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nickmcmechan
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06-05-2012, 07:21 PM

Choosing a Pup from a Breeder

My Daughter has decide to get a pup from a breeder and has asked for my help.

It's a Sprocker in Dumfries and the litter is currently 6 weeks old, so will be ready for homing in 2 weeks.

All my dogs have been rescues, so I've never done this before. What I wonder is what questions I should ask and what should I look for?

My understanding (after some initial thoughts) are:

1. overall health (clarity of eyes, firmness of abdomen, any obvious signs)
2. socialisation, what has the breeder done and what envirnonment is it currently being raised in
3. after care - has the breeder asked her about she will care for the pup and her lifestyle; some (good?) breeders insist on the pup being returned if things don't work out?
4. papers? what are the lines? is it show lines or working lines? Not sure if this will be available / known being a Sprocker?
5. parents? is she able to meet them? what are their tempraments like

The pup is in Dumfries (or nearby), and is being sold for £300. The breeder lives on a farm.

Thanks
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smokeybear
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06-05-2012, 07:36 PM
Well I doubt you will get any papers with a Sprocker and generally they tend to be bred from working ESS and CS.

I would expect to see the dam but not necessarily the sire as many people travel hundreds of miles to use a suitable stud dog.

Have the dam and sire had the relevant health tests?
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astle9
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06-05-2012, 07:53 PM
300 quid for a sprocker is not going to be health tested.is there a plan for this dog in future gundog or sports as they really do need a lot of mental and physical stimulation, my springer (working) has been out all day doing agility, been jogging with the missus, has had 3 huge walks, dummy training and still is up and about.
Good luck and your question basically has your answers, you sound like you know what to ask, one day i will have a wocker or a sprocker, excellent dogs.
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TabithaJ
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06-05-2012, 08:15 PM
The key thing is to check that both dam and sire had all the relevant health tests for the breeds. If they did not, then this litter is not a good choice.

Assuming all the tests are in place and the results OK, the other key thing is to see the dam - no dam, walk away.

You also want to see that the breeder cares about where the pups go and that they will be on hand to offer support and guidance if needed at any time during the dog's life.
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nickmcmechan
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06-05-2012, 08:33 PM
thanks for the excellent replies

i have asked her to find out about health tests and seeing the dam

ta
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nickmcmechan
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07-05-2012, 06:43 AM
she has asked about the health tests and the breeder replied asked if she was meaning annual jabs and check ups for the sire and dam

my daughter then clarified the tests she was looking for - eye tests, fn, pra and hip scores. she repleied that the vet is on the farm today (monday) and will check - sounds like these will not have been tested for

on the other side she is able to meet both the sire (after a little travel) and the dam
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nickmcmechan
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07-05-2012, 08:29 AM
the breeder has replied to her

it's her first litter she has reared

the sire and dam are both available to see. the sire is has won kc qualifications but my daughter was not sure what they were

the dam is used for work around the farm

however, health tests are not available as they have not been performed

the pups are fully health checked by a vet, wormed and getting their first jag next week

although it sounds like she is not a bad breeder, i think she is not a good breeder either, per say

i have told my daughter i would not buy a dog from a breeder without the health tests so i think she is re-considering

the other factor is the pups being raised on a farm (quiet, rural) and being homed to a flat (urban / relatively noisy)
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smokeybear
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07-05-2012, 08:34 AM
Farms are surprisingly noisy................

Remember plenty of people have rescue dogs with no health issues.

Very few ESS or CS are fully health tested.

These are essentially cross breeds.

I think £300 is very expensive for a x breed.

Is there a reason she wants a sprocker rather than a CS or ESS?

Does she want a working dog or a pet?

Has she looked on Gundog Forums for pups?

Having first vaccinations is not necessarily a plus as own vet will redo them, so pup is over vaccinated.
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Moobli
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07-05-2012, 08:36 AM
If it is a sprocker that your daughter particularly wants, I don't think there will be many whose parents are both health tested, although I could be wrong.

Would she consider a pedigree cocker or springer instead?
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Moobli
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07-05-2012, 08:39 AM
I also think £300 is quite expensive for a crossbred pup. Did the breeder give a reason for the deliberate crossing of the two breeds?

I don't think the pups being brought up on a farm would necessarily matter, as long as the puppy your daughter chose (if she decided to) was an outgoing, confident pup. Also, even though the farm where I live is very rural and quiet, not all farms are situated in quiet locations.

What sort of a farm is it, do you know?
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