Hello
I am new to this site but not to dogs. We have just put our name down for a goldie puppy but i have 1 concern, will the breeder turn us down when we visit as my son is wary of dogs. he is not frightened but needs time to sit and get used to them, my daughter on the other hand will be rolling around in her element. Should i tell the breeder about my son who by the way is 13 as i am worried she will take his reaction as fear. he is also quite shy in himself but is excited about a new addition to the point of throwing away his christmas pressie list.(although of course the puppy is not a christmas present) Any advice would be appreciated.

As a breeder I'd definitely appreciate knowing in advance. When people visit me what I tend to do is test people out by letting them meet all the adult dogs first, before they see pups, it's a simple way of finding out if somebody in the family isn't so keen on having a dog, you can usually tell if they dislike getting hairs on themselves etc. I think your explanation makes sense but you would be better off telling the breeder this in advance to avoid misunderstandings -and to avoid your son getting worried too.

Thankyou for that, its just really difficult to put the right message across and we certainly dont want to seem dishonest. my son really likes dogs my sister has a 8 month old lab and he sleeps in with my son when they visit us he just needs a little time and we dont want to outstay our welcome when we go to visit the breeder.  as for hairs and mud etc they taste great with a little seasoning!

Hi clw9192 honesty is the best policy and I'm sure that the breeder will appreciate this....I know I would.

Just tell the breeder your son is wary of adult dogs till he gets to know them, he may be best not taken but you can agree that with the breeder. Think anyone in dogs will understand that not everyone likes other peoples dogs so don't worry too much.

Even the most confident dog savvy child can be a bit outfaced when meeting new dogs en masse so I'd hope most breeders would be aware of the effects their dogs might have.  Particularly if the dogs have an over enthusiastic greeting style (like mine - one of whom likes to kiss with tongues, and thinks children were designed just for him...)  :)

If your chosen breeder has children I expect they'd take it in their stride but it's probably worth mentioning it so that your son can meet the bigger dogs 1:1 perhaps.  I wouldn't worry too much about it as I'm sure your son will manage to convey his enthusiasm but just in a different way to his sister!

Hope everything goes OK - puppy preparation is an exciting time

Thankyou for the advice, we have waited and waited until we felt 100% commited to a puppy had lots of discussions around the table so i am worried about getting the kids hopes up (and mine). we dont want to go down the cheaper or easier option route as in buying from classifieds, as we would like to get to know the breeder and see the full litter. Hopefully we will be ok ive told the kids to be patient as it could be a long process before we can welcome our newest family member!

My sister ( and I) bought her pup from an excellent breeder and had a similar problem to you his yunger sister is also similar to your little one. She explained in advance the problem and the boy showed his reluctance when we arrived with the older ones. Our breeder was really good and understanding and helped him gain confidence particularly with the adults but also with the pupps who were climbing all over the place as you can imagine.( in a controlled way) Lets face it 3 or 4 adult gsd can be intimidating to a lot of people as friendly as they were
All went well and we boith had our lovely pups who are now full grown 4 year olds 
Good luck and hope it works out for you

Thanks for that i suppose now we have made the decision im anxious for it to go smoothly, having had dogs around me as a child from a mongrel to rotties to shitzus i really want my kids to enjoy it as i did. its an exciting time i just want to do it all properly!

As a breeder your posts warm my heart :)

oh thankyou, ive practically spent the day on here reading advice and storys and even the memorials, brings it all back, i guess im behaving like a big kid really but it is tooooooooooooooooo exciting forget winning the lottery id go for a home with a wagging tail anyday!

I had a call from a lovely potential buyer who told me that her young son was autistic and on first meeting he could be very odd - but within a half hour or so he would calm down. Many people had turned her down so I invited her round.

