Dogs for sale in Harrods

greenlivery

greenlivery

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In London for the weekend and went to Harrods pet department today to have a look around. I never knew the did this but saw that they have pups for sale behind glass that you can go and look at, what do you all think about this? I felt quite uncomfortable, surely this attracts the wrong type of buyers? I'm sure the dogs are well looked after, they were sound asleep behind the glass. They had poodle crosses mostly.
And did you know Harrods has a doggy gym!? mad!
 
CaveCanem said:
I would wonder who their 'suppliers' are :( breeders who don't mind their pups being sold from behind glass in a department store. Lovely.
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yes, felt very odd looking at them with hundreds of shoppers looking through the glass, dogs looked beautifully groomed, fast asleep, but still quite odd! They had miniature poodles, shitzu (sp?) cross poodles and Cain terriers, all puppies, all very 'cute'.
 
They've been selling dogs for over 40 years! Personally I don't like it and wouldn't buy one from there - or any pet shop (but then I don't buy dogs I have rescues). However there are many people who live in London and don't go to the country very often so maybe it's very convenient.
 
Maisie2 said:
They've been selling dogs for over 40 years! Personally I don't like it and wouldn't buy one from there - or any pet shop (but then I don't buy dogs I have rescues). However there are many people who live in London and don't go to the country very often so maybe it's very convenient.
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I had no idea they did this, I see your point, I guess in London perhaps its harder for people to find decent breeders, but I can't help thinking it attracts the type of buyers who see them through the glass, fall in love with how pretty and cute they are, and take one home totally unprepared and not really knowing how to care for it.

Just found this http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4133278.stm so assume they now use more responsible breeders.
 
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I had no idea they still sold animals! Doesn't seem right to me.

I saw the programme about the two guys who bought a lion cub there in the 60s... weird story!
 
That is horrible GreenLivery about Windy Rise Farm. I had naively assumed that they used top-class breeders:(:( But al-Fayed owned Harrods by then and I don't supposed he would be interested in anything but profit.
 
Its great marketing though, pop out for some bread and pick up a puppy:rolleyes:

Cute pups through a glass window
"ahh, I really want one" !get home!, "well I dont have anything prepared, or even had a dog b4 but ah what the heck it looked cute in that glass tank, I forget im at work on monday and its pishing everywhere, i need rid of this":rolleyes:

It's all about the wonga!!
 
CAYLA said:
Its great marketing though, pop out for some bread and pick up a puppy:rolleyes:

Cute pups through a glass window
"ahh, I really want one" !get home!, "well I dont have anything prepared, or even had a dog b4 but ah what the heck it looked cute in that glass tank, I forget im at work on monday and its pishing everywhere, i need rid of this":rolleyes:

It's all about the wonga!!
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Yes, the amount of people I overheard today ooohing and ahhing over the pups and saying how they want to take one home was a bit scary!
 
Why is it different to a breeder having them in a house? They do that for money too, afterall.. If the pups are looked after then I don't see a huge problem myself. Obviously, you'd prefer that they only went to great homes but even breeders selling out of their homes aren't always picky.
 
I read an article about this in 'Dogs Today' about 8 or 10 years ago. I don't know what the policy is now, but back then the pups on display weren't actually 'for sale' they had been purchased already and were in Harrods as an advertisement of sorts. If you wanted one you had to put your name down and wait for one to become available. I don't remember, but suspect they were out of puppy farms and have no idea how much choice the purchasers had regarding which puppy they actually took home. I didn't know they still had puppies in the store.
 
To be fair though, I was there last week, they have their own in store vet. And the min poodles were £2000! And the cross ones were £1700 so not many people are gunna pop out and come back with one! I don't agree with them being sold there at all but I wouldn't class it as cruel. And if your willin to pay that much for a cross I should think they wouldn't be training it themselves...money gets you anything!
 
To be fair though, I was there last week, they have their own in store vet. And the min poodles were £2000! And the cross ones were £1700 so not many people are gunna pop out and come back with one! I don't agree with them being sold there at all but I wouldn't class it as cruel. And if your willin to pay that much for a cross I should think they wouldn't be training it themselves...money gets you anything!
 
Still though, don't you think someone who can just throw £2000 away on a whim might also decide to get rid of the dog when it suits them too. I still think its bad....
 
Personally, I dont agree with it at all, I remember as a child there was a pet shop in Northampton that always used to have puppies in the window (late 60's). Even as a small girl I can remember being upset by seeing them in there with people pointing and cooing over them. Going back to the Harrods pups though, an elderly couple in our village had 2 Cairns from there, one bought in the 80's and then when Hamish passed away aged 16 in the early 90's they bought Hollie who died quite recently, also a good age. I have no idea why they chose to buy from Harrods, they didnt have any London connection as far as I know and lived a quiet life in the village. Both dogs were very healthy, never had any health problems and lived long happy lives. Still, a strange place to go to buy a dog and Im sure that not all of them will get such good homes as those 2 did!
 
Just wondering, do the pups in Harrods and other pet shops I guess, stay behind the glass or in cages all day? Seems a bit unfair to keep them confined for the whole day and then night.
 
The few times I am brave enough to venture up to London, I often pop onto Harrods to have a snoop, and normally cant resist going to look at the pet section. A few times I ask a department worker what gets done with the puppies (last time I went it was a heat wave and they were looking all uncomfortabe and panty) I have had various responses from; "They get walked for 20 minutes to an hour in the evenings" (at 10-14 weeks old I said that I bloody hope not) to "once everyne has left the store they are allowed out to play." Still doesnt seem like a nice way to live...
 
JDChaser said:
Why is it different to a breeder having them in a house? They do that for money too, afterall.. If the pups are looked after then I don't see a huge problem myself. Obviously, you'd prefer that they only went to great homes but even breeders selling out of their homes aren't always picky.
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When you get a dog from the breeder you should be able to see at least one parent if not both, which gives a better idea of how the pup will grow up. The breeder should also live and breathe their breed - they should be able to give you advice on the care of the pup, the character of the breed generally, and help you to select which pup will suit you. Finally, the breeder should be very picky about just who has their pups, and if someone comes in that is not suitable they should walk away from the sale! They should be in it for the love of it, not for the cash.

If a breeder does not meet these criteria, they are not a good breeder in my opinion. So you should not buy from them.;)
 
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