Worried about puppy origin

[Squeakville]

About 4 months ago we bought a puppy from a (not v close) friend whose dog had had one litter of pups. Her one and only litter to date. We visited a few times, saw Mum with pups at home and asked questions. Puppy has had all the vet checks, vaccinations and we've been in communication with her Mum owners a couple of times.

All is going well; puppy is settling well and we are (I think) good owners; walking twice a day, done puppy training classes, socialising him etc. Puppy is a lovely animal and we adore her. She is house trained, good round people and dogs and has good recall.

I've been on Mumsnet a few times to read advice and I've been really concerned that I might have bought a dog from a 'puppy farm' or a backyard breeder and not a reputable breeder. I didn't even know you should go on a waiting list. We would have been happy to wait and in fact were waiting for over 18months for the right rescue but no-one would let us have a dog due to fence height and kids.

I'm so worried that I've been naive and stupid and despite much research did not even know backyard breeders existed. I don't know what Im asking- just that I haven't perpetuated a bad trade I guess.

I’m no expert but I think a puppy farm has loads of litters, doesn’t house them indoors necessarily, you don’t always see them with mum etc so it’s unlikely it was a puppy farm. It’s also a myth that you have to be on a waiting list for ages and ages too. We got our pup from a lovely breeder, KC registered but she only has a litter every couple of years and so a lot of people don’t want to wait that long so actually, we just registered our interest and got a pup from the next litter no problem. Backyard breeder is a bit hard to define I think. I was offered a pup via a friend of a friend. Someone referred to her as a backyard breeder in a derogatory manner but it was just someone living on a farm very rurally, she wasn’t looking to make money from the pups just wanted to make sure they had good homes. We didn’t have one because it wasn’t the breed I wanted but I’d have no qualms about having one if it was. Sounds like all’s going well with your pup and you saw them with mum etc so I wouldn’t worry.

I would be fine about buying a pup under such circumstances especially as you now know you have a good pup.

It sounds like you knew enough about the friend that they were who they were etc rather than shipping puppies to an unknown house to pretend brought up in a home etc . A friend of mine just bred from her family pet and didn’t have a waiting list .

we've been in communication with her Mum owners a couple of times
It's probably not a puppy fair if they've stayed in interested contact with you. You also visited more than once and saw the litter with the dam - good luck managing that with a 'front' house where the puppies are cycled through at speed.

Not every breeder keeps a waiting list - I have known excellent litters be advertised - and people who breed their pet once or twice are not necessarily the devil if they consider the temperaments of the dogs they are breeding, consider the health implications of what they're doing, get the dam proper vet care and bring the puppies up with love and care. There is a huge range of breeders from the A* to the truly dreadful, and it sounds to me as if your puppy genuinely came from a family home, which is much, much better for all the dogs concerned than any sort of commercial facility.

Well how wise it was - agree with previous poster it’s not the case that all amateur breeders are puppy farms. At this stage OP there’s no point worrying about things you can’t change, but if you have a pup from non health tested parents be alert for breed issues like dysplasia. Nothing else you can do at this stage- except enjoy your pup and choose a breeder who health tests for the next one.

Thanks all. I feel pretty stupid having been ignorant to the whole backyard breeder thing but I'd focussed so much on rescue dogs and what breeds would work well with our family and the cat, and then this puppy came up via word of mouth, just when I'd been refused for a third rescue dog and it was the breed we wanted and not too expensive, so we went for it.

Puppy is lovely and has settled really well. Even dcat is ok with the new housemate. I just have niggling worries and Mumsnet is so clear about the rights and wrongs and don't want to have fuelled an unethical practice. Or have a pup who turns aggressive or unwell.

What's done is done now. Thanks for your kind comments. I was expecting a real telling off!

It’s obviously not a puppy farm...

But well, yes, there’s a higher chance of dodgy behavioural issues or health problems being inherited when it’s someone just breeding their pet with no real knowledge of breeding or proper health testing and what pedigrees actually show about the lines appearing in them.

But, it’s just a higher chance, nothing is definite - and you already have the dog, so...

It’s just a case of hopefully enjoying your dog and maybe doing a load more research if you ever get another one.

Though tbh, if rescues were turning me down because of my fence, I’d have sorted that....

Thanks. It wasn't just the fence.bit was also kids, cat, neighbouring dogs and pet rabbits.

I was prepared not to have a pedigree by getting a rescue so the pedigree lined etc don't really bother me.

I feel better for these comments and a good friend who knows dogs said he'd have trusted the situation. I'm a worrier though!