I doubt anyone 'wishes to' support puppy farms.

Even to suggest they might want to is slightly insulting IMHO.

The OP was asking for advice.

Did anyone actually say reputable breeders only support the breeding of pedigree dogs? It is extremely difficult in the uk to find a breeder of crossbreeds that health test. That is a fact not an opinion, they do exist but are very few and far between. There are also plenty of disreputable breeders of pedigree dogs, that too is a fact. No one is saying all crosses are unhealthy but if they are not from health tested parents they are no healthier than pedigrees from unhealth tested parents. Of course it is entirely possible to take a chance on an unhealth tested pup and end up with a perfectly healthy dog. I have a mixed breed from such a mating who has proved so far at the age of 6 to be perfectly healthy but it's a lottery and you end up gambling on the future health of the pup, not something you want to do after paying £1200 for the pup. You're right the prices of crosses/ designer breeds vary massively and price is no guarantee of quality either.

I'm sure they don't wish to support a puppy farm and yet for one reason or another many do, otherwise they wouldn't thrive. Not suggesting the OP is one that will as she seems to have her head screwed on and asked for confirmation of her suspicions.

Trouble, are you insinuating that if you get a health tested puppy that it will have no health problems? Even with health testing, there isn't a promise that all the puppies will be totally healthy.

Also, there are only so many ailments that health testing can cover. Perhaps all your pedigree health tested dogs have been healthy... but then so have all my mutts.

My most recent mutt has a weak hip and soy allergies, but the hip I link to extremely early neutering and is a very mild case, and the allergies are very mild, as well.

My dogs are always rather healthy and never come from a breeder. So I simply don't think that people should always run to a "reputable breeder" and instead get whatever dog they want.

All I'm saying is that a Puggle is a designer breed and is going to be hard to find and that if she wants that, then she is going to have to chance it. You can find health tested designer breeds, though they aren't common.

I don't speak about dogs in term of "quality". Not even sure what that means exactly. Perhaps show quality, pet quality? Puts me off. I know many people (even here) with dogs (many pure bred) with nasty health problems that no amounts of health testing could have prevented.

I will admit that I don't believe that "health testing" is really all it's chalked up to be. A GSD with strong hips, elbows, perfect sight, hearing etc. registered with the AKC or whatever that gets early cancer wasn't a healthy dog to begin with, despite the breeder doing all the relevant health tests.

. Anyone or any dog can get cancer it's on the increase and no one can say what was inherent and what developed over it's lifetime. As I said before Syd had cancer but he also lived a healthy life up to that point, he was well bred and lived a life without dodgy hips, itchy skin, vwd, thyroid isues, heart issues, spinal issues etc etc. H e had a life well lived albeit a life cut short by cancer. I owe that to all my dogs where possible.

Also the issue is about money, whether we like it or not, why pay the same for a pup from a breeder who is only interested in making their living from their dogs when you could purchase a pup from someone who has devoted their life to producing the best possible pups they can, usually at great financial sacrifice to themselves. So you may not like to talk about quality but that's what it's all about.

I don't think she was ....... but if you health screen for inherent problems and the breeding stock is clear then you are eradicating those problems from the gene pool.

i.e both my dogs parents have ben tested for PRA , both are clear so my dog is clear and will not suffer from the mentioned.

and as such will ensure off springs will be free from

I really don't think early neutering will be the cause of your dogs hip, it could be all manner of things, from inherent weakness to environment ,

For such a young dog to already have hip issues suggests to me more than early castration.


Its a pay your money take your chance situation, everyone is entitled to buy from where they want, but you cant get away from the fact if you buy from someone who HAS tested their dogs (for breed related health issues) you are upping your chance of owning as healthy a dog as you can.

And even less common here in the UK, the site mentioned in this thread is an example of this, one issue you may not have noticed is one of the studs is a Beagle.!!


I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to suggest that health tested dogs would be free from ANY health issues throughout their life,

Sadly we can test and eradicate SOME but just like humans, NONE OF US are immune to ill health.

Not sure of your point here ... are you suggesting that to get cancer you must be unhealthy

Agree with everything you say, life is a gamble in what ever aspect arises.......... we cant guarantee good health for us let alone our dogs, BUT we can cut down the odds on things we Can do something about.........i.e HEALTH SCREENING!!

Health screening is NOT going to make dogs live healthy lives , but it does cut down Some of those issues,

Also agree about pug health, most " ill" pugs you see will not have come from someone who is breeding for healthy dogs, I know a few pugs and believe me, they don't resemble the image some folk try to portray them to be.

This makes interesting reading about "Designer Dogs".

If only these people could see a really healthy Pug, Phoenix my black one runs like the clappers, she looks like a cartoon dog as her back legs are going so fast. She would no doubt be great at agility as she leaps and jumps great heights for such a small dog. She's a complete dare devil and while I accept she is exceptional, as she easily out runs the other two the others are no slouches either. It proves Pugs don't have to be overweight or have breathing issues they can be just as fit and healthy as the next dog given the right start in life.

I used to know a Pug who belonged to the wife of a Gamekeeper. He was out every day with the springers and kept up with them with no problem.