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Original poster

How far to travel for a puppy

32 replies

SurreyisSunny · 11/02/2023 11:10

I’m hoping to add a minature poodle to our family soon however finding it incredibly difficult to find a breeder. If I wanted a cavapoo there’s loads nearby but all the poodles are about 3-4 hours away.

How much of an issue is this. It’s likely my DS would not be able to come and thought it would be nice for him to see all the puppies but 8 hours in a car is too much.

Or do I just wait it out for one nearer home. I have found one litter nearer (about 1.5 hours) with a great breeder but she won’t let me book or view the puppies until they are much older and it’s only a very small litter so she’s probably got others lined up for them too and will pick the best homes.

OP posts:
Sapin · 11/02/2023 11:43

I’ve done it both ways (over 3 hrs for first pup, just under an hour for the second) and I would never travel further than an hour again. I know some puppies sleep the whole way but a lot don’t but it was much, much easier for everyone involved just to pop and get the puppy then concentrate on settling them in. Life with a puppy is challenging enough - give yourself an easier start.

currantbee · 11/02/2023 13:06

We travelled 3 hours. If you're going to have to compromise on one thing when choosing the breeder it's the best one to choose imo.

I was dreading the journey home but it was stress free. We had several video calls and one in person visit at 5 weeks which we combined with a weekend away. We also stayed in a Travelodge the night before pickup so we didn't have to do the journey there and back in one day.

Nannyfannybanny · 11/02/2023 13:19

Our last little dog,a Phalane (sadly PTS at almost 18,2 weeks ago) I travelled from west Sussex to Somerset,I had to drive there and meet the breeder before he was ready to go,sign of a good breeder. Took all day. When we finally collected him at 11 and weeks,we went early and spent time on the beach at Weston super mare.

Original poster
SurreyisSunny · 11/02/2023 16:25

@Nannyfannybanny yes I exchanged messages with a breeder today who is 3.5 hours away and she wants to meet before even putting someone on their list. I don’t unfortunately think that’s doable as I’d have to find childcare and then travel there twice more.

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snygghygge · 11/02/2023 19:10

I picked up my current dog last August by train. It was a four-hour trip but we made an extra stop halfway. It was a breeze as the puppy (four months at the time) was already crate-trained by the breeder

CrazyDogLady2022 · 11/02/2023 19:52

My youngest dog was an 8 hour drive away. I already knew the breeder, visited by flying down and collected the pup after a dog show, had my other dog in the car, next to but separate from the pup in a box in the back and travelled back with no issues.

whatever pup you get will be your companion for likely 12 years plus… it’s definitely worth the longer journey IMO. I wouldn’t class my child visiting as essential….

SquashPenguin · 11/02/2023 19:57

We travelled to East London from South Wales. We’d gone the week before to meet the breeder and pups, the drive back to collect him. He was a dream in the car, slept the whole way back and played in the boot on rest stops.

We looked closer to home but didn’t get the right vibe from any of the breeders. We wanted to see healthy parents and were willing to travel to find that.

wetotter · 11/02/2023 20:03

3.5 hours (staying over the night before).

DDog is a vulnerable native breed and so not many litters around (only really produced by breed enthusiasts) and we had met the dam who has such a lovely temperament it was worth every mile of the distance.

DPuppy (as she then was) coped with the journey with aplomb (she'd been in cars before), with just one wee break - and constant company from DD (plus a pizzle)

MaliMom · 11/02/2023 20:08

I live on the Isle of wight and my pup came from North Wales so add in an hours ferry ride and sitting around at the terminal for atleast 30-40 minutes and the 6 hours drive

We ended up using a Defra certified dog transport and she was collected and dropped to the ferry port where we met them as it was too far to try and travel in a day and we were unable to travel up the day before and stay local.
W hhad a live tracker to see where there were at all times and were updated regularly.

Some breeders are really helpful ours did video calls, discussed the pup and whether she would fit in with us, we told her what our family was like, house tour ect all on video calls as we couldn't just pop around to see the pups
She wasn't picked on looks but her personality

Youdoyoubabe · 11/02/2023 20:09

Got ours from the Caribbean.....

user1471453601 · 11/02/2023 20:10

My daughter and her partner drove from Yorkshire to West Mids for our Jack Russel. Maybe we were lucky, but she slept all the way back in the car, despite it being the first time away from her Mum and siblings.

Mind you, the first three months were "interesting". Her pattern seemed to be, eat sleep, look for mischief. She's nearly three now and a joy, well, apart from barking if anything/one makes a sound in the vicinity. And I mean within 500yards of our house sigh.

