Any tips of finding a reputable dog breeder?

I’m thinking it has been too long since I had a dog, I miss having one dearly.

However, COVID seemed to bring unprecedented demand for dogs and I have heard lots of scams and bad experiences from people trying to get dogs. I guess now that the value has gone up unscrupulous people are trying to make a quick buck.

So any recommendations on finding the good and responsible breeders in this Wild West of dog ownership? I’m based in Devon, so if anyone does have any local recommendations that’d be incredible.

Flexible on breed, something medium dog sized that will enjoy Dartmoor and the coast with me!


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Rehome one if you possibly can.

Covid seems to have resulted in an utterly bonkers frenzy of dog ownership, so rehoming centres are already being inundated with unwanted animals as people head back into the office/realise that owning a dog involves some work/ are bored of them and I feel it will get worse still over the coming months. It can sometimes be hard to meet list of criteria the rehoming centres require, but it would be a great place to start your search.

There are so many unscrupulous and greedy breeders at the moment, that buying a new puppy will be a nightmare unless you have a recommendation from someone you trust.

A friend of mine just bought a Cocker Spaniel puppy from a pedigree breeder, due to be with him mid July. He paid £2800. Seems extortionate to me but I can get the details if you want?

Kennel Club https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/sea...sured-breeder/

Champ Dogs https://www.champdogs.co.uk/?classic_site=1

I'd avoid pets4homes and Facebook unless you have personal recommendation from TRUSTED friends.

Also as others have said rehoming would be a good way to go also, and would avoid the ridiculous prices being asked for some breeds at present.

Rehome - current prices are ludicrous!! Talk about cashing in.

I dread to think the number of dogs that will end up in rescue over the coming 12 months as people start having to go back to work / travelling etc. Where will the rip off breeders be then I wonder?

We know a breeder of boxers and she and her fellow legit breeder friends are stounded by the prices being asked. Boxers are £2.5k+++ 18 months ago you could have your pick for between £800-£1500.

I'm a massive advocate for rescues and giving a dog a second chance, often they have neded up in rescue through no fault of their own. It tends to be owners who have gone through massive personal changes (separation / divorce / loss of income or home) or an ex-owner who has got the dog and isn't prepared to put the work in on training, exercise, stimulation etc. The dog is rarely the issue and any rescue worth its salt will have done enough work to identify historic issues and assess the dog in a variety of situations.

Whatever you decide, I hope you find a great friend and companion.

Paul

Another vote for the Kennel Club route, if you really want to have a puppy rather than rehome: but I’d caution that you should always do your diligence anyway. A Kennel Club registration isn’t necessarily a clean bill of health and I don’t know how much assessment/enforcement the KC does of its registered breeders. Go and visit the breeder at home, see the mother, see the other pups etc, etc.

A good breeder may well triage you, as well - when we got our first puppy, I spent an hour on the phone with the breeder and it was the toughest interview I can remember!

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/our-centres/

They have a centre in Ilfracombe

one in Plymouth for you;
https://www.gablesfarm.org.uk/

Prices do seem to be coming down after the highs of last year…£4k+ for a dog.

Re-homing is great if you’re an adult only home with no other pets, otherwise it’s almost a non starter.

There is a lot of really good advice here, but I would suggest that you really need to decide what breed is going to suit your circumstances and families' needs, as well as the needs of the dog. I would have suggested that you go to one of the big dog shows, Crufts being the obvious choice as they have a large Discover Dogs section where you can speak to experienced owners and lay hands on the dogs. Unfortunately until things change that option is closed to you.
When you have decided what you want, try contacting the breed club, a lot of them have a puppy/litter co-ordinator who will have a good idea who the reputable breeders are, and even if any litters are imminent. Some breed clubs have members who are happy to allow visits to dogs in their homes.
You may find that with the unprecedented demand of late, a lot of first time/inexperienced breeders have popped up and I would avoid them. As has been suggested, reputable breeders won't be asking inflated prices and will vet you for suitability, which should be reassuring. They will have carried out appropriate health checks and shouldn't be breeding from unsuitable stock. They will care about the puppy and provide ongoing support as they know about the breed and have experience of common problems. The pop-up breeder may just take your money for a puppy with potential health problems and then ignore your calls when you need advice.
Regarding rehoming, Mrs Beanie is the co-ordinator for our breed and the flood of rehomes hasn't yet materialised, the last 15 months being the quietest ever known. It may change of course. You must always remember that people who want their dog to be rehomed don't always tell the co-ordinator the truth and they may be more of a challenge than was thought. The co-ordinator will look for the best fit of family for the needs of the dog, and while you may be on the list, it may be some time before the right dog comes up (depending on the breed obviously). Rehoming can be very rewarding, but if you want a clean sheet of paper, a puppy may be your best bet.
Good luck.

I’ve been checking various re-homing sites daily for 9 months but had no luck finding a dog that can be with younger children (my youngest is 3).

But there’s plenty of lovely dogs that can be with older children or adults only.


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Originally Posted by dashfield

I’ve been checking various re-homing sites daily for 9 months but had no luck finding a dog that can be with younger children (my youngest is 3).

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Does such a thing exist? I assume any dog, no matter how placid, has a breaking point when faced with very young children who are too young to understand that dogs need to be treated with respect, and are not a toy.

[QUOTE=dashfield;5768290]I’ve been checking various re-homing sites daily for 9 months but had no luck finding a dog that can be with younger children (my youngest is 3).

