Thanks to you all for giving me some very good advice on the best method to pick up my new (hopefully) puppy. Sorry for keep posting this message (first I was a visitor, then registered and now again - you're going to get sick of it soon!) But, we are going up this weekend ourselves on the train so are going to experience British Rail AND the long journey!

Just as as matter of interest, a really good Petsitting/pet taxi service have offered to do the trip for us and pick up the puppy. They have said that I can meet the guy before he goes and they are fully trained / experienced doggy first aiders and handlers. Do you think that this would be a suitable option? I feel a bit dubious as the puppies first experiences would not be with me but rather a stranger? Also, what is the best age to pick the puppies up? I was thinking 8 weeks, but is this too young considering the long journey he will have to make?

Any advice would be appreciated!
Thanks, Lucy

BTW, am completely hooked on this site - have spent all day browsing the message boards and have learnt loads!

Congrats on finding a puppy :D

As a breeder I would not let anyone take a puppy from me unless they came to collect it themselves. This way I get to meet the new owners and they get to meet me and the mum. I would hear alarm bells going off. I'm sorry, but you should really go and see the mum and her pup(s) interact and see where they came from. This way you will know that they aren't in a puppy farm. IMHO.

Hi Lucy,
You must be very excited about going to see your puppy - what breed of puppy are you getting? As for the petsitter idea - I don't know how feasible this would be with your breeder, you're obviously going up to meet her this weekend - perhaps you should ask her opinion, as Lindylou says, she might not allow her puppy to go home with anyone other than yourselves. I know personally, when I go to collect my puppy in a fortnight, it's another 13 hour round trip
Good Luck,
Sharon

Is this your 1st visit to see the pup? if so are you sure you will be allowed to bring the pup home because some breeders dont allow this on 1st visits.

Hi All,
Sorry for my message, I wasn't very clear!

We are going up this weekend ourselves to view the mother and puppies and meet the dad as well as the breeder. The puppies are only 4 weeks at the moment so we won't be bringing him home yet!!!

What I was asking is, when he is ready to come home (at 8 or 9 weeks), is it best that we make the trip again ourselves on the train (neither me nor my partner can drive) or should I pay for the petsitting service to do the trip in their van so they can make regular stops etc?

The puppy is a cross, staffie / boxer! I will also speak with the breeder when I see her this weekend.

WOW - 13 hour trip - I thought mine was tough (Berkshire to Glasgow then back!)
Thanks again for your help!

Hiya Lucy,
I know I sometimes even think I'm mad :D
We are having to travel from between Glasgow/Edinburgh to Lincs !
Never mind, this will be our third drive down, the first time to meet several breeders and Danes, to find out which was best suited to our family and us, the second to visit my beautiful puppy, Diesel and in 2 weeks time, we're going down again to bring him home... I'm so excited :)
But it is a horrible drive, we're both exhausted when we get home...but it's been worth it.
Have you decided on a name yet for your puppy?
sharon
X

Well, I'm trying not to get too carried away just incase....But, yes I've thought of loads!!!! We have been wracking our brains and decided that...wait for it...because he will be born in Glasgow...we will call him...Wallace!! (After William Wallace!). Quite cute I think!

:D ;) I Like it!!
I take it you're not sure whether you're getting a puppy from this breeder or not - Is this because you're waiting to see how you all get on, if you like the bitch and the surroundings? Or are you simply keeping your options open
Sharon

I'm picking up a puppy at the beginning of October from down south (I'm in Fife and the breeder is near Nottingham). Decided it was cheaper to FLY down than get the train or drive! So we fly down first thing from Edinburgh then pick up a hire car to drive back with the pup. That way, no tired owner arriving and a shorter trip!!

Perhaps you could do something similar i.e. fly down and get the pet sitter to meet you and drive you over to the breeder. You'd be able to sit with the dog on the way back without worrying! There are loads of cheap flights at the moment (I got Edin - East Midlands for £11 plus taxes!!).

Trying to puppy proof the house at the moment...nothing chewable below waist height and all that!

Hope you manage to sort something out
AL

No, we are quite excited to get a puppy, but I've never met the dogs before so we need to make sure that we are right for each other!
I asked the petsitters whether I could come and drive back and they said that this guy would be taking his wife so there wouldn't be room for us!
I'm really confused now! Maybe I will do what you suggested and fly down and get the train back with the puppy...!
Have fun picking up yours! We are going up this weekend to visit so I'm sure I'll tell you how it goes...!

This sounds odd to me, if you are paying this man to pick up your pup he shouldnt object to you going and how are you going to see if you get along with the pup if you are not going.
I would go and get it your self and then you can spend time with it before you leave.

Hiya,
That's interesting that you're flying from Edinburgh to E Midlands - we were going to do the same, we live just outside of Edinburgh, and we're going to Lincs. But the car rental companies were wanting £60 -£70 for the car hire, so we figured it was just less hassle to drive.
I'd be interested to know where you're hiring your car from, and I presume that you're dropping the car off in Edinburgh. It just makes sense to only have the one long journey, rather than two, because it's a horrible drive.
What breed of puppy are you getting?
Sharon
X

We're using Eurocars (they seemed to be one of the cheapest) and I think it's about £57.00 or so for a 1.6 Golf - they have a website you can book the car on). We could have went for a smaller car but we felt that there would be a lot of motorway driving and a 1.1 etc wouldn't have the acceleration required. Anyway, we pick the car up from the airport and return it to Edinburgh Airport the next day (it didn't make it any cheaper if we handed it back less than 24hrs so I've given us the extra time just in case!).

Dogwise, it's a Japanese Shiba Inu. We've been waiting for one for over a year (the breeder we originally wanted to use had problems mating her bitch i.e. she wasn't interested in any of the males) so we had to head south. It's a male "red" puppy and looks a cross between a fox and a husky! We did lots of research into the breed and decided it was the one for us. I used to have a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel when I was a kid but that was my parent's choice of dog. He was lovely and lived to be 17 years of age but I didn't want to replace him with the same breed so we decided on something slightly bigger (though not too much).

Alison

Thanks Alison - I'll check out Eurocars site.
I'd never heard of that breed before, but I've seem some pictures now, and they're gorgeous :)
Good luck with your trip.
Sharaon
X

Where abouts in lincs are you going to shib?