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Conscientious Puppy Breeder?


Suze
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We recently put a deposit down on a pup - thinking we had done 'everything' right; searching the breed's state representative group and consulting its breeders list, and then comparing with postings on this site (of course the state club does not 'vouch' for the members listed on the breeding list, so it is still up to the buyer to thoroughly research etc.)... which brings me here -

I have since spoken to a few other breeders for the same breed and their attitude has fueled my doubt about our choice. I keep reading over and over again that a reputable breeder will 'interview' you - want to know about you and the home their pups are going to, will be proud and full of information about their dogs (the mother etc.) particularly. The other breeders we've spoken to were very much like this. The breeder of the pup we have paid a deposit to didn't ask any questions at all of us - just wanted a deposit to secure the pup.

All other information I've gathered very slowly - all from my end. In contrast other breeders I've spoken to were full of knowledge etc. and very keen to talk and offer lots of information, photos etc.

On 'paper' the breeder seems to be doing everything they have to (supplying puppy pack, pedigree papers etc.) I don't believe the breeder is a puppy farmer or anything like that, but I am concerned that for the amount of money we are paying they may be disinterested in their dogs, and then perhaps that we won't get the most well socialised pup etc.

If we hadn't already put down a deposit I would likely choose one of the other breeders I had long discussions with - because we have put the deposit down I'm interested to hear from other breeders if I may be reading to much into it/what I should definitely be looking for in a competent/committed breeder. Any red flags?

Thank you

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Puppy buyers get my litter and their mum's whole life story not to mention a lot of questions (working ESS) :o Each to their own I guess but it's about what you as a puppy buyer and the breeder feel comfortable with. I settled on a Dalmatian because I respected the breeder and their values aligned with mine. 8.5 years later and I still stay in touch. My Springer's breeder has been incredibly supportive - we chat via phone/email at least once every few weeks, I visit whenever I can and she was the person I rang at 5am when my bitch was in whelp.

Edited by The Spotted Devil
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The red flag to me is asking for a deposit without eliciting any information from you. All our puppy buyers visit more than once, keep in touch thrugh email or our FB page, get loads of information and often call us if they have concerns etc. they recieve loads of information on the parents. We became very good friends with the breeder of our first GSD, see them often and they mentored us for our first 2 litters and are always there if needed. We don't ask for a deposit until we are sure we are prepared for one of our pups to go to them.

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Thanks for the replies. It seems there is a real broad spectrum in terms of the way things are done,and that is confusing for people new to pure breed dogs and trying to not only do the right thing (avoid puppy farms, pet shops etc.) and find a quality breeder for their money and to ensure temperament etc. I suppose it is what you (as a buyer and breeder) are comfortable with.

Being completely new to buying from a breeder (or buying a pure breed dog at all) we felt we'd done the 'right' thing by trying to source a registered breeder, one linked to a breed-specific state association etc. But I've since realised there is much more to it.

We were also unsure about the deposit without meeting the breeder or dogs. In addition to this have had a general feeling of disinterest to my questions from the breeder; we've had only really poor photos of the pup; no photos of the parents - some vague information about them being 'imported blood lines'. Everything I have received I've had to request, nothing has been offered up. The pup also has a small hernia, which I was told is not an issue and we should have repaired when desexing later (slight discount on the price). But having spoken since to other breeders I have been told that it is always the breeder's responsibility supply a perfectly healthy pup - so the hernia should always be done by the breeder.

I guess the next question is, would you forfeit the deposit to go with a different breeder that you feel more comfortable with (given the potential costs of a dog over its lifetime, particularly health issues etc. that may be less prevalent in more interested/responsible breeders)? Or I am really overthinking it? (perhaps the breeder is just so 'old hand' at it that they forget what it's like to have no knowledge/be new to all this!)

I realise we probably jumped the gun on this entire process, but as stated above, being new to pure breed dogs/their adoption, the ins and outs it's been a steep learning curve.

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I would have a red flag about it.

When we spoke to the breeder of our first Rottweiler, it was like being interviewed to take on one of her own children.

We were asked many many questions about our home, right from what sort of floors we had through to obedience, visits from the breeder amongst a myriad of other questions, we also had to answer questions in forms and send back to her, we were encouraged to come and visit the puppy many times prior to taking our puppy home at 10 weeks of age.

We knew everything about her parents, what their achievements were, what they were doing now and future plans of the breeder.

