Suggestions on where to get a dog from?

[Wingingit202122]

First time owner trying to find somewhere reputable to buy a dog from!
Was advised to look on pets4homes but not sure how reputable the sellers are
Spoke to one woman who told me she would only allow me to do a doorstep viewing! This immediately raised my suspicions so was wondering, how do we go about not falling foul to a backstreet breeder?

Definitely not Pets 4 Homes.
Do you know what type of dog you want and what you want it for? You need some idea of what breeds are suitable for you. “A dog” is like saying “ a husband” aside from being married there are suitable and less suitable ones.
It will help narrow your search and you can ask specific breed support groups for advice and recommended breeders.

Can’t really offer advice sorry, but the dogs trust have some information on “dogfishing” (basically pet scams/puppy farms) which might help

i suspect someone will come along soon telling you to adopt rather than buy a new puppy 🙄

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/find-a-puppy/

Sorry yes, we’re specifically looking for a Cockapoo! Not looking for a rescue due to age of my children so looking for something that will grow with them

Ha, I’m the person to say adopt not shop! However, if you are only interested in buying a puppy then I know Champdogs have been recommended on here before as a good place to start. You could also try Discover Dogs in October at the ExCel to have a look at different breeds. Definitely not Pets4Homes/Gumtree or anything like that. If if sounds dodgy it probably is. Good luck.

Research the breed/s you're interested in.
Good breeders only breed to the breed standard, and they almost always show. It's easy enough to research who's been showing over the last few years.

Contact the ones that interest you. They will probably breed very rarely and very carefully to improve the lines, and fully test for all health conditions. You may have to wait, however you'll be getting a well bred dog with few if any (depending on breed) health issues and excellent temperament, that will probably look extremely beautiful, too. That's why there are breed standards; they're for the benefit of the breed, not the breeder's pockets. You'll be vetted and get several viewings after 4-5 weeks when their eyes open and they are more mobile, up to 8+ weeks when they're ready to leave.

It doesn't usually much matter where they advertise, the KC may have lots of litters listed depending on the breed, a few which are worth looking at and most just not that well thought through. Most litters are not bred to improve lines to the breed standard, and they don't enter show to be judged as having bred well. If you've done your legwork, you'll also easily spot better breeding lines in the pedigree. If people had standards, there would be far fewer puppy farmers.

Not pets 4 homes, Facebook, gumtree, your mate down the pub or someone in the school playground who had an ‘accidental’ litter.

If you are looking for a pedigree dog look at Champdogs and search for health tested parents, ideally both of parents and full sets of health tests. Research which tests are essential and which are desirable for your chosen breed - Kennel Club website is useful for this (you can also look up results for some). RSPCA has useful advice on buying puppies. Be vigilant. Puppy farmers and unethical backyard breeders are crafty bastards but it IS possible to buy ethically, you just have to be patient and do some reading.

RSPCA Puppy advice - www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy

Kennel Club buying a puppy guide -
www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog/buying-a-dog/

Champdogs buying a puppy guide -
www.champdogs.co.uk/info/puppybuyer?menu4=2

Cross posted - can’t help you with Cockapoos.

Ah, cockapoo no good for Champdogs or KC though you can check the health tests if you are buying a first generation puppy with two pedigree parents (a cocker parent and a poodle parent). Beware, these fashionable crosses are prime puppy farm fodder, you will need to be extra vigilant.

Sorry yes, we’re specifically looking for a Cockapoo! Not looking for a rescue due to age of my children so looking for something that will grow with them

unfortunately “poo’s” and other designer crosses are peak puppy farm bait, so you’ll need to be very careful, and also very prepared to walk away. Don’t go see something you know is farmed or bred unethically and be tempted to buy it as some sort of “rescue”.

why a cockapoo specifically? Cross breeds don’t have reliable traits, they could end up with the worst of a cocker and a poodle- i know several people who have ended up with hyperactive, neurotic, shedding messes, when they though the were getting cute and fluffy teddy bears.

with a dog like a cockapoo a young adult dog might be better than a pup as you can see which traits they have inherited, a puppy is a big gamble.

they also need a lot of grooming and maintenance.

Agree with PPs that if you choose a crossbreed, there are no standards. Only puppy farmers offer first generation cross breeds. No careful breeder would subject a well-bred dog to this.

My opinion (and that of many others) is that you won't find a reputable breeder of cockapoos. They're a backyard breeders/puppy farms' wet dream.

If you are buying a ‘poo’ or indeed any of the so called designer crossbreeds it will be incredibly hard to not fall foul of a puppy farm or dodgy breeder . A poodle will look almost identical to a cockapoo with the correct haircut and it will be much easier to find a good , ethical poodle breeder .

There are dogs aplenty that need rescuing after being dumped by puppy farmers due to veterinary costs of bad breeding or mid-way through their abused and exploited lives but can no longer produce litters for sale.

Many Tears Rescue get a lot of these crossbreeds in as they work to have them released from
puppy farms and lots of pups too.

