a puppy farm I definitely wouldn't have been supporting it. Although I thought it was more of a scam like the ones that would tell you to send money first. Now I think back to it i think my dog may have come from someone who didn't really have the space for puppies and as when she came to us she was only 4 weeks old which was a shock when i took her to the vets. She's the most happy bouncing little thing ever now.

[GinIsIn]

You accepted a puppy at 4 weeks old?!?? God they need to bring back the dog license.

[user1471927379]

As I previously stated, i did think she was a little small but i had no clue she was only 4 weeks old. I was told she was a lot older,old enough to be away from her mum. Really don't know why you are making it out I've done something wrong here,as I already said if I suspected she was from a puppy farm i would of reported it. My dog is well looked after and well loved.

[GinIsIn]

Well, you have done something wrong - you did something really stupid by getting a live animal from a dangerous and immoral place without a shred of research. I am glad your dog is well looked after now, and you have been lucky to avoid serious health consequences (so far), but it doesn't detract from you acquiring the dog in a stupid and irresponsible manner.

[Thattimeofyearagain]

Its a crying shame that people are willing to pay such high prices for crosses, if the buying public kept their money in their pockets this disgusting trade would soon stop.