Waiting Lists

[Tidge]

I have had a few enquiries to go onto my puppy waiting list from parts of the country that will require a 4-5 hour drive both ways and I'm not sure if I would be doing the pup an injustice by allowing it to travel so far at 8-9 weeks of age.

Do other breeder draw a line at the travelling distances??  And what advice should I give to any travelling new owners, should I recommend an overnight stay or should I advise them to bring food etc and arrange a stop half way and make sure they call me to make sure they've allowed the pup a pit stop, or should I recommend they locate a pup nearer to them??  Any help would be much appreciated.

   

[taliska]

When we picked up Taliska we had a 2 hour drive both ways, so on the way to collect him we checked out suitable stopping off points, for him and us. This allowed us all to have a drink and restbite. Next weekend we are due to collect our second cocker, again its a 2 hour trip both ways, so we have done the same again.

It may not work for everyone but it sure worked for us, no little accidents for pup or us. As long as people are sensible about it, and don't expect the their pups to do the whole journey in one go, they should be fine. They must make sure that when they stop, the pup is on a collar and lead or well away from the road, as we do know of a case of a pup not making it home...

[s baxter]

We travelled for 3 and half hours to get Alfie  and we couldn`t  stop as the rain was lashing down but we had him on loads of towels and offered him water in the car,but i think 4 hrs maxium drive to get home, more than that i think i personally i  would`nt be happy with bearing in mind most of these journeys are on motorway and unless early in the  morning goodness knows you know how the traffic can build up if theres an accident.on the way back from our holiday we saw 10 miles of solid traffic going(or not really) the other way.but i`m not a breeder i`m sure it`s probably a personal choice  

[Shirley]

I travelled 2 1/2 hours by car and then 1 hour on the plane with Morgan.  With Cooper he spent 6 hours in the car and then 3 hours on the ferry.  Both Eric and I went for him and had loads of stops - though most of the stops we had to wake him to make him go to the toilet and take a drink   .  He basically slept the whole way and I think it would have been more unsettling for him to have had him in a hotel for a night and than cart him off to another new place the next day.

I suppose you have to look at it on a case by case basis and I can understand your concern, but if someone had suggested to me that I should look closer to home for a pup my options would have been very limited - border collie or border collie (nothing wrong with them, they're just not the right breed for me   )  Potential owners are always told that they may have to be willing to travel for the right dog - surely as long as they make sensible arrangement distance shouldn't be a problem - it may even indicate that taking on a pup is not just a whim.  I know that if I wasn't absolutely sure that I was doing the right thing in getting my boys I wouldn't have spent £150 on a plane ticket to go and get Morgan and the same for the car on the ferry to go and collect Cooper   .

[Pammy]

It's not uncommon for people to travel significant distances for the right pup.

I don't think the length of the journey matters - more how they're going to handle the journey. Make sure they're well prepared and know not to put puppy on the ground - ie they should have pleanty of newspaper with them so they can stop to let him/her have a wee etc.



hth

[Jane S]

I agree - distance should be no real object when collecting a puppy, provided the new owner makes sensible travel arrangements. However, when would-be puppy buyers are a long away from a breeder, it becomes even more important that the breeder vets them carefully & if necessary asks for references or perhaps a fellow breeder who lives near by could check them out. Unfortunately, anyone can say what they like in an email & give the impression of being able to provide the perfect home when in reality this could be far from the truth. Talk to enquirers by phone several times & if possible, get them to visit beforehand (even if they do live a long distance away) This will give you a far better idea of what people are really like before you make the decision of whether to trust them with one of your precious babies. Sorry, if you are already doing this but it doesn't do any harm to remind newer breeders to be on their guard.

Jane

[Gilly]

If people tell you that they don't work full-time, do breeders phone prospective owners during the day to see if they are in ? or is that a bit sneaky      

[suki1964]

Gilly     Posted on Sep 20 2004, 12:15 PM

If people tell you that they don't work full-time, do breeders phone prospective owners during the day to see if they are in ? or is that a bit sneaky

I dont think so. My breeder although wasnt that far away, rung at different times of the day. And also when I took on a part time job just before I was due to collect Alfie,she questioned me about it (hours Id be working, what arangements Id made for puppy care eyc). I wasn't in the least bit offended and in a way it strengthened my confidence in her

 

[Cob-Web]

I fully appreciate that breeders want their pups to go to the right homes, but can I make a plea from prospective puppy owners?

Please can any 'vetting' be done sensitively; home visits, questionnaires, telephone calls etc that some breeders use are very intimidating and rather off putting.

'Whats wrong with that' I hear you cry; nothing, BUT, it does drive some prosective owners to buy from a puppy farm or pet shop where they are not subject to the same  experience.

I have spoken to several new puppy owners who have bought from farms, and they have said that they looked at more reputable breeder but felt that they would never measure up to the exacting demands of the breeder - and why did they breed in the first place? I personally chose not to engage with a breeder who insisted on a questionnaire completed before they would even talk to me about puppies and cockers.

