If anyone can give me general advice on this I'd be grateful. A Cavalier King Charles Spaniel breeder in Leicester asked me for a non-refundable £100 deposit on a puppy one week after it was born - even though we wouldn't be able to see the pup for another 3 weeks! Is this normal practice?

I asked whether we could at least wait until the pup had been seen by a vet, but having asked that question she promptly cancelled the deal altogether and sold the pup to someone else! Is this ethical? She clearly had plenty of people waiting in line and said she didn't want to bother with someone who quibbled...

I just want to be able to navigate these treacherous waters without getting ripped off...

M

Would you buy ANYTHING without having looked at it ? Least of all a pup .
I think you should be glad she sold the pup as she sounds an atrocious breeder .
We went on a wating list when we wanted pup . Then when he was born and our breeder was in a position to offer us a pup we were invited down when pup was 4-5 weeks old . Of course we fell in love with him and our breeder asked if we WANTED to leave a deposit - there was no hard sell .
An ethical breeder would never ask for a non refundable deposit without having seen the pup
Lel

I never ask for a deposit, but most new owners are so eager to give something to secure their pup. But I certainly wouldn't expect a deposit without the new owners seeing the pup first

I recently had my first litter of Cavies. I didn't let people come and see them until they were 4 weeks old ( there really isn't much to see before then) although I sent them photo's etc. I then left it up to them if they wanted to leave a deposit. I would much rather that they came back because they really wanted the pup other then because I have their money. The pups were checked by a vet before they left and were sold with a contract saying that they were to be checked by the new owners vet within 7 days and if there was a problem them they could return the pup and get a full refund. I think this is the way that most good breeders do things. Please do make sure that any CKCS pups parents are both Heart and eye tested and ask to see copies of the certificates.
Hope this helps

Debbie

I invite buyers down to see the pups when they are 3 - 4 wks old and then ask for a deposit to secure the pup. Most of our buyers have been waiting a least 6 months but sometimes 2 years and are very happy to leave a deposit.
However I have had a lot of people recently saying they are being asked for deposits before they have seen the pups. I did put a deposit of £50 down on a pup I had not seen as requested by the breeder BUT I was willing to lose £50 if I didn't like the pup for any reason. Also I had had the breeder checked out by people I trusted for the temperment etc of their dogs! The pup is nearly 2 yrs old now and has an excellent temperment and is everything I wanted, and she wins well in the ring which is a bonus.

When we bought our new addition, we saw them first at 10 days :) and then again at 4wks. when we went back at 4wks we chose which pup we wanted and offered a deposit, the breeder did not want one but i insisted so she knew we were serious about the pup.

I felt happy with that situation as i felt that the breeder cared about her pups, not the money and was not trying to get me to pay up.

Roxanne