The boy screamed and screamed but just as she said he calmed down and it became obvious that he was not screaming about being scared ...he was beside himself with excitement :-)

They were wonderful with their boxer puppy and the pup became the boys soul mate...a lovely outcome.

my sons personality is very similar although not autistic just introvert, im sure he will be fine and also find a soulmate! fingers crossed for us.

all in good time as they say

I just find it quite refreshing that someone in your position as a potential owner understands that to a good breeder the homing of a puppy is not just a business transaction dependent on the buyer wanting to buy and having the means to pay, and that a lot of worry and heartache is involved.

i want her to be happy to select us for a puppy and i understand the value of that puppy to her will be more than any money i can pay.  Once the puppies are born and we are invited to visit i will explain my son is a little nervous both of meeting new people and meeting dogs at first but given time will be fine. I myself am a little shy with people but on the other hand with dogs i am at peace.

will keep you posted and may well ask for advice again.

thankyou so very much i feel we have a chance.

sorry to bother you all but i am viewing puppies saturday and as well as excited i am a little confused, so any advice would be great.
will the puppy have had its first vaccination, it comes with kc reg form does that mean i fill it in and register it. should i ask for a sales contract if i am invited to leave a deposit so i know where i stand if the puppies fall ill.  im really sorry for all the probably silly questions but i dont want to offend the breeder or seem like an idiot. ive not done this much research since bieng pregnant with my own babies!
thankyou

Except in the case of toy breed puppies you would not normally expect vaccination to have been started. Different breeders have different attitudes to deposits and many will not take them but yes, there should be a clear contract in either case stating exactly what will happen in your puppy does not prove well on your first vet check, for example.
You can find more useful information here

Vaccinations are not usually done until at least 8 weeks old with a second one at 10 weeks, some prefer 10 and 12 weeks,a nd some vaccines have protocols between the two.

Many breeders like myself will not be happy to send a puppy to it's new home part vaccinated, as it is highly likely your own vet will be using different brand of vaccine and therefore ignore any it has already had, and start a fresh course (no vaccine manufacturer will guarantee their product is compatible with another manufacturers).  There are many concerns re over vaccination.

Some less good breeders will sue 'first vaccination' as a bonus selling point where in fact there are far more important aspects.

So I would not expect a puppy I was buying at 7 to 10 weeks to have had any vaccinations.

As a breeder myself my pups leave with no vaccinations if they have homes to go to by 8 weeks of age, and if they are not homed by then then I will do their full course of vaccinations and they will not leave until they are 10 - 11 weeks old.

If the pup has been vaccinated already by the breeder I personally would prefer to leave it with the breeder until after the second vaccination unless I can ensure my own vet uses the same vaccine, so something to discuss with your breeder and the Vet.

Regarding registration, in the UK the breeder has to register and name the puppies in the litter, they then receive individual registration certificates to pass on to the new owner who should then transfer the puppy into their own name (a bit like the log book with a car).

It's unlikely that the puppy will have had its first vaccination, because it's better that the pup's immune system isn't challenged by a vaccine followed by the stress of a change of home followed by anothr, possibly different vaccine. It's better for a pup to leave either fully vaccinated (ie after 10 weeks of age) or unvaccinated.

The KC registration form will be for you to transfer the already-registered puppy (only the breeder can register it) into your own ownership. A sales contract should be given when you actually collect the puppy and pay the balance of the purchase price (less any deposit, for which you should get a receipt).

thankyou so much it is all clear now, you are all invalueable at the moment with your help and advice. i am overthinking everything and not applying common sense.  ill try and keep future questions sensible!

Don't worry, all questions are sensible if you don't know the answer!

