How to buy a Cockapoo or Cocker Spaniel pup wisely.
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RAINBOW KENNEL  802-644-8289   p_shortsleeve@yahoo.com
1. Buy from a breeder who offers a  written warrantee. Never, ever buy from a PET STORE. If you feel sorry for the pup in there and buy it you are only keeping the cycle going and that store will buy a pup to fill the cage. Pet stores pay very little for the pups in their stores and always sell very high priced. A HIGH PRICED PET STORE PUP IS NOT A BETTER PUP QUITE THE OPPOSITE, it's from a breeder who doesn't want to deal with the public and doesn't care where it's pups go. The majority of pet store pups do go home sick as the turnover from different sources is high..

2. All breeders need to be licensed in their state of operation, make sure your breeder is so licensed. A licensed breeder offers a warrantee and you have grounds to stand on should there be a problem with your pup. A state licensed breeder is inspected and approved to be in operation. A breeder probably will not let you into the "adult " housing to control disease transmission but should be able to bring adults (moms and dads) out for you to view. IF this is not possible IT IS POSSIBLE  IF THEY ARE NOT PRESENT THAT THE PUPS ARE PURCHASED FROM A MILL FOR RESALE. Note the mother should be a bit scruffy from recent nursing and should have breasts that are saggy. If she looks like she could enter a show ring chances are that is not  the mother (with few exceptions, some of my dogs really do well and keep their coats with nursing).  Typically moms will be shaved down at least in the stomach area having recently nursed. They may be totally body shaved depending on the mother or the weather.

3. Insist on being able to handle the mother. If she is not of good temperament the pups may not be either. Give the mother some leeway in the first week or so  especially if it is her first litter. BUT mothers should allow you to pet them and handle their pups. Our moms will let people handle newborn pups!

4. Meet the sire. Fathers on premises are a BIG plus. If the daddies have a favorable temperament the babies will. If you can't meet the father there is no way of knowing future size or temperament of your pup. Please ask to see our Sires if you are looking at a litter here. Normally we ask you if you want us to bring in the daddy.

5. Note that pups  purchased elsewhere at a cheap price may end up causing an immediate vet bill or a heftier vet bill in the long run due less than adequate care or prebreeding considerations. A vet check before going home should be mandatory. First vaccination and a series of dewormings should be given routinely.

6. Notice the surroundings the pups are raised in, it should be clean, food and water should be available and in easy to sanitize containers.  Note that if pups are allowed to run outside and underfoot you may inherit  parasites and puppies at this age have major stress going home, certain parasties can be fatal in young puppies if they go untreated. Realize that everyone that comes in to see pups walks on the floor after walking everywhere in their shoes. We do not allow our pups on the floor with people here for their safety.

7. Breeders should give some sort of support system once you get the puppy home. They know the pup the best and can help with little problems before they escalate. Use this advice!

8. Pups should go home with starter food and if quite young (8-10+ weeks) they should have a stuffed toy or some such for familiar scent.

9. Refrain fom buying from any breeder who will offer two pups at once, a terrible situation  for a new owner, or one that promotes  breeding rights, such a breeder really wants to just sell a dog and doesn't care about resulting offspring or whether the pups stay in their homes. Two puppies bond strongly together and generally refuse to listen to their owner preferring to roughhouse with each other. Plus housebreaking is very difficult as you won't know who is having any accidents. Also run if a breeder suggests you buy a female and she'll breed it regularly for you  and buy back the pups, makes you wonder where that female came from?? If a breeders offers this it isn't because you are special and they like you and think you'd make a great breeder it's a regular routine done so they don't have to raise their own puppies!

10. A question some might ask is: Why is our price higher than some? Truth is we are higher than some BUT we care about our retired gals and our breeding stock, they get the same treatment the babies do. Sometimes that gets expensive, for instance Jasmine fell during her first year down a huge flight of stairs and broke both her front elbows. Most breeders would have euthanized her but we had reconstructive surgery done on both elbows  and she thrived . Her surgery was over $2,500. BUT she was a young dog and we were responsible for her care.She is almost 100% now do to the excellent care her surgeon gave her and the followup care we continued.  We have had  emergencyc-sections.  Our dogs do not go without. Babies help pay for mommies and daddies, aunties, uncles and grandparents! Our price is lower than a breeder or two but shop and listen, some breeders even those with high prices do not raise every pup on premises It s easy to buy and sell pups, We have not and never will buy and sell pups not raised here.  All pups advertised are born here into our own hands! Like I said meet the Parents! Make sure your pup is vet checked an get a warrantee. Alot of websites are not accurate so shop carefully. On our website ALL THE SIRES AND DAMS SHOWN ARE HERE AND IN OUR BREEDING PROGRAM not dogs we've sold or traded years ago. If we retire a female or male they are removed from our website.  What we show is what we have!  As we generally take deposits early, You can always  visit and see your pup nursing it's mother here, and if for some reason your pup is older someone buying a pup from that litter could verify parentage (that they saw that mom nursing those puppies). A big red flag is a breeder that does not allow anyone in  to see the litter til pups are weaned or cannot produce a photo younger than weaned age., That gives every opportunity for pups to be brought in from an outside source and no one is the wiser.

11. Why we are not affilaited with COCKAPOO CLUBS. Well all cockapoo clubs are breeder owned and operated (or affiliated)or at least that is how they were started. Our take on that is WE know our dogs the best, why would we want you to go to a stranger for advice when we offer it graciously. To obtain a "paper" from a club with your pups name on it for a fee is ridiculous, you are putting money in someone's hands for filling out a form? Then you have to consider that if the clubs are breeder operated or affiliated that THAT OTHER BREEDER is tracking your breeders puppies, not ethical in our mind. Our other HUGE concern is that these "clubs" do not respect our spay/neuter agreement, setting owners up for a host of behavioral problems and risking their dog should they choose to breed and not be aware of how to handle a pregnant/whelping dog.

12. To summarize, shop CAREFULLY, educate yourself as to what is important in temperament in a pup,and safe, clean  housing for newborns,  make sure(true) parents are available for handling,  get a good warrantee to avoid an expensive vet bill, Have some sort of contact to your breeder for advice, make sure  your breeder is licensed, make sure  the pups are vet checked, again NO pup should be sold without a vet check and a health check paper with the vet's name on it that you could verify if needed  and primary vaccination and deworming.


                                                                                                         
                                                                                                          

If you are considering one of our puppies OR If we don't have a pup ready when you are and you want to continue looking..... Please heed our advice and read our suggestions, puppy mills and brokers are very common and entire litters are bought and resold very often. I get many phone calls that people buy a pup ELSEWHERE that isn't the pup they expected  (i'e' my cockapoo has upright ears! or straight hair ) or people sometimes buy a pup who is sick and dies or has ongoing health issues.  Sometimes they bought from a pet store (please don't) or another breeder or accidently a broker. PLEASE READ.