Hi,

My son is desperate for a Puggle puppy. He already loves the dog he doesn't have so much, he cannot stop talking about it!

As he has Aspergers I think this would be a wonderful way for him to express his affection and emotion and a lovely addition to our family.

My question is, what is the best way to find reputable breeders and ensure we don't unwittingly use a puppy farm etc.

Thanks.

my advice would be to go to a really good rescue, yes they vary so go by rec, and ask them to show you suitable dogs. It may not be the breed your son has in his mindset but you could well end up with a dog that fits in with your and his lifestyle better than buying a pup and hoping.
So many healthy dogs are destroyed due to lack of homes it is always a good thing to think rescue first

I would probably approach rescues before you tell your son.

Some are not open minded towards people with disabilities and IME it can be distressing to be turned down.
(I have and ASC and was turned down after meeting a dog I was really hopeful I'd be able to rehome and it was a horrible experience).

Maybe a good breeder, with an understanding of your situation may be better, a really good breeder would encourage you son to meet the pup several times and you could guarantee it would be well socialised and be more able to tolerate any unpredictable behaviour your son may exhibit.

All the best, my dog's a lifeline to the 'real' world and I wouldn't be without her, they can make such a wonderful difference

Ah what lovely advice You seem like a real doggie person. I am glad you have such a lovely dog.

Thank you for all the replies!

I should add that my son is not in any way severely ASD, nor will he be the primary carer for the dog. I will be looking after it, but it will help encourage a sense of responsibility in him and he is so full of love that the poor little pup will be loved beyond belief!

I have seen that the relationships between ASD children and dogs can be profound and rewarding so I think both my son and the doggy would be very happy indeed.

I do understand that there are many dogs looking for a home but I couldn't bear to rehome a dog and then find that due to my son's condition we couldn't keep it. That would be heartbreaking for the dog. I don't know how likely this is or isn't?


I would prefer to have a puppy who's background is completely 'known' so we have an understanding of it's likely behaviour and that the dog is right for us, and we are right for it.

I completely understand where you are coming from. Anyone who asks about getting a dog on DS is bombarded with advice to rehome a dog. In principle it's a great idea, but not right for everyone's circumstances. Good luck.

You can get young puppies from rescues, many of which they know the history of, for example we just rehomed a litter of 11! Lurcher pups born at the shelter, and this week three staffie pups are going to new homes.

Pug x Beagle can be problematic - especially for children.

While very good natured, Beagles can be unresponsive and aloof to humans - especially if they have caught a scent. Children tend to want a more 'interactive' pet.

Pugs are good 'people' dogs but are very unhealthy.

Worst case scenario, you get a cross that is physically a Pug, but a Beagle in temperament. A dog that just wants to hunt but physically can't.

I would research breeds a bit more and find something perhaps more suitable. Pure Pug or Staffie or even a well bred Cav perhaps. Saw a Pug X Boxer a few weeks back - looked like a big Pug and had the playfulness of a Boxer without the size.

I'm a firm believer in children growing up with pets so I hope you do get a dog - but I hope it is the right one. It is worth taking a bit of extra time & research so you don't end up like I did as a child with a psychotic Cocker Spaniel trying to kill you, that put my sister off dogs for life!! (Apart from my dogs of course and her ex's Rottie)

May I guide you in the direction of the Pointy Dog Appreciation Thread? Sighthounds are lovely natured, gentle, affectionate dogs who are really low maintenance pets and make excellent therapy dogs.

Could not agree more. They are lovely dogs, only need 1/2 walk (unlike any springers/collies and other working type dogs) and are so friendly.

I agree too. Also on the plus many are ex racing dogs so you have a better idea of their history.

It might be worth getting some professional advice from a local vet who could possibly recommend a local breeder/rescue centre. Also, the RSPCA, PDSA or the Blue Cross may also be able to help.

Yes we have a lovely boy in that would be great in a situation like this, he's calm and loving and gets very attached to one person

Thank you so much to everyone who has replied.

Having done a lot of research we have decided that a designer cross breed is definitely not the way to go. I actually had no idea that these dogs were bred in this way. Glad I checked!

We will be looking for a pure pedigree or a rescue but not these cross breeds. Thank you.

Don't be put off the mixes, they are often healthier than pedigrees (who have numerous genetic issues due to small genetic pool), so as long as you find a good breeder tour no worse off than spending the same price on a pedigree. Personally I'd be rescue all the way, having had several pedigrees over the years and having no end of behavioural and medical issues with each and every one of them. Obviously there are pedigrees that are fine but it depends on the breed, the specific blood line and what your looking for in a pet.

Finding a good pedegree breeder is hard enough, finding someone who knows what they are doing with cross breeds is like hen's teeth or rocking horse poop. They are almost all bred with one thing in mind - money. They are often not healthier than pure bred as the two breeds used share a health problem - usually PRA and dislocated knees in the small breeds. Though it is true some illnesses require both parents to be carriers, not all do and you can end up with health problems from both breeds.

