After waiting what seems a lifetime, I am finally going to meet the puppy I intend to buy tomorrow.
I have been receiving photos off the breeder with lovely updates and we are all excited at getting to meet him tomorrow. Shame its going to take us 3 hours to drive there but it will be totally worth it.

I am in a bit of a panic though, I don't want to assume he will be coming to live with us in August but really hope he will.
Are all pups vet checked or is that down to the breeder to arrange?
Thats probably a totally stupid question but I have never bred a dog in my life so really have no idea.

Good luck I hope it all works out for you and pup. Sorry cant answer your other question except that my pups (not all the same breed) were checked by breeders vet before they left and then I took pup to my vet too.

Responsible breeders will have them vet checked and all up to date with their fleeing and worming. You can ask to see the paperwork for this.

When you collect it, most puppies come with a puppy pack nowadays as well where they explain you what to do in the first weeks of having the puppy with you, how to settle it down in the first few nights, how to feed it and what times it is used to be fed... most times they give you a bag of the food that they're on at the time which you should feed to it until it's settled in new sourroundings...

Make sure that you can see at least the mother with the pups and if you get a chance to hold the pup just try and check that the ears are nice and clean and the eyes are clear with no discharge...

You must be very excited... I know how you feel... I was counting down the days before I finally could collect the new additions...

Good luck and enjoy :-)

Isn't just so exciting.almost akin to being pregnant and awaiting the birth.
My puppies came with packs and having been wormed and chipped, with the recomendation of the breeders to go to my own vet for a check up.
Karen  :)

Yes, I should add, once you've got the puppy with you, take it to the vet of your choice for a check up, and to discuss the vaccines etc...

Responsible breeders will have them vet checked and all up to date with their fleeing and worming. You can ask to see the paperwork for this.

Ah, no -I don't know any responsible breeders that flea treat their puppies -no need to as their dogs and puppies don't have fleas. It's often a red flag saying "I'm a back yard breeder" when adverts shout about puppies having been flea treated. But worming -yes, definitely! :)

As for whether pups are vet checked or not, personally I'm in two minds about this. If it's a toybreed that cannot go until 12-14 weeks then I'd expect the puppy to be fully vaccinated and therefore have been checked by a vet. Any other breed -I've never bought a pup that had been vet checked (other than at home in Sweden where it is more or less a requirement with a special form being filled in) and so far I've never done it with any pups that I've bred myself. But I'm considering asking our vets if they would do it -would mean them either coming out to the car or coming to the house, as you cannot easily bring eight to ten pups or so into the vet. Nor am I happy about bringing unvaccinated puppies to a vet surgery that is potentially full of sick animals! But I do feel that a vet having checked the pups and put something in writing saying so would help the breeder, as you then have proof the pups were all (visibly) healthy at that date.

I agree Marrianne, if someone came to my house and asked if I had De-flead my puppies I would be offended.

Not the start any prospective puppy buyer would be hoping for.

If they need de-fleaing I'm not sure buying from that source would be the best choice.

Better to ask sensible questions like health testing results, character traits of adults in the breed, advice on training etc.

> Ah, no -I don't know any responsible breeders that flea treat their puppies

I hope I am a responsible breeder, and I routinely flea treat at 7 weeks.  Yes, all my bunch are routinely treated, but I would rather the pups are done at home, with me before going out into the big wide world with new owners.  Apart from my own dogs, there is always a chance the pups coudl pick the odd flea up in the garden, especailly at this time of year when I like to give them outside playtime - I don't have to worry abou the odd wayward hedgehog.

My lot also get a vet check with the first vaccination, it is very basic, just a quick examination all over, ince ears, eyes, teeth, and a listen to heart and breathing.  Jsut takes a minute or two before "The Needle" :(  There is nothing in writing from the vet to say this has been done, but at least it is recorded at the surgery in case new owners Vets' need to query anything.

>Ah, no -I don't know any responsible breeders that flea treat their puppies

I have a cat that is an outside cat, most of the time, and he regularly sleeps in a place that is reknowned for fleas :-( Neighbour just won't clear the sofas/beds from their open shed (as in very little walls as it is falling down :-( ) and all the neighbourhood animals sleep there. Mice, rats, cats....... Anyway, due to this I have had puppies with fleas so treat before they leave home, just in case. I would say that I was being responsible.

