My husband and I are looking to adopt our first bulldog and met with a breeder today - there were a couple of things that seemed a bit quirky during a visit and I was wondering if anyone could tell me if this was normal...
First off, let me start by saying that we had no doubts about the breeder before the visit. We've been on a wait list with the breeder since April, and have been communicating with her up until the puppies were born last week. She is very knowledgeable of the breed and reviews from previous customers and colleagues online are all very positive.
With that being said...
We contacted the breeder last week for an update and were informed that two puppies were born. We showed interest in one of the pups and the breeder recommended that we visit once the puppy turns one week old. We thought this was a little early, but agreed.
When we arrived, just the one puppy was available for us to see. When we asked to see the mother, the breeder said we could *BUT* she still had stitches from the c-section and it would be difficult to bring her out (she was in an indoor kennel attached to the house). The breeder, instead, offered to bring the father out and send us pictures of the mother. The breeder has eight bulldogs, all of which live in what they say is an air-conditioned kennel (we weren't invited to see it.) This seemed a little odd to us.
When asked what would happen if we wished to move forward, the breeder began discussing a deposit and the types of payment she accepts. Again, seemed odd as no questions were asked of us other than our names. We were also leery since we would essentially be committing to a dog whose temperament is still to be determined.
The breeder stated that the dogs are registered with the AKC during our visit - but there was no mention of pedigree, paperwork or a guarantee.
Obviously after leaving, we still have a lot of questions for the breeder. After our visit, however, we're not sure if we should continue pursuing an adoption from this breeder or not. Is it common for breeders to ask you to commit to a specific dog at that young of an age?
First off, let me start by saying that we had no doubts about the breeder before the visit. We've been on a wait list with the breeder since April, and have been communicating with her up until the puppies were born last week. She is very knowledgeable of the breed and reviews from previous customers and colleagues online are all very positive.
With that being said...
We contacted the breeder last week for an update and were informed that two puppies were born. We showed interest in one of the pups and the breeder recommended that we visit once the puppy turns one week old. We thought this was a little early, but agreed.
When we arrived, just the one puppy was available for us to see. When we asked to see the mother, the breeder said we could *BUT* she still had stitches from the c-section and it would be difficult to bring her out (she was in an indoor kennel attached to the house). The breeder, instead, offered to bring the father out and send us pictures of the mother. The breeder has eight bulldogs, all of which live in what they say is an air-conditioned kennel (we weren't invited to see it.) This seemed a little odd to us.
When asked what would happen if we wished to move forward, the breeder began discussing a deposit and the types of payment she accepts. Again, seemed odd as no questions were asked of us other than our names. We were also leery since we would essentially be committing to a dog whose temperament is still to be determined.
The breeder stated that the dogs are registered with the AKC during our visit - but there was no mention of pedigree, paperwork or a guarantee.
Obviously after leaving, we still have a lot of questions for the breeder. After our visit, however, we're not sure if we should continue pursuing an adoption from this breeder or not. Is it common for breeders to ask you to commit to a specific dog at that young of an age?
I would be very Leary of a breeder that didn't ask question about you and your home. When I have perspective parents come and see pups which is never till there at least 8 weeks old I have a long list of questions for them and I encourage them to make a list of questions for me before they come. The only time I would not show them BOTH parent is if I did not use my own stud but I would still have stud dog information and pictures available for them. I would definitely want to see where she keeps these pups and the parents I mean how do you know there well cared for or that mom and dad are actually bulldogs? I mean I hate to say it but there are some lousy breeders out there.
