How far to travel for a puppy

[SurreyisSunny]

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.

Any decent breeder would want to meet the whole family.

@Dozycuntlaters the litter I’m interested in is in Lincolnshire!

@poddlefan Good poodle breeders seem in short supply. It’s all Cavapoos and cockapoos near where I live. This would be 3 x visits. One to meet the breeder and the mum. Second to chose a puppy and third to pick up the puppy.

@SurreyisSunny my girl is from Faldingworth in Lincs.

The most important thing isn’t the distance. It’s the welfare of the dogs. Are both parents hip and eye screened prior to breeding? Any other specialised tests? What’s the co efficient of in breeding? How many bitches does this breeder have? How many litters does each have? Do they live out their lives there or “rehomed” when finished with? Kennels or in houses?

We drove 7 hours - Cornwall to Yorkshire. The distanced was irrelevant. The pup was KC registered, had all the correct health tests to both parents and had the socialisation we were looking for. We were on a list for 18months so drove there twice, once before pup was born to meet the family, once to collect the pup and had Skype meetings in the interim.

We’ve travelled from near London across Hertfordshire, to Stafford and to Cardigan over many years to collect our puppies.

For us, it isn’t the distance that decides our breeder, but the welfare of the puppy. Are the pups regularly health checked? KC registered? Health tested family tree? Does the breeder give you updates? Can you meet the pups before committing? Is there a breeder FB group you can talk to other owners who’ve bought pups from the breeder before? Are the pups covered by insurance, chipped, wormed & de flea’d? Did the breeder want to know as much about you as you do about them? Is there a contract that insists on neutering (so you can’t just backyard breed because you’ve got a gorgeous dog)? What’s the policy on rehoming if needed? What are the dam & sire like?

Everything that builds a picture of a good breeder & healthy pup really!

The longest trip (for our last lad in ‘19) took 9hrs, but that’s was a slow mooch across the Cotswolds, the Brecons & a delayed overnight honeymoon (from the year before lol) in a hotel with fish & chips at sunset on a local beach the day before we collected him!

Likewise, around 7hrs with multiple wee & food stops (this time via mostly motorway) with Ted pup on the way home, with me in the back & him in his secured harness. We weren’t the furthest away; one new owner came from Northern Scotland, and another from Norfolk!

We travelled 4 and a half hours for our boy - a vulnerable breed with very few litters available. Worth every mile and every penny (even if he is currently lying here farting like a hero and stinking the place out...)