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Deposit on a puppy?

Megan5

Megan5

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Hi everyone,
We have been looking for a few months for a labradoodle to join our family. We have finally found some pups who were born 2 weeks ago. After speaking to the breeder over the phone we are both happy with everything and we would love to give one of her puppies a forever home. She told me she required a £300 deposit and for me to fill in the reservation forms. I almost sent the money over bank transfer and stopped myself, because I questioned why I was sending a stranger £300. I rang her and explained my concerns and she was completely understandable. We only live 15 minutes away from the lady and I said I'd feel happier bringing the money to her house so i can meet her in person, get a receipt and see the puppies from a distance. She did say however that because the puppies are only 2 weeks old that she wouldn't be happy with me viewing them as she didn't want to risk any infections and also didn't want to cause the mother any stress. What should I do? Is this normal? Thanks
 
I am not sure how ‘normal’ this is. Personally, (assuming the deposit is non-refundable) I would not expect a breeder to be asking a prospective owner to pay a deposit for a puppy that they haven’t seen. Nor would I expect a breeder to take a deposit for a puppy from someone they hadn’t met either.
We did pay a deposit for our dog, but that was after we had the opportunity to view the puppies (at 5 weeks and 7 weeks) and, just as importantly, spend some time with their mother.
 
Me and my husband were very reluctant to begin with, but now he is saying we know where she lives etc now so it will be fine. I think I will go there this morning, check it all out and see how I feel. Might ask if I can maybe see the puppies through a window or something. And also ask why she is asking for such a high deposit. I don't mind paying something to reserve one, but I don't really want to hand over £300 for a dog I've never met. Thanks for your help everyone.
 
Please be very careful - puppy farmers often sell puppies from what appears to be a family home (with kids, family photos etc) but it's actually just a front to disguise what they are doing. And labradoodles are a popular choice of dog which makes them prime targets for farming. Would you recognise a puppy farmed dog? Questions to ask yourself include - how did you find the breeder? If it was through anything like Gumtree or Facebook, these are red flags. Definitely see mum and pups together, make sure mum looks like she has given birth - if she doesn't have large treats and nipples you are probably seeing a fake mum and the real mum is in a cage in a barn. And don't think that you are 'rescuing' the puppy from farmers, you are just lining their pocket and freeing up space for the next litter.

Hopefully this will be all above board but please read these articles.

What Does a Puppy Farm REALLY Look Like? Could YOU tell?

Animal Welfare Site
 
Thankyou for your help. I have text her this morning and I am going to ask if I can have the name to the vets practice she is registered with, in hope I could maybe give them a call and get it confirmed she is who she says she is. I feel horrible and like I'm messing her around but this isn't something you can just jump straight into. I want a healthy pup for our family. Also, I found the litter of puppies on pets4homes.
 
Megan5 said:
ask if I can have the name to the vets practice she is registered with,
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good idea. If she asks why you can say you want to make sure that they use the same type of vaccinations as your vet uses - sometimes vets use a different one and new owners need to either take the pup back to the original vet (which isn't always convenient) or restart the vaccination regime (which delays when the pup can be walked). If she fudges the answer you will know to beware.

Edited to add - do check with the vet that she is registered with them. They may be restricted in what they can tell you because of data protection but it's worth asking if there is anything that you should be concerned about - if the dog isn't registered with them, hopefully they will have the common sense to say yes.
 
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Please remember that both the Labrador and the Poodle can have hereditary disease's. You should ask to see DNA certificates BVA eye certificates, hip and elbow scores.
A carefully bred puppy, whether a cross breed or pure breed should have parents with good health tests themselves.
Is the Poodle half a Standard or a large Miniature poodle.
Please "Google" the hereditary diseases for both these types of dogs.
A hybrid first cross between two dogs does not guarantee "Hybrid vigour"
A health check from a vet is no guarantee of hereditary health either.:eek:
 
I also think that a £300.00 non returnable deposit is totally unreasonable!!
 
