Buying Your Cavapoo Puppy – Buyer Beware!

Cavapoo puppies are so cute with their little button noses and teddy bear looks.

A bonus is their sweet temperaments and fantastic personalities.

There is nothing as adorable as Cavapoo puppies.

Buying your Cavapoo puppy should be an exciting time but from where should you buy your puppy and what are the danger signs you should look out for?

Puppy Mill or Reputable Breeder

There is a dark side at play. 

Cavapoos became so popular that puppy mills quickly sprang up and people began breeding them to satisfy the demand.

Health checks are never done and these poor dogs are raised in deplorable conditions without any human interaction.

The mother dog is bred repeatedly until she either dies or is put down because she can no longer produce puppies.

Puppy mills are despicable and are to be avoided at all costs.

You must buy your puppy from a reputable breeder.

Great breeders do all the necessary health checks to make sure your puppy will live a long and happy life.

They pour a lot of money into using the best specimens of the breed possible because they care.

They keep their dogs clean and free of parasites and interact with the puppies every single day.

The puppy area will be spotless and have toys for the puppies to play with.

A good breeder will not be afraid of you visiting their premises and will welcome you into their home.

Do first make an appointment though.

They will ask you a ton of questions so be prepared to answer them and be honest with them.

They will also answer any questions you might have.

The puppies will look healthy, be active and their eyes will sparkle.

There will not be any discharge from their eyes or noses.

The breeder will even start potty training your puppy before you take them home.

Some breeders will supply puppy food and even a toy for your new puppy.

They will send you regular updates on how the puppies are doing and only let them go after 8-10 weeks of age.

The whole experience will be awesome!

Questions To Ask The Breeder

1. Have both parents been health-certified? Cavapoos can be prone to hip problems, heart diseases, and other genetic disorders. Both parents must have clear health certificates that specifically test for genetic diseases and a good breeder will be more than willing to show these to you.
2. Ask to see at least the mother – If possible, try to see both parents. It might not be possible to see the father but you must be able to see the mother. Is she in good health and is she clean? Does she have a good temperament or is she shy, aggressive, or aloof?
3. Do the puppies appear socialized and friendly? Are they afraid of you and run and hide away? Do they want to play with you or do they flinch at human contact? Ask if the puppies have been exposed to children, other dogs, and general household items.
4. Have the puppies been dewormed and vaccinated? A good breeder will make sure that the puppies have had the necessary vaccinations and routine deworming. Ask to see the vaccination cards. The vaccination card should come with the puppy when you finally take her home.
5. Ask the breeder how long they have been breeding for. They should know what Cavapoo health risks are as well as what the perfect Cavapoo specimen should look and behave like.
6. Do they supply a health guarantee and for how long? A great breeder will always supply a health guarantee in case the puppy develops a costly or life-threatening condition. Make sure you take your new puppy to a Vet within a few days to check they are okay.
7. What food is the puppy currently eating? You want to keep your puppy eating the same food as what they are used to for a short while. You can then gradually change them over to the food of your choice over some time. This prevents an upset stomach.
8. Has your puppy or any of the other puppies been sick? If the answer is ‘Yes’, then what was the problem and what treatment did they receive?
9. Is there a contract? Breeders should by default make you sign a contract stating that you may not use the puppy for breeding. This is the responsible thing to do. The contract will also note that the dog needs to be neutered/spayed before a specific age. They should also state in the contract that they would be willing to take the puppy back if you are no longer able to take care of it but please note that they are not under any obligation to buy the puppy back from you.
10. Ask for references. Do not just accept their written reviews as these could be falsified. Ask for names and phone numbers of previous puppy buyers. Phone these people and ask them about their puppies. Did they have health problems, were they socialized and would they recommend buying from this breeder?
11. Will the breeder give you their phone number and contact details? The breeder should not have any problems with you contacting them both before the sale and after you take your puppy home. After all, they should have the puppy’s best interest at heart.
12. What are the breeder’s requirements for owners of their puppies? Just as much as you need to ask questions about the breeder and puppies, the breeder should also ask you lots of questions. They want to make sure their puppies are going to good homes.

