Buying a pup

I know lots of posters here don't approve of buying pups from donedeal, but if they're IKC registered would that be the same as buying from a breeder that the IKC would reccomend??

Curious Geroge wrote: »

Hello all, we're currently looking to get a small house pup and hoped you may be able to share your experiences. We have a country house, loads of space but we both work during the day.

In the past I had 2 collies which were let run around outside during the day but came into difficulty when the neighboring kids would play with them after school. Being careful of what 'might' happen I thought it best to give the dogs to a local farm.

Looking for a house pet (bichon frise / maltese / ****zu pup type) but not sure what too look for. Is it better to get a full breed / cross breed ? Also, why do I see so many with micro-chipped in the advert ? Is there any way to know if the dog is well mannered when viewing ?

I have a West Highland White Terrier and he has the nicest personality ever. He was very easy to train and loves people and is very friendly with other dogs. I'd say Westies are extremely suitable for the environment you've described. Mine loves to be outside and play all the time. They are also good to entertain themselves which in your case would be ideal.

First off - please look into the rescue route, there are so many young pups available in rescues at the moment that would be perfectly suited for your what you want. Most rescue will assess dogs/pups so that they are homed with the right family for them (and so that the adoptive family get the right dog). Pups develop personalities very early on and you could get information about their temperament early on from the rescue.

If you do go the breeder route, a few points:

1) See the mother, with the pups. She should be perfectly relaxed, not tense or scared of you. Pups should the same and acting as pups do, not frightened or overwhelmed.

2) Look at where the pups and mother are kept. In the house as part of the family, exposed to normal living, is best. Many breeders do not keep dogs in the house so ask to see where exactly they are kept. It should be warm, clean and a safe place for the pups to run around. If it is dank, smelly, dirty or the animals seem unnerved by being there - run a mile. Never collect the pup(s) halfway, unless you have seen where they have been kept beforehand. Don't go blind to meet someone without clearly seeing where they have lived before the come to you.

3) Quiz the breeder about the breed. They should be willing to tell you the good points and the bad points about the breed. They should be very clued up on any health issues that are common in the breed. The breeder should also want to talk to you about what you expect from your new X breed puppy, where it will be kept, will it be part of the family etc. Do your research before you go to see the pups and breeder so that you know what to ask and to answer. Ask if they are willing to take the pup back if anything were to happen that you could not care for it anymore - they should be willing to take the pup back at any stage in life, for whatever reason you give. Good breeders put a lot of time and effort (and money!) into their puppies, they are a lifetime investment from their point of view. They should also volunteer to you that if you take a pup, they will be available for any advice or help that you may need.

4) Ask for the parents health certs regarding any health problems in the breed (eg. heart certs, hip scoring, MRIs etc.), dealt with by specialists. If the breeder doesn't have them, ask why. The phrase "my lines/dogs don't have any problems" or "there are no problems" are red flags and walk away. Ask about the general health of the parents, ALL dogs get sick at some point (like people!) - some are prone to infections, some have allergies, some have sensitive stomachs etc. - and the breeder should be perfectly willing to tell you all about the eye infection the parent had 3 years ago, or the time they ate something from the bin and pooed all over the kitchen!

5) Get a vet check cert for the pups and all medical paperwork - vaccination certs, microchip details, worming details etc. Some breeders vaccinate themselves, which is fine, but from the time they were born up until the time you see them they should have been to a vet at some point and the breeder should be able to prove this, on paper. The pups themselves should be healthy little pups - no swollen bellies, lethargy, goopy eyes etc. Have a good look at them and make sure they are very happy, healthy pups. Obviously, pups pick things up (infections and such) but the breeder should be willing to tell you if any of them have been/are ill and what they are doing to get the pup(s) better - vet visits etc. Don't buy pup unless it is perfectly healthy, even if it means waiting a few extra weeks until it has recovered from a minor infection - and make sure to get a vet cert to prove it. The breeder should never be blasé or glazing over any problems the pups have or have had - it's all part of life and a good breeder is realistic about the health of their pups.

6) IKC certs for the pups should be available to bring with you when you collect the pup, not offered to be sent on to you at a later date. Parents IKC papers should also be available to view (many breeders use external stud dogs, but even so the fathers papers should be available to view). Pups have to be micro chipped to be registered with the IKC so you should have details of this and the breeder should explain how to register the details and how to change ownership of the IKC papers.

7) Assess the pups (this is the hardest part) - if the breeder has passed all the previous points, it's time to choose your pup! Look at the pups as a group and alone with you. They should be curious, playful, confident and very comfortable with their surroundings. When you take one aside to look at how it acts it should be very used to being handled, want to play and generally act like a puppy. Some pups are a bit scared about being away from the group but it shouldn't be frightened out of it's wits or frozen with fear. Manners, unfortunately, has to do with you and how much work you pup into your puppy. You have to teach them right from wrong - they aren't born knowing. They will learn how to interact with their peers and their mother will put some manners on them but most of the work will be up to you. Nervous pups will need some confidence building where as a super confident pup could be very stubborn when they get older - choose very carefully.

Regardless of what breed you get, the breeder is so important. Many good breeders have a waiting list or only have litter a few times a year. You should take your time choosing the breed and the pup, don't feel pressured to make a hasty decision. You'll have the dog for anywhere from 10 to 15 years and if you pup the work, research and effort in at the beginning it'll pay off in later years. Cross breeds can have just as many health problems as pure breeds so don't think that be getting a mixed breed dog that you are avoiding health issues. Regardless of breed, puppies are A LOT of work so be prepared for everything and anything that can happen. As I said before, there are loads of puppies in shelters around the country so please look into it.

Gook luck!