Breeder Take Backs

[Kreagan]

Hey everyone,

hoping someone could point me in the right direction:

3 weeks ago I purchased a pure bred pup from a reputable breeder. I had been waiting on this breeder to release pups for sale for quite some time, so I had done copious amounts of research on them. We had lengthy discussions about the pup, the breeder, my ability as a dog owner, the terms of sale etc.placed a deposit and have received updated photos and progress reports on the pup, the last being on Friday. The pup is currently 5weeks old.

this morning I receive a text saying that they have now decided to keep the pup and they have offered me choices of other pups or a refund. However I want the pup I decided on and placed a despot for. I know that sounds quite selfish, but It took a long time, many discussions with my family and friends to choose this pup and since had my heart set on it for the last three weeks. I have purchased dog kennels and toys, cleaned our backyard and puppy proofed it, looked into puppy preschools and pet insurance etc.

Anyone been in this position or have any advice on what next steps I should take? 

Thanks ! 

[persephone]

Ouch  
 that would feel terrible. 

is the breeder registered with the  state's  Dog Authority ? eg : Dogs NSW 

have you actually 'met' the pup in question , or did you choose from photographs ? 

Edited August 26, 2018 by persephone

[juice]

The pup has clearly become either show or breeding prospect and they don’t now want to sell it . Bad form I think , as Pers said , have you met the pup ? Personality and matching the right pup to your home is the most important thing , however you have also lost trust in this breeder now so ruins an ongoing relationship. Did they actually say it was your pup , did they mention keeping it st any time ? 

[Kreagan]

I hadn’t met this pup, just choosen through photographs. It is from interstate and the breeder is a registered breeder

[Kreagan]

They did say it was mine when I sent through a confirmation of the deposit. There had been absolutely no conversation about them keeping it and I had no knowledge they were considering keeping it until this morning. 

We spoke Friday about an update and travel arrangements for the pup 

[Dogsfevr]

Then phone the breeder & speak with them .I honestly dont get why people head to forums to bash the breeder & still expect they want that pup .Trust gets lost on both sides.
Phone them & have a good chat .To be honest the fact you have brought stuff & looked into insurance is nothing because they have still offered you options.You have no idea why they have changed there mind & it would be better to talk to them & find out why .

Personally i wouldn't pick a pup from a photo only at that age as you have no idea what its nature is like & if the pup is truly the right fit .only know at this age would its personality be starting & that should be far more important that a pup in a picture
 

[karen15]

If the other pups are from the same litter, what is it about this particular pup that makes it non interchangeable for you? I thought it common for breeders not to allocate pups to people until they were older as matching personalities is important. 

[persephone]

Is the pup the only male/female ? 
does it have a very good example of coat marking for the breed ? 
Is it a lot larger or smaller ?

AS you have not interacted with the pup ...is there no other littermate  with markings/colour/coat type  that would suit? 

[Rebanne]

1 hour ago, karen15 said:

If the other pups are from the same litter, what is it about this particular pup that makes it non interchangeable for you? I thought it common for breeders not to allocate pups to people until they were older as matching personalities is important. 

I wouldn't allow someone to pick a pup from a photo of 2 week olds. I've lost sales because people wanted to pick a pup purely based on looks and not wanted to wait until I had decided which one I was keeping, not to mention matching the personalities.  Nor would I take a deposit on a pup. But, lots of breeders do do what the OP has just described (not the changing of the mind bit).

Ring them, it's the only way to sort things out.

[Kreagan]

3 hours ago, Dogsfevr said:

Then phone the breeder & speak with them .I honestly dont get why people head to forums to bash the breeder & still expect they want that pup .Trust gets lost on both sides.
Phone them & have a good chat .To be honest the fact you have brought stuff & looked into insurance is nothing because they have still offered you options.You have no idea why they have changed there mind & it would be better to talk to them & find out why .

Personally i wouldn't pick a pup from a photo only at that age as you have no idea what its nature is like & if the pup is truly the right fit .only know at this age would its personality be starting & that should be far more important that a pup in a picture
 

Hi dogsfevr,

thanks for your comment But i believe you have taken my comments out of context. I most definitely did not come on here wanting to bash out any breeder. I am throughly disappointed in the way they have handled this situation, but the dogs from this breeder are beautiful and I am still very interested in another of the pups, just disappointed that they have suddenly made this decision without first consulting with me or providing a reason. 

