No face to face puppy meetings? Is this a red flag?

[Isadora2007]

On puppy waiting list- deposit paid. Matched with pup- now face to face visits have been cancelled due to family illness type scenario. FaceTime being offered prior to puppy collection.
Red flag yes? What reply should I make to indicate this is not acceptable to me- I want to be able to see the puppy and their environment and their mum etc. Is that unreasonable?

Yes. You should be able to meet both mum and pups in person.

You paid a deposit before even meeting the puppy ?!!!
How did you even know which one in the litter you wanted / was for you...

This screams 'puppy farm', sorry.

I would tell them that if you can't meet the pup/ mum you would like your deposit back.
Seems strange to have had to pay a deposit before meeting mum/ pup/ breeder. When we went to meet our (now 8yo!) pup, it was to see if the breeder deemed us suitable! I liked that- good breeders want to know where their pups are going! Sounds fishy to me.....

How old is the puppy? Where did you see him/her advertised?

It all sounds very strange. I would insist on meeting the mum and the litter.

No no no. Back out now. I bet this was pets4homes

Please tell me you didn’t pay a deposit before ever seeing the puppies and mum in person?!

A decent breeder would want to meet you/interview you before the puppy is collected
Also deposits shouldn’t be paid because then you feel obliged to take the puppy if you have doubts and a decent breeder would much rather keep a puppy longer than it not be a good match.

Why did you pay a deposit for a puppy you’ve never even met?!

Google the name and address. See if they are even registered with the local council. If not report them. And ask for your money back. What if you wanted a dog and they only had girls to offer? They surely aren't correct taking a deposit in advance? Stinks to me.

I was surprised that our breeder didn't take deposits, but she said the same -- she would never want someone with any doubts to take a puppy because they'd paid a deposit. She told us we could walk away on pick-up day if we changed our minds.

Are we still buying puppies like they are handbags? I thought in 2026 we would have moved on from this

Yes - Red flag.

Definitely a big red flag! We first met our last puppy when she was 2 weeks old. (She's 2 now) We had had a video first thing..I loved her unusual colours. Then we met her,(the size of your hand and she's a border collie) then with mum, also met dad. One puppy I had to drive all the way from Sussex to Taunton in Somerset to be vetted by the breeder. A friend said that was ridiculous, but she bought a ", pedigree" dog from a renown pet shop,who had multiple serious health issues and had to be PTS very young.

Nope. Do not buy that puppy. Demand your deposit back. Of course, you won't get it.
Why was there a waiting list? What breed is the puppy? Did they tell you that they were much sought after puppies? Right. Yeah.
Are the puppies kennel club registered? Health tested?
Write off your deposit. Cancel the puppy. You will be doing yourself a favour.
I like to see the litter to choose the puppy with the personality which I think will suit me. They're all different don't ya know 🙄
Our last rescue dog we walked away from. We spent 2 weeks having a family conference and decided we'd got to go back and get her.
Your next job is to go online. Go to dogs trust, rspca, kennel club and as many other sites as you can. Research how to buy a puppy. What to do. Most importantly, what not to do. How to decide which breed is suitable for you.
After a couple of weeks researching you will be ready to go find your puppy