How To Spot A Puppy Mill

Puppy mills are disgusting, filthy places that keep dogs in little cages with no regard for their health or well-being.

These dogs have little to almost no human interaction and are bred until they die.

They are never health checked and usually have serious health issues.

Dogs are never washed and stand in their excrement.

Puppies are pulled away from their mothers at extremely young ages.

Never, ever buy a puppy from a puppy mill.

Please do not think you are ‘rescuing’ them because you are not.

If you buy from a puppy mill then you are endorsing what they are doing and enabling them to carry on.

If you discover a puppy mill, try and take some photos, leave without a puppy, and report them to the nearest animal shelter.

The animal shelter will then go rescue the dogs and put them up for adoption.

They will also close down the place!

You will not be able to do that.

Take note of what to look out for in the list below:

1. You are not able to meet the parents – The puppy could have come from anywhere and might not even be the breed advertised if you cannot at least meet the mother.
2. The breeder is far away – Scammers and puppy mills use this to their advantage. You will not be able to meet the parents or see where the puppies have been raised.
3. The breeder wants to meet somewhere else – They normally want to meet at a parking lot or say that they are in your area and it would be easier for them to bring the puppy to you. Again, you will have no idea where this puppy came from. It could even have been stolen.
4. Breed lots of other breeds – Puppy mills are just in it for the money so the more dog breeds they can breed the better. If a breeder lists that there are multiple breeds available then this is a sure sign of a puppy mill.
5. The breeder has multiple litters ready to go – A good breeder will always have a waiting list and normally only has one litter ready to go at any given time. If a breeder has a large amount of puppies ready to go then it is a bad sign.
6. Puppies are not vaccinated – Remember that puppy mills exist to make the owners lots of money. They will not be willing to spend money on vaccinations for the puppies or the parents.
7. Puppies are not clean and smell bad – Puppy mills are dirty places. Sometimes puppies will be bathed before you see them but usually puppy mills are so brazen that they will just present you with a smelly and dirty pup.
8. Puppies look unhealthy and have discharge coming from their eyes or noses – Puppies that are not taken care of are often sick and have poor-quality coats.
9. No contract – A good breeder will always have a contract listing the terms of owning one of their puppies. Puppy mills do not care.
10. Very young puppies – Puppies should never be under the age of at least 8 weeks when you take them home. They still need their mother and litter mates to teach them crucial skills and behavior.
11. Puppies have been sold at markets, pet stores, or off the street – You will never know where these puppies came from and what circumstances they were raised in. 
12. No questions asked – A good breeder wants to know as much about you as you want to know about them. A puppy mill owner will not ask anything because they just want to sell the puppy.

What Is A Puppy Broker?

A puppy broker is someone who buys puppies from mass breeders and then sells the puppy to you or a pet store.

They typically buy these puppies from backyard breeders and puppy mills.

How it works is that the broker may buy the pup from the backyard breeder, for $60 to $160.

They sell it to the pet store for $220 to $420.

The pet store then resells the puppy for $1,200 to $1,600.

This is how the puppy broker makes their money.

If you buy a puppy from a pet store then there is a high probability that a puppy broker was involved.

The pet store will not be able to tell you who the breeder is and will always say that they do not buy from puppy mills.

They can say this because they bought the puppy from a broker.

Luckily many cities are now banning the sale of puppies from pet stores but there are still currently about 300 USDA-licensed puppy brokers in the United States.

There are many more unlicensed brokers.

If you buy from a puppy broker or a pet store you will not know where your puppy was bred.

You will not be able to see the parents and you definitely will not have the health checks done that are so important to ensure your new puppy’s health and happiness.

Final Thoughts

The only place you should be buying a puppy from is from a reputable breeder. 

When you decide to add a puppy to your family, then you are investing in around 12-15 years of being in that dog’s life.

You want the best start possible.

Buying a sick and unhealthy puppy is going to cause you heartache and distress.

Never mind the financial implications of operations and medicines to try and save your baby.

Do not put yourself in that situation.

Buy from a reputable breeder where you can see how the puppies have been raised and you can do all the necessary checks.

Here is a list of Cavapoo breeders that you can do your research with to make sure they are reputable.