I recently had a litter of Irish setters (Not advertising! - all gone) Im really strict about where my pups go, after a horrible thing that happened to one of my pups last year.
Anyway I now homecheck every new home, i had a family who came to look at a puppy, so i arranged to check their home. This house was on a main road, in the middle of london! I explained to them the needs of a highly energetic dog, and that this would not be suitable.
I mean like many of you know a setter needs room to run, and the middle of london is really asking for a accident! I wasnt going to sell them one of my pups.
The family got quite angry, and told me it was my job to sell the puppies!
Well im sorry but i care about where my pups go!
They got quite nasty about it! I Got quite upset!

But i did the right thing, right?

Has anyone else had this problem?

Maire

I've never bred puppies myself; but I would say it is not your JOB to sell puppies :(
It is your responsibility, as a breeder to ensure your 'babies' go to suitable homes, as you may be picking up the pieces at a later date :(

In my opinion, for what it's worth.. you did exactly the right thing.

liberty

I have been on both sides of this problem! It depends entirely on the potential owner's attitude. I have owned a dalmatian (very active breed) in Westminster. Luckily there are excellent parks there, and if you are prepared to get up early to take your dog out then it is like having a 15 acre garden all to yourself. Equally you get people who live in the country who never take their dog out at all.

But putting on my 'breeder hat', it is not your job to sell puppies. It is your duty, having been responsible for the existence of those pups, to find them the best homes possible. If those people take that attitude, then I would say they are not suitable owners, no matter where they live.

I have often had to refuse to sell pups, it is never pleasant, and whilst I try to be polite and sympathetic, some people dont react well! :(  Most usual reasons I have had are 1) people out at work all day   2) Unsuitable houses (multi storey flats, no garden/busy road etc)  3) Children with problems (this is a hard one, but from experience I wont sell my Kids where there is a child with behavioual difficulties.  4)Unrealistic expectations about house training etc  5) Just plain old  bad vibes ;)

Some of these people have thanked me for my honesty, and some have been very unpleasant indeed!  People never like hearing something they dont like, I am sure you did the right thing, after all they are your pups!  This "must sell/do this or that" attitude is a one which crops up in other areas of dogs - it is strange the number of people who think that just because you have a stud dog he HAS to be open to all requests for his services!
bye
Gwen

You absolutely did the right thing! I know of alot of breeders who wont sell pups to people who have kids under 9 years of age,or to people who are gone at work all day(i agree 100% with that one) the list goes on and on.If i was a breeder i think i would end up with a house packed full of dogs coz no-body would be good enough ;)
It just shows what a responsible breeder you are,i wish there were more like you.You have to look to the future of the pups life and the possibility of the owner returning the pup to you if the home wasnt suitable etc. etc.
These days i think the more stringent the rules the better,if prospective owners really want a dog and want whats best for it they will agree with your requirements and do everything possible to meet them.

christine

You definately did the right thing.  They are your puppies and your responsibility.  They obviously didn't have the right mental attitiude to own a dog and it seemed like it was more of a status symbol to them.

I've been in the same situation myself, both myself and a friend had litters of cocker spaniel pups, a lady phoned to say she was interested, she sounded fine over the phone and then she insisted on sending a deposit - without even seeing the litter.  When she came to see me, something didn't ring true, she had a disabled husband, plus children from two marriages..........not that this was a problem.  Next thing I hear is she's had her phoned disconnected due to not being able to pay the bill, plus her internet, then she sold her computer to pay for shopping.  In the meantime she had been in touch with my friend, plus another lady and put deposits down on another two pups!

Well to cut a long story short, I told her that I didn't feel that at the moment she could offer a pup a home it needs, she got really stroppy, I returned her deposit and so did my friend and her friend.........that was the last I heard of her.  I felt guilty, but something wasn't quite right.........why would she be looking for so many pups, when she couldn't afford to pay her household bills!!

Don't ever ignore your gut instinct, stick to your guns!  You'll feel happier knowing the pup has gone to a good home, instead of wondering what happened to it.

I have probably refused more people than I have accepted over the years for pups.  One useful tip to see the sort of area is to use Multimap .  Put in the postcode and a map of the area comes up, then click on aerial view and you can see whether it is built up or rural.  Many people say - "we have fields/park/woods" just over the road and you can see if it is true - if not then it makes you wonder what else they are not being straight about.