I believed this forum to be a place of information where I could ask for advice without fear of backlash, which a few people have provided, and others have been less than kind. 

An example of information that I was looking for was:

”unfortunately because of x, y, and z the breeder is allowed to make this decision. Perhaps call them and discuss” or “because of x, y and z the breeder has no grounds to do this maybe seek advice form dogsABC”

just for future reference. I was only on here hoping to seek advice from fellow dog lovers.

thank you to those who have given me some great advice! 

[Diva]

While you are disappointed to miss out on this particular pup trying to insist on getting it is unlikely to end well. Ideally any breeder you choose will be there with advice and assistance if you need it into the future, forcing their hand would make a good relationship impossible from the start. The only way i can think you could push it is legally, if you can definitely prove you were promised that particular pup, and even then I would think the effort considerable and success unlikely. The state canine bodies don’t intervene in disputes between buyers and sellers unless it is to do with registration, they rightly leave the rest to normal consumer law. 

 

 

[karen15]

When I got my westie, I was just thankful to get one out of the four pups in the litter. Like you, I'd talked to the breeder about myself and what I liked in dogs. From the moment Max came home I knew he was exactly what I wanted. He is perfect.

 

You may be disappointed now not to be getting the pup you've been discussing for three weeks. But unless it has something unique, another litter mate will still be a good dog. You've been waiting for this particular breeder for ages. If I were you I'd accept their decision and ask them which other pup they would suggest for you.

[Dogsfevr]

11 hours ago, Kreagan said:

Hi dogsfevr,

thanks for your comment But i believe you have taken my comments out of context. I most definitely did not come on here wanting to bash out any breeder. I am throughly disappointed in the way they have handled this situation, but the dogs from this breeder are beautiful and I am still very interested in another of the pups, just disappointed that they have suddenly made this decision without first consulting with me or providing a reason. 

I believed this forum to be a place of information where I could ask for advice without fear of backlash, which a few people have provided, and others have been less than kind. 

An example of information that I was looking for was:

”unfortunately because of x, y, and z the breeder is allowed to make this decision. Perhaps call them and discuss” or “because of x, y and z the breeder has no grounds to do this maybe seek advice form dogsABC”

just for future reference. I was only on here hoping to seek advice from fellow dog lovers.

thank you to those who have given me some great advice! 

I haven't got it wrong ,the right thing would be to phone the breeder & ask why not air it on a forum before evening getting a reason so yes it is bagging out the breeder  & trust gets lost in the process.
You made it very clear in your first post you want that pup  ,know your saying your interested in the other pup ,this is the reason why you talk to the breeder first ,get the info first hand as what you have written was very clear & next post changed it to okay i still want another pup .
People forget most of us replying are breeders & often not hard to figure things out  hence your first call should have been the breeder to see what is going on & then go from there.
Was it handled well no but i would have been on the phone  asap finding out why this decision was made
 

[sandgrubber]

That's the unfortunate rough and tumble of dog breeding. Breeders often change their minds about what pup or pups they want to keep. But choosing the right stud and keeping the right pup are among the the most important decisions a breeder has to make. IMO, committing a specific pup at two weeks is a mistake, but we all make mistakes.  Talk it over and be prepared to respect a decision made for good reason... wouldn't surprise me if there is one. 

[Little Gifts]

So perhaps the OP doesn't like confrontation or wasn't sure how to handle the situation because this is a new experience for them? In their own words the breeder decided to keep the pup and in the breeder world that says to me that the pup shows promise either in the ring or to be bred from in the future. Or perhaps there was the loss of a pup from that litter and someone else had already been waiting in line before the OP so the breeder wanted to honour a commitment to them first. Or perhaps that particular pup is showing signs of not being a good match for the OP at all and it is in the pup's best interests to go with another family. So many things can happen in those first few weeks of raising new life. But the breeder didn't phone the OP and start a discussion either - they text them to say they were changing what the OP believes to be a contractual arrangement so they are left confused and unhappy. If I was in the OPs situation I'd be asking advice too before having further discussion with the breeder.

