Our first ever puppy is coming home next week! We thought it would be Feb! Advice please.

[Astrosaurus]

We have been on a waiting list for a cockapoo puppy. We found a lovely lady who only has two litters a year. We reserved a puppy for Feb. But someone just pulled out from taking a puppy ready next week and she's offered us the puppy.

I was going to do lots of research between now and Feb. To crate train or not to? How to prepare the house? What equipment we need? How to find a good training course?

I now have a week to prepare. What's a great place to find well researched info on the above questions? Any tips from others on here?

We are so excited!

Just thought of something else. Our dog breeder gave us a cd with lots of different noises on - motor bike, hoover, bus etc. She had used it as she lives in the middle of nowhere so no noises at all.

I used it and my dog was never scared of anything. I also played clips of fireworks on youtube. I started them pretty quietly and over maybe a couple of weeks gradually increased the sound. I would say in a silly voice something like "oooh what a funny noise". He was never bothered by fireworks until one went off very close by when we were on a walk - nowhere near firework night and not even dark!

So many friends and neighbours have dogs terrified of fireworks even to the extent of having to give them tranquillisers. It's worth trying to ensure a dog is not scared especially as in a lot of areas fireworks go on for weeks on end

All breeders make money from litters. A lot of unfair assumptions being made but it's hardly surprising when it's a dreaded cockerpoo being talked about. OP you should pretend you're getting a lurcher then you'll get more positive responses. Perhaps the breeder has bred because she wants to add to her own pack? The mum is three and on first litter, hardly churning them out. OP asked a question, she shouldn't have to provide written confirmation of the fine detail of her breeder just because she's getting a cross breed.

And I'm intrigued what constitutes a reputable breeder. Are these the breeders that have, along with the KC, selectively bred generations of dogs to have certain characteristics for cosmetic reasons that have led to many of the conditions that we now have to test so carefully for? First time we got a pup we did it the "proper way". Contacted various breeders from the breed club. Met them at a show. Found one we liked and who after meeting the whole family decided we would be a good fit. We waited for a litter and when it came the breeder "matched" us to the pup she considered the best fit. All fine until she mentioned she wanted to chose the sire for when we mated her and would chose the shows she could go to. When I explained we had no intention of showing or breeding her she recoiled. All of a sudden this pup that had been such a good fit was withdrawn and we were "matched" with a different pup that didn't have the sought after colourings that she wanted continued in her line. So we were matched based on the colour of the dog, not on the welfare. Needless to say we walked away. We eventually got our lovely dog from a family who had bred their dog to get a second dog for themselves. They showed far more care for the actual pup and still stay in touch now.

OP I really hope you enjoy your pup

oops but you hadn't found a reputable breeder - yes you looked in the right place but you hadn't asked enough questions or further researched enough. This is why it requires so much research and time.

Also you say that this thread only thinks about the welfare of the dog because its a poodle cross. However it would get the same responses for a pedigree, particularly with the popular breeds, where puppy farmers and byb's are rife- just like in designer crosses. Also you realise that actually a lot of health problems came, are developing and are still prevalent because of indescriminate breeding by bybs and puppy farms? That reputable breeders fully health test and if everyone was a reputable breeder we could eliminate most issues in a few generations?

Even a lurcher needs health tests.

"Our dog breeder gave us a cd with lots of different noises on - motor bike, hoover, bus etc"

You can also get these from the Dog's Trust website.

That's my point bluelagoon. What makes them reputable? And what's the right way? What's the right reason to breed a litter? I did actually do a lot of research when finding a breeder, as I was advised to do, and believe me asked a lot of questions and walked away when I wasn't happy. But I'm not convinced that someone who breeds to further show lines is necessarily any more reputable. As long as the welfare is at the fore of the decisions and it has been done responsibly does it matter if it's a family who wanted to add to their pack and are raising their cross breeds in their kitchen or an award winning pedigree breeder who does it to compete?

And I don't doubt that if someone were to come on and ask for advice in buying a lurcher that they wouldn't be given advice on all the tests etc (and rightly so), but the tone would be entirely different. As soon as someone mentions they're looking at a cookapoo or similar they're almost mocked and assumptions made that they must be coming from a puppy farm until they can prove otherwise. It happens on almost every thread about them.

Because few cockerpoo breeders are anything other than puppy farmers. They're not a pedigree. They aren't for showing or working. People are prepared to pay stupid money for them. Breeders own multiple breeding bitches and churn out puppies for money.

And you're basing that on?

