[Pushkin]

I was wondering about this - I went to visit a breeder in Florida today who was recommended to me by a very well regarded (by you all) breeder...

She had one older puppy available to be placed to a pet home since she developed some irregularity with her teeth and was not able to show her anymore.

This is where my concern is - when I entered this home, there were about 6 playpens with 2-3 dogs each jumping up and down and barking. It smelled there so badly...like you know what...and although the breeder was really nice, I was just not sure ... as this was my first visit. Is that how it usually looks at breeder's home? The little girl she is looking to place had her own little crate...but the rest of the dogs were just going NUTS. Also there were 4 more little dogs outside running around barking at me and jumping up and down.

Hmmm....what do you all think? What is is supposed to look like at the breeder's premises?
help!

 

[AJ]

Originally posted by Pushkin@Oct 11 2005, 09:54 PM
I was wondering about this - I went to visit a breeder in Florida today who was recommended to me by a very well regarded (by you all) breeder...

She had one older puppy available to be placed to a pet home since she developed some irregularity with her teeth and was not able to show her anymore.

This is where my concern is - when I entered this home, there were about 6 playpens with 2-3 dogs each jumping up and down and barking. It smelled there so badly...like you know what...and although the breeder was really nice, I was just not sure ... as this was my first visit. Is that how it usually looks at breeder's home? The little girl she is looking to place had her own little crate...but the rest of the dogs were just going NUTS. Also there were 4 more little dogs outside running around barking at me and jumping up and down.

Hmmm....what do you all think? What is is supposed to look like at the breeder's premises?
help!
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Who is this breeder?

If the place looks clean, it should be ok....but if its dirty and messy,(unhealthy for pups) that might be a big problem...its ok to be a little crowded at a breeders, I think thats normal, but somebody else can answer more thoroughly.

 

[sassy14830]

I have Tons of experience with working with breeders.

Here are my ?'s the dogs that were in play pens were they adults. Prehaps they where preg moms. If they were expecting moms I have a few concerns that.

It isnt easy keeping a house/kennel with lots of dogs clean and smelling good. I do it almost everyday it is possible. You need to have a good routine and stay on top of the cleaning. There is no excuss for it to smell of waste that isnt a good sign.

Were the dogs or cages dirty? How did the health of the pup you looked at and others look? did you get a complete tour of all of the areas they keep their dogs? Did they show you the parents? I can better direct you if I know a little more

Sarah

 

[cindysilver]

I live in Florida and I got my puppy Jack from a breeder in Clearwater/Tampa. This lady's house had rooms with lots of dogs in them -- and it was a little crazy, but not filthy! And the dogs there were just excited to see people. She bred Bichon Frise and Maltese both, so little white dogs were abundant

What breeder did you visit? DId the dogs look clean and healthy? The fact that they weren't in cages stacked on top of each other is good...

 

[Pushkin]

It did feel a bit crowded, but you are right, I guess that is normal at breeder's. There were 2 puppy boys in one p.pen, then 3 adults in another, then 3 adults in one more, then there was the puppy I was looking at in her own crate (she was very loving and kissing...sweet girl), on the other side of the room were 2 more playpens with more adults.

I asked who the parents were, and the lady said they are on her website. She also showed me a magazine where she was featured with her accomplishments. I suppose I don't want to be unfair and have too high of expectations for what I would like that place to look like. But it was a bit disorganized and it did have a very distinct urine smell...gosh, this is so tough!

 

[sassy14830]

Originally posted by Pushkin@Oct 11 2005, 09:28 PM
It did feel a bit crowded, but you are right, I guess that is normal at breeder's. There were 2 puppy boys in one p.pen, then 3 adults in another, then 3 adults in one more, then there was the puppy I was looking at in her own crate (she was very loving and kissing...sweet girl), on the other side of the room were 2 more playpens with more adults.

I asked who the parents were, and the lady said they are on her website. She also showed me a magazine where she was featured with her accomplishments. I suppose I don't want to be unfair and have too high of expectations for what I would like that place to look like. But it was a bit disorganized and it did have a very distinct urine smell...gosh, this is so tough!
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were the pens clean? were the dogs clean? she didnt show you the parents in person. I agree with the above post that to the average person walking into a dog breeders home can be very overwhelming . The normal person feels wierd in a home of 20 plus pets.