Do you really think that purchasing a puppy when you are pregnant and expecting to give birth at some stage in
the future is not the best time to purchase puppy? To care for a baby and a child who has extra needs and then add a new puppy to the family circle at this time is surely rather foolish. When will you have or be able to give the puppy the time he/she needs when you have new baby to care for.  A puppy cannot train itself and if you have not had the time to research the basics such as what to expect when you purchase the puppy due to pregnancy, however are you going to find the time when the baby arrives to care adequately for a puppy? My
advice would be to wait a while until after the baby is born  and family life settles down into a routine and then consider adding a puppy. However happy you may feel about purchasing a new puppy which I can understand only too well but the time in my opinion is not right and before too long you may realise the demands of a puppy are too much with other family commitments such as a new baby and a child who has extra needs and what will happen to the puppy then?
Sorry if sounds a little harsh but the commitment of dog ownership should not be taken lightly and the short and long term responsibilites and commitments of both family life and puppy have to be seriously considerd and reading you last post does not appear that has happened.

sorry just to clarify i had my last child 11 years ago and am most definately not having another at this time or anytime in the future, if my previous posts had been read you would realise we have waited until our children are older all i meant was WHEN i was LAST pregnant i read a lot of baby books and now as this is important to me i am doing a lot of reading again.

>Do you really think that purchasing a puppy when you are pregnant and expecting to give birth at some stage in the future is not the best time to purchase puppy?

Where does she say she's pregnant? She only said that this is the most research she's done since she was pregnant, and that's to be applauded. I wish more potential puppy buyers were as conscientious!

And yes not to be rude but i found your post a letting upsetting due to the fact we are trying to do everything right and if that means i dont have the same knowledge as other than maybe you are right i should not own a puppy

Thankyou for that Jeangenie!

And yes not to be rude but i found your post a letting upsetting

Just a misreading CLW sure it was not meant to upset in different circumstances it is good advice.

i totally agree i know people are passionate about breeding. I just had a over emotional moment. Lets be honest if more people didnt have kids and puppies at the same time rescue homes wouldnt be so full and the puppies would find nice forever homes. I cant understand how anyone can decide one day and purchase the next without really thinking it over seriously.

Hi clw9192 sometimes a little rudeness is allowed.You are being a responsible potential puppy owner.Good luck.

> it's better that the pup's immune system isn't challenged by a vaccine followed by the stress of a change of home followed by anothr, possibly different vaccine.

I agree with your advice JG, even though we used to sell pups at 8 weeks having had their first vaccination. Now we sell them mostly unvaccinated unless they are staying with us for a bit longer for any reason.

But if the OP's breeder always has the first vaccination done, it doesn't always mean the next vet will have to start from scratch. I had a couple of my pet owners check with their vets two years ago. They both came back and said that their vets reckoned most modern vaccines are compatible these days so no need to start again.

> To care for a baby and a child who has extra needs and then add a new puppy to the family circle at this time is surely rather foolish.

No doubt you meant this for the best, but because you did not take the trouble to read this thread properly, you only succeeded in upsetting the OP who is trying to do everything right. To actually call people names like 'foolish' when you have not been meticulous yourself is a bit much.

One of the most important things you can do is to research the breed you are considering (what can you expect in an adult dog, what health tests are required in the parents, breed club information and ethics etc) AND just as importantly research the breeder (Google name and address, ask questions)

Even if you've done all this, another read through of all the information will help you get prepared and you can make a few notes before you get there.  Does the breeder have puppies on the ground now?  If so that's the most 'dangerous' time to visit - too easy to get distracted!  In a nice way of course, but even so - it's easy to overlook important issues when you've been seduced by a bundle of puppy loveliness.  Unscrupulous breeders count on it...

In some breeds puppy farmers are rife and many well meaning pet breeders can be just as irresponsible but both may look like perfectly nice people - in fact most are.  I don't want to scare you but do keep your eyes and ears open for anything that sounds out of place and don't forget you can come back here after the visit to ask for opinion if you hear anything you are unsure of.  I'm assuming that you aren't expecting to come home with a puppy

I'm sure you already know all this stuff but the recent thread about someone having 2 siblings suggests that not all breeders are as ethical as one would hope.  So I'm probably lecturing to the converted!  Hope everything goes ok with your son too :)

thankyou all great advice. will keep you all posted!