We did some simple checks before seeing Murphy, we googled the name of the breeder to see if there were any hits on her name regarding puppy farmers then her home adress and both came up clear. I checked selling sites such as (the dutch versions of) gumtree and pets4homes and saw that she and her home town were free of multiple ads.
I arrived early for our appointment and checked out the local area then at her home I looked around, it was clean but not overly sterile, there were photos of the mum on the wall and there were dog hairs on the carpet as well as a blanket on the sofa where the dogs sat.
They had mum and dad at the house and it was clear that mum really was mum, she fed the pups while we were there and the dad was also perfectly at ease with the pups, we saw all 8 pups together in their box which was large and clean but in a utility room so that they had enough peace.
Without me asking they showed me both dogs vet books with all the information about both of the parents. We were able to pet both adult dogs and judge their body condition before we saw the pups, the breeder didnt seem hurried or anxious to get money in fact it was me who offered to pay 50% up front.

Murphy was 4 weeks when we viewed him and we were kept up to date on his progress and welcomed to pop back and visit before we actually collected him.
Since then they have kept in touch via FB as have one of his brothers and one sister.
 
I have spoken with the breeder very briefly this morning, she refuses to tell me what vets practice she is registered with and also she doesn't think £300 is a little steep and she said her purpose for it is to avoid time wasters. Unfortunately, my gut is telling me to walk away and that's what I intend to do. Something doesn't feel right so I am just going to leave it. Thanks everyone for your help.
 
Megan5 said:
I have spoken with the breeder very briefly this morning, she refuses to tell me what vets practice she is registered with and also she doesn't think £300 is a little steep and she said her purpose for it is to avoid time wasters. Unfortunately, my gut is telling me to walk away and that's what I intend to do. Something doesn't feel right so I am just going to leave it. Thanks everyone for your help.
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Absolutly the right thing to do..
 
Sounds like a good decision:D
Good luck in your research finding the right puppy for yourselves.

PS. Many years ago,almost 40, I traveled up to Inverness to view a litter of puppies. I didn't like what I saw, and returned home with all my cash in tact, back to Surrey.

Be prepared to travel and view first to find the right dog.
Return home and make the right decision on your own home territory, with no pressure from the seller.

.
 
Megan5 said:
Unfortunately, my gut is telling me to walk away and that's what I intend to do.
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Sounds like the right choice. The right dog is out there, trust your instincts. You could also try dedicated doodle rescues, they may have pups - or go to a poodle breeder. I have nothing against cross breeds but pedigree breeders are easier to check for legitimacy and you could leave the dog with a shaggy clip if it's the doodle look that appeals to you. Check Champdogs.
 
Walking away sounds like a good decision @Megan5.
I wish you luck in your puppy search.
 
I did pay a £200 deposit for Ted. But this was after I'd seen him. I think deposits are normal but I definitely think it's unreasonable to expect someone to pay it for a dog they haven't met. And I wouldn't pay a deposit for a puppy I hadn't seen. In hindsight, I would've waited for a KC registered puppy and asked if the right tests had been done etc. We absolutely love Teddy and wouldn't change him but looking back, did take a risk.
 
I completely agree with deposits, it almost gives you a sense of security also. But I just wasn't willing to give someone i don't know £300 of my hard earnt cash. I think it's quite bad that she is even advertising them and asking people for this kind of money knowing full well no one can even view them. I would be intrigued to know if anyone has actually done it!
 
Having bought three pups over the years I've never encountered a breeder who wouldn't let me see the pups. If the litter are very young I can understand the breeder being reluctant to let you handle them, but the litter are usually fenced off in a pen with the mother anyway so seeing them at a small distance would do them no harm. Genuine breeders encourage contact and will often send pictures to keep you up to date. This doesn't sound right at all. Maybe a call to the RSPCA would be in order so they can check it out?
 
Why not just wait a few weeks until the puppies are older and ready for contact, visit them, spend some time with them and the breeder, and if everything clicks - leave the deposit and start preparing for the puppy.
If all puppies have been reserved by then - oh well, nothing lost.
If something doesn’t feel right about the breeder or puppies - an hour is wasted, not a huge loss...
 
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