could someone PLEASE help.

[boopster]

Nick, I mean this in the kindest possible way -- you need to think with your head and not your heart. This is hard, I know, because as soon as you see a photo of a puppy you fall in love with it. I know I did.

But really, a four hour drive is not all that long when you consider you are getting a companion that will hopefully be with you for fifteen or more years. And you can't trust that the image someone portrays over the internet is really true -- I've met a couple of vendors of different products and services who appeared to be first class on their websites and in emails who turned out to be totally the opposite in person.

If you really want to be assured that you're getting a puppy with the best chance to be healthy and well-adjusted, you should go meet the breeder and the puppy, see the conditions in which they live, and see at least the puppy's mother before you commit to the deal. Unless you're willing to forfeit the deposit when you go to pick up the puppy.

I personally would have qualms about a breeder who is willing to ship a puppy (unless by courier) let alone to someone he or she has not met.

I also wonder why you don't want to disclose who the breeder is. That seems to me a red flag that there is something not quite right there but that you want a puppy so badly that you don't want real feedback from people here.

I don't know if this is your motivation because I don't know you -- but I do suggest that you do some soul-searching and decide for yourself if you're letting your desire to have a puppy make you overlook some warning signs about this breeder. Believe me, I've been in your shoes and was saved from potentially disastrous mistakes by taking advice from people in this group.

Whatever you decide, I hope you end up with a healthy, happy puppy that will be a great lifelong companion for you.

[Lizzie07]

Nick, you mentioned the puppy will be registered, but not what the registry is, be it ACA, CKC or AKC.

Did the breeder mention what health tests the father and mother have had? How old the parents are? How big the parents are?

There are many other questions that can weed out whether this is an ethical, responsible breeder or not. Please read all the information suggested. Everyday we read tragic stories about very sick puppies on this forum.

[Gatord]

Is it a bad sign if the breeder says they do not allow personal contacts with the dogs due to illnesses the pups can catch? Just wondering since this is what I was told by a breeder. I thought it was weird but thought the pups geting sick made since. And of course that was before I was here and got all the wonderful info I have found.

[RachelandSadie]

just wanted to add my two cents in here. i got a puppy from a breeder that sounded REALLY nice. the deposit was only $50 through paypal and i sent that willingly. I like you didn't want to make TWO trips 4 hours to see the breeders home and just trusted everything he told me because he was a nice old man and sweet. well i got a $400 pup with tons of health and behavioral problems and she came to me way to young to be away from her mom and to this day i don't really know if he was a nice person or a full fledged puppy mill. he also bred multiple breeds of dogs and i learned that it's not about trusting a NICE guy, it's about going and really looking for yourself BEFORE you invest hard earned money into a bad breeding practice.

hope that helps. trust me that drive BEFORE the money would be well worth it. if you give $100 to them first and go find it it's a filthy mill, you may be out $100 and it is money you could have saved up for a much better puppy and breeder.

good luck and i hope you find a great breeder you can trust 100% that backs their pups for life and is always there for you.

[RachelandSadie]

about asking the breeder lots of questions:

Marvin was super BOTHERED by ME when I started asking too many questions. He actually became very rude and irrate. Should have saw that sign but I didn't. Anyways often bad breeder are sweet before you get "too" involved in this. Then they make you feel like crap.

[gemy]

To the OP:

If you want a healthy puppy the first place to start is with healthy sires/dams. As you mentioned health a numbers of times as your first concern then here is what you "should" want to know:

1. What prebreeding tests "specifically" have been done? Don't accept oh my dogs are up to date on all shots, and see the vet regularly. that is fine for pet dogs, not breeding dogs. There are specific tests that need to be done prior to breeding.

2. Have your breeding dogs been test for LP(Luxating Patella) HD, (hip Dysplasia), BAT tested (Bile Acid Test). Have your dogs been tested for PRA (CERF'd).
If the answer is yes to all, please give me what registry the results are posted under so I can see the results. For LP/HD it is OFA for PRA it is CERF, for BATS there is currently none. Also a very few Yorkies have been issued CHIC numbers which is one place you can go to see the results of all the aforementioned tests.

3. What health concerns have cropped up in your breeding lines? If the answer is none, that would make me quite skeptical. Unless this breeder has only ever had one litter, but then again, you are talking about the whole line, that means grandsires/dams, greatgrandsires/dams, etc.

A good breeder should welcome these questions, in fact should have already volunteered this information to you.

In my opinion, if a breeder has a website, then they should post on that website just exactly what breed tests etc they do as a matter of course for the breeding dams/sires.

[JDS]

Originally Posted by Gatord

Is it a bad sign if the breeder says they do not allow personal contacts with the dogs due to illnesses the pups can catch? Just wondering since this is what I was told by a breeder. I thought it was weird but thought the pups geting sick made since. And of course that was before I was here and got all the wonderful info I have found.

I think (mind you I'm no expert, far from it) that most reputable breeders hold off contact until pups have had at least their first round of shots. IMO, that is a good thing. But not allowing any contact ever before deciding to purchase a puppy is ridiculous!

[Rhetts_mama]

Originally Posted by JDS

I think (mind you I'm no expert, far from it) that most reputable breeders hold off contact until pups have had at least their first round of shots. IMO, that is a good thing. But not allowing any contact ever before deciding to purchase a puppy is ridiculous!

Since the fist immunizations shouldn't be given before 10-12 weeks, is it really feasible to hold off on letting a potential buyer not see the dog before that time? I could see holding off a few weeks (4-6). Hopefully, someone like Mardelin or Brooklyn will chime in what age they let potential buyers meet their pups.

To the OP, I thought I read somewhere that your potential pup was only about a week old. Am I correct about that? Even if you aren't getting your pup until the end of February that would only put the pup at about 8 weeks. That's really too early and should be another red flag. Yorkies are best left with their breeder and mother until about 12 weeks.

I would also think that it was far too soon for a breeder to sell at that age, they have no clue what the pup's personality is going to be to determine if it's a good match for the buyer.

JMO, but I wouldn't buy or put a deposit on an dog without seeing it or it's living conditions first hand. A 4 hour drive is nothing compared to the number of hours you are going to have a dog in your life.

If you want to do some more investigating on your own, I would ask for a vet reference. Google the breeder's name and the name of the kennel. Call the local animal control and find out if they've had any contact with the person. Write to which ever club the breeder is registered with (AKC, CKC) and see what you can find out. Don't trust just personal testimonials on a website.

Good luck in your search.

[Mardelin]

Originally Posted by JDS

I think (mind you I'm no expert, far from it) that most reputable breeders hold off contact until pups have had at least their first round of shots. IMO, that is a good thing. But not allowing any contact ever before deciding to purchase a puppy is ridiculous!

You are absolutely correct. No one is allowed to see my pups until their first round of shots, or do I accept a deposit on pup until I've met the prespective new owner and they've picked their pup in person.......

[gumbysuz]

I think you have received more than enough experienced advice on YT. I researched and interviewed for over a year before I selected the breeder for my lovebug, Dori. I visited several times, published lists of questions and took a friend to each visit. The breeder, in turn, required a 3 page questionnaire to determine if I was the best match for Dori. This is, at least, a 15 year commitment. Do not skimp on your research. Back away if any of the red flags mentioned arise. Even if you lose a deposit, you may be saving yourself years of heartache and expense.

[NickRodriguez]

Thank you everyone on your advice ill keep everyone posted on any upcoming puppy related info.....

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by NickRodriguez

I completely understand. and honestly the deposit is the least of my worries. In your opinion do you feel if she was not a legit breeder she would invite me into her home to let me see where she raises her dogs/ puppies and also not expect the money upfront??

A breeder can have a few dogs in their home for you to see but you do not know how many dogs they may have elsewhere in out buildings or even in a building off the premises.

You can tell a lot from their website. Probably more than you can from a visit to their home.

[JeanieK]

Originally Posted by Gatord

Is it a bad sign if the breeder says they do not allow personal contacts with the dogs due to illnesses the pups can catch? Just wondering since this is what I was told by a breeder. I thought it was weird but thought the pups geting sick made since. And of course that was before I was here and got all the wonderful info I have found.

I personally that is going a bit too far. I can understand asking them to wash their hands, or even asking people to cover their shoes. But to not see them because they can catch a disease

I go out in the world and do things and come back and handle my puppies. I probdably should take my shoes off when I have unvaccinated puppies runnng around, but I don't. However I do understand the reasoning for doing so.