Bearing in mind that rehome co-ordinators are often not given the full truth about the dog, it is understandable that they are reluctant to place a dog that might have behavioural problems in a home with young children.

^^Yep I totally understand and not complaining, I was just saying in case the OP has young children that a re-home might not be an option.

I should have also clarified that there are lots of Greyhounds and Lurchers on some re-homing websites and I think they’re often ok with children, but these breeds didn’t appeal to my wife and I so weren’t something we looked into further.


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An option is to rehome an older dog. They are more challenging to place but usually are well trained and grateful to move from kennels. From a family perspective, it is hard to find a more suitable dog than a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. They are unfairly maligned in the press but actually are one of the 2 breeds the KC recommend for a family dog. We rehomed ours 12 years ago, now 14/15, and he has been super.


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Morning :eagerness:
My sister breeds mini wire haired dachs, and has had dealings with these people, a neighbour collected his Cocker there and was chuffed...
(they are based in South Wales)

https://manytearsrescue.org/

Good luck, please let's know how you get on
Cheers, Peter

People paying these ridiculous prices for puppies are what's creating the issue of dog theft. Loads of reports near me of vans prowling the villages near by attempting to steal dogs from lone walkers. Some people have been assaulted and their dog taken. Houses broken into and puppies stolen. Crazy

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Originally Posted by Brighty

People paying these ridiculous prices for Rolex are what's creating the issue of Rolex theft. Loads of reports of scooters prowling attempting to steal Rolex from people. Some people have been assaulted and their Rolex taken. Houses broken into and watches stolen. Crazy

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Fixed that.

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Originally Posted by dougair

Fixed that.

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True, but a watch can be replaced by insurance. Would you be happy with an insurance replacement dog?

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Originally Posted by Brighty

True, but a watch can be replaced by insurance. Would you be happy with an insurance replacement dog?

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Spot on :eagerness:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Brighty

People paying these ridiculous prices for puppies are what's creating the issue of dog theft. Loads of reports near me of vans prowling the villages near by attempting to steal dogs from lone walkers. Some people have been assaulted and their dog taken. Houses broken into and puppies stolen. Crazy

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Interesting that you’re blaming people buying dogs for the rise in dog theft. I thought it was due to arseholes finding new ways of making money.

Today the first article in the paper on shelters being flooded with corona dogs.

I have just done another round of checking the local rescue centres near me (Bristol, Bath, Holly Hedge). No sign of any Tsunami of unwanted dogs near here, the centres have very few available, and anyhting that is relatively young and free of serious behavioural issues is gone in no time at all.

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Originally Posted by sweets

I have just done another round of checking the local rescue centres near me (Bristol, Bath, Holly Hedge). No sign of any Tsunami of unwanted dogs near here, the centres have very few available, and anyhting that is relatively young and free of serious behavioural issues is gone in no time at all.

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Totally agree. I’ve heard this a few times and see no increase at all in available dogs in the last few months. There’s quite a few in Scotland, but around me it seems the same as usual.


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There's an article in a Dutch newspaper today about the fact that dogs and cats are brought to shelters because... Covid is 'over' and a lot of people are returning back to their office and their pre-covid routine. I checked the shelters' website and it's true: 20% more dogs on the list than a year ago. Very sad situation.

The OP is 'flexible on breed'. We looked two years for a (Rottweiler) breeder and we were on various breeders' 'litter list' before we had any luck. We carefully selected the breeder and we were carefully selected by the breeder. They wanted to make sure that we're capable to raising a Rottweiler. In all honesty: we really liked the breeder's approach! Our part of the selection was the fact that both the father and mother of the litter lived with the breeder and that both parents had a good reputation.

Now, we have a 4.5 months old Rottweiler in our home (since he was 8 weeks old). It's an adventure. For the dog and the owners. Like raising a small child again. But now one with sharp teeth, a mind of his own and limited communication skills. A combination that really needs a lot of attention. Luckily, I'm retired. I'm glad we didn't have a dog when our children were small + both a full-time job!

Puppies tend to bite. It's their way of communicating. They also bite 3 y/old children. Be aware of that! Don't think that only potential land-sharks like Rottweilers or Steffies bite when they're small. All pups bite. With children in the house, I would keep on looking for an older dog that's used to live with children. A guy who lives close-by has a lab X schnauzer mix. An absolutely adorable dog with very good behavior skills. The dog has all good characteristics of both breeds. And he found him in a shelter.

Price-wise: we paid 1250 euros for our purebred, which is reasonable, I think.

Menno

I know a guy...

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...81_400x400.png

I’m going to be very honest here, my family have been keen on having a dog for a few years now, but - and this may shock people - I don’t really like dogs especially and even though id never harm an animal and would treat it with love I just don’t connect with them at all - strangely they seem to love me and often approach me for some attention, and I of course stroke and pat them but I feel no more connection than I did with my tropical fish. My wife is similarly ambivalent so I’m sure we’ll never have one. It appears there are many out there who perhaps feel the same but give dog ownership a go due to pressure from kids etc with disastrous consequences for the poor animal. I actually feel almost bad admitting this in a nation of dog lovers but perhaps more people should think twice before they buy a dog and the poor thing ends up in a shelter


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Originally Posted by Aimforthebushes

I know a guy...

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images...81_400x400.png

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Lol

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