Nothing was too much trouble and they were there to provide assistance with any concerns. Any good breeder worth their salt will also ask that you contact them first should you not be coping with your dog or if the dog needs rehoming, they will want you to bring back the dog to ensure it goes to a great home.

Our second Rott, our breeder only lives around the corner, she is involved in as far as showing our girl and provides all sorts of help with any questions or even offers to look after her if we go away.

All in all our experience with Rotty breeders has been fantastic, very helpful, caring and great ambassadors for the breed.

Pays to do lots of research, go to shows, look into the lines and you will know just how whether the breeder is reputable, caring and looking out for your interests.

Ray

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If you don't feel thrilled with the breeders responses to your questions, I'd find another. You're likely to have a lot more questions after pup comes home!

Mind if I ask which breed you're after? Is it a common breed? Some.of the popular breeds attract breeders who aren't all that invested sometimes, I think. But there's still gems there! Just more to sift through.:)

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Hernias can be so mild that any corrective surgery is purely cosmetic. In most cases I wouldn't sell a pup without having the prospective owners meet my dogs - they need to feel comfortable they can deal with the energy and training and I need to see how they interact with the dogs. It's funny though that there is such a mismatch between breeders and puppy buyers - I've had a string of inappropriate enquiries for my remaining pup!!! Enough to put me off breeding another litter!

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TSD sometimes i think its kinda like dating in a way, sometimes you click with someone, others you can't wait to get on out of there. Sometimes one of you is on each side! Haha.

I don't miss that either! Haha.

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If you don't feel confident with your breeder, I'd forget the money and run. We were communicating with a breeder who refused to let us come out and meet the dogs without putting a deposit down, and we couldn't visit until the pups were ready to go home.

The breeder that we actually bought from encouraged us to come and meet them, we met both parents and a full sister from a previous litter, along with the whole litter of pups at 4-5 weeks old. We were asked questions about our house, where the pup would sleep, what our work schedules were. My dog is perfect for us and I love her unconditionally, I have a good relationship with her breeder, keep in touch and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them.

We paid almost 3 times as much in purchase price between the 2 breeders, but it was more than worth it.

Good luck with your search!

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I have much preferred the breeders that have shown more interest in us (but we stupidly put the deposit down on this pup too soon). If I were ever to breed puppies (not something I plan to do :) that's how I would be (very interested in the new owners). Perhaps it is a case of mismatched personalities. Maybe other potential buyers feel people that a breeder is overstepping? But I feel breeders have every right to ask lots of questions.

I think a few of the replies have really hit the nail on the head - the breeder just doesn't seem that invested. They are not (as far as I can tell) doing anything especially 'wrong' - mistreating the dogs etc. (there's no puppy farm red flags or anything like that). They just seem 'removed' from the whole process. It feels like a business transaction. It's a lot of money to spend and if for the same 'investment' (in our new family member :) we can have lifetime support from a breeder I think that's a good reason to think twice.

Thanks once again for the replies.

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The ridiculous thing is this breeder is actually more expensive than two other clearly very dedicated breeders I have since (after paying this deposit) spoken to (and really jelled with).

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When we spoke to the breeder of our first Rottweiler, it was like being interviewed to take on one of her own children.

One of the excellent Tibbie breeders told me that a lady who adopted one her puppies said she got asked as many questions as if adopting a child.

The lady said it made her heart glad that the pup's future was so valued by the breeder . It meant a lot of love and care had gone into the parent dogs and how the pup was bred & raised. She felt very fortunate to be approved.

My Tibbies have come from breeders like that. One Tib originally came from Sweden & was imported by an Australian breeder ... who adopted her to us, after her show career. To my amazement & great respect, the Swedish breeder eventually emailed me as she was so interested to know how her little one was faring with her new life as a pet in Queensland. That woman truly loved her dogs. No surprise our Swedish Tibbie has a glorious temperament. And, by the way, couple years back, one of her Tibbies won Best of Breed at Crufts. She was as skilled as she was caring.

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When we bought our girl I'd spoken to the breeder on the phone and completed a questionnaire. We were sent information and photos of the puppies and the breed. Prior to paying a deposit we were asked to bring the family to meet the breeder (& pups) and were told that until that meeting we were still not guaranteed and pup nor did we have to purchase one if we felt unhappy with anything. We were told after that the breeder, in the past, has turned some families away if she didn't feel it would be a good fit. 12 months on I have had amazing support and advice from our breeder. They even have their own facebook page, so we can all keep up to date with how the dogs she has breed over the years are growing and what everyone is doing. To me having that relationship with the breeder was really important.

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