Buying a Pup

[mountainboo]

Out of curiosity, if a pup is not KC registered does that mean it is not a pedigree pup? I saw an advertisement for some pups but the Mother was not KC registered and therefore the pups weren't but she was still advertising them at £500 per pup.

[divegirl]

No it just means they are not KC registered [can not be shown or bred from with KC recognition]. What you are asking is are they still pure bred. This is harder to prove unless you know the breed well and can see evidence of the pups being a mix or cross breed.
What breed are you looking at?

Lisa x

[divegirl]

Just seen on your other thread that it is a Cocker you are looking at. You can of course ask to see both parents but some 'breeders' will tell you that the Sire was a stud and is not available for viewing. It's a tough one really but then even KC papers can be faked and unless you are planning on breeding or showing then they are not needed anyway.
Tough call really but only because of the price, would you be happy if the pup suddenly grew huge [or never grew] and was obviously a mix?

Lisa x

[jake-the-peg]

This could be contraversial but here goes.

Is it a golden one?

When I was young we had a gold one and frankly it was not right in the head. It would be nice as pie and then suddely turn into a growling salvering monster with no warning or reason.

At one point it was on my lap and suddenly turned and bit my face.

If you google "Rage syndrome Golden Cockers" you'll see there's some disagreement about whether this is a general problem or not.

I howevever wouldn't risk another

[RATTER15]

Mountainboo, just to clear things up a little, "A pedigree" is the paperwork that shows a dogs breeding, their family tree if you like. No dog "is" a pedigree dog, the dog however may "have" a pedigree.

If the Mother was not registered with the Kennel Club then the pup will not have a Kennel Club Pedigree.

As Divegirl has said. A dog not having a pedigree does not mean that it is not a pure bred dog, it just means that the dog is not registered with the Kennel Club.

[rowanwitch]

might be worth considering a springer instead... they are incredibly intelligent though so you will need to be pretty strong willed and consistant when training it... less prone to ear problems...but they do love water

[Ratty2E]

The costs involved are the same registered or not, it's an expensive business if you do it right. Health checking the parents, paying stud fees, vets bills and then rearing the puppies is the same or at least it should be. But you do normally expect to pay a premium for a registered dog as you can then go on to show it and possibly breed from it. As has been said you also have more of a guarantee of what you are buying i.e a pure breed not a cross breed.

[mountainboo]

Thanks for the responses. A Cocker is a dog I have always wanted but we have always had German Shepherds as they are my husband's preferred dog. He finally agreed to me having a Cocker Spaniel. She would eventually become a gun dog. I have no interest in showing so she would be a working/family dog. The reason I asked about KC registering is because there may be a possibility in the future that we may breed from her.

I have now found a pup and the breeder owns the Mother who is KC registered and the Father who was a stud is also KC registered. She has assured me that my pup will be KC registered on collection.

[Ratty2E]

If you want to breed then you will be better with a registered dog whose lines you can research when finding a stud for her.

[mountainboo]

Thanks Rattyratgirl that helps. Initially I chose an estate in Hampshire which specialized in breeding working dogs with outstanding working lines and generations of FTCH. Needless to say It had a waiting list for potential owners and the next litter would be next spring. This type of dog would be fantastic from a breeding and serious working point of view. However, I may not breed and really only want a family dog with potential to become a gun dog.

[jules77]

Personally, even if you dont want to show/breed, I think it is more important that you buy a dog from tested stock and ensure that the sire and dam have had appropriate health tests for the breed. In a Cocker I believe there are a few eye conditions, PRA, CPRA, plus Familial Nephropathy which is a fatal kidney disease and HD.

[divegirl]

Hi, please you have found a dog that suits your needs. I don't really have much time for the KC but unfortunately until an alternative registration scheme is established at least you sort of know you are getting what it says on the tin so to speak.
I also have to agree with obtaining a dog that comes from parents that have the relevant health tests though!

Good luck

Lisa x

[lankeela]

Bottom line is £500 is a lot of money for a 'purebred' Cocker without registration papers. You would normally only pay about half the price of a registered one. Best thing for people to do is to enquire through a breed club, who will only recommend their members who have to adhere to certain requirements in line with club rules and codes of ethics.