 

[Pushkin]

were the pens clean? were the dogs clean? she didnt show you the parents in person. I agree with the above post that to the average person walking into a dog breeders home can be very overwhelming . The normal person feels wierd in a home of 20 plus pets.
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Sassy - you are so right - I was very overwhelmed, so I did not exactly examine the playpens. She did not show me the parents - that is a good sigh, no?
However, the puppy I was considering did smell a bit like urine. She definitely needed a bath. After leaving that place I used a ton of purell... -_-
What I am thinking is the following - the puppy is 7months old and has a really pretty face, 4 lbs...was supposed to be a show dog. The dark tear stains do bother me a lot however... Just don't know...

 

[miko's mommy]

were the pens clean? were the dogs clean? she didnt show you the parents in person. I agree with the above post that to the average person walking into a dog breeders home can be very overwhelming . The normal person feels wierd in a home of 20 plus pets.
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Sassy - you are so right - I was very overwhelmed, so I did not exactly examine the playpens. She did not show me the parents - that is a good sigh, no?
However, the puppy I was considering did smell a bit like urine. She definitely needed a bath. After leaving that place I used a ton of purell... -_-
What I am thinking is the following - the puppy is 7months old and has a really pretty face, 4 lbs...was supposed to be a show dog. The dark tear stains do bother me a lot however... Just don't know...
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I say you should look around! I mean why not visit a few more breeders just to be sure. You will have this dog for next 15+ yrs so you should be happy with your choice and not have any doubts.

 

[clmaltese]

the frantic issue may have been just because you were there. My babies will act up if a stanger comes in, especially if I have a mom with babies inside. All the other act if they are protecting the babies. I usually crate everyone if I know someone is coming to see a puppy, so all the Malts that have the run of my home are not happy with that, they want out! That may have accounted for the noise?
Now the smell humm, I clean every day, sometime they go with they get excited, but if you smelled more than that, I would check closer for sure. Look at your puppy. Look for fleas, Look at the cloring for disclored due to unclean hair bottoms. They will poop, but you have too clean it up. If you have too many to clean up after, you may have to many to socialize also.
The noise I know is pretty normal, as they were probably excited to see you.
Cathy

 

[msmagnolia]

Gosh, I guess that going to a breeders house would be pretty overwhelming. I tend to like breeders who only have a couple of litters each year. That way I feel like the puppies get lots of human interaction. Does the breeder actively attend shows and show her dogs?

Someone that I met recently claims to be a maltese breeder. She invited me to her home to see her puppies. She uses a stud from a very famous line in the southeast. I was curious to see her pups and went to her home. She had lots of maltese, but they were all well cared for. In conversation it turns out that her dogs have had problems with lux. patellas and she continues to breed them. I already had one foot out the door. Then I saw a roach on a food dish and that was it for me. What is particularly upsetting to me is that there is a breeder in the southeast who will basically breed her male to anyone who can pay the stud fee. Frankly it sends chills down my spine. The breeders that I spoke with when looking for Sassy and Sadie (not this breeder) claimed to be very discriminating when it came to allowing their dog to breed with another. Maybe that isn't the case after all.

My point is that if you have an uncomfortable feeling, it might be best to back off and try someone else.

 

[charmypoo]

Right now, I have 6 furkids at home. When someone comes over and rings the door bell, they all go crazy and start barking and jumping up and down. The sight can be overwhelming to someone who is not used to seeing more than 1 or 2 pets in a home.

I have a large exercise pen (superyard) where I keep the two puppies. Cookie, Sparkle and Waffle have a blocked off area around 15 feet by 10 feet. Nibbler is in his own excerise pen (superyard). It seems mean but the exercise pen is a good way to keep them safe when I am at work. When I come home, they all get to come out and play and they all sleep in my bedroom.

I am not going to lie .. at times ... my house does smell like urine. I have wee wee pads around the house and if I don't change them fast enough .. they start to smell.

 

[saltymalty]

You know, one of the things I liked best about my breeder was that her home had a definite "doggie" smell to it, but her dogs were all bathed, free of fleas and very happy to see us. To me that said that the animals were indeed kept in her house and not in a separate building. Hers were crated while we were there but able to roam free when no visitors were present. I could tell this when I would phone...I would always hear little noises and barks that sounded very close and she would often interrupt our coversation to speak to her dogs...things like get out of the pantry or stop playing with the laundry. I never heard whimpering, crying or yelping. Personally, I don't think that I would ever own that many dogs at one time, but if I did, I would be certain that my house would have the same "doggie" smell to it.

 

[saltymalty]

Susan, the roach would have sent me flying. And this is from the woman who had a sewer rat in her basement! I had the professional cleanup crew here twice. FYI, want to know what they use to disinfect and sanatize all surfaces? First they use a bleach solution, then they use an isopropyl alcohol solution, and then they finish everthing off with a ultra high temp steam cleaner.