puppy vaccination

[jabatty]

Hello! I would be grateful if anyone can advise me. I am looking for a show cocker dog and have found a breeder (through Champdogs site). The litter is due end of June. Usually breeders say what they will do regarding vaccinations, worming, etc. When I asked about vaccination and other info., the breeder said they did not usually vaccinate "as different parts of the country use different providers and you can't mix them". This seems unusual. Any advice? Thank you so much for your time.

[bizzylizzy]

Hi, my gut instinct would be to say, be careful. As you’re probably aware, the pandemic has given rise to a huge amount of unscrupulous breeding with very little regard for the health of the pups which are being offered at horrendous prices. A good breeder wanting to ensure the welfare of the pups would, I imagine, have them health checked and vaccinated by a vet before handing them over and anyone selling them unvaccinated would signal to me, that profit is the main aim.... 

[jabatty]

 Thank you for this. Sort of what I thought. The breeder is not asking a high price (actually on the lower side), but, it set an alarm bell ringing. Will investigate further with breeder. I appreciate the response! Thank you!

[sueneil]

Most responsible breeders will have puppies 1st vaccination done before they leave for their new homes.

[JohnMcL]

Hi Jabatty, I did a lot of research over 16 months whilst looking for an ECS that would be KC registered, any colour. I didn’t come across any that said they didn’t vaccinate at all.
When we finally found a puppy and needed the second vaccination I went to my regular vet who offered part 2 of the same vaccination or ‘upgrading it’ with no hassle.
I agree with the previous replies and would keep looking for a breeder who is more focused on welfare.
Good luck.
John.

[jabatty]

Thank you, Sue and John, for your replies. I think I will keep looking. It is just not a good sign, and you have confirmed my impression that good breeders do the first vaccination. Much appreciated advice!  Jackie

[JohnMcL]

Hi Jackie,
I think you’re making the right decision by keeping on looking. Hopefully as the country recovers from Covid it’ll be easier to find reputable breeders. As I couldn’t view / visit as often as I would have liked a lot of my researching was done on the phone and email. I felt awkward asking for contact with the vet who had seen the litters and for checking out the parent’s health tests but it was necessary to avoid thieves and abusers.

I had a lot of help from the KC, they did not give me any personal info as they can’t but there are ways of asking a question. I nearly bought a pup that had unrelated littermates, the KC told me it was biologically impossible to have a mix of different colours in the litter I had viewed.

The KC had just received the breeder’s Litter Registration, the Health Test certificates belonged to different dogs. The home and people looked plausible. Unfortunately I met worse.

Getting a pup or a dog should be a lovely experience and it is BUT stolen dogs are taken for a reason that decent people shouldn’t be getting pulled into. Please trust your gut, do your research and don’t be afraid to ask the breeder for ID, all paperwork, consent to speak to vet etc.

Good luck.

John.