I don't breed but if I did, it would be a matter of pride to me to flea-treat before going to a new home, regardless of my own flea status at the time. I would like to think the new owners appreciated that, especially as most treatments protect for some time afterwards, and it would be a good assurance for the new owners especially those who may not have had a puppy before - not to mention, nobody could come back to me later and claim they bought a puppy crawling with fleas.

I wouldn't dream of treating puppies for fleas - unless they actually had fleas of course. In over 20 years of breeding I've never had a pup with fleas.

I think it's quite horrible to even consider using such chemicals on little puppies. Personally I would never ever treat for fleas as routine even in adults, only if there was a problem. It's been years since I last saw fleas and we live in the country surrounded by rabbits, foxes etc.

> I wouldn't dream of treating puppies for fleas - unless they actually had fleas of course. In over 20 years of breeding I've never had a pup with fleas.

Snap exactly, You & me both

> Personally I would never ever treat for fleas as routine even in adults, only if there was a problem. It's been years since I last saw fleas

Like you, the last time I saw fleas on my dogs was ONE, I bought back from a show I judged 5 years ago

3 hours drive is nowt!!  Best thing to do is ask breeder if pup will be vet checked and what else will have been done re worming, etc. Personally I will not be ever, not in a million trillion years, be even considering applying any flea treatment to my pups, so sorry folks, application of or non-application of flea treatment is not an indicator of a good breeder. I believe I am an extremely good breeder and as such I will not be subjecting my pups to a possible life of epilepsy. But, that is my personal opinion brought about by meeting one of the 5% of dogs that develop epilepsy as a direct result of flea treatments entering the blood stream. If my dogs don't have fleas why the heck should I treat 'em?  Neither does it imply that those who do apply flea treatments are good or bad breeders!  Assuming you're collecting at around 8 weeks, flea treatment is immaterial, what's important is worming and SOCIALISATION, SOCIALISATION, SOCIALISATION!

The very best thing you can do is just ask the breeder tons of questions - go armed with a list. Good luck with the new pup :-)

I haven't seen fleas on any of my dogs for as long as I can remember and I would know,
they are bathed and completely groomed through regularily...and they are predominently white.

To douse a little puppy with a potent chemical when I know it doesn't have fleas is ....to say the least..... ill-judged.

> I think it's quite horrible to even consider using such chemicals on little puppies. Personally I would never ever treat for fleas as routine even in adults, only if there was a problem. It's been years since I last saw fleas and we live in the country surrounded by rabbits, foxes etc.

Snap Marianne.  I've never done any kittens I've sold either.    I'm sure if they'd had any the 2 vet checks that are required would've shown them.

that was just what i was thinking mairianne!!! if someone told me a pup had been flead id be most concerned as I wouldnt be buying a pup from a breeder whose dogs had fleas!!!

I wouldn't not buy a puppy who had been treated for fleas - a home with cats could quite easily see fleas being brought into the house. So, I don't see it as a sign of a bad breeder. However, I would be concerned about someone who used flea treatments on any animal without first identifying a need for it.

I remember chatting to someone from the US who told me that, in their country, they don't routinely worm any dog. They would first get faecal samples before identifying a need. Does anyone in the UK do this? I admit that I do routinely worm my dogs but it does make me think if I should do this.

> I remember chatting to someone from the US who told me that, in their country, they don't routinely worm any dog. They would first get faecal samples before identifying a need. Does anyone in the UK do this? I admit that I do routinely worm my dogs but it does make me think if I should do this.

Interestingly this even applies to puppies who we assume always will have worms, yet often they don't need it.

It must be that the fecal testing is a reasonably low cost, to make it worth doing rather than just medicate.  Adults seem to rarely need doing.

I check my pups with a flea comb, paper and water several times just to be safe but I have never found fleas on a puppy.  I would never put those chemicals on a puppy!  When I picked my pup up a couple of weeks ago her breeder gave me a spot-on thingy to put on her at 8 weeks but I chucked it in the bin.  She had no need to have it.

3 hours is nothing.  We once drove 11 hours just to visit our pup!  Still had to go back and pick her up a few weeks after.  I would take a blanket to get the scent of the litter/mother for when you take her home.  Helps with settling.  And a camera for loads of piccys of mum and siblings.  I took toys for the pups when I went to visit too as you can never have too many and all my dogs are big toy fans!

