So I have decided to get a dog and found this breeder online who was selling the labrador pups and they where ready to go in 2 weeks. I called him about the pups and said i could come down and have a look at them before i bought them. He showed me the mother and fathers papers and bloodlines so that he could prove they were full bread. I noticed that the pups where separated from the mother but they could still see and smell her through a wire like fence. He told me he separated them at 5 weeks because they were tearing her stomach up and It was painful for her. I read that separating pups at that age can cause behaviour issues but then i think they can still see and smell her so it might be okay? If anyone has any ideas on if this is okay for the puppies? Thanks
I Would be very suspicious as you obviously are and I would walk away. I would worry that the adult dogs were not the dogs parents at all and they were just there as window dressing. You don't mention health tests either I don't think I would buy a pup without them. Yes the puppies do need to be with their mum to learn social skills and to develop emotionally.
Its hard I know , but if there is any doubt , then walk away . You must have doubts as you have asked for opinions, which is really good , but steel yourself , better to walk away now than have possible heartache down the line x
The females nipples where hanging down like any other dogs would after giving birth so i knew they where hers but as you said, he didnt even mention health tests. He just said that they had been wormed twice and been approved by vet he never said anything about scores. He had pictures of the mother and father when they were pups but i just have this feeling that something isnt right.
Actually, we first saw our pup when he was just over 5 weeks old, and the pups were all together in the pen in the kitchen, with the mother also in the kitchen with her owners. She was put back into the pen when they needed feeding but they were being weaned and the owner wanted her milk to start drying up. This was all ok and above board. If left together the pups will continue to try and suckle, and if the litter is large it must be stressful for the mother. Perhaps visit again with a more experienced friend before writing them off.
This is our experience as well. Mum spent time with the puppies but not all the time because they were constantly attached to her and she needed a break
I think if it doesnt feel right in your gut then walk away. I wouldn't be concerned about them having issues by being separated, they are still with litter mates. Though they do kearn a lot from their mom in these weeks. My pup and littermates were separated vety early (I thought breeder said 3 days but the paperwork from the vet who saw them throughout the 8 weeks said it was 3 weeks, not days). The mom became ill after birth and rejected them, would not feed them and refused to go near them. The breeder hand fed them by bottle from that point. He encouraged his two other females to interact with them but it was minimal.We certainly don't have social issues with him! However one breeder we visited pulled out papers to show us right away and we felt the insistence on being purebred was so harsh that something seemed fishy. Also I am sure this depends on local circumstances but the Labrador Club in my country does not certify until 8 weeks old. It's not possible for a pup to have papers before that. And again likely location dependent but no reputable breeders here have puppies available at that age. A litter is spoken for with a wait list before they are born. If they AREN'T then where I live, that is a sign to ask questions or be suspicious.
At the moment in the uk having the litter then a dog that supposed to be mum is a very common method being used by puppy farmers to dupe people into buying their pups. They have pedigree papers and the house is set up to look like home.
You do sound concerned, and that itself would be waving a red flag! Although some pups are removed from mum at 5/6 weeks for genuine reasons, I think I would be wanting to know a bit more about how the pups are being raised, inside or out? Pups are much better primed for life if raised in a household, with all the noises and comings and goings of visitors, plus exploring different textures, sudden sounds associated with the hubbub of normal life. Between the dam and sire have a complete portfolio of health tests.
The other thing I would do is ask the official name of the father and mother and you should be able to look them up. We are able to go onti our Lab Association website and get the full pedigree and health history of any registered breding dog. You just have to trust that they really ARE the parents, though we can also see through the Association who was bred with whom and when. We visited several breeders in our search for a dog. More than once my husband wanted to take a puppy that I said no to. I knew things weren't "right". When we did find the breeder we bought from, my husband knew right away what I had seen in the "wrong" ones. It just took for him to see the way things SHOULD be to be able to spot what was wrong with the others.
Personally I think if you’re having any doubts then it’s best to walk away. You’re gut feeling is telling you something. Did he also show you their health clearances? I’m getting a puppy soon and I did a lot of research on the breeder before putting a deposit first. Not only did I see his bloodline but I was able to research their health clearances as well. I checked out all the kennels in his predigee as well. I especially enjoyed following up his blood line up to one of the first labrador in record, the dog Nell.owed by the 5th Duke of Buccleuch
I can find it, but it's country specific. If you are in the USA or UK it won't show your breeder. If you google your national or local labrador association you might find it that way.
