Questionable Breeder

Maureen · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:11 am Post subject:

mtd, for the sake of others' learning, would you mind talking about what you paid, and why you chose the breeder you chose? What were your priorities?

Thank you for sharing...I'm so glad your Doodle has a loving home!

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~Maureen
LabradoodleRanch@aol.com
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mtd885 · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:27 pm Post subject:

I paid $1600.00 I was swept up by a picture of a clean pup posted for sale in a forum. I asked for a copy of the guarantee/agreement which I was never asked to sign nor did they sign one. I was assured the puppy was up to date with her shots, she was not. Now a grey area. There are some vaccines mandatory for dogs in the US that are not in Canada. These vaccines were not given including Rabies. She was intact, I have to pay for spaying which according to the contract was supposed to be done before shipping. The health of the puppy was poor and she had apparently been bullied into timidity. Just a note I used to work for a trainer who trained animals for Disney Movies in the 70's and have owned and completed several Golden Retrievers in show, obedience and Field Trials, so I am not a novice when it comes to dogs and their behavior. Then there was the discrepancies with the exchange rate (which they quoted) which was $150.00 more than the rate listed on three different exchange websites. I was dealing by email with the owners daughter who I found out has her own Kennel name as well. She had all the right answers and was quite pleasant to communicate with. I feel I was lied to and taken advantage of by a pretty (Doodle) face as I'm sure everyone here has experienced. The good news is the ear infections are under control. She is very trainable after 3 weeks has her basics down sit,down,come,find it,leave it,where's mommy (she runs to my wife) and a few more. I am hoping she will get over the 'soft' personality issue with a lot of love and attention so we can advance to Therapy/Service training as my wife is an OTR and will use the dog in her practice. Thanks for letting me rant I feel better already Rolling Eyes

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hmz819 · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 1:33 pm Post subject:

Your puppy is so cute!! I am glad you are providing a good home for her. Sorry about your experience with your breeder. Hopefully soon that lil cutie will come out of her shell with the love you provide and all will be forgotten.
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He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion-Unknown

Maureen · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 2:56 pm Post subject:

wow, what a story!!!

I am glad for your puppy that you are together.....

the key seems to be getting swept up by a picture, huh?

Can you say which forum posted your puppy?

(I don't think there's anything wrong with that, personally)

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~Maureen
LabradoodleRanch@aol.com
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mtd885 · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:36 pm Post subject:

You have mail, I sent you a PM with the link and the message I posted today...m

MaxandMe · Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:20 pm Post subject:

mtd885 sorry to hear of what you went through but on the other hand i am glad you have your new doodle puppy and are an experiend dog handler to help your doodle to fully develop properly

welcome!
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movistar · Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 8:33 am Post subject:

a breeder should supply paperwork if requested. its that simple. if you claim it, back it up.

I agree with maureen, I think the breeders group would be real interested in the breeder not working with you.

as far as shipping a 7 week old puppy ALL airlines I know of state puppy must be 8 weeks. first shots are normally given at 6 weeks... not sure what happened there.

besides checking for guarantee, paperwork etc ASK FOR PUPPY PARENT REFERENCES. I could give the names of any of my previous puppy parents and they could attest to condition, health, temperment etc etc of their puppy. I think references are important!!

amyg · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 3:50 pm Post subject: Breeder providing test results

I went to a breeder that had a very nice website. I contacted a few of her references which responded positively. The breeder's home, where she raised the pups until they left appeared clean & I was pleased that the pups were kept in her home. I was very excited to not only find a breeder w/in an hour of my home, but her prices were much less than anyone else's I'd found for what I was looking for (F1b or multigen medium size Labradoodle). I anxiously gave her a $200 deposit for a litter to be born at the end of Jan, so I could have the first pick. I've talked to several customers/breeders who know her - one said she had a problem w/a puppy for which she had not received the test results she was promised, another said that even w/good test results on parents & grandparents, that's not a guarantee that the pups will turn out w/out problems. I then emailed the breeder asking for the actual test results of the parents, as well as the pedigree of the F3 puppies for which I had put a deposit on, and of the sire & dam of the mother, since this was her first litter.

