Choosing a new Puppy

[Hayley93]

Good morning,

I hope everyone is well and having a lovely weekend!

I'm new here but hoping I can get some opinions/advice about something.

So my sisters dog sadly passed away a few months ago and she's been looking to get another one. She's had a dog in the house her whole life and her and her children are a little lost without one and feel it's time she got a puppy. (All of the rescues wouldn't allow dogs with young children, other dogs or cats)

I found some online this week, she fell in love with a little female and we drove almost 4 hours yesterday to visit/put down a deposit.

We went in and saw the puppies, all jumping around and playing which was great. BUT I picked up the one my sister chose and she seemed a bit shakey I put her back in the pen, maybe she was scared but she still didn't seem right! She had her tail in between her legs and wasn't playing or near as active as the others!

Alarm bells starting ringing as something clearly wasn't right with her Her tail was inbetween her legs and she just seemed a bit fed up.

We mentioned it a few times, but the lady insisted she was just tired and she's just as active as the others.

So in the end my sister ended up putting a deposit down and we left, spoke about it in the car and she went back in and asked if she could have the other female that was a little bundle of life.

Now the problem is, I can't stop thinking about the poorly puppy! Could she have just been tired or does she sound unwell? They were just 5 weeks this week so it's a while until we can pick the other puppy up.

My sister is happy with the puppy she will be getting and wants to give her a good home. She's had a really tough year on top of everything else that has been going so I wanted to do right by her. But I feel like we did the wrong thing and should have done more to make sure the puppy is OK! We've had dogs our whole lives and had a litter before but I feel like we've made a made decision!

Now almost four hours away I'm thinking will the other puppies be OK? Will that one puppy be ok? Should she not have put down a deposit?

Sorry to be such a downer on a Saturday morning but my brain is now rattled with guilt and worry

 

[JoanneF]

Have you seen this page? It might help, either to reassure you or to suggest further investigation.

Puppy Farming

 

[Hayley93]

We did see both mum and dad, both looked healthy and had lovely temperaments. They said it was an accident breeding and apart from the house looking like it it didn't have much general cleanliness, it seemed like a normal family home. All the other puppies seemed happy, healthy, bright and playful. It was just the one that didn't seem right.

I feel like they haven't really done anything wrong, just that they're oblivious to any problems this puppy could have/if it has any at all?? I really wish I could just go back and make sure she's ok! I'm in two minds as to whether we did the right thing or not =(

 

[JoanneF]

What breed is the puppy?

 

[Hayley93]

A crossbreed, Beagle x staffordshire bull terrier.

 

[JoanneF]

Well, neither are particularly high risk for hereditary health problems, so that is a positive.

What about asking the breeder for some videos so you can see the puppy playing?

 

[JudyN]

Sadly, you can't help every puppy If your sister chose the pup who didn't seem quite right because she was worried about it, she could also have been buying a shedload of heartbreak for her and her family.

Could your sister ask to go and visit again before she's due to pick up her pup? If the poorly pup seems fine, then there's no problem, and if not, depending on what the breeder says, she might feel that they are not genuine and pull out of the purchase (even if she does lose the deposit).

 

[Hemlock]

It's far better to lose a deposit than have a lifetime of a poorly puppy -- even if that lifetime is short. I think your sis should chalk it up to experience (experience is often expensive, but money is replaceable) and find a litter closer to home where the puppies are healthy and friendly.

Also it is a cross between two breeds that are normally happy-go-lucky, so a shaking timid pup is an even louder warning. Was the mother the beagle or the stafford?

 

[Hayley93]

Thank you all for the response!

We'll try and get some regular videos sent through to keep an eye on them.

If we can, then we'll go down some more as that would be ideal. The breeder was more than happy for us to do this, so that's down to us. It's just the distance that is the problem really.

I think the best outcome is that when we go to pick her up, she's as happy and healthy as we saw her yesterday! If not then we wouldn't want to take her.

It is a shame because they're just the type of breeds (size/temperaments) my sister could have hoped for. She's adamant that she's getting the puppy and we're wishing for the best.

The poorly puppy is now the last one to be viewed so hopefully when her potential new owners arrive they will raise some concerns or the puppy will be doing better!

The mother was a Staffordshire Bull Terrier. I'm not sure if the puppy was timid or had an injury? Maybe she was having an off day? We don't know. She definitely didn't seem right compared to the others! We feel terrible for not taking her on but the thought of going back to a poorly puppy in just heart breaking =(

Thank you all for your kind words, it's going to be a long few weeks!

 

[lurcherman]

We cannot save every pup so I do shut off quite easy as I’d be really jumpy all the while , you got to forget the pup and put all your energy into your pup, my van got stolen and dog was nearly in it, rescued a dog than by a two minute timing of a traffic light he was mine and not the next persons so don’t think two hard .

 

[Buddy1]

The poorly puppy is now the last one to be viewed so hopefully when her potential new owners arrive they will raise some concerns or the puppy will be doing better!

Hopefully, if the puppy is poorly the breeder will think twice before selling her!
You have raised a few concerns about the breeder / litter in your post. If you still have any of these concerns when you visit next, I would really encourage you to walk away however hard that might be.

 

[Hayley93]

Oh definatly, I would have liked to have taken her to the vets then and there. I would be a bit less worried if I had at least had the breeder say they will keep a close eye on her, but they didn't think anything was wrong with her at all =(

Once a bit more is known about how they're doing, I think I will be a bit more at ease!

 

[Cla_ire]

I’m not sure you can tell from just one visit. Maybe she was a bit scared? Maybe she was just a bit ill that day. We took the liveliest puppy in the litter and he was the one that ended up having health problems. Still absolutely crazy, but with elbow issues!

 

[lurcherman]

We all mainly pick the bubbly puppy but that dosnt mean it will out live the other pups, my ex’s mother picked one that was a bit aloof from his brothers and sisters and lasted 16 n half years and being a gsd x , it’s all down to the owners and the luck of god,