Quite Disturbed... does this happen often ? - Page 2

Martin, You make several good points ! Ones that we all should be aware of and never forget them. However if your puppies are vaccinated properly when they leave there should not be a problem. But I know sometimes people don't keep up on them like they should. I do beleive in quarantine for the reasons you've described above. And I would and do practice it and by doing so can be responsible breeder and accept puppy/dog back. I would think that Quarantine would be better practice than refusal. just my guess though. But you definately make some excellent points. Thank You. Mitch

Wow Martin, Never had that expierience so never thought of it. Guess I will have to rethink my policy. Especially after I recently ended up with Giardia cause I forgot to disenfect a run after boarding a dog for a police department that I was training. I have been here for 14 years and never had Giardia before. Could just imagine having a puppy come back and wipe out a litter.

I've taken back approximately 10 dogs over the years, 2 were puppies under 4 months of age. One from an allergic owner, one from a cardiolgist who could not deal with a dog that opened windows and walked on the roof. None have ever been sick, none ever brought any sort of contagious condition to any of my other dogs. I did have a dog "given" to me to pay a boarding bill. He had sarcoptic mange and that spread throughout the kennel. The one dog I could not take back the minute the owner wanted her gone ended up in a puppymill and now my kennel name is in the pedigrees of dogs that were sold in petshops. I no longer breed dogs because I can no longer take back the unwanted ones I've bred. If you can't or won't do that, then don't breed anymore, let that up to those who can and will. Isolate the returned dogs until you are sure thay are healthy. It's not foolproof, but you have to assume the responsibility for every dog you breed and place outside your own kennel. It's just the right thing to do.

Thanks for the good points, Martin. Stephen

EchoMeadows wrote: "However if your puppies are vaccinated properly when they leave there should not be a problem" Reply: You cannot vaccinate against Coccidia (Coccidiosis) and several other contagions that affect and kill puppies. also accepting a puppy back has nothing to do with being a responsible breeder. Refusal is a better option than quarantine, being it is the safest way to prevent cross contamination of dogs and puppies. You never know, mice, birds, insects and even the wind or rain can transport and or spread some contagions along with the bottom of people shoes, hands and equipment. Refusal is the safest policy. Where is a small breeder to quarantine without risk of cross contamination? Bleach, hospital procedures, and so on, it still happens with cross contamination. How many times have you heard of dogs or puppies catching something at the veterinarian's office? Most are meticulous in there cleaning and disinfecting, yet it still happens. Martin

Blitzen wrote: "If you can't or won't do that, then don't breed anymore, let that up to those who can and will. Isolate the returned dogs until you are sure thay are healthy. It's not foolproof, but you have to assume the responsibility for every dog you breed and place outside your own kennel. It's just the right thing to do." Reply, no Blitzen. Once you sell or give a dog away, it is not yours or your responsibility. If you accept it back, then it becomes your responsibility again. As for isolating returned dogs, you cannot vaccinate against Coccidia (Coccidiosis) and several other contagions that affect and kill puppies. Refusal is a better option than quarantine or isolation, being it is the safest way to prevent cross contamination of dogs and puppies. You never know, mice, birds, insects and even the wind or rain can transport and or spread some contagions along with the bottom of people shoes, hands and equipment. Refusal is the safest policy. Where is a small breeder to quarantine or isolate without risk of cross contamination? Bleach, hospital procedures, and so on, it still happens with cross contamination. How many times have you heard of dogs or puppies catching something at the veterinarian's office? Most are meticulous in there cleaning and disinfecting, yet it still happens. Refusal, It's just the right thing to do for the protection of your dogs, puppies and sanity. Martin

I don't agree, Martin, I think the breeder should take responsibilty for the dogs he/she breeds.

EchoMeadows writes: "However if your puppies are vaccinated properly when they leave there should not be a problem." Reply: Even if given all their shots and they are properly vaccinated, they can still catch provirus and other things. Unless you hold your puppies till after 16 weeks old and vaccinate twice more, you do not know that the maternal antibodies stopped protecting the puppy and their own antibodies are now protecting them. Even then their is no guarantee they are 100% protected. Lots of fully inoculated dogs and puppies catch, spread nasty things to others and die. Veterinarian's offices see many previously fully inoculated dogs and puppies with something. It is just one of those things that happen. Martin

Blitzen wrote: I don't agree, Martin, I think the breeder should take responsibilty for the dogs he/she breeds. Reply: Well Hello Blitzen, I believe responsibility is making sure puppies are fully inoculated and wormed before sold. I believe responsibility is giving a guarantee against congenital disease and bad hips. But having sold many dogs and puppies over the years and been burned by taking in "take backs" I wont do it. You are not responsible for a dog once it has been sold, given away, adopted etc, and left your possession. Say you sold a puppy and one way or another something happened in the owners life and they turned into a bad person. The puppy you placed is beat upon, beat down and just mistreated in very cruel ways. Two years later, it has scarcoptic mange and the dog bites the postal carrier at the property of the owner. The owner is being sued. Is this your responsibility? Are you libel for the dog's actions? Do you run with donations to support the owner's defense fund? Better yet, do you willingly take back the untrustworthy fear biter and possibly put your family in jeopardy and accept all financial responsibility for its actions? You bred and sold the dog. Once it leaves your possession you are no longer responsible for it. If you take it back, how responsible is that? Martin

Hello, i do agree with Martin, once the puppy is sold its gone. I do not have the control over the dog anymore, nor do i know how the dog is handeld or treated. Does that mean i am not responsible ? I dont think so ! Will i try to check that i find decent homes for my pups ... you bet i will. Do i have the garanty that the buyer is telling me the truth ? Nope, and i'm not with the FBI to perform a background check ! Blitzen, with all due respect, but its a whole different world you are living in ! To assume, just because a breeder wont take back a pup, that he just breeds because of the money, is not more than a joke ! And that joke has been beaten so often !! But there is always room enough to top..... for instance to tell somebody to stop breeding if not doing the way one thinks is right !! Anyway, Echo, i would check every single case. If i would have the feeling the person is really in need, i would do everything i can to solve the problem.If i would have the feeling that the person just wants to get rid of the dog...... nope, the person will get my advice and i will keep my ears open. Hey, after all, i am a breeder..... i dont not run a shelter ! Call me heartles or whatever you want, just dont tell me that i do not take care of my dogs ! Just my two cents. Regards Ulli