Years of looking for my puppy. Research. Contact with rescues and different owners and breeders. Many many puppies are born in puppy farms in the UK. Some stupidly high percentage that I can never remember. Puppy farmers are getting sneaky. They rent properties. Have multiple mobile phones each labelled with the breed they're selling. They present a stunt bitch as the parent. And idiots who just want a cute puppy NOW pay a fortune. Thus perpetuating the misery. It's disgraceful and depressing.

Whilst I don't see the point in a lot of popular crosses (in that they're not filling a niche not already occupied by existing breeds and they're generally not being done to either create a new type that breeds true or as an outcross project to improve genetic diversity in either parent breed) I don't much care what people are breeding as long as they're doing absolutely everything they possibly can, both in terms of breeding and raising the puppies, to ensure they're producing healthy, sound and well rounded puppies.

Obviously it's not black and white, there are many, many shades of grey between the worst puppy farmers and the absolute pinnacle of responsible breeding. Someone breeding a litter from a pair of family pets with some basic health testing in place and raising them in the family home is clearly better than someone churning out litter after litter from bitches kept 24/7 in grubby sheds but I firmly believe we should be requiring breeders to be more than just "better than a puppy farmer".

Me too Cornflake. I waited ages for my girl. I could've bought 6 wolfhounds off some random internet stranger in the time I waited. I wanted more than that. My breeder has become a friend. A lifetime of support and advice if I need it. And they need for the right reasons.
I have nothing against cross breeds. Nothing at all. Our first family dog was a setter cross and he was lovely. But the trend for "designer" crosses is really worrying.
Healthy, sound and well rounded puppies from happy and healthy adults. That's all we want.

What makes a reputable breeder is someone who really is considering health first and foremost and also conformation (not to get perfect show quality off spring but to get well built dogs and in breeds that have been bred to be unhealthy to start making features slowly less exaggerated, even if it looses them a few show wins now). Who doesn't look at their bitch as a cash cow. Who fully understands the health problems associated with their breed and tests and knows their lines well enough to ensure they are not breeding health problems into their puppies. Who has enough knowledge of dogs and puppies to suitably raise a litter. Correct socialisation counts for a lot and it takes someone knowledgeable and who'll invest a lot of time into the puppies in the early weeks. Someone who thinks that the right home is more important than the money. I would also expect them to endorse each and every puppy they breed to prevent breeding without their consent, once you have fully health tested, the dog is old enough, that you appreciate the need to get the best possible match between a stud dog and bitch, and if you have a bitch that you have enough knowledge to care properly for a pregnant bitch, and to raise the puppies to the highest standards.

My latest puppy came from the best breeder imaginable and it shows (I still can't get over my luck). He is a seriously easy puppy - he came house-trained (didn't matter if I wasn't paying enough attention, he knew to whimper at the back door, if I hadn't seen him circle!) We literally had 1 accident on the first day when my new to him garden was a bit too exciting. He is confident in any situation but pauses to think before he does things. He is amazingly easy to train. He has no qualms about you touching anywhere on his body, messing about with his mouth, ears and his pads (very important for his breed). He came with fantastic bite inhibition I've had a mouthing nip less than 5 times in four weeks! I have basically only had to keep up the socialisation, as the hard work was done. I'm astounded at how perfect he is for a pretty 'hyper' breed of puppy. The whole litter were like him too. She has plainly done a fantastic job with them. I cannot get over how lucky I was to find her. What made her seem reputable enough to research was - she is vice president of breed club, KC Assured Breeder with Accolade of Excellence. She only breed once every few years. What made me decide she was a brilliant and a true-ly reputable breeder; she cared for her dogs as members of the family - it was clear in the way her dogs were with her (& vice versa) and the way she talked about her dogs and dogs in general. She bred for good conformation and sound health. She had good reasons for choosing the stud dog she did. She quizzed me no end and was good when I quizzed back. She was very knowledgeable and had clearly given these pups the best standard of socialisation possible, as was evident in the pups. Obviously the aspects about seeing how the pups had been raised were only possible to see before hand because I bought the last in the litter - only available because her bitch had a litter of 10, after bitch's first (and only other litter) had had 5! So totally unexpected. I had also been warned by the person who first recommended her that she is hard-line on turning buyers away, if she doesn't feel they are right for breed or the pup.

