When do we talk money

[Yeahsurewhatever]

Due to meet a breeder soon

We've been emailing for a while and we're due to make the (very long!) Trip to go see the breeder.
But we haven't talked about price for one of the puppies.
At what point is that something we discuss?

When we go i'm nervous about asking the right questions
And also answering the questions they'll probably have for us right.

Any advice would be appreciated!

If its a long way I wouldn't see the need to see just mum first. id wait until the litter is born and see mum with the puppies.

If its a long way I wouldn't see the need to see just mum first. id wait until the litter is born and see mum with the puppies.

For sure it's a case of each to their own but I deliberately did not do this, despite it being a 350 mile round trip. The presence of puppies can do funny things to the ability to make a cold, logical decision. I wanted to know this was the right breeder for me before someone plonked a chubby little springer pup in my lap because by the time that happened, it would be game over .

10-15 years is a long time with a dog. A day doing a premilinary journey seemed like a small 'chore' to help choose wisely.

You mustn’t feel like it is not appropriate to ask the question.
If you were buying a particular Mercedes model and knew to market rate was £52K, had £55k in your bank account allocated to new car, your dealership calls you to tell you they’ve just got one in for you to look at, you’d ask the price before setting off wouldn’t you. If they were selling it at £55K you’d still go to see it in case it had some desirable extras and you hope to lower the price by £1-2K. So by the time you pay insurance, tracker membership and so on you are still within your budget. If it was £58K you might not be interested because you’ve only got £55K spare in the bank and there isn’t much of a gap for discussion.
Ultimately this is a transaction and the breeder knows that.

If you can see just the mum before the puppies arrive, do so. Can you get more details about the dad from the breeder perhaps?

Thanks everyone this is really helpful

@missbattenburg thank you, I hadn't thought of some of those questions and would have kicked myself after.

And yes! Same reason with the visit now, once I drive that far and see a gorgeous puppy needing a home, it's going to be difficult to say no if it turns out something's not 100%! I'd rather keep a level head!

Breed - we've narrowed down to a few, they're not any of your more common more likely to be puppy farmed types like the cockerpoos etc (though of course it's something to be aware of with all breeds)
I'm asking in this case as they're the first ones we've seen, but as we are speaking with a few breeders to find the right one and the right dog, I just need generic info really. (I've of course done tons of research on the breed and will have breed specific questions)

I also know they have (prospective) mum, her sister and mother and
a puppy from the first (and only other) litter
They're pets but they show
They still see lots of their other puppies regularly for walks, I think they also do day care etc with some of the local ones

That sounds really good having access to the other dogs and the breeder is clearly heavily involved in the area. I expect you will be asked a lot of questions yourself.
I don’t have a cockerpoo but know quite a lot of them and they are beyond adorable and have the perfect temperament for children. I know one labradoodle personally and he is just perfect and again great with kids.
Very exciting! Enjoy your visit and I’m sure you’ll get a perfect puppy before long

You need to pick a breed and research that breed in full before seeing any pups.

Have narrowed down to a couple of very similar breeds (all terrier types, similar tempraments and needs) have done extensive research on each of these.
I didn't want to pick only a single breed when other breeds were just as suitable. It also means I have more options of breeders and litters to ensure we make the most informed and best choice for us and the dog

No decent breeder will really consider you if you haven’t decided what you want though.

Why?
We have a preference
But we like quite a few dogs. They're all suitable for us and we're suitable for them.
I'd rather speak to more breeders and have a better chance at being able to get a healthy happy puppy from a good breeder at a time in our lives when we can dedicate more time to the dog in its early weeks / months / years, than pick one breed and be more limited

Also we don't want to get too set on a particular breed as we are still in touch with rescue centres, and if a suitable pup comes up that needs adopting, but it's not our first choice breed, wed still almost certainly choose the rescue.

I own a pedigree dog I contacted the breed club secretary who sent me a list of members who were expecting a litter that year the colour they usually breed and she also told me the average price for a puppy. Details of health checks etc the breed club expects breeders to do were also included. She was hoping to have a litter so I said I would be interested. I then received a three page questionnaire which I completed I stated my earning job children’s age etc my nearest decent walks did I need to use the car to get there and I had to send photos of my then current dog previous dogs including ages they’d lived too and pictures of my garden. I then spoke to the breeder on the phone who went over all my details and she answered all my questions. When the puppies were 4-5 weeks old I drove 350 miles to meet the breeder mum sister etc, (she had four dogs) she very very carefully explained what their health checks meant, and what this would mean for my dog, I saw mums show ring success; including crufts champion for the breed, dad didn’t belong to the breeder but again health checks photos pedigree show awards etc were shown to me and the dogs owner was happy for me to call or visit if I wished. The breeder made it very clear that there was no obligation on either side she could refuse to sell a puppy to me I could decline to purchase one. She only had one dog she would agree to sell me the others were destined for top show homes, mine was to be a family pet she suspected the one she was offering me would be over height (he is). I asked lots of questions and she seemed pleased that I was thinking about it so carefully. She said she was happy that I was offering a good home but I was told to go away and think about it she would hold the puppy for 48 hours. Before going I googled the breeder (I’d heard of puppy farms posing as reputable breeders) and although it looked unlikely I still googled her and found positive comments, she was also a senior judge for the breed and has written a book about them so I felt it was all legit. Having agreed to purchase the puppy I was asked for a £50 non returnable deposit. All in all from the first contact with the breed club to bringing a puppy home or took 5 months it’s not a very rare breed.
Eight years later he is a gorgeous dog he’s exactly what the breed club describe he’s never had a days illness is exceedingly easy going and well behaved (according to my dog walker the easiest dog she has). I can’t take all the credit for this I researched the breed exceedingly carefully then made sure I bought from a very reputable breeder. It was a bit of a bore going through the process but it was worth it.

