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The doghouse

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

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Original poster

Is this a puppy farm?

14 replies

Puppyfarmquestion · 22/08/2023 14:37

We are looking for a labrador. There is a company who has a very appealing website. Family run business. Puppies available. However, I'm just getting the feeling that it's a puppy farm and wondered if this rings alarm bells with you?

~ Lots of puppies available.
~At least three bitches have given birth in the last few weeks.
~I was offered the option to pay cash for one price and a +VAT price if I want to pay by bank transfer.
~Couldn't tell me/direct me to information about health testing because there are lots of bitches so they'd have look up the information.

It just felt...off. But the website is very professional and it gets good reviews on Google. I expected a puppy farm to be a very much more 'seedy' operation.

OP posts:

Soubriquet · 22/08/2023 14:38

Sounds suspicious yeah.

A proper breeder wouldn’t have multiple bitches birthing at the same time. They would also want you to meet mum and pups before payment was discussed.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 22/08/2023 14:38

Lots of puppy farms are council licensed and very professionally run - the dogs are healthy (on the surface at least) and kept in clean conditions. It's not all filthy puppies in dingy sheds with no mother in sight.

In your shoes I would run a mile.

Enthusedeggplant · 22/08/2023 14:38

It is a farm. No reputable breeder has that many bitches birthing in such close proximity. Contact the breed club and get some names of reputable breeders.

CMOTDibbler · 22/08/2023 14:39

Its the very definition of a puppy farm. They might be clean and not abused (or not) but its a purely commercial production of a commodity. Walk away

TheUsualChaos · 22/08/2023 14:39

It's a slightly more upmarket puppy farm essentially. Pure greed. Run a mile.

Original poster

Puppyfarmquestion · 22/08/2023 14:44

Thank you all. When I phoned the lady said that she may go quiet because one of her bitches was in labour. I offered to phone at a different time but she was quite casual about it all.

I've told her that I'm not proceeding.

OP posts:

HiHoHiHoltsOffToWorkWeGo · 22/08/2023 15:22

It's a puppy farm, and you've made the right decision.

For what it's worth, many excellent breeders have little to no web presence, or one that looks like it was made on GeoCities c. 2002. Champdogs is a really good place to start https://www.champdogs.co.uk/breeds/labrador-retriever/puppies?start=all

twistyizzy · 22/08/2023 15:26

Responsible breeders usually have a waiting list, not a bunch of puppies ready to go because their bitches only have minimal litters per year. They will know the health test results and full pedigree of every bitch because they don't have a lot of breeding bitches.
Well done for reading the red flags and walking away.

Anewuser · 22/08/2023 15:33

I second @HiHoHiHoltsOffToWorkWeGo
We got our lab from a breeder on there. We were interviewed by all three breeders we were interested in. Visited two of them to meet pups with their mums.

30 years ago, I mistakenly bought from a puppy farm in Wales. It was only just becoming a thing then. Poor puppy was in quite a state but I felt I had to buy to rescue her. Please don’t buy from there.

Messyhair321 · 22/08/2023 20:36

We went to look at a house to buy that was a licenced breeding place. Poor dogs, were matted, not socialised, caged & it must've taken us about a week to get rid of the smell.
It was so bad. And it took longer to get over the feeling that the dogs were being neglected & used. What a horrible life.
This was a licenced place. They don't have to meet that many standards.

Spanielsarepainless · 22/08/2023 21:23

Look on Champdogs. You can filter for almost anything and see the health and DNA test results plus pedigrees.

Sunflowers765 · 22/08/2023 22:47

When I was looking for a lab pup I dismissed any breeder that had more than 2 litters per year and definitely any that had 2 at once. I want my breeder to be 100% focussed on one mum and litter. I dismissed any that had multiple dog breeds., any dogs or bitches that had elbow scores more than zero or hip scores in double figures. Dismissed any that had worse than average COI for the breed. Dismissed any breeders who didn't quiz me thoroughly on what type of home I could offer. Only looked at Champ dogs. And that's why I waited 6 months and ended up driving 600 mile round trip twice for our pup.
It's a 10/12 year commitment, your pups health and temperament and a lot of money. Don't compromise.

Original poster

Puppyfarmquestion · 23/08/2023 11:47

Thank you all. That's really helpful.

OP posts:

InsectBiscuits · 23/08/2023 11:57

"When I was looking for a lab pup I dismissed any breeder that had more than 2 litters per year and definitely any that had 2 at once. I want my breeder to be 100% focussed on one mum and litter. I dismissed any that had multiple dog breeds., any dogs or bitches that had elbow scores more than zero or hip scores in double figures. Dismissed any that had worse than average COI for the breed. Dismissed any breeders who didn't quiz me thoroughly on what type of home I could offer."

We had similar requirements, and I actively avoided any licenced breeders, plus anyone who had something like "no time wasters" on their ads.

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