HORRIBLE experience at Pet Store last night - what to do?

[doodleheaven]

This is a bit of a long story but a lesson or two was learned last evening and I'm so upset by what happened.

First off, let me say that I would love, love to get a second dog for my Bailey. Everyone's new pupple's on this forum have made me so want the second one even more. Alas, we are a one dog family and I can't see it ever happening. But all the pupple pictures are just making me melt.

So, my boys, my husband and I go out to eat last evening. After supper we decided go next door to the Pet Store (big chain PL) so my boys can look at the birds and hamsters and such. I, of course, am drooling over all the puppies yet explaining to my husband about the whole puppy mill thing and how I would never buy a dog from here. BUT, even I couldn't take my eyes off these gorgeous little dauschand/shnauzer cross puppies. The young saleman asks if I want to see one and of course I wanted to hold one, even just for a minute. So he puts my family in a private room and brings me this little tiny golden colored puppy. We melt and play with this little guy. My boys name him Marshmallow. I already told the salesman we ARE NOT buying a dog but will play for a bit. Then I ask if we can see the black dog from the same litter also so he brings it in. Both the puppies are running around our feet and we are all getting so tempted. SUDDENLY, the little black dog growls and the gold one growls back at it. We say, look they are getting jealous of us petting one or the other. We are giggling. The black dog goes beserk. Attacks the gold dog. The gold dog fights back - remember these are tiny little 12 week old littermates. At first I thought they were rough housing like dogs do but it quickly escalates. My boys start crying. The gold dog starts yelping and screaming. The black dog has got his jaws locked on the other dog (like a pitbull!) and me, my husband and the young little salesman can't get the dog off. He has the ear of the other dog in his mouth and is biting viciously. We are trying to pull it off but know any pulling would rip this little guys ear off. I was terrified of this little 6 pound thing - it was like it had gone rabid or something. Finally another employee comes and together we are able to pull the dog off. The two salesmen both had to get their hands bandaged up. A vet tech checks the other dog's ear and neck bites, says all is well and they are put back together in their cage and the salesman asks if I want to see another puppy. The little golden dog and the black dog are now playing like puppies do and you would never know what just happened except that the golden dog (who was fine) was tilting it's head and pawing at his ear which obviously wasn't fine.

My family and I walked out, I'm am shaking to the bone with anger and sadness. OBVIOUSLY, these are puppy mill dogs who were taken away from their mom too young and now have probably irreversible behaviour problems. Luckily we didn't get taken into getting one of these dogs unknowingly. And how close we were to doing just that. But, now another family will come by, see the cute puppies and take one home without seeing the aggressiveness in it. Then the dog will go beserk and hurt a child or another dog, then it will get put in a shelter or put down. I am heartbroken for the family who will go through this, I am heartbroken for the puppies who likely wouldn't have been like this had they been bred by a caring breeder. The respect I have for the breeders on this forum has grown 10 fold.

I am so affected by this. Couldn't sleep, can't get my mind off those poor puppies, can't stop crying for all the puppies brought into the world like this and the poor mom dogs who are pushing out litter after litter and never loved herself. Man, I love my Bailey so much. He got such a big hug yesterday and I will write his breeder and give her yet another thank you today and tell her why. In the meantime, we will be content with our one dog and I will continue to melt over the wonderful little pupple pictures and know these pupples will be happy, healthy and loved and that their mommies were too.

I KNOW some of you have gotten your puppies from stores like this and I know they are still good dogs and I am not coming down on you. My last dog was a puppy mill dog at a time when I didn't have a clue how serious the situation was. She was the best dog in the world. Just wanted to share my experience and my lessons learned.

My questions:
Has anyone ever seen such young little puppies go beserk like this?
Should I follow up (I'm afraid if I follow through with this that these puppies would possibly be put down)?

[Chucker]

Wow that is bizzare. I haven't seen a little puppy like that, but I have heard of it happening. Sounds like you are right that they have been taken from the group and mother much too early and have not been taught proper socialization. This is where the mother would have stepped in and showed this was unacceptable behaviour.
I'm not sure what you should do. They obviously need some kind of behaviour training and/or correction, but I don't know what the pet store would do...ie putting them down.
It's too bad they are put in this situation in the first place.

[tuffystar]

Wow! That made me cry! Try contacting a reputable rescue operation and ask them what you can or should do. Rescue operations don't put the dogs down so they are less likely to tell you to call someone that would put them down. I am wanting to get involved in changing the way dogs are treated so let me know.

[doodleheaven]

You know, that is a good idea Tuffystar. I wasn't sure if calling PL would actually accomplish anything. We are going out of town later today but I will definitely look into that route.

I can't believe how scared I was of a tiny little puppy. I was so nervous to pry it's jaw open thinking it was rabid and would bite me or my little kids. It was hard to even get ahold of the dog as it was thrashing around so much. I wanted to pin it down by the neck but it was pulling the other dog's ear and biting through it and anything I tried would have probably hurt the other dog more. It was so sad that the young salesman was put in this situation too - he didn't have a clue what to do. His poor hands were so bit up.

