unregistered pup

[machosky]

I'm going to see a pup who's not registered because the father isn't, the mother is and both dogs are family pets. The reason I'm going to see these pups is they are the first dogs I've seen where I felt confident there was no puppy farm involved. I've been offered registered pups where I didn't feel sure they weren't being staged from a puppy farm. Now I've just read the sticky on not to buy an unregistered pup and it is very very firmly against the idea, is it really such a bad move?

[Dawnspell]

You can't be 100 % sure it's pure schnauzer if it's not registered. Have both dogs had all relevant health tests ? Do you know why the father wasn't registered ?

[machosky]

I don't know either of those things, I'll ask

[zeta1454]

Hi Sarah, as Alison has said one of the problems with buying unregistered puppies is the lack of information available regarding their health and that of the unregistered parent dog and whether the latter is pure schnauzer.

The most critical health test needed for both parent dogs is eye testing and this should have been carried out within the last 12 months. Hereditary eye conditions which can lead to blindness are widespread among dogs from poor quality breeders and will sometimes not surface until a year or more after purchase. If a dog is registered with the Kennel Club the results of the eye screen will be publicly available as with the results for dogs further back in the pedigree and of siblings. If you have no knowledge of these, you are taking a huge gamble with the future health of the puppy. Litters of pups should also be eye screened by a veterinary ophthalmologist at about 6-7 weeks of age for Congenital Hereditary Cataracts:

https://www.schnauzerclub.co.uk/health.php

Are you looking through advertised litters online for your puppy? This is a really risky way to find a healthy well bred puppy as, although you may feel that the advertiser is not a dealer or seller of puppy farmed pups, it is very difficult to assess this especially for a novice puppy seeker. It is not just the puppy farms (as in high volume large scale commercial breeders) who have welfare as a low priority but anyone who is looking to make some money from breeding their pet dogs without a good background in the breed, knowledge of health test requirements etc.

The best way to find a well bred puppy from a reputable breeder is to seek out the breeders before they have a litter, check them out, preferably visit them, see their dog/s, and, if you are satisfied that they care about the breed and can advise and support you with your new puppy, get on a waiting list for when they next breed. The best breeders rarely have to advertise and you are much more likely to get a healthy family pet who is going to hopefully have a long and happy life ahead of them through finding a responsible breeder. Contact the breed clubs for their lists and the breeders listed on the Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme as a starting point - it is really worthwhile long term investing time in the search for a good breeder

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search ... rest=False