Advice re breeder

[YouCannotPossiblyBeHungry]

Hi, I have read every thread on finding a good breeder and think I've satisfied all of the points but still have that feeling of dread. Is anyone who is clued up willing for me to pm with the details to get a good second opinion please? I am looking at a retriever cross puppy. I can see it can be a contentious subject but genuinely want to do the right thing.

Why a retriever cross and not a purebred retriever? Unless it's for working purposes, no good breeder would intentionally produce crossbreeds, unless it's for cold, hard, cash, not the long term health of the puppies.

Most good breeders of purebred dogs will now have year long waiting lists for their puppies. Be wary of anyone just magically having puppies available.

There's some buyer advice here:
www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/buyer-advice/

I'll give it go. We've had four puppies from a variety of backgrounds, and I'm still in touch with three of the breeders.

I'm a bit of a cynical cow at times, but I try to be even-handed.

Also to add, if you're looking at a litter of retriever crosses - you need to ask that breeder if the parents had all the relevant health tests (tests, not checks, tests) for their particular breeds i.e. elbow scores etc. For breeds like labradors and retrievers there's a lot of serious genetic health problems that could put a serious dent in your wallet further down the line.

Sadly accidental litters or people breeding for cash are less likely to shell out for the breed health tests.

I have found amazing help on the facebook grp ‘Golden Retrievers- Sourcing Reputable Breeders’. Experienced breeders run it and you can dm them for specific advice in litters etc...

m.facebook.com/#!/groups/1489967774724877?group_view_referrer=feed_attachment