Breeder turned us down

[Sellingseashells]

Spoken to a breeder last night about pups due later this year. Was recommended by a friend.i though it was going well but breeder said no. Said he don’t sell to people with children. DC are 10 and 4. Dog savvy.

i know the breeder doesn’t have to sell to us, but I’m really upset. Is it worth trying again? What do I do?

Our cocker spaniel came from a reputable breeder who only sells to families with dc if the dc are over the age of 8. No exceptions.

I suspect that the breeder you spoke to has had a range of problems with families with young dc and has decided that it is not worth the hassle.

Well she's silly then 🙄

Nope I just don't see breeding animals for money commendable. Particularly when they are literally millions of unwanted dogs.

Shelters are full due to so many dogs brought in from abroad.
There's a private shelter near me and nearly every dog there is imported. That didn't used to be the case, dogs were taken there for rehoming from kill shelters. So what's going on?

Just looked at reviews for them. "Dog imported from Romania 2 days earlier. Pressured to take him. Wouldn't allow a meeting with my current dog first. Street dog arrived yesterday from Romania. All the dog does is bark and growl. Wouldn't take him back. Had to rehome him to another shelter, lost £300."

You mention ethics. I see nothing ethical going on there and that is one of probably thousands of private rescue kennels. Some rescues don't even own kennels, but act as a broker.

My last Cocker, age 9 came from such a place. I was assured he was good with other dogs. That couldn't have been further from the truth.
I rang the woman to complain, these were her exact words in reply "Your dog, your problem, sort it."
I got advice from a solicitor, he said I was entitled to a refund, but I'd
have to return him, which of course I wouldn't do.

Got him checked by my Vet, needed extensive dental work and an operation for an undescended testicle and castration. My bill of course.

Let's not even discuss the thousands of dogs gassed en masse, as they're not suitable or attractive enough for rehoming.
I tell you all this because not all shelters are the kind and fluffy places people think they are.

Sorry to say that often the case where animals and money meet, animals become a commodity and ethics fly out of the window.

😴😴😴

He said cockers end up in rescues because of bites on children and he didn’t wanna risk his dogs. Not rude or aggressive.

He sounds eminently sensible and - not unreasonably - concerned about his reputation.

Hopefully he doesn't sell to twats with Youtube or Insta channels who torment their dogs for the lolz on these platforms either.

It's not uncommon. We got a (toy breed) dog from a breeder who avoided young kids (under maybe 8 or 9?). I think there was a specific incident of young kids injuring a puppy. In your case I wouldn't approach them again till the 4yo is older.

I was looking at Many Tears rescue. Those poor female dogs, discarded at two years of age, because they're spent. Worn out from puppy farming.
Those are the breeders to go after, not the good ones who dedicate a lifetime to preservation of the breed.

Odd adoption stipulations from Many Tears. Adopted dog must live alone, but needs a steady dog at first, to show them how to be a house dog, basically. Wonder where the steady dog comes from?

We got a rescue and she is an absolute joy. We were very strict with her initially but now she is amazing great recall very affectionate. Not keen on tall men coming into the house but that’s fair imo.

This, with bells on

As disappointing as it is, it shows they are a responsible breeder making sure they are going to great homes.

Why would you try again? They have saidbno. Look for another breeder or better still go to a dog shelter and choose a dog that hasn’t got a home. That way the dog will most likely be trained and you can make sure you get a dog which will be good with children

If you decide to contact the breeder again, write a letter and explain everything you've said here. Might still be a 'no', but at least it would lay out your clear, concise reasons for wanting a cocker spaniel and your extensive history with the breed.

This is a ridiculous statement and a dangerous way of thinking.
Shelters are not filled with beautifully trained pets that are trustworthy around small children. That type of dog in rescue is a rarity compared to the ones with problems. It is also the reason why the majority of shelters are reluctant to rehome with families that have young kids.

To be honest we would never consider a dog with very young children. We have 3 under 5, so a bit younger altogether than yours, but it's just too risky.

Friends of ours had a very placid old dog that has been absolutely perfectly behaved for 10 years. Not a dangerous breed. Until one day it bit their 5 year old in the cheek.

A cocker spaniel is quite a dog for a first dog, especially for a family with such young children. There are far more suitable breeds out there.

Agreed , pity there are not more like him .

It’s not uncommon for breeders to avoid families with young children as they are the ones most like to return a puppy. Puppy is nippy, children are scared and run around screaming, puppy gets overexcited and more nippy plus jumping up and biting clothing etc. Family returns the ‘aggressive’ puppy to the breeder.

I bred from my Labrador to keep a puppy and place the rest. One puppy went to first time dog owners with DC aged 6-10. After a month they asked me to take back the ‘aggressive’ puppy as they were all scared of her. I rehomed her very happily in a home with Lab experience and older children.

I would recommend you speak to the breeder and explain that although you are first time dog owners yourselves, you have lots of experience with spaniels from growing up. Explain also the measures you intend to take to manage the puppy’s behaviour around the younger child. That might be enough reassurance for them to reconsider.

I probably wouldn't sell a dog to a family with kids under 7. Especially a boisterous breed like spaniels.

Going by some of the replies on this thread, the breeder we got our most recent Lab puppy from must be awful considering we have a two children aged 3 and (at the time of getting her) 8 months.

Add in that she's a full working line bred chocolate Lab, joining a home with three existing working line chocolate Labs...

OP - the breeder has their own personal policy, and that's up to them unfortunately. My advice would be to look at Champdogs as if health testing is important to you (which it should be, so thumbs up from me) then breeders must provide evidence of the tests they claim have been done in order to get health tested status on their advert. At the very least you can take some confidence from knowing they aren't lying on that front.

Good luck on your search!

Wow I am impressed with this breeder, in fact a rare breed ! compared to all the money grabbing unscrupulous exploitative chavvy breeders generally out there 👍👍

Doesn’t Prince william & Kate have cocker spaniel and wasn’t Lupo around when the kids were babies and then they got a puppy ?

If you are going to contact the breeder again I would ask a specific question eg what age children would he consider. If that’s 7 years old, for example, you have some information to decide whether to wait for that breeder. Otherwise I can’t see anything you can say changing their mind.

I don’t think we can compare this family set up with an average family obtaining a pup …. ?!

They also probably have servants to walk the dogs and a massive big garden that it can go out and expend it's energy in. And dog top trainer on hand.