> "I believe I am an extremely good breeder and as such I will not be subjecting my pups to a possible life of epilepsy. But, that is my personal opinion brought about by meeting one of the 5% of dogs that develop epilepsy as a direct result of flea treatments entering the blood stream."

Couldn't agree more. Who is responsible if a puppy becomes ill after it has left the breeder when it was treated with a pesticide before it left?
http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf

He is adorable!
He won't be coming to us until
he is 11weeks old by which time he will be wormed, flea treated and vaccinated. I am a bit concerned about the flea treatment part as i'd hate anything to happen to him.

Are there any treatments safe to us on pups or could I request that the breeder did not flea treat just my pup?

I know have to count down the days until I can bring him home. It's 6 weeks to go!

I took toys for the pups when I went to visit too

Brings back memories! I brought toys for the litter and a bottle of red for the breeder :)

> I am a bit concerned about the flea treatment part as i'd hate anything to happen to him.
>

Frontline spray is safe and effective even in tiny puppies. My girl collected a lovely tick at her last litter and I was terrified there would be more and so used frontline just in case. It also gives protection against fleas and ticks for 12 weeks I think? This can be useful if you have cats/foxes cutting through the gardens or hedgehogs. 

Well rather than panic, I expressed my concerns with the lovely breeder and she is going to check with her vet on Monday.
We are really looking forward to bringing our puppy home

I have had issues with ticks in the garden the last two litters, Feb 2009, and now this time in June, I was horrified and had to get the Frontline in, we get hedgehogs and foxes, but in 15 years I had never encountered a tick in the City!

The adults were all clear, but a couple of the pups picked them up, much to my disgust.  The first time it was in their last few days when they were getting more freedom of the garden.

So a question.  Is there any pesticide I can use to rid my garden (not just the dogs) of these nasties?

If there is I would love some. We get cats, foxes and hedgehogs plus sheep, horses and cattle in the fields. I just spray every 10 weeks. I tried the little vials but my girls take a bed itching reaction- I wonder if it's because they are small and so dose is high for them

> I remember chatting to someone from the US who told me that, in their country, they don't routinely worm any dog. They would first get faecal samples before identifying a need. Does anyone in the UK do this?

I often thought that giving Drontal wasn't always needed in my adults.  I left 3 Collies unwormed for a year, and had faecal samples sent down to Langford just to satisfy my curiousity.  No worms were found.

I never flea treat puppies when there are no sign of fleas.  Although, one hot summer I found ONE FLEA on a pregnant toy size bitch.  The vet said that I could only use Frontline spray.  I did, and it worked, and she whelped normally, so it didn't hurt unborn pups. 

I won't use chemicals on animals "just in case", they would have to have fleas before I treated them.

I guess, in terms of worming, much can depend on your dogs activities. If, like one of mine, they are prone to eating rabbit poo then regular worming is a must! However, some of my dogs probably don't need a regular worming regime. Was it expensive for the faecal testing Jean?

It's several years ago now (and the memory ain't what it was!)  But around £30 if I remember rightly.

I had always wondered if it was necessary to do them every 3 months with Drontal.  I agree that it does depend where dogs go, and what habits they have!  :-)

Oh how I wish there was!

Short grass is a must. I seem to recall there are some plants that are tick repellant but I can't remember what. Chickens are also apparently a great way to rid your garden of nasty ticks. However, I feel that benefit is outweighed by the risk of rats! We can't win!!

I wonder though about something like a very dilute solution of tea tree and misting puppies as part of their regular grooming? Perhaps making the puppies repellant would be easier than making your garden repellant!

It really is food for thought I think. Things we routinely do for our dogs and don't question why - like worming.

I have a friend who is a pharmacist and she once questioned why I have blood levels checked on my dog 6 monthly (he is on a medication which "requires" monitoring for therapeutic levels). In her opinion, she doesn't see the need for this as long as the dog does not show any change. Blood levels would be the first to be checked if a change in normal behaviour occurred.

I guess it's the same with worming - should we only worm when we suspect a dog actually has worms? Poor coat, evidence of worms in stool, weight loss, distended abdomen etc.

Sorry OP, I have taken your thread off topic! Just got me thinking :)

> Chickens are also apparently a great way to rid your garden of nasty ticks. However, I feel that benefit is outweighed by the risk of rats! We can't win!!
>
>

Foxes too - I would love some chickens but know the foxes would come and would be afraid they would attack the small dogs

No need to appologise, all advice given is good advice :)