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The doghouse

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Original poster

Tips please- puppy disappointment, devastated child

16 replies

MsF1t · 26/03/2021 20:14

Hi there- will try to keep this brief: my daughter saw our family dog collapse and haemorrhage and fit just before she died. This was about 5 years ago and she's never got over it. We then had another daughter, and have waited until she was old enough to go to school before thinking about getting another dog.

We were finally on this position in January and luckily found someone who was just about to breed her bitch. Not local, but only about 50 miles away. There was a lot of excited messaging back and forth to begin with, we filed out a questionnaire and she said we would be ideal. Scans sent etc.

Then around the due date she went quiet and stopped replying. My OH rang her, she said she was on the phone to the vet- puppies imminent!

Then she went silent again. I had a feeling, so I googled the breed/area- and there was the litter, listed at double the price on Pets4homes. We rang her and she feigned shock and surprise that someone had listed her puppies and asked us to email her the link.

Then nothing. Again. Finally I texted, begging her to just tell us what was going on: my eldest had walked in and seen the web page with the puppies and got really excited that they were here, and I had to tell her we weren't sure we were getting one any more. My daughter is on the spectrum and was devastated, particularly that I couldn't tell her what was happening.

Predictably enough of course we finally got a response to tell us there was no puppy.

(Sorry, I know this has turned into a vent...!)

So... how can we avid this happening again? We don't want a pedigree dog. We want a mutt, we like lurchers. We don't want to contribute to Covid profiteering by paying £2k plus (which seems average!), but we're happy to pay up to half that for the right dog.

I'd be really grateful for some advice or even commiserations. Feeling very low- I have never seen my daughter so sad, and obviously we regret ever telling her we were getting a pup. Now she wants this exact one, and I can't make that happen. Sad

Apologies for the very non-brief essay!

OP posts:
freakdechic · 26/03/2021 20:49

That's awful, but I'm afraid even lurchers are going for £££ just now. We were lucky, we got our lurcher from a litter last year just by chance, the lady posted on freeads. Maybe have a look there, not sure where you are but we got her from Cumbria

againandagainoncemore · 26/03/2021 20:52

Oh that's really sad. Presumably you are adamant about a puppy? Not a rehome? There are lots of skinny/pointy adult dogs for rehoming Smile

CMOTDibbler · 26/03/2021 20:56

If you like lurchers, then there a lots of lurcher puppies in rescue, you'll just need to wait until things open up a bit as its really hard for rescues right now to rehome as we aren't allowed to encourage travel and can't meet people to see if they are right to rehome that particular dog to.
I foster pups for EGLR and though the demand for dogs has been bonkers in the last year we will undoubtedly have an influx in the next 6 months, and we alas always seem to have puppies for a number of reasons

MadMadMadamMim · 26/03/2021 21:00

This is very sad, and I agree with you about the profiteering.

But I would say if you are prepared to pay up to £1,000 for a puppy you've got no chance anywhere now.

The prices have gone mad - and other people will pay between £2,000 - £3,000, sadly.

Pumpkintopf · 26/03/2021 21:05

Really sorry to hear this op.

There are still decent breeders out there - we found ours via the KC website but I recognise you said you wanted a cross breed so accept maybe not best route for you.

I can imagine this was really upsetting for your dc and I'm so sorry.

Indecisivelurcher · 26/03/2021 21:08

@CMOTDibbler

If you like lurchers, then there a lots of lurcher puppies in rescue, you'll just need to wait until things open up a bit as its really hard for rescues right now to rehome as we aren't allowed to encourage travel and can't meet people to see if they are right to rehome that particular dog to. I foster pups for EGLR and though the demand for dogs has been bonkers in the last year we will undoubtedly have an influx in the next 6 months, and we alas always seem to have puppies for a number of reasons
Yey I was here to recommend eglr - we have a lovely now 9yo who we got from eglr at 4m old. He's perfect.
HasaDigaEebowai · 26/03/2021 21:08

If you are not prepared to pay the current going rate then you either need to wait or look at getting a rescue.

