Reputable places to get Puppy

Gael23

Nt quite there just yet but at the same time we are starting to get thoughts on getting a new Puppy in the not so distant future.
The rescue route doesn't appeal to us for a number of reasons although if those <snip> Puppies come available they could be an option.

Aside from that what other reputable places are there to get one? Last time we were put in touch with an IKC breeder by a friend but that was 15 years ago so I'm sure things have changed a little, I know people on here slate DoneDeal at every opportunity but my own opinion has always been buyer beware so its not something I believe should be totally avoided either.

andreac

If you are looking for a certain breed then contact the specific breed club and get Information on breeders through there.

Just ensure your breeder health tests both parents and do not go near a breeder that doesn't.

The Ikc will also give you information and contacts.

DBB

Folks,
Please take care not to mention any specific rescues on-thread: if you want to make recommendations, please do so by PM.
OP, can you verify whether you're happy to consider suggestions of rescues by PM?
Thanks,
DBB

Gael23

DBB wrote: »

Folks,
Please take care not to mention any specific rescues on-thread: if you want to make recommendations, please do so by PM.
OP, can you verify whether you're happy to consider suggestions of rescues by PM?
Thanks,
DBB

I mentioned earlier that we are not so keen on going that route but I have no problem wih getting PMs

tk123

Gael23 wrote: »

I mentioned earlier that we are not so keen on going that route but I have no problem wih getting PMs

Actually there's a typo in your post so it wasn't clear(!)

For Lucy I called the breed club and they gave me 2 or 3 breeders names and a guideline of when the puppies would be ready. After talking to breeder I was fairly sure we'd be going with her, met Lucy's mum at the door and she was beautiful and so calm and relaxed (I checked our her dad online ) so I was even more sure and then once we saw the puppies and myself and the breeder informally interviewed each other we picked our Lucy girl!

Exciting times ahead for you Gael23!!

kev1.3s

Done deal does get slated and rightfully in some reasons but I bought my dog from done deal and have to say it was spot on. The puppy came from a loving family home where both mother and father could be seen and in that situation anybody who has an issue with it is bieng more than a little anal, I have also seen puppy's reared in appalling conditions and fully agree with anybody who would criticise these places.
As you said it's simply a case of buyer beware, if you're unhappy with the conditions walk away and find a better breeder.

ABajaninCork

kev1.3s wrote: »

Done deal does get slated and rightfully in some reasons but I bought my dog from done deal and have to say it was spot on. The puppy came from a loving family home where both mother and father could be seen and in that situation anybody who has an issue with it is bieng more than a little anal, I have also seen puppy's reared in appalling conditions and fully agree with anybody who would criticise these places.
As you said it's simply a case of buyer beware, if you're unhappy with the conditions walk away and find a better breeder.

Same here. Being new to Ireland at the time, I certainly wasn't aware of DD's reputation. But I've had a fair few dogs and knew enough to ask to see the sire and dam, and check the conditions for ourselves. My dog came from a DD breeder. But we saw the facilities the pups were kept in and the breeders were very fair. The pups were in fantastic condition and looked great. We didn't go there to get a dog for ourselves though. Our dog was originally supposed to be a 21st birthday present for my husband's niece. But once the puppy was placed in my arms, he wouldn't come out! So that's why we got the dog...

tk123

Just to add wherever you go make sure both parents have the relevant health checks no matter what the conditions are like and what the breeder says to you.

forgodssake

I too bought my puppy on done deal , came from a wonderful home you could see they genuinely loved the pups. They were well cared for vaccinated and wormed and most important for me were kept indoors in a lovely comfortable bed . I would have no hesitation going down this route again . You just need to exercise caution and initiative . Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

tk123

Context would be useful here imo with people saying they bought from DD and everything is great. What kinds of dogs are they as certain "breeds" will only be available on DD at the end of the day?

forgodssake

Well my puppy was a Yorkshire terrier.

beyondbelief67

Bought 2 dogs on done deal, and with 2 totally different results.
The first we had to go to dungarvan but just half way there the guy phoned us back he'd forgotten he had an appointment could he meet us half way ?
I was all for saying no, but my ex said he'd not driven all that way for nothing, so little while later we had the cutest puppy, and heading home, once we got home we realized she was also the thinnest I'd ever seen too, naturally the guy had switched his phone off but the vet assured us she'd be fine and she is.
The next the lady couldn't of been nicer. And the cheeky little pup I have backs it up, yes he's a mongrel but couldn't resist his cheeky face.
So it has its good and bad like any site.

