My mother is looking at buying a new dog and has found one from a newspaper advertisement. The breeder has stated the dog is unregistered, but that it's a pure bred. Does anyone know what difference being 'unregistered' makes, apart from the price?!
Yes. It means that it is almost certainly from a puppy farm.
IKC certification means nothing - they don't have the resources to inspect breeders, and don't vouch for the health etc. of dogs or the bona fides of breeders.
Be very careful of buying from a classified advert - puppy farmers take zilcho notice of good breeding practice e.g. taking care not to breed from dogs/bitches with hereditary defects (if you do some research on your chosen breed you'll find details of the hereditary defects that particular breed is prone to), keeping the dogs in foul conditions, not taking the time to socialise the dog properly / at all.
All of which means you could end up with a dog with serious, life-shortening / chronically painful hereditary illnesses, very poor interaction with people (manifesting in any one of fear/aggression/hyperactivity etc.), and horrendous ongoing vet bills.
My advice? Save your cash and contact ISPCA/DSPCA. They have thousands of dogs looking for a home. If you have your heart set on a particular breed, they'll put you in touch with some of the many breed-specific rescues in Ireland.
If you really want to buy a dog, email one of the breeders of that breed in the UK - they should be able to recommend a reputable breeder in Ireland.