Would Be Owners Looking For A Puppy

[angelabolitho]

Hello fellow whippet lovers!

My son and I have done a lot of research and are very keen to own our very first whippet.

We want to be responsible owners and want to find a puppy we can spend a good amount of time with during a school holiday before it has periods of time on its own.

Can anyone suggest a contact for somoen who might have a litter available around the 6th April?

A very kind contact, Wendy suggested I post this request on here

Please help

 

[chelynnah]

Hello fellow whippet lovers!My son and I have done a lot of research and are very keen to own our very first whippet.

We want to be responsible owners and want to find a puppy we can spend a good amount of time with during a school holiday before it has periods of time on its own.

Can anyone suggest a contact for somoen who might have a litter available around the 6th April?

A very kind contact, Wendy suggested I post this request on here

Please help

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

​

Welcome to the board Angela Glad you've joined and I hope that you find the perfect fit for you

Wendy

 

[FifeJillandIan]

Welcome to K9 and good luck in your search for a whippet :luck:

Jill

x

 

[whippetmad]

Welcome to k9 :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[dragonfly]

[SIZE=14pt]I have spoken to several people over the past weeks while vetting homes for my litter and I have been horrified by some of the stories that I have heard. I am also shocked that so many people seem to buy from puppy farmers out of ignorance so I make no excuses for posting this. I put it on another forum originally in response to someone wanting to know where to get a puppy. There are lots out there and you might find them on a website, in a paper or a magazine or through a contact. The KC accredited breeders scheme is NO guaranteof quality.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]This is what SHOULD happen when you look for a puppy[/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Looking For A Whippet Puppy[/SIZE]

 

Before you get an invitation to visit the litter you should have a detailed conversation with the breeder who should ascertain that you have thought carefully about your choice of a whippet, what your garden is like (fences should be mentioned), what the family thinks about the potential new arrival....and so on. If the breeder asks no question then they don't care enough. Move on to another breeder. You should be weeding out the puppy farmers right now.

 

 

When you visit a breeder this is what you should see

 

1. Happy healthy clean adult dogs in the house/kennel in clean beds.

2 Spotless puppy accommodation . If it is not clean when you look in, the breeder should be right there with the mop and the newspaper to freshen up. You should be able to see where the puppies are being reared

3. Plump healthy bouncy shiny puppies.

4. Evidence that the puppies socialise with older dogs, maybe a few brought into the house while you are there.

5. CLEAN water bowls (don't laugh) no algae or encrusted bits.

6. Neatly trimmed nails on the dogs.

7. Clean teeth

8. You should be asked many questions about your home, garden, lifestyle relevant to the puppy having a happy life with you.

If you get a puppy, this is what you should be given (particularly if you are a first time whippet owner)

 

1. A decent sized bag of the food they are eating, with feeding information

2. Puppy insurance & exhortations to continue with same

3. Detailed puppy notes covering aspects of whippet care and behaviour, first aid kit list, excersise requirements etc etc.

4. A collar and maybe a toy

5. A plea from the breeder that you phone them with even the smallest worry.

6. A list of questions from the breeder before you pick up the puppy about traveling crates, sleeping arrangements etc for the pup

7.A lesson in nail clipping, you should have a go at it while the breeder can help you.

8. Pedigree and registration documents (sometimes these follow on later)

9. A guarantee that the breeder will take the puppy back at any time.

10. A puppy of at least 8 weeks old. Any younger is wrong and I personally prefer 9-10 weeks when the puppy will have been disciplined by its mother and learned a little more about the world & how to behave in it. My girls seem start the schooling process with their puppies at about 8 weeks.

 

 

One more thing...No breeder should say that a puppy is guaranteed show quality until 6 months old. Just my not so humble opinion.

 

If you don't get the above you probably shouldn't be getting a puppy from that breeder! Keep looking you will find one that is perfect from a breeder you respect.

If any other breeders out there have additions for my list of "must haves" please feel free to add them.

[SIZE=14pt]Cathie[/SIZE]

Bluestreak Whippets

 

[Julie D]

Hello fellow whippet lovers!

My son and I have done a lot of research and are very keen to own our very first whippet.

We want to be responsible owners and want to find a puppy we can spend a good amount of time with during a school holiday before it has periods of time on its own.

Can anyone suggest a contact for somoen who might have a litter available around the 6th April?

Welcome and :luck: in finding what you want.

We, too wanted to bring home our new pet in the school hols and were trying to find a litter born at an appropriate time, the breeder kindly kept our pup for 2 weeks longer until we could bring her home without leaving her alone.

I first thought whippet pups were as rare as hens teeth (our friends were looking for a lab at the same time and there seemed to be millions of them :- " ) but once you get into K9 community you see lots of litters and it's very worth travelling far for your pet.

 

[angelabolitho]

Thanks to everyone for their advice, especially Dragonfly, I've copied that for future reference!

Things are looking hopeful, so fingers crossed.

Julie D, I know what you mean, the nearest pup is a good 4 hour drive away around the right time for us. This site has been a godsend, we would never have got so much information and contacts if it hadnt started through this forum.

I've had some soul searching chats with Wendy about being responsible owners, as I work full time as a headteacher. Sadly, she was right about a few breeders turning us down without listening to plans I had in place to care for our pup in term time.

However, I've convinced one or two that we really want to make this work - otherwise I'll have to wait till I retire for puppy!

I'm going to take full advantage of my senior position at school and come home most days for a proper lunchtbreak! If not then my retired parents are going to become surrogate parents and pop in on other days - I'm certain they'' fall in love and the pup will soon be spending time at their home too during term time (I've since found out my mum had a whippet as a child and she has talked very fondly of her memories so I know we've picked the right breed).

Listening to your stories on other forums and how enthusiastic you all are, I cant wait to join you as a whippet owner. So I'm hoping to be a regular on this site to pick up lots of good advice.

I hope to have good news soon!

 

[littlenell]

:luck: Welcome and good luck with your search :thumbsup:

 

[quintessence]

What a great post Cathie, any chance that the Kennel Club could read it out at Crufts every hour, on the hour. :thumbsup:

Welcome to K9 Angela, I know you will find your puppy, I have my own business and so have to juggle many balls in the air at the same time but I call in favours from my family when it comes to the dog's welfare. They are the one area I don't compromise on. I have been known to go to work in something which has not seen the iron, but I never ever miss a walk. I also come home every lunchtime in addition to the the support we get from my family. Everyone does their bit and it works well for us and I know it will work for you. After a hard day nothing equals the welcome you get from your whippet(s) when you get home.

Jenny

 

[~Sarah~]

Dragonfly - that is such good advice for new people looking for a pup.

Recently a neighbour purchased a Jack Russell puppy with a very sad outcome. The breeder met him half way in the car and the puppy was handed over. He didn't therefore see the puppies with the mum, nor the household in which they were raised. :rant: Needless to say within 2-3 days the puppy became very ill (the vet thought it was too young to have left its mother). The neighbour contacted the 'breeder' and was met with a load of verbal abuse. :rant:

Very sadly, within about another week the puppy died. Very traumatic event for the whole family, plus they were faced with vet bills, and the loss of the purchase price.

I only found out about this after the event. It just demonstrates how important it is to choose a puppy very carefully, and follow the advice such as given by dragonfly. :thumbsup: