Did I buy a puppy farm pup?

[Caross]

Hi all. I am a bit concerned that I might of bought a puppy farm pup!!
I responded to an add for a specific breed of pup that I have been looking for, they are also really hard to get, very popular breed.
I thought all seemed well as I got sent a photo of mum and the testing results from the dad. Then I got videos and photos of my pup whenever I asked, in one or two videos I seen the rest of the litter. Although, the breeder allowed him to be picked up at 7 weeks 3 days old, which was unexpected.
We had to use a pet transportation service due to the current restrictions on travel so we weren’t able to pick him up. The breeder would of been allowed to bring him to us but said she wouldn’t so we had no choice but to hire someone to do it. Turns out that all the other pups had gone home a day or two before ours and he was the last one there.
Someone else contacted me on Instagram asking who I got my pup from. I gave them the information, they came back and said they decided not to go any further with our breeder as there was another litter due in 5 weeks and they suspected it could be a puppy farm.
I feel really foolish. I was under the impression that our pup was born from her family pet. I had no idea she had another dog, (or potentially the same poor dog) who is expecting another litter.
Another reason I thought it seemed really safe was that she has a very public dog walking and boarding business.
Does this sound suspicious to anyone else or could there be a innocent explanation?

Let's not pretend that the Kennel Club is all innocent though. They are only just trying to undo years of inbreeding and the problems that brings, aren't they? Brachycephalic dogs are a disgrace, problems with hips, heart issues etc. Interesting that OP wanted a cavalier. They have lots of issues as a result of the breed standard from the KC. However, I only knew about this from MN. And wondering why Crufts got raided by those protestors a couple of years back.

It's a minefield, it really is. If I were to buy a dog I want to raise it from a pup if I didn't know its background. Personally I would buy from a KC registered breeder from a website like champdogs, not pets4homes, but even then I think you still need to do loads and loads of research.

OP, if you're still reading, your pup is lovely. We can all be a bit naiive. You did the amount of research that you thought was adequate. You did put thought into it and have come on here worried and asking for advice. YOu will be a great owner, I'm sure, and that dog will have a lovely life. Try not to be put off by all the finger pointing posts.

By choosing a Cavapoo you left yourself wide open to a “breeder” who just wanted an exorbitant amount of money and has sucked you in. If you had chosen a breed that died g shed, such as a Lhasa Apso, you would find it was a delightful pet. Why do you think all these cross breeds exist? It’s to sell to unaware owners and red flags are limited. Breeders registered with the KC are far better for obvious reasons. The big red flag was the dog!

Typo: doesn’t shed!

I’m sure the op will look after her dog but that’s not the point of the post.

My JRT pup isn't KC registered and neither are the parents. It's probably one of the reasons the breed is so healthy compared to many breeds and has such a wide gene pool because it spent so long not being recognised by KC - they aren't the holy grail.

@GreyGoose1980 do you not realise how clever these people are? Usually at the farms they will have a "house" in which they take the photos in. We saw what looked like a family home and the pups/mum looked well cared for. It was an overseas insemination which we saw proof of so the father wasnt in the pictures, also common for the breed of dog we bought and had a vet card with the microchip number etc.
Yes I understand buying into it funds it but once you're there it is very hard to walk away - being in a field in the middle of no where is also a little intimidating!

When I had my kitten from Cat's Protection I was given the microchip details and had to contact the company for the details to be changed to mine. There was no cost involved.

@EastMidsMumOf1
Did you meet the pup with the litter and mum and owner in this house in person more than once?

I agree the kennel club is far from perfect but would rather work to reform it from inside. Also agree some working breeds are less likely to need kennel club registration as have other measures of quality but for a first time owner would always recommend kennel club.

@greygoose1980 we lived 100 miles away, we had been keen on the breed for a while but was unable to find any locally that weren't mixed or what looked to come from inexperienced breeders.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing but I was not prepared to leave the pup there.

