Hi everyone I was wondering if anyone could recommend a good pet courier service. I have used one before for one of my dogs but cant get in contact with them anymore. We are hoping to add to the family and get a new puppy in February, the only thing is he is down in Wales and we are in Scotland just outside Glasgow. We have seen him parents and picked him but with work commitments and children wont be able to go down and pick him up ourselves so just wondering if anyone can recommend one thanks

Have to be honest, I won't sell to anyone without them visiting twice.  Once to pick pup, and again to collect.  Had folk in 2009 come from Argyllshire, so over 1000 mile round trip.  They came twice, and stayed over.

If work commitments stopped them coming, I would not have thought their hours suitable for having a puppy.  So, for me personally, however "good" the pet courier service, it would be a no go from me.

Same here, I had one puppy buyer who's wife didn't drive and he'd been called away to Poland who wanted to use a courier, I just could not allow it, I feel bad enough that they are parted from mom and sibling but to spend the journey in the back of a van with no reassurance for many hours was not acceptable to me. Could they not possibly hang on for a while until it is more feasible for you to collect?

I can never understand this. I have 4 people who have pups of mine from a litter a couple of years ago that are having pups from this litter as well and even though I vetted them thoroughly for the last pup and we are in contact every few weeks I would still not let my pup go to them via a courier service. I'm on the Manchester/Cheshire border and Ive had people come from London, Leceister, Norfolk, Aberystwyth, Glasgow, Devon and 1 even came twice from Orkney and stayed overnight!!! Now that shows dedication to my babies.

I'm with others, if overseas then that would be a completely different matter (though, truthfully, I'd still expect the owner to come along and oversee everything), but Glasgow to Wales? In my book aint that far at all and I would expect you to come in person to pick up your puppy. For a start it is a WHOLE LOT better for the pup. If you have a think about the amount of stress involved in the normal acquisition of a pup, to the puppy that is, moving from Mum & sibblings to a completely strange environment, then add in a courier experience (no matter how good the couriers are, they're still transporting as 'cargo') you might actually come to the same conclusion.

If work commitments don't allow you to collect at the time you were hoping for then arrange another time - a few days or weeks don't make any differnce if he's coming from a well reared and socialised litter. If the breeder is unwilling to allow you to collect a bit later then frankly I'd ditch the breeder. I collected one of my dogs a couple of years ago ... almost 800 mile round trip, my own pups last year went 300 and 300 mile plus. No question of the owners not collecting in person.

Really, you will be much better off collecting puppy yourself. You can spend time before travelling home playing with him (nice to get him ready for sleep once in vehicle) and letting him get to know you. You can collect all the information from the breeder and ask any last minute questions, so much easier than telephoning, specially once you've got pup home you'll be wanting to spend time with the pup rather than having boring telephone conversations with breeder!

Just wondered if the breeder you're getting the pup from is happy with this arrangement? Seems a little odd thats all, unless you know each other very well. A good breeder would be willing to hold onto the pup for a little bit longer for you to make arrangements to collect. You have until Feb to arrange child care and to travel on a weekend too or around work etc.

hi guys
I'm not a breeder so only from my experiences I got my pup 9mths old now the breeder is in the scottish borders and i'm in Surrey(woking) I don't drive and i've two kids when I was asked when to go and see her(only 1 bitch left) I would sort something to get to see her in the flesh(i recieved loads of pic through emails and knew I wanted her.
The breeder had work commitments in london and he came rounder and he had lunch met my kids so stayed a while.
In the end I only saw my pup when I did pick her up I went by train there n back which was another £300 extra as took my sis so could have toilet breaks. I wouldn't of used a pet courier as if you wanted this pup you would plan in every way so you could pick it up youself,you would never let a child travel on its own with a stranger anything could happen and would never  for give yourself.

Nessa

Never in 30 years has a puppy buyer asked me to have their puppy pet couriered to them. The answer would, of course, be no.

Last year I had one buyer fly in from Finland to collect and another drove from The Netherlands.

As has been said, I'm not a breeder but would never allow anyone else to collect the new addition to our family. Distance in the UK is never that great, admittedly it takes time but if you haven't got the time to pick up, are you going to have the time and imput for a puppy anyway. Live off the south coast, it can take us up to two hours to reach the mainland let alone the cost, but having planned & found a pup, no one is going to take away that very special day of going to collect the new memeber of our family. Good for you nesstaffy, for taking the train.

Would never allow a courier for any of my pups, they will be stressed enough at leaving mum and litter mates.  We travelled to Nottingham and Derbyshire to find our eventual 1st pup, ok not a great distance but we still travelled. I would travel as far as necessary to collect my own new family member, thats the whole point of bringing a pup home with you. If work and child commitments stop you collecting then will you really have time to give to the pup when you have it home with you and all the daily routines of school and work.

I may be jumping to conclusions here but Wales is full of puppy farms and can't think of any reputable breeder unless in very very rare circumstances being happy with having one of their precious pups go by courier without having emt the people concerned (of course puppy farmers don;t consider thier opuppies precious so wouldn;t give two hoots) To the op if you can't go and meet this pup and collect him yourself then I would firstly maybe consider a dog that would be nearer to you but secondly if your time is already so full that you can;t go and get him I wander how you will manage with the time consuming needs of a young pup and if he is from a Puppy farm then you may have lots of time consuming things like extra socialistion and health problems to deal with as many pups from places like this have not had the best of starts and it can leave them nervy and worried by things as well as more prone to health problems of course you won;t know this if you haven't met him.

I've had people fly to collect pups from Scotland, Spain and USA and people drive from Holland to collect pups.

the only ones to go accompanied were to Australia (as they have to go into Quarantine anyway) and Japan.  These had their journeys arranged by Overhill quarantine and export, who are themselves dog breeders exhibitors and take excellent care of the dogs entrusted to them.

I don't drive and Had to arrange for someone to take me to collect pups.

I have had a number of pups go to Scotland or more than a comfortable drive there and back and people have stayed overnight at a Travel lodge before collecting pup in the morning for their trip back.

Hi thank you for all your comments. I have now made arrangements with my clients to allow me to travel down and get the puppy. We have already done the journery to see the puppy when he was a few weeks old and meet breeder and parents and not a puppy farmer. I have been in contact with the breeder for about a year waiting on this line having a good puppy.
I understand everyone's concerns but I have used a courier before to bring up my youngest dog and she is the most well adjusted puppy/dog that we have ever had. She had regular stops on the trip and when we got her home she had some dinner, ate/drank, played a little and then slept all night, again I knew this breeder well so had no concerns about where the dog was coming from.
I have plently of time when the puppy is up here as work in a vets a couple of nights a week where the dogs come with me and play in the flat at work and then during the day run my own animal orientated business where again the dogs are out with me all day everyday and it was these clients and childcare that I was trying to have to work around as I dont like letting people down.

Thanks for getting back to us and clearing up questions.  :-)

Very often we never hear a word after advice has been offered, and I'm sure that others will be pleased that you have been on to clarify things. 

Enjoy your first day together although there will be many many more, that first day is always very special.