Buying A Puppy

radharc

Hi lads and lassies

To be honest I'm a bit worried after reading a number of threads on this forum and am looking for some advice. Having recently just got married and bought a house in the country we had been fully intending to get a puppy. This is something we had always wanted to do but didn't feel was possible in our previous small apartment. The new house is on an acre site and in a very good walking area and is really perfect for a dog.

So we picked out a lovely Golden Retriever pup from Done Deal and have arranged to pick him up next week when we will be 8 weeks old. We bought him from a family who own the mother and father and have visited the pup twice. As far as we can tell the parents seem to be very well treated as are the pups.

It was just after reading here where i read something like "no responsible breeder would ever sell on Done Deal" that I began to get doubts. I wouldn't really know much about pedigree dogs so this was news to me, is there something I should be worried about here? I read up on puppy farms and this doesnt seem likely to me, the two parents are family pets and are obviously part of the family when seen with the seller's children etc.

I would be very grateful if people would let me know what the downsides of a seller using Done Deal are and what if anything I should be considering before completing the purchase, apologies for the essay!

andreac

Firstly make sure the parents are hip scored, this is a must with G.R.s as they suffer from hip dysplasia. If the parents are not hip scored then you must walk away from this breeder.
If they are just family pets then why are they breeding? Only excellent quality dogs that have been health tested should be bred from. If this is not the case then they are just back yard breeders breeding for money and I wouldnt touch this type of breeder.
Im on my phone so cant write a big reply.

Vince32

Andreac hit the nail on the head, Read what you can find on Hip Dysplasia and you will understand why it's so important.
If you really want a Golden Retriever contact the IKC (Irish Kennel Club) and ask for a few names of some breeders and contact them. All reputable breeders will follow the strict guidelines on breeding, and the few extra euro / pounds you pay on the pup will save you €€€ in vet bills down the road.

Owning a dog is a serious thing, and saving yourself the misery of an unhealthy pup / dog in a years time is the smart thing to do.

Good luck getting your pup, and I hope you look into all the questions you should ask your breeder, and what they should be asking you.

dave1982

is 8 weeks old enough to be away from their mother?

I thought it was 12?

SingItOut

I got my dog from a family that advertised on done deal when she was three months old, I have her nearly two years now so not everybody that advertises there is out for money or so called back yard breeder. They also had her vaccinated, she still goes to the same vet for her check ups.

That said like any person posting here will tell you, with any person you buy an animal from, be it a family or so called reputable breeder, you have to make sure the conditions the puppy is kept in are clean, make sure its eyes & ears are clean and as another poster said absolutely make sure the parents were hip scored. Hip dysplasia is a major problem in retrievers so definetly make sure to see the papers and records for that. Just because a breeder is registered does NOT mean they have the best interests of the animal at heart. You have t be very vigilant with anyone you buy from. If you are happy with the conditions, the attitudes of the breeders and most importantly the happiness of your puppy and others in the litter then get that puppy! Retrievers make fantastic pets, I have one and hes awesome, they will bring you many happy years

marley123

If you do decide to buy agree with Andreac - Parents should be Hip Scored..

reeta

Hi, I got my dog springer/cocker spaniel nearly two years ago on donedeal.ie. The parents lived in the countryside and were neighbours. My dog was vacinated etc., Have to say the best thing we ever did, has brought so much joy (and hard work) to us... These people werent breeders but I did visit them a couple of times and saw were the pups were kept and how the kids in the house treated them, which was great. Your situation seems to be the same. With an open eye go for it !!! Good luck.

are you serious

Ilike a few of the above got my 1st Rottie from donedeal also however I do think the site is littered with bad back yard breeders. I was lucky though especially in picking the guy who a year later still calls me to ask how Buddy is. He had all vac's up to date, gave me a puppy pack and as I have said his after care is still going a year later.

On the other hand you will hear of opposite side of the site, where people get pups delivered to them, meet people in car parks to get the pup, health issues, no after care and anything else I have not mentioned!

Basically the site is pot luck, you could have picked a gem of a breeder like I found. As has been said just make sure those parents are healthy!!

Hellrazer

garkane wrote: »

Ilike a few of the above got my 1st Rottie from donedeal also however I do think the site is littered with bad back yard breeders. I was lucky though especially in picking the guy who a year later still calls me to ask how Buddy is. He had all vac's up to date, gave me a puppy pack and as I have said his after care is still going a year later.

Similar story here--I bought my lab from a breeder on Donedeal.Even to this day I still keep in touch with them.

The way to use these sites is to have a bit of cop on--If a breeder refuses to let you see the parents then refuse to buy.
If they want to meet you in a carpark-Then refuse to buy.
If they wont let you see the conditions of where the dogs are kept then refuse to buy.
If they have 20 breeding dogs when you go to pick up your dog then dont take it.

Its basic cop on.Use your head and you`ll be fine.

I hate the fact that these sites allow animal sales but as garkane says you can get a gem of a breeder or a rogue.But you can get the odds in your favour by using your head.

RubyGirl

radharc wrote: »

Hi lads and lassies

To be honest I'm a bit worried after reading a number of threads on this forum and am looking for some advice. Having recently just got married and bought a house in the country we had been fully intending to get a puppy. This is something we had always wanted to do but didn't feel was possible in our previous small apartment. The new house is on an acre site and in a very good walking area and is really perfect for a dog.

So we picked out a lovely Golden Retriever pup from Done Deal and have arranged to pick him up next week when we will be 8 weeks old. We bought him from a family who own the mother and father and have visited the pup twice. As far as we can tell the parents seem to be very well treated as are the pups.

It was just after reading here where i read something like "no responsible breeder would ever sell on Done Deal" that I began to get doubts. I wouldn't really know much about pedigree dogs so this was news to me, is there something I should be worried about here? I read up on puppy farms and this doesnt seem likely to me, the two parents are family pets and are obviously part of the family when seen with the seller's children etc.

I would be very grateful if people would let me know what the downsides of a seller using Done Deal are and what if anything I should be considering before completing the purchase, apologies for the essay!

Are you still going ahead and picking her up next wk?