having recently purchased a lab puppy from seemingly reputable boarding kennels horrified to find only registered with dog lovers registration club. does this mean she cannot be registered with the kennel club? Also concerned that she may have come from a puppy farm

In answer to your questions Yes and yes. Can I ask why you bought from a boarding kennel rather than a private breeder?
Bec

I think to some of the more inexperienced dog owners or potential dog owners they can look very proffessional . We have an advert in our local paper listing LOTS of breeds and the ad goes on to say pups are registered ( does not say who with though) and vaccinated . To the novice this all seems well and good unfortunately . Its only when reading about puppy farms that you realise .
:(
Lel

I understand that but am interested in the opinions of those who buy from these places. I was (still am) a novice dog owner yet I didn't buy from one of those types of kennels. If we can find out what it is people look for then maybe we can change it.
Bec

I think that with people that have no experience of buying a dog, it is probably a bit like buying a car. Some people think that it is safer to buy a car from a 'professional' ie a High Street dealer, than to buy from a private address. Possibly people feel the same with dogs, that they are getting a 'professional' service, rather than an 'amateur' one. I don't agree with this at all :), but perhaps that's what it seems like to people who just have never had any experience.

I must admit, when we got our rescue dog from Battersea, we assumed that they would give us one with no major problems :( Little did I know then. We thought that we had done all our homework - made sure that we were ready for the commitment, made the house/garden dog safe etc etc - but didn't know that dogs from rescue can exhibit no particular problems initially, then after the 'honeymoon' period all can change :( We were lucky to be referred by a 'dog walking' friend to good trainers, otherwise we would have had even more problems and become some of the 'irresponsible' owners often criticised on this board :)

Most, in life, have to learn by experience. Few are born with it :)

Daisy

Just wanted to point out that not all rescue dogs go through a honeymoon period and then turn bad, it's statements like that that set things back for rescues.:( I know you dont mean it on purpose, as you are only speaking from personal experience.
Lisa
xx
Owner of two rescue dogs with no problems at all :)

Oh yes - quite agree - didn't mean that ALL rescue dogs were like mine :) Just wanted to say that sometimes they can seem problem free. Although we had a quite thorough interview at Battersea, no-one pointed out to us that things might change once the dog had settled in, so we were quite unprepared for it when it happened.

Daisy

Edited - rescue centres do have a duty to pint out to people the potential problems that they might encounter. As we lived a long way from Battersea, the only help that we got was by phone, which was - in our case - not very helpful.

I think most animal lovers find it hard to pass these places. We wanted to inspect the kennel at the time. They will not be getting our business that is for sure. Because we are keen lab lovers I could not walk away but I will be contacting the breeder for further information. Wish me luck!

Usual reasons, she looked gorgeous and I couldnt' bear to leave her there basically. I already have two labs and she has been welcomed by both the dogs and the children. I could not return her but am really irritated that people are allowed to trade like this.

Hi

Did you see the sire and Dam when you went to see your puppy before you bought her ? Did they say specifically that it was a registered litter with the KC or 'yes it was registered' but they didn't specifically say where the litter were registered? Also how much did you pay ? Was this the amount you paid assuming that you were lead to believe it was a bonfidy KC Pedigree Lab ?

Lucy

Ok, before jumping in and screaming "Puppy Farm", have you contacted the kennels from which you bough the pups, and asked if it can be registered? Because it has been registered with the Dog Lovers does not, by itself, mean it cannot be KC registered. If parents are both KC reg. and if the breeeder is willing, then it is possible to register it. It all depends on the pups circumstances.

It is not correct to assume that all larger kennels are puppy farms (although, unfortunately, registering with the DLC is not a hopeful sign that they are reputable). A lot of the top breeders/ exhibitors in the UK are the owners of Boarding Kennels too!
bye
Gwen

I am not surprised that yourself like many others have unwittingly purchased a puppy from what like youself have presumed was a reputable outlet. Problem is that some boarding kennels have in addition to their dog boarding licence, they sometimes trade with a pet shop licence and a dog breeders licence. Having the addition of a pet shop licence allows the trader to purchasae and 'buy in' puppies and sell to a third party. As well as breed puppies themselves providing they have a dog breeders licence if producing more than 4 litters in a year.
When a premises with a pet shop licence 'buys in' puppies their source of supply is invariably from breeders in Wales, S Ireland or N Ireland in all these areas puppy farming can be prolific. It does not mean that the Welsh dog breeder supplying puppies to the retail trade is unlicensed many puppy farmers are licensed too, however the same does not apply in S Ireland as no dog breeders are licensed but in N Ireland they are. It may sound all very confusing but if unsure before going to any premises ask what licenses they have or check with the Council. Simple rule if you cannot see the pup with Mum, then walk away! A responsible reputable breeder should not/would not sell puppies to a pet shop.

I have visited my boyfriends family in Manchester a few times and it is fairly near a 'kennels' who are basicly a pet shop which also sells dogs. They are all on display and have a little tag over the top saying the breed, the price (same price as kennel club reg dogs) and that the dogs are not for showing.
These dogs are all registered with the dog lovers registration club.
I am always suprised at how many people there are when we go, buying these dogs when they have not seen the mother, and also shocked at the lack of information about the breed they provide. For example, I own a Bichon Frise, which need LOTS of brushing, which isn't even mentioned there.
It was my understanding that if your dogs were to be registered with the kennel club then they were not allowed to be sold in pet shops like this.

Hi Blossom, if this is the place I think it is, you will find it actually IS the Dog Lovers Club! And a nice little earner it must be for them too! :(
bye
Gwen

Yes and a thorn in the backside to breed rescues they are too. I wish that the seller had to take responsibility when the dog is surplus to requirements, often very shortly after purchase. A fat donation to our breed rescue for the 10 or so that comne through our recue would be a start.

A breeder is breaking the kennel club code of ethics if they sell a puppy to a dealer or wholesaler. However, it is not enforced by the KC unless a person specifically contacts the KC with all info of breeder kc details and outlet, then the KC may write politely reminding the breeder of the code of ethics - waste of time really when the KC does not enforce it isn't it?
Nighmare place in Manchester, like all the ones in London and the S East of England inparticular. Yes, and many in London like the one in Manchester offer export facilties for puppies. This is of grave concern if the the person making the enquiring is wanting to import puppies for the Far East - concern re dog meat and dog fur. After all a pet shop is not going to be concerned if an enquirer is from the Far East or not all they will only be interested in the money that is made in the transaction.

In our breed we managed to do exactly that, and the KC stopped registering pups from that breeder. All that happened was the dogs were transfered to someone els, and once the bitches had their KC quota of litters they were dog Lovers registered.

In some ways when they were KC registered we knew what was going on, now with Dog Lovwers we only know when the Rescues come in.

As you have visited the premises in Manchester and I haven,t I would be interested to know if they dispay the name of the breeder of the puppy they are selling and whether the puppies are sold with a name tag giving these details? This is part of the legislation of the The Breeding and Sale of Dogs (welfare) Act 1999. If you are not aware and are able to visit again I would be very interested to know please.

Well that info isn't on the pens with the dogs, I don't know if they tell you when you buy the dogs. They don't even have the DOB or sex of the dogs on the pen doors.

Thanks for that, very interesting, I will make some enquiries.

I'm a new comer to the board but I thought that this post is relevent to the discussion on puppy farms and the Welsh Assembly.