Does sound like a puppy farm.

Damn right that the KC isn't the holy grail, midnight. There are some seriously dodgy breeders of KC registered animals out there, and some good breeders of crosses or unrecognised beeeds. I'm not totally anti KC and own a KC registered dog, but I do think they could do more, and I particularly wish they'd a) come down hard on inbreeding and lack of health testing and b) insist that working breeds have to pass an appropriate working test prior to being shown.

Sorry, off-topic.

But I do agree that puppy farms and their fronts are increasingly hard to spot, and that we don't have adequate legislation.

Kennel club doesn’t mean much it seems. My auntie and uncle bought a puppy from one and it transpired after it was less than great and puppy was probably being kept in a dark shed

This thread!! honestly. OP has been called stupid, told she doesn't give a shit, loads more. What do you want her to do? CRAWL BACK IN TIME?

@minichoc I was also called a “fool” but seems MNHQ took that one down. Haha.

Seriously consider insurance. Look for a lifetime policy not an annual one, and don’t change companies halfway through your dog’s life because everything up until that point will be called a pre- existing condition and won’t be covered.
If you don’t want to go down the insurance route then start a savings account now, and put aside a something each month.

£1200 is a LOT of money for a crossbreed. Mine cost me £20 but she’s not a fashionable cross, just a Collidor.

I don’t think the KC are blameless at all. You only have to look at some of the distorted breeds to know that. They were very slow with breed standard changes that should have been made and unsuitable dogs were awarded high status at their shows. However don’t buy one of these distorted breeds.

KC breeders are inspected. So none should have dogs in sheds but I think stud dogs are kept separate from bitches. For obvious reasons. There is no substitute for visiting the litter really.

@Allnamesaregone we do have a very good policy for him and also took out a care plan with the vet he is registered with.

£1200 was actually a low price for a cavapoo in UK. Places like Raffles and Glendream often charge up to £2000 for Cavapoos. Usually closer to £2000 for Fox red colour apparently.

You would know if your puppy had come from a shed probably. Is he_she fine with Hoover's, hairdryers other animals perhaps cats? Is the puppy happy to meet all your family members and playful?
I have kc reg dogs of standard breed and am on a fb page for tips and training etc where everyone is terrified of over exercising dogs, letting their puppies play or run too much etc and I do wonder how we got to this. Never have these issues about the proper mongrel rescue dogs I've had over the years, they are just straight forward dogs. Not overbred and not bred for their looks all to the benefit of their health.

The breeder can't be very good as has broken the law allowing pups to leave before 8wks and yours was last to go.

OP you know Raffles is a puppy farm, yes?

Wow. Just googled raffles as not my kind of dogs or part of the country but their website is pretty convincing...bitches only ever bred 3 times max, puppies brought up in family environment, every health check and a few extra for luck.
Then had a look at some reviews and sad stories of sick pups. Also the scale of the whole thing means no way do these dogs come from a cosy kitchen.
Puppy farm always made me think of dark barns but these guys have vets involved. vaccinations all done and are licensed.

I was also called a ‘fool’ but it seems MNHQ took that down HAHA

As the person who is NOT 1200 quid out of pocket for a 7 week old mongrel, with a fake vaccination card, with the bizarre genetic hope that crossing a low shedding dog with a random breed will produce a hypoallergenic dog, I think the last laugh is mine.

scochran Raffles says bitches are only ever bred 3 times. What happens to them then? Look at Many Tears Rescue and most of them are ex breeding bitches and so unsure and nervous they will only rehome to someone who already has a dog to boost their confidence.

@booboostwo and laughing about someone else's misfortune some how makes you what exactly? You must get vertigo being on that pedestal all day long..

Booboostwo kinda proving the point made on the thread a week or two ago about some posters being needlessly unpleasant, huh?

I don't get the 'mongrel' hate, I really don't. Or the desire to have a good gloat at someone who has recognised that she's cocked up, and clearly lives her puppy.