Additionally, the temperament can be a mixed bag. As mentioned before, the Pug an the Beagle have very different 'raison d'etre' so you may expect a lap dog like the Pug and end up with a solid, aloof hunter. With a 'Cockerpoo' you may expect the biddable nature of the Miniature Poodle and get the working gun dog temperament of the Cocker.

All of the above may not matter to a new owner and there is a lot to be said for cross breeds and especially mongrels, but in this instance - first time owner with a child with special needs - I would probably err on the side of caution and go with a 'good bet' when it comes to what to expect - size, temperament, care requirements, health - and what will suit the family best.

I wouldn't rule out an adult Greyhound though as mentioned. I also wonder if a Flat Coated Retriever might be suitable? Both are a lot bigger than a Pug x Beagle but are lovely dogs.

Agreed, finding a breeder can be difficult for either, the good ones usually come on recommendation. But I disagree about the health issues, if the breeder is good and has health checked the breeding pair, the mixed genetics can only be a positive. The in breeding in pedigrees is the issue, they are so closely related in a lot of cases that you have the same issue on both sides, whereas there is more 'option" bloodline wise for cross breeds.

I don't think temperament can be guaranteed whatever do you go for, a lot depends on the house they are brought up in, however I agree there is generally a breed base - huskies are usually little sh*ts, lurches lazy, terriers snippy etc.

Mixes can be far healthier than pedigrees, I think the issue lies with these new designer mixes where unscrupulous breeders see a cute looking mix and pound signs without taking into account the natures of certain breeds.For example crossing a border collie with a springer spaniel will produce a lovely looking dog, but completely bonkers! Talk about high maintenance!

Hats off to you for doing your research OP, It's sad to see so many young dogs in rescue because folk were wooed by how a dog looks without reading up on the breed. Huskies and malamutes are the latest fashionable breed who've fallen victim to this.

You really can't do better than a staff for a kids pal, ruffty tuffty, amazing people temperament, healthy and loyal as they come. Size is perfect, and that wonderful short coat. Forget the designer crosses, a minefield of trouble and why encourage the breeding of them? Save a staff!

Looking for a new dog is a minefield. I always thought I would go to a rescue (have done this before- she lived to be 12) but have researched extensively on the web and it appears there are no puppies in rescue in the UK!
I can't even find an adult that fits the bill, and am thinking of looking on free ad sites. I know that isn't recommended, as you don't know what you are getting (a good rescue will always assess a dog for you which takes the guesswork out a bit) but though I know it's a big responsibility having a dog, and they have to be careful for the animal's sake, I do think some of the rescues go over the top in their vetting. One I looked at was as hard as applying for a job. Thought a home visit would be sufficient, myself.
Anybody had any experience of getting an animal through a free ad site, and what was the outcome?

I tried to get a dog last year from RSPCA rescue, we had in the past 5 rescue dogs, but this time they would not give us any. Reason they said because we at the time still had our old dog (age 15) who had trouble walking and we could not bring him to the rescue with our other 2 dogs. And any young dog would be not fair on the old one.
We had dogs all our lives and know what we are doing. In the end we did buy one from the free ads, she is a collie x and was 10 weeks old. She is just lovely, was house trained in 1 week and got on great with my other dogs, my oldest loved her cuddling on to him.
So far she is a healthy as they come, she is now 16 month old.

Regarding the free ad site, my cousin got a staffie puppy from a free ad site and it was perfectly fine. She had it a few months before getting bored of it. In those few months it had been regularly left alone for long hours, rarely walked, was very hyper active and she had no control over it. All it did was bark, go to the toilet everywhere and jump up at people.

She then decided to stick it back on the website and try and sell it to someone else.

Luckily for the dog her mum stopped her and took the dog and now although its untrained it is a lot calmer and well behaved.

So its hit and miss. Had you looked online you couldve ended up with my cousins out of control puppy! With the free ads you never know what the puppies have been through or how theyve been looked after.

Very true. You could end up spending months re-training an animal. The only way to be sure is to get a young puppy, but as I said I can't find any in rescues, and if you buy one through free ads I feel you are just encouraging people to breed them for profit, which I am very much against.
Good on your Mum for taking your sister's pup under her wing and putting him on the right road.

We got a 9-month old Border Terrier x Parsons Jack Russell from a site called Preloved. He was a loving dog and excellent with children. Unfortunately he was a victim of an RTA and we were so bereft, we immediately started looking for a replacement (the same cross). We eventually found Border x JR terrier puppies advertised and bought one at 8 weeks old. He was easy to house-train and only chewed one tiny bit of hearth rug! He is now 6 years old and an absolutely brilliant dog. Very gentle and patient with the grandchildren (who love him to bits).

I would recommend a Border Terrier or a Border cross as they are very good with children and don't need a lot of exercise - although they can go all day if need be.

You don't have to go through rescue centres or free ads. There are very good sites that breeders have to pay to advertise their puppies on, such as the Kennel Club puppy finder, Champdogs or pedigreedogs.ie if in Ireland.

Ok so you may have to pay more, but you're paying more for knowing that you're buying a KC registered puppy that has been bred ethically and that the owner cares more about finding sensible homes than saving the ten or twenty quid from advertising.

You could also contact the local breed club who can point you in the right direction.