That’s what i’m finding- although there’s a lot of people selling cockapoos not many are reputable breeders. It’s hard to know who are the ones who breed for health and the ones who breed for profit. Ive noticed that the price of cockapoos has dropped dramatically since we started looking over a year ago and wondering if this is an indication of the amount of cockapoos available but without the buyers

The thing is, as cockapoos aren't a breed which means it's never going to be easy to find a reputable breeder for them.

What is it you like about cockapoos that you can't get in a cocker spaniel or poodle?

I'm on a Facebook group for my dog breed. That would be a good place to start just checking yep there's groups on there for cockapoos,

Cockapoos are so popular and I have no idea why. They tend to be hyper dogs in my experience. To be honest, I wouldn't even go near a cocker spaniel as the ones I know are hyper and barky.

I'm all for the breeds like a labrador or a Golden Retriever. Lovely breeds both of them, easy to train, intelligent, hardly bark and they settle down beautifully.

They are so popular because they are cute and people think because they are small, they don’t need a lot of exercise, whereas the ones in our village are extremely hyper, need as much exercise as my border collie.

We got our cavapoo from a Pets4Homes seller. Family pet who was just having one litter. Go and visit and trust your gut instinct. Make sure you see the puppy with mum. Don't pay anything until you're comfortable.

Good luck.

One breeder to avoid is Raffles / Humphries Poos (run by the same family - Wetton), as many believe them to be a puppy farm.

It's difficult with designer breeds like Cockapoos, Goldendoodles, etc., because high demand for them has led to large-scale breeding of them (therefore unethical).

Things to look for in a good breeder are:

• Only breeding from dogs that have been cleared of genetic diseases (to reduce the risk of the puppies developing serious hereditary conditions - this isn't the same as a "puppy check", which should be done anyway, separately)


• Not breeding from the same mother more than once a year, or too young (Google to find out the recommended ages for Poodles and Cocker Spaniels)


• Not breeding 5+ different dog breeds.


• Raising the puppies in a home environment, acclimatising them with kids, household noises, etc. (Ask what socialisation process they follow.)


• They will not usually let you just place a deposit to pick which colour you want. (They will want to know all about your lifestyle, experience, and try to match you with a pup that has a suitable temperament.)


• Kennel Club Assured (not just registered). Though mixed breeds like Cockapoos can't be registered with the Kennel Club.

Although you won't find Kennel Club registered Cockapoos, you might find KC breeders of Cocker Spaniels or Poodles who also breed mixes. It's unlikely, but it may happen. It's worth looking some up through Champdogs.co.uk or the Kennel Club website.

It's also worth trying to join Cockapoo groups on Facebook and asking for recommendations there - though obviously do your own research from there. Also, Cockapoo rescue groups sometimes have puppies and sometimes adopt out to people with younger kids. (Some Spaniel rescue groups also have Cockapoos, etc.).

You can run the breeder's name through Google with words like "reviews" "puppy farm" etc., as well as look on Trust Pilot. My mom bought a Cockapoo from Raffles and didn't do a single bit of research first. Just liked their website and saw good reviews on their Facebook page.

Finally, you could consider a mini Poodle! I walk a few who look just like Cockapoos, as they get a "teddy bear" cut. They're also low shedding / hypoallergenic. Useful info on that here - twitter.com/mxddiemoo/status/1266845785980887042

These resources might also help:
www.britishcockapoosociety.com/looking-for-a-breeder.html

www.dogsforgood.org/good-advice/how-to-spot-a-puppy-farm

www.thekennelclub.org.uk/getting-a-dog/are-you-ready/finding-a-good-breeder/avoiding-puppy-farmers-and-irresponsible-breeders/

www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/looking-after-your-pet/puppies-dogs/could-you-spot-a-puppy-farm

Good luck! Getting a puppy is exciting!

Through work, I've met plenty of labs and goldens with behavioural issues, and I know some excellently behaved cocker spaniels who never bark. I also know some incredibly placid cockapoos and some that are absolutely bonkers.

Most dog behaviour is down to training and ownership. Yes, of course reed and breeding comes into it to an extent, but most dogs are badly behaved because their owners picked the breed they did without doing their research into its' needs.

Too many people pick breeds that are incompatible with their lifestyles and then they wonder why the dog is noisy and refuses to settle (for example). Cockapoos are often hyper because people don't give them enough exercise or mental stimulation - they're a cross between two intelligent breeds that need decent walks and stimulation on a daily basis or they'll become neurotic.

Never met a cocker spaniel/poodle cross that wasn't manic.

Please, please, please don't go anywhere near pets4homes - disgusting site. Enables back yard breeders and people who treat family pets like inanimate commodities.

In my experience you can probably adopt a young rescue as lots of people get rid of their dogs when the novelty wears off and they stop being a cute little puppy - around 6-9 months. We rescued 2 of ours (labs) around that age. And a 3rd at 13 weeks (the novelty wore off very quickly with him).

That’s what they all say , they then advertise the next litter with a different name .