Hi im looking for a Lhasa Apso puppy and was wondering if someone could tell me what I should be looking/asking for when I go to see puppies. I went to see some a few days ago and the lady seemed legitimate but said the papers from KC will be through next week and I dont fancy handing over £375 and taking the dog without the papers. We also went to see one that was 8 months old and all her papers were there but the parents names were really similar - i dont know anything about pedigrees but this made me think that maybe they were related. Also the dog was very timid and not at all playful - maybe to do with the fact that the kids were dragging it around and there was larger dogs there but again I was worried about buying it. It also had runny eyes for which she had drops - some say its normal for the breed and others say it suggests problems?  Maybe someone could give me some pointers please? Thank you.

There is lots of information about choosing your breeder and your puppy on the KC website.  There are many legitimate reasons why papers would not be available when the puppies are viewed.  You can, however check with the KC yourself that registration has been applied for and you can ask the breeder to confirm in writing that they will be forwarded when received. 
Do you mean the parents names started with the same kennel name?  This does not necessarily mean they are very closely related but why not just ask the breeder to go through the pedigree with you?

> Also the dog was very timid and not at all playful

That is more worrying.  I hope you don't mean it was your children dragging it round but whether it was yours or hers I would not like to think of a breeder permitting it either way.

> It also had runny eyes for which she had drops - some say its normal for the breed and others say it suggests problems? 

Again I don't think that is right.  If it is normal for the breed I would not be considering the breed let alone the breeder.
£375 sounds rather cheap to me too.

If one were to give a list of 'things to avoid when buying a puppy':

This puppy would tick most of the boxes......avoid like the plague.

Ask if the parents have been eye tested by a consultant opthalmologist for PRA ask to see the KC/BVA certificates.......You dont want to end up with a blind dog do you?
"PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy), a degenerating condition of the eye which ultimately results in blindness."

With regard to the papers it was the first word that was the same so maybe it was just the kennel name. The lady selling the dog wasnt a breeder but wanted to get rid of it cos her standard poodle had had puppies and the little one wasnt getting enough attention. It was her children who were carrying it around - think the poor thing wanted some peace! I cant really work out why she got it in the first place as the poodle pups were 4 months old so she must have known it was pregnant. Also she chose the kc name for the Lhasa so that seems odd too as (correct me if im wrong) you usually get a puppy with a pedigree name already.

Hi 6angels - I'm with tooolz on this and advise you don't proceed.

Contact the kennel club and/or breed club and be prepared to wait for the right puppy from the right sort of breeder, one who will be happy to answer all of your questions and show you all relevant health certificates and one who will be equally inquisitive about you as a potential owner for one of their much loved pups :)

regards, Teri

I'm with the others - the older one sounds a bit spurious & £375 is cheap for a well bred KC Reg puppy.
There's some useful advice on the Lhasa Club site http://www.lhasa-apso-club.co.uk/ too.
Make sure the pup is registered with the KC and not some meaningless registry.

If she chose the Kc name then she is the breeder of the dog, sounds fishy to me so id stay away but i think you need to abit of research yourself on the breed in general, and the kc rules and involvement in dog breeding and the lines behind your chosen breed etc even if its just a pet your after.

Louise

>The lady selling the dog wasnt a breeder but wanted to get rid of it cos her standard poodle had had puppies and the little one wasnt getting >enough attention

As her poodle has had puppies this lady is a breeder ;) she may not be the breeder of the pup, but she is, nevertheless, a breeder ;)  personally I'd run a mile from both ;)

Don't be afraid to be choosy about the pup you buy, you will hopefully h live with it for a very long time, so it should be one your are totally happy with ;)

Sorry Louise but I chose the registered name for three of my bitches but I didnt breed any of them I was allowed to contribute by their breeder ;)

Thanks for the advice - I wont be getting the older puppy now. As for the others they are 8 weeks old and were £475 but have been reduced to £375. Everything seemed ok when we went to see them. They had sent the papers away and are awaiting their return. We saw the mother and she was lovely but the father doesnt live there but they are willing to provide photos and details. It is the first time the lady has bred her dog and she has been taken under the wing of an experienced breeder. The dogs have been eye tested and have all the papers to support it. They have one little black one left so im thinking of getting him. I will speak to her again in the morning about the papers though and go and have another look too.

hi if you get mum and dads kc names you can ring the kennel club and ask if the paperwork is undergoing registration or you could leave a deposit with the breeder and pick him up when the papers come back.

> I chose the registered name for three of my bitches but I didnt breed any of them I was allowed to contribute by their breeder ;-)

Like Satincollie I chose my boys name too (not the affix obviously) and it is another of the advantages of going on the waiting list of a good breeder.  You have time to get to know each other so that, by the time the litter is born, the breeder will be able to not only pick a puppy according to show quality, if that's what you want, but also to best match personalities for the different families/homes they will go to.  It felt like a real privilege to be able to pick a name and was a special moment for us.

To the OP my advice when choosing a puppy is almost: don't!  Choose a breeder instead :) If you take your time to choose a breeder wisely then you will get the puppy you want.

I fully agree with all of the posts on here regarding the older pup but I just cant help feeling for that poor dog and wondering what will happen to it, Stupid I know but I cant help it!! :(  my house would be an animal haven if I had the time and money!!

Why not have a look on the CD puppy lists for your chosen breed, go to homepage, then search, you'll get a pup with all health checks and a good breeder to boot, who will be there throughout your puppy growing up and all paperwork will be available and legite.

£375 is too cheap for a good quality Lhasa with paperwork, this is usually the price for none health tested parentage and no papers,

Re: The older pup's owner choosing the pedigree name, that is fine I have occassionally allowed a new puppy owner to choose their own name, it has my affix and if I'm happy with it I have allowed that too, so that in itself is not a problem, but have a look on CD for a good quality pup, or the KC pages, or better still the breed club.

It honestly is worth paying for quality, to get good temperament, health tests and legit papers and a lifetime of support, you can't beat it. :-)

Registered breeders in my area are charging £450 so I think that as this lady is only just starting out that this is the reason she is a bit cheaper. There are a lot advertised for only £300 from breeders in my area too come to think of it. Both parents of the puppies have had health checks including eye tests so I think I may go and have another look. By the time ive made my mind up they will be gone lol!

> Registered breeders in my area

Breeders are only registered if they breed more than 4 litters a year, which usually means they are commercial not breed enthusiasts which should be the case.

I hope you mean breeders with KC registered puppies.

Please check out this breeder with the breed club and find out what they know of her.

Do you know the parents registered names.  If so google them and you ought to find show results for them, if not why were they used for breeding?

as long as all pups are all healthy
alot of people say let the puppy pick you. i did this with mine. however my friend opted for the shy timid one that would not come near (i had read not to go for that one) anyway he is now 3 and a treasure. much calmer and more independent than my dog.

>It also had runny eyes for which she had drops.

Puppies should be healthy. Its completely unethical to sell a sick animal.

I had a dog which had dry eye and required drops all of its life - she was badly bred and the eyes were the least of her problems, sadly she was put to sleep at 4 years due to poor health.

>maybe to do with the fact that the kids were dragging it around.

The breeders kids? Poor puppy, its going to learn that children are rough and may decided it doesn't like children because of its early experiences and if that's going on are the puppies getting the right sort of early socialisation?

I'd give that breeder a wide berth.

We normally do not have papers through in time as we need to microchip pups before the IKC will register them.  Wr normally do not get the pups done till they are at least six weeks and the turnaround from IKC can take three weeks depending on how busy they are.