And my little boys have always wanted a little dog that stayed little. I always tried to tell them that just because they are little doesn't mean they are gentle dogs and often the bigger dogs are more friendly. Well, they saw that first hand last evening and probably will never trust a 'little' dog or puppy again. I did explain the whole 'puppy mill' situation to them and hope they grasped at least a bit of it.

It blew me away that they just put the dogs back together in the cage and then asked me if I wanted to see another dog (as if nothing happened). The whole thing was just weird.

[blueteal]

Very sad upsetting story.............

[mthompson]

What a terrible experience for everyone..but mostly for those poor wee pups. Sorry your family had to witness that. It seems everytime a puppy mill is shut down several more spring up. I met up with a rescue from London when they were receiving a shipment of puppy mill dogs, and these were the adult breeding dogs. I have never seen such sad empty expressions in a dogs eyes and they were in deplorable condition. When we took them out of the cages most didn't even know what the grass was and were terrified.
I'm afraid that the only way to stop puppymills is in boycotting the stores that purchase the puppies. If there were no venue to sell these puppies from the puppy mills couldn't make any money. So I refuse to shop at any store that carry puppies. There are plenty of reputable breeders from whom to purchase a puppy and lots of other pet stores that don't sell puppies for the rest of the purchases. ie Petsmart. At least here in Canada they don't carry puppies and the only cats they have are from the Humane Society.
If enough people stay away from these pet stores that carry puppies then maybe they will eventually shut down the puppy mills for good.
I agree with calling a reputable rescue for advice.

[anny51]

How awful for you, and especially your children, to have experienced this. As you say, thank heavens for ethical breeders who put the animals' welfare above their bank balances! Could you give the story to the local papers? I think most people buy from petshops just because they don't equate them with puppy mills, but reading about something like this in their local paper would surely make them think. And the petshop deserves bad publicity...they must know what they're doing, and if they don't they are still at fault for not having investigated the source of their animals, so I reckon they deserve a bad time over this!

Ann

[mtd885]

I avoid stores that sell puppies period. They are

[Jac]

I am heartbroken reading this post...I am so sorry that you and your family had to see this, more sorry still that those puppies were raised this way. Pathetic.

[lindamarie]

What a sad, sad story. I don't even know what to say. other than I would've been very upset too.

[lindamarie]

I'm back as I can't get this story off my mind.
I do think something has to be done.
I was thinking that, at the very least, this pet store MUST be forced to explain to a potential future owner what these pupples disposition is.
If purchased without knowledge of temperament, these pupples could even hurt a child or another dog in someone's family!

The reaction of the guy at the store is bizarre..........

It blew me away that they just put the dogs back together in the cage and then asked me if I wanted to see another dog (as if nothing happened). The whole thing was just weird.

This isn't right! Pupples aren't suppose to act like this! You may be the only one who reports this since you've seen it first hand. I think some of the advice here on how to go about it is good and I think must be done.

I didn't even witness it and it's got me upset! UGH!

[annabelles mom]

That is just awful - that store needs to be fined and banned from selling puppies and kittens forever

Do you have an official animal rights division you could complain to about this store - I would hate to see an innocent family go in
and buy one of those pups, take it home and have it attack a family member or pet. There is definitely behavioral issues there, no 12
week ould puppy should be aggressive like that

I refuse to go in pet stores that sell puppies and kittens - to heart breaking - I really think that selling puppies and kittens from stores should be
illegal

I would definitely find the proper authority to report that store to

[MaxandMe]

SO sorry you had to witness something such as what occured......at the same time maybe you posting such a real life experience as such,
is a GREAT way to educate others!
I have a way of always seeing a positive out of every negative.

I would report it but that's me. I also would only get puppies from breeders and/or rescues
I once had a bad experience with a 6mo puppy that let's say i was lied to , the place was connected to a LARGE well known petstore
each of my kids got bit in face one day ....and all the training well once the dog bit each child same day
puppy went back.
Had i been told the truth, i would have had the choice NOT to get puppy and/or known ahead of time what i was dealing with.
saddest part? when i drove back next day to place the dog had been put down as i was the 6th HOME that had problems.

LONG story short: i've seen with OTHER puppies events such as you described with puppies that are taken away too young like
at 5 to 6 weeks old
NOTE: puppies where a "mom" dog dies within 1st week and puppies are hand raised by us humans do NOT show same agression/temperament issues

anyway, as sad as this is .......alot can be learned

[doodleheaven]

Thanks for your responses everyone. We've been out of town for a couple of days but this is still weighing heavy on me. I will followup with the pet store first. Don't expect much will be done on their part but I would like to start there. From there I will follow up with one or more of the suggestions you guys have made. I'm just a regular dog lover who knew all about puppy mills and swore I would never buy from one of those connections - yet I still fell for one of the pups. Luckily my husband wouldn't have allowed me to get one anyways. Thanks for not judging me and thanks for all the great advice on what to do!!

[anny51]

Don't think anyone would judge you for falling for a puppy...I bet 99% of us would have done so. Babies aren't any the less sweet and appealing cos they come from a bad background and I defy anyone to resist them! Good for you for posting about your horrible experience and spreading the word....it's people who pretend they haven't noticed so that they don't have to say anything who help to perpetuate these businesses. Hope your children haven't taken it too much to heart....but at least they've got a mum who can explain it to them.

Ann