Gumtree is a way of advertising on line, but as you become more experienced in the dog world... (as your profile says this is your first dog)..you will learn it is not a place a reputable breeder needs to advertise their pups..


Where the parents of your dog health tested..did your breeder show you the relevant paper work.

As Woody is only 14 wks old, even the most knowledgeable people in the breed would not suggest he was stud dog material at that age... so I am guessing those who did have no idea of the breed standard for your dog.

At 14 wks old, there is no way you can determine he will be 1) quality enough, 2) have the right temperament 3) fit the breed health requirements.

We've had all the paperwork and certificates. They were DNA tested but not sure about anything else. Bit late now to ask I presume.

The breeder were a lovely couple in a village near us in Oxfordshire who decided to breed their bitch with a local dog just once purely because both dogs had such lovely temperaments (which they had). They were not professional breeders. Mum was 3, Dad was 5. The pups lived in the home and had very good socialisation with children, house noises, cats, other dogs and each other.

Nothing else seemed important to us at the time as long as we felt happy with the environment he was born into.

Now I'm wondering if we should have done more, but to be honest, I wouldn't know what to look for.

argghhhh smacks of....well there is another one up the road so why not mate them...

you have a lovely young pup from what I have seen, but the breeders are not really breeding for the better of the breed, its highly unlikely the dog at the end of the road will be the best poss mate for your dog...its just convienient..

Thanks Eunice, as time goes on experience will account for a lot.

Oh, dear me!!!!

We bred , just because they had good temperaments

I take it you mean they tested eyes and hips aslo.

Lets hope woody grows up with no health problems related to the breed..as hopefully the owners where knowlegdable enough to reseach the lines of both dogs.. to se eif they are compatable.

But it could also be that the sire is a perfect match for the dam and the puppies are all going to be great. Who knows. I'm not a professional breeder and neither are they but that doesn't mean they got it completely wrong and he's going to have a whole heap of things wrong with him (I hope!). You never know and can't judge it really unless you've looked into it thoroughly, I say. Perhaps we should have but it just didn't seem important to us. In fact, oddly enough we did feel some reassurance that he was KC reg'd. That's abit hypocritical of me isn't it! Ooops ;o)
They kept one themselves actually as another pet as they live on lots of farm land and enjoy having animals around.

But that is the whole point.... you should look into it thoroughly.... breeding dogs is a lot more involved that just sticking two dogs together.. you should reseach lines of the dogs...

Did they(breeders) hip and eye score, have you seen the results...

Agree Dawn.

Yes. I'm rubbish and feel really bad now ;o(

Hun, don't feel bad, Woody is a gorgeous pup

Fwiw, our last setter came from a great lineage, but she had HD, though then hip scoring didn't take place.... my dad never researched getting her just fell in love with the breed, so got one!!