Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Breeder advertising more puppies

56 replies

CactusPink · 14/03/2022 13:49

We put down a deposit on a puppy a few weeks ago. Everything checked out ok, Kennel Club registered. The house is lovely and Mum was perfect.
This is their first time breeding this breed. They mentioned they also have another breed of dog but nothing about breeding those.
DH went to message the breeder to ask for an updated picture because they’ve not sent us any since we saw puppy. Now they are also advertising puppies of the other breed too.
Should I be worried?

OP posts:
Rewritethestars1 · 14/03/2022 18:25

Sorry me again, to add 11 in a litter is a huge amount even for a golden. That seems fishy to me. Average amount is 7 to 8 and I have come across a larger litter but only once. 11 seems excessive, not impossible but still added with everything else screams lies to me.

If its not a scam and just an awful puppy farm then you will probably be ok because by nature most goldens are biddable and soft but you will be getting a dog with unknown health and temprement. Goldens are known for hip and elbow complications which cost thousands to treat and are painful for the dog. Only the dogs with the lowest scores should breed and you won't know that. You will probably get lucky but you can never be certain especially if the pup has had rubbish early socialisation. Plus you'll be supporting a puppy farm but that's not your fault I suppose.

Original poster
CactusPink · 14/03/2022 18:29

I’m confused now. When I search on kennel club for golden retriever breeders I can’t see them listed. But they sent me a list of the puppy pedigrees last week and they are definitely registered. Do you not have to be on the breeder list to register the pedigree?
Yes they were health checks and they showed DH the certificates. They asked us lots of questions about us and our family.
I don’t know what to do now.

OP posts:
fairylightsandwaxmelts · 14/03/2022 18:30

@CactusPink

I can’t really Google the breeder because it was from pets4homes so just have the name. I’ve just google searched one of the pictures and they are also advertising on gumtree but I guess that’s no different? It was a beautiful, very grand house. They were lovely people and have children. I just can’t see it being a puppy farm. I am a bit apprehensive now though because of the second litter and also they haven’t sent us any photos or anything. But now I know they have 2 litters at once I imagine they are very busy.
This isn't just red flags, it's a whole line of red bunting:
  • Pets4Homes is where all puppy farmers advertise.
  • The same applies to Gumtree.
  • The appearance of the house is beautiful to lure you in
  • The same goes for the lovely people and their "children" - it gives the appearance of a lovely, middle-class family home.

I suspect they have way more than two bitches and way more than two litters.

Shannith · 14/03/2022 18:32

Oh god - you go via pets at home and it's a backyard breeder. KC ref means nothing.

The whole set up is totally Susa and is designed to sucker people like you in. Sorry but it's a puppy farm.

PancakeBae · 14/03/2022 18:33

Google the mobile number. That's how I realised that the 'small family basset hound breeder' advertising on the Petplan puppy section also had four other litters of different breeds for sale.

Buildingthefuture · 14/03/2022 18:34

KC registration means literally nothing. Lots of reg flags in your post. Did they homecheck you? My bet would be no (although loads of breeders say they do this and never ever bother)

WellThatsMeScrewed · 14/03/2022 18:35

This happened to me. Saw puppies in kitchen and then the ‘breeder’ brought in the ‘mum’. I realised something was up. Definitely not the mum of the pups.

I don’t think they were even from that house.

Shellingbynight · 14/03/2022 18:37

I wouldn't buy from this breeder.

I had a similar experience, but with kittens. The breeder was registered with the breed club and looked fine on paper, but the set up was not right. Fortunately I realised because I'd bought kittens from other breeders in previous years, and we were always taken to the room where the mum lived with the kittens so we could watch them together.

This time, we were shown into the lounge, and the 'mum' (clearly not the mum) was brought in. Then she was removed and the two available kittens were brought in. They were adorable. As we left we got a glimpse of another room which housed some rather manky looking cats. We said no, and found another breeder with the right set up.

Shannith · 14/03/2022 18:38

Sorry - totally suss.

It's entirely possible to fake certificates - they will have a tame vet even if they are real.

If you want a puppy go through the.kennel club registered breeders - on their website. .call the kennel club about the breed you want. Do not go to puppy farm that clams too be KC registered - it's the wrong way round.

You can bet your house on the fact that behind the house or separate are a load of sheds where notches are bred over and over again until they are deemed too old and dumped at rescue or killed.

That's what puppy farms are.

There will be waiting lists - because proper breeders only have one litter every 2 years. And your expoenrfw of meeting the mum/other puppies will be so different. And they will vet you properly - not just ask some questions.

It's a puppy farm.

GuyFawkesDay · 14/03/2022 18:44

Every so often you do get decent pets4homes ones but you have to be so careful.

