
I have not bred a litter of pups for a few years, but from time to time I do advertise on sites, in the hope that anyone considering buying a puppy will contact me, so that I can advise them to go to our breed clubs, to get advice and hopefully to find a responsible breeder.
I think if you find a breeder you trust, or get good advice from the breed club, you are more likely to find the right dog for you AND for your family. Even if you buy through the KC lists I would advise you talk over with the club litter register secretary, and/or the trusted breeder, as to the suitability of the litter you are going to buy a pup from. The reason I say this, is because I have seen too many working bred dogs, go to pet homes where the new owners do not know what they are taking on and the dog subsequently ends up in rescue.
For example my friend Rory will get his working springers from rescue kennels, as he knows these dogs need to be doing something, so he patiently trains them and then works them. The previous owner will hand them into rescue, because they are noisy/destructive or both. It is because they are bored. What is not understood is that in a lot of cases, these dogs need more than the basic obedience training.
Another friend Doreen has just taken on a rescue working bred springer, her second, who was being rehomed because he was destructive. In her hands as with Rory, the patient retraining has paid off and they both have lovely dogs. Rory works his Doreen doesn't but she understands their need to be mentally active.