It’s common to be sent details of adverts from internet puppy sales sites where people are worried about the dogs being advertised. Their main concerns are puppies from parents that have not been health-tested, unregistered puppies and a Spinone crossed with another breed.
Here are some of the warning signs in adverts that should alert you to a possible scam to get you parting with your hard earned cash.
Please do not be conned into buying an expensive Spinone cross or an unregistered Spinone puppy.
A high price does not equal quality, in fact it can be the opposite in the Spinone.
Prices are being raised in the post-Covid era and our previous guidelines may be a little low in the current climate.
You might now expect to pay anything in the range of £1,000 and £2,000 for a well bred, KC registered, Spinone puppy whose parents have been fully health tested.
“DEPOSIT SECURES”
Asking for a [large] deposit to secure a puppy before you’ve met the breeder or seen the litter should set your suspicions to high. Would you pay a deposit for a house unseen?
“ONLY ONE LEFT”
Don’t fall for the old trick that you will miss out on a puppy by rushing into it. Yes you may need to wait a little while but it will be worth it to get a well bred puppy.
“UNIQUE”
“RARE”
“CAN DELIVER”
In normal times this isn’t acceptable, especially if you have not seen the puppy with its mother in its home. In COVID times this might be an option but most breeders would be happy to keep a puppy until you can collect.
“ACCREDITED”
The question you should ask here is ACCREDITED BY WHOM and TO WHAT. If the word is used to describe either the Sire (Stud Dog) or the Dam (Mother) it is meaningless and can only be there to mislead you. It is only a Breeder that can be described as “Assured” or “Accredited” by the Kennel Club, which is easily checked. It is not something awarded to an individual Dog.
“READY AT 6 WEEKS OLD”
It is against the law for a breeder to allow a puppy to go to its new home before it is 8 weeks old and weaned. It must be microchipped by the breeder and you should receive all the paperwork at the time you collect your puppy.
Health Testing Claims
Always check out claims that are made about health testing and ask for copies of certificates If these are not available for some reason, ask for the actual numbers of Hip scores and Certificate number for the CA Test.
“HEALTH TESTED”
“HEALTH CHECKED”
Health Checked is not the same as Health Tested. Ask what health checks have been undertaken and whether this relates to the puppies or parents.
“CLEAR FROM CA”
This is not the same as being DNA tested CA Clear which is the only sure way to check a dog is not a CA carrier.2 Carrier parents will produce affected puppies who won’t survive past 7-8 months of age.
“GREAT FAMILY HEALTH TESTS”
This probably means the parents themselves are not health tested but some ancestors are. Check out the pedigree of each parent on the ISCGB website for ancestors’ test results. We can help with this if you contact us with the parents’ names.
Registration Papers
There are companies that produce a “pedigree” and “registration papers” for litters of puppies. This is stated to make you think the puppies are KC registered but you can register any hybrid at all. No information given to them is checked or certified in any way. Papers are impressive and say diddly squat actually …. but again .. this is what the rare breed owner wants to see. Don’t be fooled.
“COME WITH PAPERS”
This is stated to make you think the puppies are KC registered but they are not. Papers sound impressive and say diddly squat actually …. but again .. this is what the rare breed owner wants to see. Don’t be fooled.
PARENTS KC REGISTERED
Does not mean the puppies will be KC Registered too. Read our article about Unregistered Puppies to learn why this might happen. Beware of high prices as unregistered puppies should cost much less.
UN
REGISTERED
We strongly advise against buying an unregistered puppy. This usually means that the owner is looking to increase their profit by saving the registration fees / health test costs.
“SPINONE CROSS”
A Spinone that is crossed with any other breed will not be KC registered. If it is given a designer name and a high price, profit is the motive.
Dressed to Impress
Watch out for words in an advert that are there to impress you.
They are intended to give the impression of quality but actually don’t mean a thing.
“STUNNING”
Any dog can be described as stunning. A reputable breeder is unlikely to use this word in an advert to describe the parents or puppies.
“UNUSUAL MARKINGS”
If markings are described as unusual, they are likely to be mis-marks and should be sold as pets only at a reduced price.
“CHAMPION LINES”
If you look back far enough in any pedigree you will probably see a champion ancestor. Don’t be fooled and always check out such claims.
“EXCELLENT”
Another word that is designed to make you think something is better than it actually is, especially if used several times in an advert.