MrWalsh

Sorry guys, but anyone who buys a dog on Done Deal is contributing to puppy farming at worst and back yard breeding at best.

No legitimate breeder is selling a dog on Done Deal.

Gael23

tk123 wrote: »

Actually there's a typo in your post so it wasn't clear(!)

For Lucy I called the breed club and they gave me 2 or 3 breeders names and a guideline of when the puppies would be ready. After talking to breeder I was fairly sure we'd be going with her, met Lucy's mum at the door and she was beautiful and so calm and relaxed (I checked our her dad online ) so I was even more sure and then once we saw the puppies and myself and the breeder informally interviewed each other we picked our Lucy girl!

Exciting times ahead for you Gael23!!

Only noticed my mistake now that you pointed it out, autocorrect isn't all its cracked up to be!
Its 10 weeks now since our Dog died and some of us are feeling ready to do it so its just a matter of winning everyone else over, which I'm sure will happen in time.

borderlinemeath

For the majority of DoneDeal pups, if you asked the breeders if the sire and dam had relevant health checks, you would most likely get the answer that they've been vet checked and have current vaccs and are (possibly) IKC registered.

But health checks are NOT vet checks, they are breed specific checks for relevant genetic and inherited disorders associated with the breed you're interested in. Depending on what particular breed you're interested in, ie if you want a labrador or a retriever, the parents MUST have hip scores. This means they must have xrays to determine the hip scores, and of course this is going to increase the purchase price of the pup.

It's great to be able to see the pups in the home of the breeder, and ensure that the parent(s) are healthy confident dogs but if the breeder hasn't tested for breed specific ailments, particularly if the breed is one that is well known to be problematic in specific hereditary conditions, then it's best to err caution.

Research the breed you want, and not just their lifestyle, but what the health issues associated with the breed are, and if the breeder isn't knowledgeable about their health issues, then walk away. Chances are they have just bred two dogs of the same breed without a thought for whether the sire and dam are compatible, whether they might both be sufferers of a specific ailment and the resultant pups could cost far, far more in the long run with vet bills than the initial outlay on the pup if you went with a breeder who was thorough and health tested to ensure the best possible health for their litter.

Just look at last Thursdays episode of the Supervet to see how bad breeding can afflict a dog with bad health. A six month old GSD had to be PTS because not only did he have elbow dysplasia in his front legs but hip dysplasia in his back legs, it wouldn't have been right to put a pup through surgery on every limb, :(not to mention the cost if you just had to deal with one or two limbs.

beyondbelief67

MrWalsh wrote: »

Sorry guys, but anyone who buys a dog on Done Deal is contributing to puppy farming at worst and back yard breeding at best.

No legitimate breeder is selling a dog on Done Deal.

Not always ! The lady who we bought my puppy of had only that litter of puppies, and he's a mongrel, so certainly not out to make profit !
It's simply the easiest way for some people to sell puppies.
Not just for profit maker's.

Gael23

beyondbelief67 wrote: »

Bought 2 dogs on done deal, and with 2 totally different results.
The first we had to go to dungarvan but just half way there the guy phoned us back he'd forgotten he had an appointment could he meet us half way ?
I was all for saying no, but my ex said he'd not driven all that way for nothing, so little while later we had the cutest puppy, and heading home, once we got home we realized she was also the thinnest I'd ever seen too, naturally the guy had switched his phone off but the vet assured us she'd be fine and she is.
The next the lady couldn't of been nicer. And the cheeky little pup I have backs it up, yes he's a mongrel but couldn't resist his cheeky face.
So it has its good and bad like any site.

Don't mean this in a bad way but if I was offered to meet halfway I would see red immediately, also pups advertised cheap or free would set alarm bells ringing because they are unlikely to have received vaccines ,etc.

beyondbelief67

Gael23 wrote: »

Don't mean this in a bad way but if I was offered to meet halfway I would see red immediately, also pups advertised cheap or free would set alarm bells ringing because they are unlikely to have received vaccines ,etc.