I know this must be really, really tough if you are a breeder, and I don't think I could ever do it as I wouldn't want any of them to go to new homes; but just to let you know that too much vetting can perpetuate the farming of puppies....sorry!

[Gilly]

Sorry Rachel I COMPLETELY disagree strongly with you there  
I would be wondering WHY? I wasn't being asked such questions to be honest with you and respectable breeders only want to find the right homes for their puppies   Anyone who takes breeders questions as an insult and goes to a puppy farm on that basis must be out of their mind.
I agree that no breeder should discriminate against peoples situations (ie work) if thats what your referring to, but I do feel that someone who works full time should be able to provide details that the puppy will not be left alone for 8 hours solid a day and I certainly don't think there is anything wrong with asking prospective owners to do that   It really answers some of the responses on another thread, about breeders just breeding for money doesn't it? Obviously NOT if finding the right home is MORE important.
And I think people will agree that they would begin to wonder they are NOT being asked such questions.

[Magic Star]

I have to agree with Gilly on this one too!  I think its the breeders responsibility to ensure that the pups are going to loving homes, where they will not be left for a considerable amount of time.  Yes, I think its plain to say that most people will either work full time or part time, the breeder has the right to question what provisions are in place for the puppy, during this time  

My breeder was just a pet breeder, although she was very concerned about where her pups would end up, she was very thorough and I wholly respect her for that.  It did not make me think, "hey this is too long-winded lets go to a puppy farm" it made me think, gosh this lady really cares about these little pups, which can only mean, that she has give the pups the best start in life  

I think the people you mentioned in your post Rachael, are just perhaps impatient people and act on the spare of the moment, I wonder how many of these people will keep their pups, when the chewing, the nipping and the teenage period starts   Another words, have these people thought through what is involved in taking on a dog?  as I doubt the puppy farm will have pointed out the bad parts, as the responsible breeders do and should in my opinion

[lizzy]

but just to let you know that too much vetting can perpetuate the farming of puppies....sorry!

I think people buy from pet shops because they want a dog and they want one now!

I know a few people that have bought from such places and believe me I tried to pursuade them not to, but they just wanted to go and come home with a dog.

I also think people that buy from these places don't do there homework , therefore they think it terribly hard to find a reputable breeder, therefore they take the chance.

When I bought Molly, the breeder asked me a lot of question, about my family, if I worked, what sort of house I had, did I know about the breed,etc.. I felt really happy being asked alsorts of question, because it made me feel like I was buying something precious of her, something she cared about.

And thankfully Molly has turned out to be a credit to this lady, something I will always be thankful to her for, she really is a little darling.

Evie's breeder on the other hand asked me nothing about my circumstances. I'm not going to start calling this woman, but it was obvious that Molly's breeder and Evie's were not breeding for the same reason.  But I have a beautiful dog in Evie and wouldn't swap her for the world

The lady I'm buying my ragdoll from asked me a lot of question, invited me to see her and her cats, told me not to make a decision but to think about it . I felt glad that she was concerened where her baby was going . I know I will be able to ask her advice if needed

I'm sorry Rachel but I don't agree with your reasoning!

[Tracey J]

I have to agree with Gill here.  I've never bred (dogs that is   ) and don't intend to, but I'm sure if I did I'd be grilling potential owners within an inch of their sanity .  Imagine letting a puppy go only to find out later that it was being treated badly, or used in puppy farms .  Doesn't bear thinking about.  I know that you cannot ever be 100% sure that people are being honest, but at least you would know that you did your best.  In saying that, I don't believe people should be dismissed because they work or live in a flat etc. as long as they can provide a healthy, happy life for the pup.
As for travelling, I think that if anyone is prepared to drive a huge distance for their puppy, it shows to some degree that they are serious about owning a dog.  I'm sure if the breeder gives lots of information about the return journey ie. how many stops to make etc. then there should be little issue.

[Colin]

Hmmm, I must admit I can see both sides of the story on this one.

If I was a breeder I'd be really strict over who got a pup from me..... I wouldn't rule out using private detectives.  

However as a prospective owner I did find it really difficult phoning round the breeders, Jimmy's breeder was particularly difficult to pin down. She had me screaming with frustration , I really couldn't figure out how to convince her to let me have one of her pups. Maybe I'd said something really stupid to her, maybe she was just suspicious of me.... who knows. I spent hours ringing round breeders before getting Jimmy, most were pleasant and helpful a few were downright rude and offensive. I don't think I'm stupid, but remember it got to the point when I just wished there was a pet shop around the corner with a Cocker Spaniel waiting for me.   Of course I now know this to be completely wrong but can sympathise how some people will just give up with reputable breeders if they feel they are being abused unecessarily.

It's a difficult one.  

[lizzy]

I think what we need to remember is that a good breeder can CHOOSE where her puppie's go to, they are not desparate to get rid of them, they know that they will be sold, they want them to go to the best home possible.

Sometimes they might sound a little sharp on the telephone, but they are very busy, they might have  a job aswell. At the end of the day getting the right puppy is what matters and if it means putting up with a few off words so be it!

I know what I would rather!

ps Molly's breeder was always lovely when I rang for advice.