I think you should trust your instincts that are telling you that something doesn’t seem right.
Before getting my new puppy, I had contact with someone I thought was reputable. They were evasive when I asked about health certificates and I was told I would see them when I collected the puppy. They also wanted a large sum of money in cash as a deposit. Things I was told just didn’t ring true. I was shown a bitch who had given birth and told she was the mother yet I wasn’t allowed to see her with her pups
? There were at least 4 other litters on the premises who she could have been the mother of. I felt very uncomfortable and thought I was being paranoid when I was told that I was the fussiest person he had ever met. The puppy I was offered was lovely though (but most puppies are anyway). The breeder didn’t ask anything about my experience as an owner either.
I eventually walked away but still think of the pup I could have had and whether he has a good home.
In contrast, the next breeder on initial contact grilled me. I felt as though I was being interviewed. They wanted to know everything about me, my previous experience as a dog owner, who lived at home, how often/long the dog would be left, size of garden, closeness to walks etc. I didn’t mind being asked as it was such a relief to to find a breeder so determined to get the right homes for his pups. The puppies had been well socialised as kept in the house with all the usual nosies and also taken to visit other households, taken out in car, handled by different ages etc. A few days after the telephone conversation I was told I could visit the pups. I saw puppies’ mum first and then the puppies ran out and they were lovely together
It was obvious she was their mum as they all tried to suckle from her
and she allowed it. He explained that as I wanted a bitch, he felt it really important to make sure the new owner didn’t just want a breeding machine. He didn’t want a deposit either. I selected a little girl which was very difficult as all the puppies were lovely and about 10 days later collected her.
Since collecting her, the breeder has kept in touch asking how she is getting on. The whole experience has been very very positive.
My previous 2 cockers were not raised in a house but in an outside kennel so didn’t benefit from the socialisation that my new puppy had but when I got them I quickly exposed them to lots of new things and they soon became very confident girls as they were of the age when they take most things in their stride (7 weeks at the time but now I think the minimum age is 8 weeks)
There are lots of things in your post that don’t ring true to me. Trust your instincts. There are lots of puppies out there at the moment from responsible caring breeders so look around and find one that you are comfortable with