When I had made THE decision to get a Labradour puppy the next step was WHERE and what colour.
The colour was quite easy. I’d had friends who’d got cream labs and they always had white hairs on their clothes and you’d have to do a lot more hovering. I’ve got a few really expensive LBD’s and so that was out. It would have to be a black one.
I was also bit wary of the in-breeding element of the chocolate ones……….
I hit the telephone to all the farmers I knew quite well in my local area. Its full of farmers and so that seemed for me the most logical thing to do. I didn’t quite use the Yellow Pages but very nearly.
I believe that you should know where your dog is coming from. And it should come from a happy mum and a happy human family and you should know this family quite well. Or be in a position to raise merry hell if you’ve been sold a sick puppy. You wouldn’t in all honesty be able to give it back (and if you are one of those people then shame on you) but you could get your money back to help correct the problems.
Anyway, I found my family. They were a local farming family (thirty miles away and around here that’s local) where the family pet (don’t get me started yet on those who buy dogs to go shooting with) a black labradour Emily was pregnant with seven puppies and due in two months time.
I went along to meet Mum. She was a contented and very friendly dog who was allowed to wander around the house wherever she wanted and was plainly very much loved. A really good start.
Mrs. Browning was happy to put me on the “list” but she first gave me the third degree. Why did I want a dog? Where was it going to be kept? And it went on and on. I came away with a feeling of what it must be like to be crossing an illegal border! I was pleased though that at least they were keen to know where their puppies were going and how they were going to be treated.
We agreed the price and we also agreed that I wouldn’t choose “my puppy” but Mr. and Mrs. B. would! Why? Well they felt they would know the puppies best and would know what I wanted and could match me up with the puppy they thought would suit me. They did agree I could have a girl. Hopefully there would be a girl amongst them or else what would I do? Ah well………
And they also wanted to come and see the puppy after the first three months to see if I was keeping her properl
y and then again after six months. After that if they were happy then I would be left alone! If they were unhappy they would take my puppy back. On that they were most insistent.
Good for them. I only wish all puppies had owners who were concerned about where they were going and whether they would be well treated or not. They did say that they would refuse to give a puppy to a family with very small young children.
Why?
Because the puppy would not be treated well and would come last in the pecking order. If you are going to have a well trained dog you have to be able to have the time to train it properly and that starts from the word go………….no-one who has small demanding children can do that.
And also they would refuse to give a puppy to someone who would leave it in the house from the moment they left for work to the moment they came back. It is cruel.
I totally agreed. I was in an ideal position. I was in the right place to give my all to my new puppy. I was in pole position!
It was a good beginning………….
Emily went into labour on time but sadly lost two of the puppies. They were down to five! And miraculously there were two girls and three boys. I had my puppy. Finger’s crossed.
I went over immediately and of course fell in love with all of them. After the fourth drink of a good white Australia wine toasting the new arrivals I wanted to take all of them home – I did have the room – and was tempted to start my own pack.
Even at £500 each I didn’t care.
We agreed that I would come back a month later to see which one they had chosen out of the two girls for me! I couldn’t wait.
Unfortunately, I had to walk home.
The colour was quite easy. I’d had friends who’d got cream labs and they always had white hairs on their clothes and you’d have to do a lot more hovering. I’ve got a few really expensive LBD’s and so that was out. It would have to be a black one.
I was also bit wary of the in-breeding element of the chocolate ones……….
I hit the telephone to all the farmers I knew quite well in my local area. Its full of farmers and so that seemed for me the most logical thing to do. I didn’t quite use the Yellow Pages but very nearly.
I believe that you should know where your dog is coming from. And it should come from a happy mum and a happy human family and you should know this family quite well. Or be in a position to raise merry hell if you’ve been sold a sick puppy. You wouldn’t in all honesty be able to give it back (and if you are one of those people then shame on you) but you could get your money back to help correct the problems.
Anyway, I found my family. They were a local farming family (thirty miles away and around here that’s local) where the family pet (don’t get me started yet on those who buy dogs to go shooting with) a black labradour Emily was pregnant with seven puppies and due in two months time.
I went along to meet Mum. She was a contented and very friendly dog who was allowed to wander around the house wherever she wanted and was plainly very much loved. A really good start.
Mrs. Browning was happy to put me on the “list” but she first gave me the third degree. Why did I want a dog? Where was it going to be kept? And it went on and on. I came away with a feeling of what it must be like to be crossing an illegal border! I was pleased though that at least they were keen to know where their puppies were going and how they were going to be treated.
We agreed the price and we also agreed that I wouldn’t choose “my puppy” but Mr. and Mrs. B. would! Why? Well they felt they would know the puppies best and would know what I wanted and could match me up with the puppy they thought would suit me. They did agree I could have a girl. Hopefully there would be a girl amongst them or else what would I do? Ah well………
And they also wanted to come and see the puppy after the first three months to see if I was keeping her properl
y and then again after six months. After that if they were happy then I would be left alone! If they were unhappy they would take my puppy back. On that they were most insistent.Good for them. I only wish all puppies had owners who were concerned about where they were going and whether they would be well treated or not. They did say that they would refuse to give a puppy to a family with very small young children.
Why?
Because the puppy would not be treated well and would come last in the pecking order. If you are going to have a well trained dog you have to be able to have the time to train it properly and that starts from the word go………….no-one who has small demanding children can do that.
And also they would refuse to give a puppy to someone who would leave it in the house from the moment they left for work to the moment they came back. It is cruel.
I totally agreed. I was in an ideal position. I was in the right place to give my all to my new puppy. I was in pole position!
It was a good beginning………….
Emily went into labour on time but sadly lost two of the puppies. They were down to five! And miraculously there were two girls and three boys. I had my puppy. Finger’s crossed.
I went over immediately and of course fell in love with all of them. After the fourth drink of a good white Australia wine toasting the new arrivals I wanted to take all of them home – I did have the room – and was tempted to start my own pack.
Even at £500 each I didn’t care.
We agreed that I would come back a month later to see which one they had chosen out of the two girls for me! I couldn’t wait.
Unfortunately, I had to walk home.
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