I would just say in defence of pat, she is one of the people working hard behind the scenes regarding the disgrace of puppy farming, and therefore is understandably passionate and sensitive regarding responsible pet ownership and breeding.

We can all misread/misunderstand things.

which i did to be honest, as i stated earlier what pat said is spot on i was a little over sensitive. Dont jump on pat everyone i will take all the advice anyone cares to offer so thanyou again all!

I keep my pups till 12 weeks old and get them vaccinated at 9 and 11-12 weeks and they go the following weekend[if I had large litters I probably couldn't afford to do this],I have no worries of them picking up any nasties and they are ready to continue the socialising I had started here when I take them out and about in a sling to watch the world go by but not putting their feet on the ground.

Some breeders take a deposit but so far I haven't as my pups have gone to people I already knew but may consider it in the future depends on circumstances,one new owner offered to pay up front for the vacs which helped.

My next litters will be microchipped too before leaving here.

Good Luck with your search,make a list of questions to ask the breeder, the best breeders will ask you lots of questions too so be prepared,they are not being nosy they just want the best forever home for their pups, make sure you see at least the dam if not the sire to the pups as some brokers buy in litters and sell them as if they were the breeder and the parents are not available. Contact the breed clubs of the breed you are interested in and get a list of their members who breed, be prepared to travel to the right one.

There are lots of subjects to read up on in the different categories here so take a look.

> Dont jump on pat everyone

That's all very well but not everyone is as robust as you seem to be!

> in defence of pat, ..........>
> We can all misread/misunderstand things.

Sure, but history is littered with examples of people who behave as they like because they think they are in the right. It doesn't mean that they have the right to ride roughshod over others if they jump to the conclusion that those people are in the wrong in some way.

Not taking anything away from those working hard to eradicate puppy farming, quite right, it's a disgrace.

I was a little upset at the time but i do realise that if you come on a site like this then people will give opinions. Thanks for all the help and support

clw9192

I am so sorry, I really did read this part of your message as though you were pregnant now and therefore likely to have a baby/ies in the near future and had not had time for research,  'im really sorry for all the probably silly questions but i dont want to offend the breeder or seem like an idiot. ive not done this much research since bieng pregnant with my own babies!

I jumped in and did fall head over heels. Although I had read read the initial post days ago I did not read through them before my reply yesterday to what I understood you to have meant that you were pregnant.  Sorry, I really did not intend to cause you upset please accept my appologies. 

Pat, really no need to apologise, we have all done it. again i really think you are spot on with what you said it would be complete madness of anyone who is currently pregnant to then think of a puppy. Please dont worry your advice is priceless and the knowledge of everyone on here is so helpful to me. Also from what i read you do great work and im actually quite chuffed that you all took the time to answer.

thankyou all

Thank you for your kind response.  I felt really guilty when I realised the mistake I made. Trying to do too many things with not enough time (but that is no excuse), I will try to be more careful in future and read threads in full before replying.

WAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!  Have just had a call and a little girl has become available, spent a while on phone to lovely breeder who is going to reserve us a little girl and we can visit later this month. Fingers eyes and toes crossed all will be ok. Still a long way to go before the fun begins i know a lot can happen...........but we are all so excited.!!!

Great news, keep us posted on how things are going.

Time to start puppy proofing the house and garden.

Of course, hubby is going to be a busy boy, may also get some of the jobs that ive been nagging him about too - all in the name of puppy proofing of course. Just written yet another list and i am currently researching the crate or no crate debate!

> will the puppy have had its first vaccination

I've just noticed that Steve Dean (vet & chairman of the KC) deals with vaccination this week in his Dog World column. You can read it here  Apparently this topic is to be continued next week.

> i am currently researching the crate or no crate debate!

Start a new thread on that one - you'll get lots of helpful replies

I'm a vote 'yes' to a crate! :)

thanks me too just the hubby i have to convince, but bearing in mind i will be the one bringing up baby so to speak!   Will start a new thread cheers!