CMOTDibbler · 26/03/2021 21:51

@Indecisivelurcher thats lovely to hear - my own dogs are both from EGLR - ddog1 joined us aged 6 months, ddog2 was born with them. I've fostered from 5 weeks old (that was hard) upwards. I think we're on puppy 57 at the moment. Who is 90% lovely, 10% complete prat, so so not suitable for a home with children

MrsWooster · 26/03/2021 22:00

My first Lurcher came from EGLR and you’re a bit of a hero to me, CMOT. Just wanted to say!

Indecisivelurcher · 26/03/2021 22:03

@MrsWooster

My first Lurcher came from EGLR and you’re a bit of a hero to me, CMOT. Just wanted to say!
I agree 🙌
Original poster
MsF1t · 26/03/2021 22:17

Thanks so much, @CMOTDibbler. We would rescue, it's just that our youngest is only just 5 and we don't have a private garden. Our previous dog was a foster dog (we fostered for a local charity) that we ended up keeping. Of course, once we did decide to get a puppy our 2 kids were fixated on that, but an older pup could work. I'll look at that link now. (And thanks to everyone else who commented, too!)

OP posts:
Goleor · 26/03/2021 22:27

My sympathies, we had a similar issue trying to find a kitten earlier in the year. Eventually we got one . I'd normally suggest a rescue but you mention you dont have a private garden , that coupled with very young children could rule you out for a lot of rescues. Your only option maybe to wait for prices to fall a bit and dont mention it to your child until you have the dog in your possession.

CMOTDibbler · 26/03/2021 22:31

Neither child age or garden is an absolute no go - it does reduce the number of suitable dogs (just as cats, chickens etc etc do), but I know EGLR have rehomed to people in narrowboats, some of 'my' pups have done to families with preschoolers - its all about matching dogs to what they need and it can be different even between siblings (and we get a lot of stick for the requirements, but its not taken lightly). Its better to look at the Facebook page than the website as easy pups will literally go on FB for a couple of hours before they have to stop taking calls about them.

@MrsWooster thats so kind, but I'm really not. The puppy cuddles (mostly, don't ask about my meltdown earlier) make up for the hard work and its so lovely to see them all in their forever homes - especially the ones who were harder work

hellywelly3 · 26/03/2021 23:10

We got a puppy from dogs trust when our children were young. My youngest was 2. They prefer to put puppy’s with young families, the RSPCA is the opposite. They were more concerned with how a dog fitted in with us working. But we only overlapped working by an hour a day.

Original poster
MsF1t · 26/03/2021 23:10

@CMOTDibbler

Neither child age or garden is an absolute no go - it does reduce the number of suitable dogs (just as cats, chickens etc etc do), but I know EGLR have rehomed to people in narrowboats, some of 'my' pups have done to families with preschoolers - its all about matching dogs to what they need and it can be different even between siblings (and we get a lot of stick for the requirements, but its not taken lightly). Its better to look at the Facebook page than the website as easy pups will literally go on FB for a couple of hours before they have to stop taking calls about them.

@MrsWooster thats so kind, but I'm really not. The puppy cuddles (mostly, don't ask about my meltdown earlier) make up for the hard work and its so lovely to see them all in their forever homes - especially the ones who were harder work

Oh, that's great. I'll sign up. Honestly would much rather rehome a dog, and perfectly happy to wait now for the right dog - meaning both for us and for it. We are in Scotland but have links in the midlands/Northern England and would travel. We live by the sea, loads of parks nearby and a shared back garden and so much love and attention to give. Both our kids first words were 'dog'.

Thank you so much for helping dogs that need it. It would be wonderful if we could do the same out of this.

OP posts:
Original poster
MsF1t · 26/03/2021 23:13

@hellywelly3

We got a puppy from dogs trust when our children were young. My youngest was 2. They prefer to put puppy’s with young families, the RSPCA is the opposite. They were more concerned with how a dog fitted in with us working. But we only overlapped working by an hour a day.
Thank you, we will also check them out as there's one not far from us.
OP posts:
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