Paying a deposit on a dog I haven't seen?

[MrsTumbletap]

So there is a puppy on pets4homes that I have fallen in love with I have been searching for months and months for this type. She is 3 weeks old not ready until April, over half of the litter have deposites on them already.

The breeder looks great on the ad, really thorough description, lots of pictures seems to know her stuff.

Spoke on the phone yesterday again seems lovely, knows about the health testing has all been done, will keep in contact every week, owns mum and dad and has photos of them too. Invited to visit puppies at the end of March.

BUT deposit of £300 needed to secure the puppy before the visit.

What do I do? I don't know her, I haven't seen the puppy. But half of the litter already have deposits on them. I feel like I need this puppy and I'm convinced it will go.

What do I do???

A cavalier breeder who had screened for SM and heart disease would not be advertising on Pets4homes she would have a waiting list.

Is it just the colour that is an issue with regards availability or the breed full stop?

Can you join the breed group and then ask which breeders have puppies? I did that with our dog, was given details of 5 breeders and contacted them all. More effort but it’s worth it, especially for a breed that has a lot of health issues.

Please don't buy a puppy, if it is a dog you want for a family pet then you can go to a rescue and find one to suit your family. Puppies are only purchased by people wanting a toy or status symbol. If you want a family pet and a dog is your pet of choice then what does it matter what breed it is. I cannot fathom why people need to buy puppies when our county has so many dogs looking for homes.

Have you googled the breeder's name and any contact details, like her phone number? Is she a member of a breed club or does the number also link to ads for other puppies?

Getting in touch with the owners' club would be a good way to find out about any future litters that are planned - as many PPs have said, responsible breeders have waiting lists, and wouldn't be advertising on Pets4Homes. Cavs have a lot of serious health problems, and need to be very very carefully mated to avoid SM and heart conditions.

OP you sound switched-on and I think you know in your heart that this puppy is unlikely to be all that it seems.

Have you got in touch with the breed club and put yourself on waiting lists for any recommended breeders? And widened your search geographically as far as you can?

I would have also expected a litter of fully health-tested cavs to have been reserved before birth, they’re like hen’s teeth!

Have you looked on the kennel club site? You can do a search and see if there are breeders nearby. Or puppy availability. Quite common for a deposit to be paid but I would only do so if happy with all the other things.

This'll be a dog from a backyard breeder at best and a puppy farm at worst.

Give your head a wobble and go via the Kennel Club if you're set on a puppy. Don't buy a puppy you've never seen from a stranger on the internet

@BigGreenOlives do you mean the breed group on the kennel club?

£300 is a big deposit.

My last dog came from a breeder on Champdogs. For time and logistical reasons I put a deposit down without meeting her, but it was 10% of the purchase price and completely refundable if for whatever reason we did not proceed.

The only reason they asked for one was to show willing, they didn't want people on their waiting list who weren't serious.

Pets4Homes isn't a great place to look for a dog generally.

For everyone saying contact a breeder, is the Kennel club what you mean?

I have found the details on the kennel club website, it is that the way to go straight to a breeder. Or is there a different breeder website?

Try the national/regional breed clubs. The Kennel Club is essentially a registration facility - it has laudable aims, in creating a code of ethics for breeders (limiting the number of litters that can be registered per bitch, for instance, to try to prevent over-breeding) and supporting health research, but it can't investigate every single breeder who registers a litter through them or guarantee that they're ethical. Most are, but it's not that hard impossible for puppy farmers to get round the rules.

Have a look at this Cavalier Club. There are regional clubs and numbers of people to contact. They might be a bit crazy this week as Crufts starts tomorrow. There should be someone who can help you though. Good luck.

You’d be stupid to do this. I agree with adaline.
The breed will have a club or society. KC reg means very little. Worth getting to a show if you can. (Doesn’t matter if you want a pet dog and not to show.) Meet breeders. Ask questions and learn about the breed. There are massive health issues in the breed I assume you know about.

oh go away and stop with this responsible dog owner crap.

Yes how unreasonable of that poster to point this out to you when you’re so obviously switched on

fivedogstofeed
A cavalier breeder who had screened for SM and heart disease would not be advertising on Pets4homes she would have a waiting list.

THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS

For what it's worth, I am a huge dog lover and I adore Cavs, but honestly, in all good conscience, I could never buy one. The breed is now so riddled with so many awful health problems, I just don't think I could justify buying one now. It's heartbreaking.

I followed all the dogs trust advice and still got conned. Turns out the ‘parent’ dogs I met were not the actual parents of the puppy. We ended up with a host of problems and a very sick little puppy.
Happy to say that after a lot of TLC and hefty vet bills, she’s a happy, healthy bundle of terror and can’t imagine having any other puppy.

warning flags everywhere! why do they want you to make a decision before you've seen it?? It might not tbe the right puppy for you, be ill or just unsuitable. I would never agree to this without having seen the puppy with at least mum if not dad and seeing the paperwork and examining the puppy.

Posted too soon.
I think you know not to put this deposit down really. I do hope you end up with the puppy you want (from a fellow person who just wanted a toy/status symbol )

“Please don't buy a puppy, if it is a dog you want for a family pet then you can go to a rescue and find one to suit your family. Puppies are only purchased by people wanting a toy or status symbol. If you want a family pet and a dog is your pet of choice then what does it matter what breed it is. I cannot fathom why people need to buy puppies when our county has so many dogs looking for homes”

This is just so incredibly offensive. Only purchased as a status symbol? You can say the same about people who use a rescued greyhound or lurcher as a status symbol and bang on about their rescue in a morally superior tone when all you’ve done is commented “cute dog” in passing

How about lecturing the people who got a puppy and then dumped it at a shelter, instead of lecturing people who want a puppy and love it for the rest of its life?

@WFTisgoingoninmyhead what utter drivel you spout.
Op, what worries me here is that there aren't actually any puppies at all, especially with her asking for payment through PayPal. Great scam, get 5 x £300 and bugger off! When we got our pup we left a deposit of £100 after seeing her at six weeks. A deposit upfront is bonkers. Go elsewhere.

Puppies are only purchased by people wanting a toy or status symbol. If you want a family pet and a dog is your pet of choice then what does it matter what breed it is Ermmm breed is extremely important. Most of those dogs in shelters are there because the owner didn't research the breed properly. What a load of nonsense.

Is there a reason you're not allowed to go and see the puppy before you've put a deposit down? It is strange behaviour from them!