Wasn't free either time. My little pup is half Scotty x Jack Russell he was 120 euros and our other girl was 250 euros, full bred. Setter And like I said I didn't want to but as I wasn't the one driving had no choice hence the word my ex.

forgodssake

I understand buying pets from done deal is controversial and I see point from both sides of argument . All I know is I got a beautiful puppy from a home I felt he was well looked after. There is horrible disingenuine people on done deal just making profit but there is some genuine people too.

Gael23

forgodssake wrote: »

I understand buying pets from done deal is controversial and I see point from both sides of argument . All I know is I got a beautiful puppy from a home I felt he was well looked after. There is horrible disingenuine people on done deal just making profit but there is some genuine people too.

Thats how I see it and I can see how it can be difficult to separate the good from bad. We lost a purebred cocker spaniel 10 weeks ago now so will probably just get another one or maybe a spaniel crossbreed when the time is right.
Do you generally pay significantly more going to an IKC breeder? We paid 150 pounds 15 years ago and they seem to be €300+ from what I've seen on Donegal so I imagine for a registered breeder its more than that.

forgodssake

I presume you pay more I really don't know tbh. I just know I gave my puppy a good home. And I'm sure many other pets were welcomed into loving homes from "back yard " breeders .

andreac

beyondbelief67 wrote: »

Not always ! The lady who we bought my puppy of had only that litter of puppies, and he's a mongrel, so certainly not out to make profit !
It's simply the easiest way for some people to sell puppies.
Not just for profit maker's.

Back yard breeder so. These people are not reputable breeders. No reputable breeder breeds mongrels.
But she would have made a profit by breeding a litter of pups this way as no health checks etc would have been in place.

borderlinemeath

forgodssake wrote: »

I presume you pay more I really don't know tbh. I just know I gave my puppy a good home. And I'm sure many other pets were welcomed into loving homes from "back yard " breeders .

And so continues the cycle. If people continue to buy and facilitate the profit of back yard breeders and puppy farmers, then they will continue to breed.

andreac

The difference between good and bad breeders will be health tests. That is all. If a breeder does not have the relevant health tests done eg hip or elbow scoring, heart tests, eye tests, then they are just back yard breeders. Simple as.

DBB

forgodssake wrote: »

I just know I gave my puppy a good home. And I'm sure many other pets were welcomed into loving homes from "back yard " breeders .

Hmmmm... I do appreciate that some people have had good experiences, and generally they're people who knew how to really screen the breeder and make sure they were okay.
Please be aware that when I refer to "you" in the following lines, it's not you forgodssake, it's "you" as in "everyone who thinks that it's okay if the pups get a good home"... a general "you"!
Giving a "back yard bred" pup a good home is only half the story, and I'm only posting this here lest the other half of the story be forgotten.
The other half is the mother and the father of the back-yard bred puppy. The money from every pup that is bought from a back-yard breeder is used to fuel the almost always miserable lives of the parents, especially the mothers, and future broodstock when the parents of your pup are spent.
I run a rescue for a breed that was exceptionally popular as a back-yard/puppy farmed breed over the past 10-15 years, thank goodness they've gone off the boil now, but just be aware that myself, and people like me, have taken in countless spent females and males from back yard breeders. If you saw the state these dogs are in in terms of health, and more often behaviourally, you'd quickly change your mind about how giving a back-yard bred puppy a good home is the whole story.
There is a whole industry behind every puppy that's produced, and in all cases of "backyard bred" pups, the broodstock dogs are rather close to the end of the list of the breeders' priorities.

Gael23

forgodssake wrote: »

I presume you pay more I really don't know tbh. I just know I gave my puppy a good home. And I'm sure many other pets were welcomed into loving homes from "back yard " breeders .

Theres rarely litters advertised on the cocker spaniel club website but that dissent mean there aren't any being bred I suppose. They don't list prices either but I know someone that paid €600 for one some time ago which would be out of the question for us, regardless of breed ethics.

