I do not see a problem with them , If the people using them ie breeders are well vetted , And the people looking to own a dog are well vetted by the breeder, There is a lot of bad breeders who use them , But also a lot of ethicle breeders , And in many ways people can gain a lot of knowledge from the well run add sites , XXDK

Well said, I totally agree.

There was a time of course, when I didn't even know dog shows happened Because of that Breed clubs didn't even enter my mind. I didnt know any Breeders or people that showed their dogs, so couldn't have known any different. When I did in fact find out about dog showing, everybody used to say it was for the 'dog snobs' who just liked competing against each other, as it was a beauty contest for dogs !!!

Unless the general public are 'Made' aware of these things, how is anyone to know any diferent ? There aren't any sites out there which are found easy that state what goes on in the dog world and which explain WHY people really show their dogs !

I think people that advertise (with all the relevant details of testing etc) are doing a good service to their breed, even if they dont have pups to sell, just so that people have the info they need and therefore have a knowledge of what a breeder is and what a BYB is, as the differences are clear, therefore giving them the choice. A choice between good breeders or bad breeders, is better than a choice of all bad breeders JMO of course

With the internet being the most easily accessed form of information these days, people turn to it first, and if they are looking for a puppy, its inevitable they will find those sites, as they are top of the Search engine lists ! SO it simply makes sense to make sure the Correct information is out there for them to find just as easily

Well both my dogs came from the freeads.... on the same day too, though that was unplanned.

We wanted a jrt and quickly, we'd looked in the vets and local windows etc and none were around.
I had a day off so first thing I looked on the net, we rang them up and off we went then Tonto came home with us. He is a jrt, from working farm stock, there is a jrt club as far as I know but I didn't want one of those, as the appeal of jrt's is their variety.

Inca was a rehome which my OH had found looking through the freeads on the net. We had been contacting the breed society and breeders, but my OH phoned me as we were on the way home with Tonto, which he didn't know about, to say we were going to look at her at 5pm.

So Tonto arrived at noon at 8 weeks old and Inca arrived at about 7pm at 5 months old.

I was not totally niave when looking on there, I did know what not to go for. If we hadn't needed a jrt quick I was going to go on the waiting list for a Griffon as had been speaking to the Griffon lady from Our Dogs magazine, but that wasn't to be, maybe one day.

I don't think it's advertising on the freeads thats the problem, it's still the problem of much of the general public being uneducated as to what is good and what is not IMO.

Thats exactly the point I'm making, to you I wouldnt be a faceless breeder because I came by a recommend but I'd be no different a breeder to the ones that responded to my free ad, nor would I treat and vet you as a buyer any differnently and you'd be getting the same dog.
I cant see a difference at all.

Nether can I hun.xx

I'd ask them why they were advertising there and it would depend on their answer. I have no problem with ethical breeders advertising there, it's just not where I personally would look for a pup. I can't really speak about advertising my own as I don't plan on breeding in the foreseeable future. I wouldn't advertise a stud in free ads though.

As Dilkara has stated before, many new prospective owners may not know exactly what they are looking for when buying a puppy from a reputable breeder. They may not know where else to look other than free ad sites or newspapers.

I bought Max from a free ad site, and although I now wish I had gone about it differently, I wouldn't change him for the world. I have no idea if his parents were health tested and I never saw the father. I had owned dogs before, but never bought one myself as they had always been family dogs. I came across Dogsey after buying Max and now would not consider buying a dog without the relevant health tests etc being carried out.

However I think the public would have a lot to gain by reputable breeders advertising from time to time, even advertising before the bitch is mated.

The difference for me, would have been in the fact, I found you through either a recommendation, or research...I would not have gone looking for you on the free adds..

Ye you are right , I would have been getting the same dog.. but by the time I found out you where advertising in the free adds, I probably would have already fallen for said pup...and it would be harder to walk away.....IF ,after you have given an explanation, that sat well with me....ie. it is not a regular way to sell your pups... I would as I said earlier, still buy the pup.

I think I said in an earlier post... it it not so much where you advertise, but the ethics of the breeder....

And although there are ethical breeders who use such sites... it would not be my first port of call looking for a pup.

As sadly it shows over and over again, the same names /numbers cropping up, with litters to sell...one or two or more on the go at any given time..


And I understand the theory behind the ethical breeder bombarding these sites to educate , and hopefully stop the unethical..but I am not sure how much of a difference it will make..

As most of the pedigree pups on these sites will be half the price of one brought from a reputable breeder...

And some of the people who buy from these site swill do so not through ignorance, but the fact they can get a pedigree pup, for less than buying from else where.

I suppose the difference is... what side you are seeing it from...the breeder or the buyer!!!

Couldn't agree more Lou!

Like Random posted, if I was researching a breeder and saw they had a litter in the free-ads, it would put me right off them.

I do not feel there is ever a need for reputable breeders to advertise in the free-ads, however I can see the good in a breed club (or anyone really) putting in an advert that warns people of the potential dangers, tells them what they need to look for in a good breeder and points them to the breed clubs website (or gives contact details for the breed club).

I guess some people may have a preference for colour but if they really wanted a pup from that mating the colour would not (should not?) deter them.

All of my breed on the said sites are selling for the same price and again any one with a oonce of common sense would surely question why a certain litter was cheaper than all the rest.
To be honest if someone questioned my ethics by put the litter on a free ad site after I'd told them about the health checks etc they probably wouldn't get a pup from me its a two way street after all.
I feel I dont have to justify were I choose to sell my pups and the same goes for the buyer.
If they want to go the KC site (im on there as well by the way) thats there perrogative but I doublt they'll be getting a healthier or better reared pup.