Getting a puppy: “due diligence” on mother

drofluf

We’re hoping to get a puppy from a private breeder. What checks should we ask are carried out on the parents and puppy? On a personal level we trust the breeder, it’s more the vets checks that we need to know about. Puppy will be a cocker spaniel if that makes a difference.  

Please don’t derail this with advice to get a rescue dog. It’s something that we’ve considered as a family but don’t feel we have enough experience to give a possibly difficult dog the home it deserves. 

boogieman

At the very least you should be getting proof of initial vaccinations, deworming and flea treatment. Edit: I forgot, the pups are normally microchipped too, make sure you get the chip details handed over so you can re-register it in your name. 

You can also ask for hip scores to check for physical problems. The pup could be Kennel Club registered, so even if the breeder is a small time private affair, the KC will issue a certificate of lineage so you could check the pup’s breeding line. 

Most decent breeders should supply all this information anyway, and I’d be very suspicious of any that didn’t. 

We got a black Lab puppy recently by the way. She’s gorgeous but be prepared for the glorious chaos that a pup brings to your life. They pee and poo everywhere, at least initially, so buy loads of cleaning stuff and/or budget for new flooring. They WILL eat anything and everything including shoes, clothes, guitars and furniture. Our pup seems to have a particular thing for carpet underlay, luckily we’re replacing the carpets before too long. Don’t leave anything around within reach that you remotely value. They also have teeth like pirhanas, you will get nipped: warn your kids. All the extra stuff you’ll need, insurance, vet checks and jabs, special food, leads, bed etc soon adds up to a small fortune, so be prepared. 

drofluf

Thanks @boogieman breeder is very forthcoming but it’s her first litter so we’re just making sure all bases are covered. 

digitalscream

Not just the mother - if possible, get details on the grandparents as well, as that'll give you some idea of problems to come further down the line (eg genetic problems that tend to show later in life, like sebaceous adenitis etc). Usually, they stop breeding when problems begin to occur, but then...they stop doing checks as well, so it's pretty difficult to get any idea of what the real state of affairs is. Remember, a pup born now could have grandparents just three or four years old.

Even with the best of breeders, pedigree dogs are (almost) all inbred to a certain degree at some point in the line, so you need to be really careful. Talk to other folk who've had pups from them (or the line they're claiming), preferably ones with dogs that have reached 5/6yrs of age.

I wouldn't 100% trust the KC's lineage certification either.

boogieman

drofluf said:

Thanks @boogieman breeder is very forthcoming but it’s her first litter so we’re just making sure all bases are covered. 

In that case and if they’re not an experienced breeder then I’d double check everything has been done. It’s easy to forget stuff in all the chaos of having a litter of puppies around the place. Maybe ask your vet or ask the breeder to check with their vet (or the KC) to see what their minimum responsibilities as sellers are. 

I’ve just edited my first post btw, to reflect our experience of having a new pup. Hope it all goes smoothly for you, good luck.