Gael23

beyondbelief67 wrote: »

Wasn't free either time. My little pup is half Scotty x Jack Russell he was 120 euros and our other girl was 250 euros, full bred. Setter And like I said I didn't want to but as I wasn't the one driving had no choice hence the word my ex.

I wasn't referring to you when i mentioned price but just that when you see ads with either free to good home or a very low price, you can almost be assured that the pups haven't received proper care.

andreac

Gael you would be better off saving for your pup for longer and go to a reputable breeder. 600 is cheap for a pedigree pup.

You will end up paying In the long run if you just get a cheap pup that's not coming from health tested parents. Trust me. I've seen first hand the affects on a dog who was from a back yard breeder and trust me it's not nice. It's always the dog that suffers whether it's through illnesses or hip dysplasia etc.
If you can't afford a pup from a good breeder then either save for longer or rescue but do not just buy a pup cheap.

forgodssake

DBB wrote:

Hmmmm... I do appreciate that some people have had good experiences, and generally they're people who knew how to really screen the breeder and make sure they were okay. Please be aware that when I refer to "you" in the following lines, it's not you forgodssake, it's "you" as in "everyone who thinks that it's okay if the pups get a good home"... a general "you"! Giving a "back yard bred" pup a good home is only half the story, and I'm only posting this here lest the other half of the story be forgotten. The other half is the mother and the father of the back-yard bred puppy. The money from every pup that is bought from a back-yard breeder is used to fuel the almost always miserable lives of the parents, especially the mothers, and future broodstock when the parents of your pup are spent. I run a rescue for a breed that was exceptionally popular as a back-yard/puppy farmed breed over the past 10-15 years, thank goodness they've gone off the boil now, but just be aware that myself, and people like me, have taken in countless spent females and males from back yard breeders. If you saw the state these dogs are in in terms of health, and more often behaviourally, you'd quickly change your mind about how giving a back-yard bred puppy a good home is the whole story. There is a whole industry behind every puppy that's produced, and in all cases of "backyard bred" pups, the broodstock dogs are rather close to the end of the list of the breeders' priorities.

Totally see where your coming from. I abhor the mistreatment and abuse of animals.

Gael23

andreac wrote: »

Gael you would be better off saving for your pup for longer and go to a reputable breeder. 600 is cheap for a pedigree pup.

You will end up paying In the long run if you just get a cheap pup that's not coming from health tested parents. Trust me. I've seen first hand the affects on a dog who was from a back yard breeder and trust me it's not nice. It's always the dog that suffers whether it's through illnesses or hip dysplasia etc.
If you can't afford a pup from a good breeder then either save for longer or rescue but do not just buy a pup cheap.

We wont rush into it either way and I do understand what you say. We paid £150 in 2000 so thats quite a jump, although I suppose it is to be expected. To be honest apart from browsing DD, we haven't made proper enquires as its not quite the right time just yet. Prices there seem to range from €250-400

peasant

If you want a pure bred pup that comes from parents that have all the relevant health checks done, bred by somebody who knows what they're doing, born into a good environment and that already has basic socialisation and health checks/vacs done ...you're not going to get it for done deal prices (and hence not on done deal)

If you're buying a pure bred pup on done deal, regardless of what the ad says ...most or all of the above haven't been done.

Best case scenario your pup will still end up healthy and with no issues ...highly unlikely though with a breed that has issues (which theses days most of them do).
Worst case scenario you've just financed an unscrupulous back yard breeder for another 3-6 months (until the next litter), contributed to the misery of the broodstock and ended up with a sickly pup that will cost you loads in money and grief.

Where done deal works is for mongrels (genuine ones, not the ones with made up names) and other similar "accidents" . People had pups by accident not design and need to find good homes for them. It is fair to give them some money (food, meds, time invested) but genuine people will ask for none or just very little.
Here of course you get pot luck ...nobody knows what the finished dog will look like, what its most likely behaviour will be or if it will be healthy or not.
Then again ...mongrels usually are healthier than pure breeds and the socialisation and education of your pup will not be influenced by preconceived ideas of how your dog should react (according to breed standard) so it's really in your hands and your fault if it goes wrong

Here's one such mongrel from done deal ...happy and healthy and just fabulous....and he cost less than his first bag of food
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=93899130&postcount=9580