I don’t see what the problem is with having a number of breeds open as a possibility!

To start with it is fine but you shouldn’t be visiting puppies if you’re not serious about the breed.

It’s perfectly ok if you are looking at for example westies / cairns and Scottie’s as frankly they are all very similar . If I found a nice westie breeder 20 miles away I wouldn’t drive 300 miles to buy a cairn from an equivalent breeder , particularly if the dog is to be a pet .

Who says I'm not serious about the breed?
I love the breed, but if I go and this breeder isn't quite what I expect, or the price is crazy or I suspected puppy farming etc. I have other options

I'm obviously not just travelling miles round the country for a laugh at how many breeders I can meet to waste their time

Also if you wanted to read the thread, instead of just judging me for not doing it the way you would (despite me not asking for your opinion on that) you'd know I'm not visiting puppies.

@Greyarabsdrinkthewind thank you for that, it's certainly not been quite as involved as that, and so I will be a bit wary going forward. Everything has sounded great, and the fact I can meet the other dogs, see their home, paperwork etc and I know they will ask more questions, but it's good to know what other people's experiences are to compare and spot any red flags quicker.

I’m not reading it that way at all wolfie

You seem to be asking all the right questions and doing the right research.

You’ll always get the militants on this page-

Type A - the rescuers - think that a retired greyhound is the answer to everyone’s needs or alternatively
Type B - dog martyrs who will spend years researching their specific breed and then dedicate their entire life to pandering to their dog. They think that only a select few aka carbon copies of themselves should be entitled to own dogs. These are the doggie equivalent of tiger moms who make their children their life’s work.

I agree with Bartlet you’re going to live with this dog for the next 10-14 years through thick and thin you’ve got to like it and that includes enjoy looking at it. I personally don’t like greyhounds, I have cats, I want to be able to let my dog off it’s lead, I want to be able to lift it into my car if I have too, I think they’re boring as hell (but that’s only my view), I also don’t like dogs that bark constantly slobber snore or snuffle, I personally think a dog with a squashed face loads of wrinkles crooked legs a twisted spine or any other unnatural over exaggeration is a man made abomination.
We bought a pedigree dog from a highly regarded reputable breeder my dog has no unnatural exaggerations this gives them an exceptionally long life expectancy. I read the books about the breed and he is exactly what was written in the book thus fits our lives perfectly and he looks like the breed and I like the way he looks. So when Im walking him in the pissing rain and freezing wind he gives he loads of pleasure because he is what I expected and paid for. If you get a rescue or mongrel you don’t know what your getting. I suspect some may think this sounds shallow but it matters to me. Dogs are quite a big commitment, ok not like horses (see user name) who are in a different league but they are a commitment and you should enjoy you dog and find one that works for you.
Look at a few breeds ask questions read books meet breeders discuss what you hope for from a dog, then decide this has to be better that not researching the breed at all buying a puppy that grows into some bloody great big dog that doesn’t work for you in any way and once it’s stopped being a cute puppy ends up in a rescue which is what many seem to do. I can’t see any sensible ethical breeder objecting to that.

I agree.

We have a mongrel. Perfectly nice dog, lovely with the DCs. But he is a ‘type’ albeit not a breed.

He doesn’t hunt. He seems to be some sort of collie (herds the kids ) he is medium size, isn’t remotely aggressive and is playful.

There are a lot of breeds that could apply to. Labs, collies, spaniels. If I was puppy shopping I’d be happy to consider any of those breeds or any other I haven’t mentioned that is basically just a dopey family pet!

Just a thought. If you go to the breed club website for those breeds you're interested in it should tell you what specific tests the breed should have. Look up what they mean so you can quiz the breeder and ask to see the results, specially of they are not very forthcoming with them don't be fobbed off with any excuses, my breeder proudly showed me the certificates test results etc and explained everything about them, so for example it is ok for dogs to be carriers of certain recessive conditions. In the grand scheme of things a dog is not a lot of money but an unhealthy dog can run up an enormous bill, my colleague sent £25000 on her dog and cause a lot of heart ache.

Sure you can ask about the price, and also visit before making a final decision. We had a deposit on a puppy, visited, the puppy we had liked in terms of temperament had an odd gait and didn’t seem to be growing out of it, and some aspects about the set-up didn’t seem right (got some really helpful advice from here).

We didn’t find another good breeder and ended up looking at a similar breed, and now have gorgeous healthy DDog.

After that experience I think there is no point being over-committed before you have seen the puppy - what if there is a health issue or you are not comfortable with the temperament, or just decide that that dog is not right for you?

www.manytearsrescue.org/dogslookingforhomes.php
Lots of pups/youngsters here.

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Thanks everyone
Great advice