 

A person to person discussion does need to be had (once you feel informed and ready) and if you end up with a different pup from that litter then open yourself and your home to it. A good breeder is able to match a dog to a home well and that is far more important than looks in the long term. I'm sorry what should be a positive experience has turned sour for you but it isn't all over yet. A wonderful pup could still come your way from this litter.

[Dogsfevr]

How will they be informed & ready off a forum when we don't even know what is fact or fiction .No one can give honest advice without seeing what they actually have in writing or been part of the conversations
OP just needs to put  there big pants on & talk with the breeder .The phone call shouldn't even be considered a battle but one of asking what has changed  & pointing out that they are disappointed  & where to go too from there ,very simple & easy & if then still not satisfied decide what path that wish to take having more info as to what has changed .


 

[corrie]

I ended up getting the rescue pup out of the litter that I didn’t want because he seemed to have the worst temperament of the rest of the litter but he was the one my family wanted based more on his looks. Not a good way to choose a dog. 

 

But as as it turned out I am now so glad I got him over the others. Ironically he turned out to have coat issues and probably ended up the least attractive of the litter but I am so glad he was the one we got as he completely has my heart and soul. 

 

Sometimes things that seem to not work out exactly how you want them to really do end up for the best. I suspect that if you go for another of the litter then once the pup is in your home and you have bonded you will be glad in the end that it worked out the way it did. 

 

I understand the disappointment and the breeder should have handled it better but they probably feel terrible about it too and it may be a lesson learnt for them as far as not allocating puppies to particular homes so early. 

 

If you can get over your disappointment and feel you can still have a supportive relationship with the breeder then things can still work out. 

 

Sometimes our initial disappointments in life turn out to be the best case scenario. 

 

 

[Tassie]

Totally agree the OP should contact the breeder and clarify the situation.  I have to say I found the heading of the post a bit off putting and confrontational.   The breeder hasn't "taken back" anything at this stage, given the pup in question is still with the litter, and most breeders would not be making decisions on indicidual pups until the pups were older .. they change so much.  It's possible the breeder is busy (as you would be) and/or not really thinking that an explanation would have been good.

 

Just to add an extra reason why a breeder might decide to retain a particular pup at least in the short term, rather than send to a new home at 8 weeks … a good breeder will do that if there is a potential health problem with the pup .. a good breeder may keep that pup until the exact nature and extent of the problem is resolved .. I'm thinking of things like mild heart murmur, umbilical hernia, etc.   Absolutely not saying that's the case here .. just suggesting that there may well be more than one reason for the situation having arisen.

 

I do hope the OP can have a good, amicable conversation with the breeder and get a suitable puppy.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Tassie
ETF typo

[ish]

Puppies change so much week to week before they go to their new homes, I can’t understand why a breeder would allow someone to choose from a photo at 5 weeks anyway. I tell my buyers when they visit not to get their heart set on the first puppy that runs to them or the one that sits on their foot because I spend hours and hours with the pups before they leave for their new homes and there’s no way you can get that insight into their personalities in a visit or 2. Once you get your puppy home, the others turn into a distant memory anyway. Good luck 

[Kreagan]

20 hours ago, Dogsfevr said:

I haven't got it wrong ,the right thing would be to phone the breeder & ask why not air it on a forum before evening getting a reason so yes it is bagging out the breeder  & trust gets lost in the process.
You made it very clear in your first post you want that pup  ,know your saying your interested in the other pup ,this is the reason why you talk to the breeder first ,get the info first hand as what you have written was very clear & next post changed it to okay i still want another pup .
People forget most of us replying are breeders & often not hard to figure things out  hence your first call should have been the breeder to see what is going on & then go from there.
Was it handled well no but i would have been on the phone  asap finding out why this decision was made
 

I did phone the breeder, it’s ludicrous that you would think that wasn’t the first thing I did. But assume away  ...

The reasoning behind the decision according to the breeder was “that’s the decision my partner has made.” You don’t have to believe what I’m saying and you can take whatever you want as fact or fiction. Little Gifts is right in saying I’ve never been in this situation, and if you take all the emotion out of it, in most other aspects of life a business deal is a business deal especially when their is financial outlay. 

Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on what the breeders standpoint could be, that’s why I became interested in another pup because I had more information, unfortunately I didn’t receive any information from the breeder other than I want this pup because I said so here are your other options.

Edited August 27, 2018 by Kreagan