Ours came from there but the lady who had them gave me the vets phone number and had expressly told the vet anyone who reserved a pup could see their records. She told me I could call in any time to see the pups after deposit (which was £250 so nothing megs) I did a random drop in because I wanted to check everything was as it should be. I met mum with pups and dad too as he belonged to her partner. Pups were in the house, only dogs and clearly loved and well handled by their kids. They had nothing to hide and so were very open.

GuyFawkesDay · 14/03/2022 18:45

Oh and I was homechecked! They asked a squillion questions.

Treecreature · 14/03/2022 18:50

I know a gent who had mother and son dogs. They didn't castrate the male and mum ended up pregnant by him. He paid a bloke down the street to register his dog as the sire so they could be sold as KC registered. KC registered doesn't mean much. Petsforhomes is not a place a good breeder would advertise. Many decent breeders don't need to advertise, the pups already have homes before they're born.

Ruinedwalks · 14/03/2022 18:53

Can you remember what the health certificates were for? We’re they for the mother.?
You probably just saw the vaccination record, which in reality means nothing apart from the fact the puppies have had a vaccine ( assuming it’s genuine) .
A vaccination record does not mean that the puppies are in good health. They could have lots of problems that the vet has discussed with the owner, but that won’t stop them being vaccinated.

PollyPurpose · 14/03/2022 18:54

I’d be very wary.

I saw my kennel club registered puppy in the kitchen with her mum and dad. Puppies being brought through is a sign of backyard breeding or atleast kennelled breeding - of course you can keep a large dog outside in a large barn or pen or god knows what.

I would be wary of not having the regular updates

Ruinedwalks · 14/03/2022 18:55

How old are they and have they been chipped? The breeder should be getting them chipped, they should not be leaving the breeder until they are.

EdithStourton · 14/03/2022 18:57

You can find good breeders on Pets4Homes, but you have to do your due diligence - search the mobile number, make sure the breeder asks you lots of questions or otherwise checks you out thoroughly, see the pups with the dam, visit more than once, expect photos and videos.

This set up does not sound great, tbh.

Shmithecat2 · 14/03/2022 18:58

@Nomoreusernames1244

I can’t really Google the breeder because it was from pets4homes so just have the name. I’ve just google searched one of the pictures and they are also advertising on gumtree but I guess that’s no different?

First big red flag there. Anyone advertising on pets4homes/gumtree etc are more likely to be puppy farms or for profit.

Good breeders usually won’t breed unless they know they have homes for the pups beforehand, so they rarely advertise.

This.
chocolatesaltyballs22 · 14/03/2022 19:02

I found a good breeder on Pets4Homes - saw all pups with mum, she had only ever had one litter, no other puppies advertised etc. You need to go with your gut feel when you visit. It does feel odd them only bringing certain puppies through. When we visited our litter we saw all the puppies but they just pointed out the ones which weren't already reserved.

Offtobednow · 14/03/2022 19:13

I would be wary in the situation you’ve described. When we got our puppy we were registered with breeder before they were born having been scrutinised in video calls etc. The breeder regularly shared videos of the mum with the puppies in the whelping area in her home. We were welcome to visit and saw the puppies with their mum. She also encouraged us to WhatsApp call her so we could see our puppy in the evenings etc.

cataline · 14/03/2022 19:13

Red flags all over I'm afraid.

Tiny puppies are often imported from massive puppy farms in Ireland - they sedate them, several to a sack and hide the sacks in cars and vans. Many die but lots don't so it's still lucrative for them.

These pups are often then placed with 'families' who have stunt bitches that they present as the mothers of these little pups.

KC registration means sweet FA.

Puppy buying (if not rescuing) should be a carefully researched, carefully planned thing and people often don't give it the time and thought that they should.

Never buy a puppy without having 100% confidence in its provenance, in the breeder and that it's healthy.

A golden retriever without reliable health checks is absolutely asking for trouble.

vjg13 · 14/03/2022 19:20

There have been quite a few tv exposés with the horrors of puppy farming @cataline just as you describe. Dogs bred in huge sheds sheds in Ireland with automated feeders and then brought over at 5-6 weeks.

I hope the OP does not buy this puppy.

WellThatsMeScrewed · 15/03/2022 18:46

I bet the OP gets the puppy Sad there is a reason why puppy farms are doing so well.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 15/03/2022 21:34

@CactusPink

What have you decided to do about the puppy and the breeder?

Puppamumma · 18/03/2022 20:45

Please all be very careful if you buy a puppy off of some seller sites. We lost a Labrador puppy at only 15 weeks due to uncontrollable fits, the Vet could not assertion what caused them and she had to get pts. I don't know what happened to the rest of her litter but I saw tonight that another of her dogs has had a litter and she's looking for £900 a pup. I'm too anxious to report it in case it only happened to our girl and she would work out who reported her . We're in Scotland

MrsWinters · 18/03/2022 22:43

Put the images of the pups into Google image search and see if they’ve been used before
You’ll be able to search for the bitch and sure on kennel club
They could’ve airbnbed the house for viewings