I agree with Kerioak. I know a lady who, when she gets enquiries for pups she asks for it in writing with the return address in full, so that she can respond. Then she uses the Encarta Road Atlas that she got free with her PC to check out the area!! Cool eh!!

I wonder if thats why my breeder asked for my full address the first time I spoke to her ? No worries there though, my house and has fields and woodland to the side and rear plenty of space to exercise an over exhuberant Irish Setter (3 weeks to go :) )

Sorry if I'm being obtuse, but can't get this link to work :-( Tried typing the postcode onto the search bit but gives no info. Do you have to go onto digital map or something? Can't see anything with aerial view on it.

Helen.

Yeah, i clicked the link but doesn't seem to work,if you go on askjeeves and type 'multimap', it works that way
i think thats amazin' i can see my house, lol

This is a great idea, i like it alot
at least breeders can do a proper check on where their puppies are going to go,  thats great!!

I'll try again
Multimap

When you have the map up there is a link on the left side of the screen - in small writing, that says Aerial view.  You can even overlay the aerial view with the map but you have to move the mouse around the screen ans it only shows on setion at a time

Do you know what I do tend to find this forum to be very unfriendly at times - hence I rarely post on here.  The guest just used the word  'job' as an example I'm sure and didn't mean it in any detrementle way.  Can't all you members who have been members for a while give others a break.... By the way guest, you did the right thing :)

Lucytia, having re-read the entire thread it seems to me that everyone was agreeing with the guest, so I'm a little confused as to why you think she should be 'given a break'? She asked for opinions, and she got them.
:)

Lucytia,  sorry dont understand your post I am afraid, could you explain.  Re-read all the posts and everyone seems to be fully in support of her decision!  Also, cant find where she used the word "job" in her post at all.

thanks & Bye
Gwen

Lucytia
Have you just woken up, from a drinking binge, everyone heres being jolly suppotive to our guest, i can see you are too, but wasnt your comments a little unjustified to say the least

the guests first post quoted the person that was refused a pup.....who had said it was her "job" to sell pups, not to choose where they go. Liberty was simply quoting that post, not being horrible.
I agree that people sometimes jump down others throats...but i am afraid you just did it yourself!

Ive just put my post code in and there is a blooming great big factory where my house should be.  The factory was knocked down 5 years ago!

In my experience of living in London for many years and living in the countryside for a number of years as well I would say that you have a right to sell your puppies to whomever you choose and morally should not sell to anyone you have doubts about BUT

I have found many London dogowners are VERY RESPONSIBLE INDEED. As a dog owner in a city you have to ensure your dog is excercised in a safe suitable area. This often means finding a park or similar, lead walking is a must and free running is supervised. Hampstead Heath in North West London is full of every breed having acres of fun and SAFE excercise. Unfortunately this is not always the case in the countryside. COUNTRY DOG WALKING sometimes involves less care for example how often do you hear of farmers complaining of dogs worrying sheep, Dogs wandering away from their home for periods of time etc. Dog walking on a lead is seen less often in the countryside and training tends not to be as stringent.
I AM NOT SAYING CITY DOG OWNERS ARE BETTER THAN COUNTRY DOG OWNERS ONLY THAT IT IS THE OWNERS OF THE DOGS, NOT THERE ENVIRONMENT THAT SHOULD BE A DECIDING FACTOR (THERE ARE SOME BREED EXCEPTIONS TO THIS RULE).
PERSONALLY I THINK IT IS GREAT YOU HOME CHECK POTENTIAL OWNERS BUT PLEASE DO NOT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST CITY DWELLERS JUST BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN A BUILT UP AREA

I would have to agree with you regarding this, as an ex Londoner, and currently living in the City of Bristol.  I do of course agree that the poster is entiled to make her own criteria re homing, and not selling to anyone that she has bad vibes about.

Here I have a wide choice of country Parks, recreation Grounds and Parks to walk the dogs in, with less problems (they are a hunting breed) than I would encounter in the Country.

Having been away in the Country there are few pavements for safe road waling, and most of the open areas are farmers fields, where they dhould not be running, or could easily encounter livestiock, so means keeping them much closer and worrying if I can't see them in a bush.

A lot of people in dogs that I know unless they have land of their own are very restricted as regards public open spaces where dogs are allowed.