I have not heard back from her with responses to any of the info I've requested from her. I realize that it's only been a week or so & it's during the holidays, and the puppies are not even born yet. She did tell me that the sire's hips tested in the 90% percentile. But my question is...if she is unable or unwilling to produce for me the info and documentation I've requested, would that a reason for me to request my deposit back? How soon before the puppies are born or before I bring mine home should I be able to get this info, so I have the piece of mind to know my puppy came from parents who were actually tested?
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Amy
Columbus, OH

Maureen · Posted: Mon Dec 31, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject:

It seems to me that if someone has the testing and has done the work of screening and testing, they would WANT to show the proof! I mean, gee, I don't do PennHip yet (I'm looking into it and if it's available here) but if I had a dog with such a great PennHip scores, I think I might post them on my website!! Wink

I'm terrible with paperwork and I'm terrible with mailing, but I WOULD get the reports to anyone who wants them, if they are depositing toward my puppies. (I have scanned docs so they're stored on my pc)

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~Maureen
LabradoodleRanch@aol.com
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Lori2147 · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 6:26 am Post subject:

Amy,

Does the breeder state on her website that all breeding dogs have passed their tests? If so, go to the web page and print a copy of the page that says the dogs have all passed their tests. Save it for your records.

It's possible that the breeder is busy due to the holidays. If you feel good about everything else, I'd politely send one more email (in addition, call her directly) and repeat your request for the test results on the parents of the puppy you planned to buy. If he or she isn't techno-savvy, the breeder may need to make xerox copies and then send them to you by snail mail. Sending the second request by email will provide you with written proof of the request.

If the breeder can't produce the test results within two weeks of your second request, then I think you should seriously consider formally requesting a refund on your deposit.

If your request for a deposit is refused, then you probably have a good case for small claims court. You wouldn't need to follow through on this completely, but you could send a formal written letter to the breeder stating that you feel you have been deceived. Just sending a formal letter is usually enough to make someone reconsider their decision.

I did this one time when I placed my son in private swimming lessons with a woman that I realized was nutty after the first lesson. She refused to refund my payment, and reminded me that I had signed a contract that indicated no refunds after the first lesson. Then I did a little checking and found out she wasn't Red-Cross certified, as she claimed. I sent a formal letter stating my discovery..and what-do-ya-know, she called to say my refund was on the way!!!

Of course, you may get the papers and everything might turn out to be perfect! But I think it's good for you to know that you would have some options other than losing your 200.00.

Let me know how it's going!!!
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Lori & Baxter

MaxandMe · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:06 am Post subject:

I have found that through this forum OTHERS can benefit from discussions and experiences such as this and want to say THANK YOU for posting this topic

and also for mtd's honesty in telling us what happened rather than
keeping quiet about it.

USUALLY small claims court does make MOST refund money before you get to court.
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Annmarie, Max,& Peanut
Forum BLOG ARTICLE LINK http://blog.labradoodle-dogs.net/

"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France

Jac · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 3:45 am Post subject:

I have been gone from the forum for a while and, my goodness, many people have joined!
I want to thank you too, for putting this info out there. I agree with Maureen, if we are paying for these tests, why in the world would a breeder be offended or unwilling to show the results??
Often I think that people test and that is true, but they don't want the results known. Pity.
If a breeder has testing, they should show you. If not, they should tell you. It is really that simple.
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dixiedi · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 8:45 am Post subject:

If everything is on the up and up, there is no reason why a breeder would not be VERY willing to give you copies of the test results. I would definately request copies (which should be part of the puppy packet) and if the breeder does not get back with you in a timely fashion, I would start looking for another breeder. It is better to lose 200.00 than thousands of dollars on a dog that may not be what you are paying for, not to mention the heartbreak that would follow for you and the puppy.

In my opinion, no breeder should be too busy to keep open communication between a potential puppy buyer (or past puppy owner)and themself. It is their job to see to it that you feel comfortable with the transition of buying the puppy and comfortable with them. Not only is it important to choose the right puppy but it is equally important to have a good relationship with your breeder and to feel that he/she will be there for any questions or concerns you may have after the puppy is in your home.

There are too many ripoff artists out there and people are very skeptical of buying over the internet, I feel it is the breeder's obligation to do everything in their power to make that buyer feel comfortable and safe in their choice. If a breeder cannot take the time to do this, they need to get out of the business.

Go with your gut and good luck Wink

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Di & Archie

If you want to feel rich, just count all of the things you have that money can't buy...

Maureen · Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2008 10:18 am Post subject:

hey amy, have you gotten answers yet on the questions for your breeder?

I agree with di, go with your gut!
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~Maureen
LabradoodleRanch@aol.com
www.LabradoodleRanch.com

ellabee · Senior Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 1551 Location: NJ