I can see both sides. I went to a farm (not a puppy farm) as the couple were breeding to get the next generation of working dogs for them. They would not let us see the puppies initially as they were worried we were not up to looking after a working breed but after the third degree they decided we were up to the job and equally said which puppies were not suitable for us and which were but by that time they had sowed the seeds of doubt that we decided we wanted more time. Looking back they were all the things you wanted but they didn't do any dna testing for the hereditary diseases so on paper people would scream walk away but I suspect they knew their linage. Others we went to were obviously puppy farms (multiple breeds, council lisence, multiple litters). The one I eventually chose had the dna testing I was worried about for the parents (not everything but the ones I was most concerned about for the puppy) and they owned both parents so yes they were clearly doing it for the money but hadn't breed excessively and was the last litter but people here would scream walk away but quite frankly I was happy with the dog I got.

Whilst it is good to warn people of the potential pitfalls of puppy buying it is important not to be so forceful to put people off as by human nature you can lose the good messages if you alienate the person you are trying to reach.

It's not just about the dog you get though. It's about animal welfare in general and refusing to line the pockets of unscrupulous people who don't care about the dogs they breed or the dogs they breed from. Who don't do all the health tests because they CBA and people will pay anyway.
When it comes to animal welfare I will always be forceful. I expect the only people who take offence at that are people who would refuse to listen no matter what I said. Because what they want comes above all other larger concerns. It's selfish.

We will have to disagree on this one Wolfie as I think people can care about the puppies welfare but there isn't a definite breeding standard so it isn't always a black and white thing. Whilst I think it's great that people on here warn others of all the pitfalls I also see that some threads can put people off so much so the message gets lost which is human nature which is a shame.

It isn't about just the puppies though. It's about repeatedly breeding parent dogs for profit. Without health testing. If people can't understand that's a bad thing then I honestly don't think they should get a dog. Being a pet owner means putting the welfare of the animal first. Well it should.

Sort of skimmed the thread,I've a mini beastie mixture of 3 breeds terrier chi possible bit of pug...the amount of people I've had asking to buy one of her pups is unbelievable..I've had people give me their mobile ,just in case we decide to breed her....here is my point,not a chance in hell would I put my precious girl through a pregnancy and birth....because I love her and it's wrong to profit from family pets.she was an accidental pregnancy,and her mum nearly died having her..I find it bizarre that people who claim to love their dogs allow them to have litter after litter...clearly it's instead of a job....government should pass a law insisting all dogs and bitches are spade unless you've been inspected ,and you need a licence to breed ,and only one litter per dog

I don't want to derail the thread but my dog had dna testing for the shitty hereditary eye and kidney diseases. I really would not wish any dog to go through them. However, there were no hip scores for the parents but my investigation came across research to suggest that hip dsyplasia is not just genetic plus high hip scores did not mean the dog would get symptoms further down the line so I was happy to buy without. Others might disagree which is why I said it isn't totally black and white and opinions will differ on here and in RL.

Doh! When I said my puppy I meant my puppies parents had the tests. Too late at night :)

Haha Bitey. It's been a long day here too.
I don't think it's black and white. Parents of my pup were health tested but there's no guarantee even then. The KC doesn't set a useful standard and there doesn't appear to be any other body that could. It's hard to get reliable and trustworthy advice. (Except from Cornflake!!)

I agree it would be so good if there was a set standard agreed by everyone and not just recommended stuff. Even with the recommended information I found myself twisted in knots sometimes because you can always find research papers backing up different opinions. It's a bloody mindfield even if you think you are being vigilant. I just hope at the end of the day my dog stays healthy as there are so many things to worry about regarding health, both hereditary and environmental.

I hope so too Bitey I really do. It is a complete minefield. It really is. And without anywhere clear to go for advice it leaves potential owners floundering. I always recommended breed clubs but of course not all cross breeds have specific clubs and even then some are apparently rubbish.
As for the KC I lost all faith after it refused to dereg a breeder who allowed related dogs to mate, tried and failed to get a vet to PTS puppies then botched the job herself. Brutal.
Sorry to derail. Finding a puppy was my obsession for over 2 years. It's a subject that moves me. I have also spoken to a number of people who have chosen unwisely and had to live with the consequences.

The breeder of my dog spoke to myself and DH on the phone several times but still warned us that if she was not happy on meeting us we would not be taking one of her puppies. That was despite us having to drive for over 5 hours to get to her.

We were with her for getting on for 2 hours. She asked a lot of questions (we asked questions of her too) and also with the general chatting I knew she was assessing our answers.

She actually would have liked all the puppies to go to show homes as they have a fantastic pedigree but we made it clear from the beginning we were not going to show him. She let us have him because she said she would rather her puppies go to homes where they will be loved.

Our dog is 5 now and we have stayed in touch, sending photos etc as she has with all her puppies' owners. I know if anything ever happened that meant we couldn't keep him she would have him back no problem

We had 12 hours between knowing we were getting a puppy and driving to get him. Mad run on pets at home...