How far in advance to contact breeders?

[Twerking9to5]

We’re looking to buy a puppy to join our family in July (I’m a part time teacher and summer hols would be a good opportunity to settle him/her in!). But how far in advance would your contact a breeder? Or would I just wait until nearer the time?

I’ve searched breeders in my area but so worried about how reputable they all are.

Good breeders can have a two or three year waiting list. Depends really. Have a look at the Champdogs website, they usually have a good list of breeders and puppies available.

Are you after a particular breed rather than a rescue? I waited over two years for my pup. Bitches only have a couple of seasons a year and good breeders don’t have a dozen bitches having multiple litters. Some good breeders have waiting lists. I’m on a list. Hoping for a pup in a year or so. If I’m lucky!

Very much depends on the breed and how many breeders there are for that breed plus whether or not it attracts poor breeders, just because it's a popular breed that sells for £££££.

For e.g. Battendog is a show springer - so somewhere middling for popularity. I first reached out to breeders in Feb and he came home in Sept. That also involved a lot of serendipidous coincidences that I never could have planned for and shouldn't expect again. Fate was on my side.

It could easiy have been much longer, especially for a rarer breed or for the kinds of breeds where you might struggle particularly to seperate the good from huge numbers of breeders just cashing in (French Bulldogs, Boston Terriers, Pugs etc).

He also came from 250 miles away. If I'd limited myself to just breeders near me, I don't think I'd have found one in under a year.

wolfie are you doing it all again?!?!

Another wolfhound?

It's always a good idea to contact some breeders. Have a chat, ask questions.
As for waiting list, some breeders have them, others dont. They are definitely not a sign of a good breeder.

OP in case my response wasn't clear. Don't wait any longer! Get on the case right now. Even then, be prepared for a puppy not to be ready for your schedule, e.g. might be ready to come in August or September or not until winter.

Don't pick the wrong dog (or breeder) just to fit your July date, tempting though it might be.

@missbattenburg I can’t imagine living without a wolfhound now. I am really hoping for another one the end of this year or start of next. No rush. Need a bigger car (ok van) first.

Thank you guys, this is all really helpful. Looking at cockapoo/labradoodle type breed, so not a pedigree.

Then you will more than likely be putting your money in the hands of puppy farmers. I wouldn’t. These two dogs are also very different. If you don’t even know what you’re looking for then you’re nowhere near ready for a puppy.

Cockapoos and labradoodles aren’t breeds.

There are no reputable breeders of mixed breeds. There are increasing numbers of poodle crosses in rescue though as people find out they didn't get the dog they thought they would.

Gobblers too true. Our local rescue just took two rescue poodle crosses in. Suspect owners had no idea what they were taking on. Wanted a cute little pair of teddy bear dogs and got two bonkers high energy biting machines.

@Wolfiefan I am totally looking forward to hearing all the new puppy stories!

OP, sorry but I agree with others. Looking for a decent breeder of highly popular cross/designer breeds is like looking for a needle in a haystack. I would suggest you give yourself more time than until July and really start researching:
Cockers
Labradors
Standard and miniature poodles - they are more different than just size

To find a decent breeder (if one exists) you are going to need to know everything about these breeds as your dog could have the

• personality
• health problems
• appearance (inc coat)

of any of them. Crosses are not guaranteed the best of both breeds. They have equal chance of being the worst of both so you need to know what that is, and whether you could live with it.

I’m aware that they are cross breeds, but still thought I would be able to find reputable sources. I’ve done tonnes of research into the difference between labradoodles and cockapoos but haven’t found any major glaring differences. Happy to be educated further.

@missbattenburg thank you that is really helpful

Really? You can’t see any difference in grooming and size for example?
These are a puppy farmer’s wet dream. You won’t be able to find anyone not churning out puppies for profit.
There are however quite a few in rescue as people underestimate the amount of exercise and grooming and stimulation etc they need.

Well no because they vary so much as a pp above said. I’ve seen huge labradoodles and small ones, cockapoos that need more grooming than others. Ive looked for rescue dogs but none in my area or that will rehome with small children.
Anyway, thanks for your help.

If you have very small children then decent breeders wouldn’t home to you either.
TBH you don’t seem to have any real idea of what you want or how unrealistic your expectations are. (You want a puppy that’s bred close to you and at the start of the summer holidays? Can’t you see how unlikely that is?)

Thank you Wolfie. You have made your point. I haven’t said I wanted one bred close to me and only that I was looking at July as that would work really well. In an ideal world. TBH i was asking for advice on how to go about things. I’m not stupid but you’re rather keen to suggest otherwise. No worries, I’m bowing out now. Good luck with your puppies.

“None in my area”
So close to you.
Stupid? No.
Unaware that by far the majority of puppies sold in this country are from puppy farmers? Yes.
Unaware of the variations within cockerpoo and labradoodle crosses? Yes?
Unaware how rarely good breeders breed pups, why they do and what it takes to find a good breeder? Absolutely.
It infuriates me when people post about what they want with regards to puppies. No sense of what they can offer (exercise? Grooming? Etc) Complete lack of desire to find a good breeder and total focus on getting what they want whenever they want it. This is why rescues are overloaded and puppy farming is rife.

Probably get shot down but this is how I went about finding my cross breed - we have a toodle and I did everything I could to make sure he was not a puppy farm, yes I saw the advert on gumtree but I also visited 6 other breeders and was not happy with their explanations or seeing the interaction between bitch and puppies. The breeder I chose I asked her why she had bred her Tibetan terrier, she was keeping a puppy herself and wanted one from her own dog and had homes lined up for the others with friends (except this one), the bitch was 2.5 and was 1st Litter (she has since spayed her) I checked with neighbours (one of which is our vet) I know in the area and she has lived there for 5+ years and not had puppies before. I saw mum and poodle dad and have copies of both their health certificates, she also prepaid for all the puppies initial vaccinations at our local vets (all 3 rounds of needles) and we have a what’s app group with all the litter and meet regularly at the beach as a “family” so yes she was a home breeder and prob did it a bit for money but I did everything I could think of to make sure not a puppy farm. I did try to adopt / rescue first but we have a 4year old and we work, we use a very good day care but that was not good enough. We also adopted a greyhound 1st as they were only ones who would consider us but it went for my youngest and had to go back - now terrified of large dogs. Sorry for essay but was trying to say not every cross is from a puppy farm and not everyone is allowed to rescue.

Good luck Twerking, I meet lots of cockerpoo's and labradoodles when out walking my dogs and they have always been super sociable with other dogs and people, I think they're a great choice for a young family. As previous posters have said, they have surged in popularity, but a positive of this is that there are lots of FB pages, online groups etc dedicated to both these types of dog, with lots more information than you will probably find here, and advice from dedicated and devoted owners.

Health certificates? So they’re not sick? Good breeders test for potential parents carrying certain breed specific conditions.
Both parents? Good breeders don’t breed pets they own. They seek out the best pairing possible.
Maybe not a puppy farm but a BYB and not reputable.

Cocker spaniels, labradors and poodles are all indeed great dogs. What exactly you get in the mix could be any variation of those.

Yes I have saw and have copy of the health certificates both parents underwent the recommended genetic tests etc and I met both parents, so to me the breeder was probably as good as I was going to get for the dog I wanted