Riverlee · 11/02/2023 20:13

We got our puppy from the breeder, 40 minutes drive away. The trip back was stressful, the pup whined and cried all the way, and was very restless.

One advantage of buying a local pup was that we could visit the litter several times before. It was lovely cuddling the puppies and chatting things over with the breeder.

winniesanderson · 11/02/2023 20:34

4 hours each way here. We stopped a few times on the way back to make sure he had water etc but aimed to stop as little as possible. He was very quiet but mostly awake and alert, peeking through his crate. It was a lot but it was worth it. Wouldn't want to do it again though!

Andywarholswig · 11/02/2023 20:41

My boy came from a breeder 3 hours away, so 6 hour round trip. I had already been quizzed by the breeder on our family, hobbies and work situation, submitted pictures of my house and garden and waited 18 months for him, viewed the litter via video weekly and finally were allowed to express a preference as to which puppy we wanted at 7 weeks. So was happy to do the journey in the end to finally get him! He was a dream on the way home, mostly slept. For the right dog it’s worth jumping though all the hoops

Original poster
SurreyisSunny · 12/02/2023 08:34

Thankyou all. This has been super helpful. Sounds like 3.5 hours is nothing! Hoping to go and see a breeder I’ve found in the next few weeks. I may even get a night on my own in a premier inn… bliss!!!

OP posts:
Original poster
SurreyisSunny · 12/02/2023 08:36

@Riverlee yes that’s what I’d hoped but all the local breeders seem to be puppy farms. It’s scary, I guess there’s lots of people wanting puppies in Surrey!

OP posts:
Original poster
SurreyisSunny · 12/02/2023 08:36

@Youdoyoubabe now that’s got to be a record!

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lovemypuppa · 12/02/2023 08:45

I'd travel further than 3.5 hours so long as the breeder has health tested both parents and can prove it. Otherwise wouldn't hand over a penny. Just being a KC registered breeder doesn't guarantee health. I took my daughter to help on pup pick up day.

Sunflowers765 · 13/02/2023 23:58

We went 300 miles each way to get Sunpup. We went to choose him at 5 weeks old and then went back to pick him up at 8 weeks. He slept most of the way home. So a total of 1200 miles over 2 trips ( omg I've not worked that out before!) But I would always want to visit to be happy with the breeder and I would never meet half way or use a transport company- puppy farm alert!! Sunpup's parents health scores and standards of the breeder were great and he was worth it!

MyAnacondaMight · 14/02/2023 00:08

You’re planning on bringing a dog into your life, to be with you every day for up to 15 years if all goes well. Is a few hours’ drive really that big a deal in the context of 15 years?

But I agree with the PP: the travel is only worth it if you’re looking at health tested parents.

Newpeep · 14/02/2023 08:36

We travelled for 3 hours. Normally the breeder likes you to meet them, go away and come back but she made an exception for us. We met the mum and pups as well as relatives, went away to talk then came back to pick up pup. She normally had waiting lists but her dog missed a season so they went elsewhere. Hence why a pup was available ready to leave.

Coming home was fine. We have lots of vet bed from our last dog so I just held pup on it on my lap. She was sick as she’d been wormed but no big deal. She’d been in the car with the breeder for little trips so wasn’t scared. We managed to do it without a stop.

We viewed more local litters but they were obviously puppy farmed and being dealt. These were very much not. I’d travel anywhere for the right dog. It’s so important.

Newpeep · 14/02/2023 08:40

Our pups parents were fully health tested plus dad is a top show dog so he’d had extra above what the KC recommend. Our pup has also been tested for the common condition at a month old (saliva test) which was above and beyond any other breeder we spoke to.

poddlefan · 15/02/2023 07:33

I travelled to our poodle breeder 4+ hours I went twice as she asked to meet me before agreeing to sell me a puppy. I've no problem with this, its not like your going weekly for 2 months and all communication since has been by email. But then I do a lot of driving.
It's worth travelling for a good breeder IMO.

Soxford1 · 15/02/2023 14:26

I travelled from Oxford to King's Lynn twice for my health tested Stafford.
Definitely worth it

Dozycuntlaters · 15/02/2023 14:48

I travelled from Essex to Lincolnshire twice for my girl, once to go and see her and once to collect her. The breeder did say as it was such a long way I could see her over zoom but as someone has already pointed out, for a commitment of hopefully many years, what is a few hours in the car.

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