German Shepherd Dog > Advice on issue with breeder... (48 replies)

Advice on issue with breeder...
by SerenityFarms on 28 October 2011 - 17:04
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I purchased an 18 month old female GSD from a breeder in Michigan. The purchase agreement was $1000.00 plus pick puppy from the first litter. I wanted this female because she has her CGC and I was interested in using her for therapy work.  My stud's information was forwarded to her prior to any money changing hands and she had no issue. After I sent her a total of $1428.06 for the dog and shipping she emails to tell me that my stud has show lines and she is not happy with that. She asks that I let her hold the dog and breed to her male and we would split the litter. I was not interested. She then states that if I send her another $500.00 she would sell her to my outright with no pup back. I told her as I had told her from the get go when she first emailed to offer me the dog that I am a young widow with two young boys and a budget. I told her initially that I could not afford the additional $500.00. She emailed me upset and asked me to please work with her. I told her to ship the female and hold her papers and I would send the sum of $500.00 by November 15th. She agreed and set a ship date.

Since then she has missed two confirmed shipping dates. One because she supposedly mixed up two flights and the other because she simply overslept. Both times I have gotten up early, arranged a sitter, and prepared for a trip only to be told minutes before I was to leave that the dog was not coming. She emailed me after the last missed flight and said she would refund. She now tells me she spent my money including the shipping funds and I won't get a refund until she sells some puppies. I am outraged. Is this ethical? She is basically using my money as an interest free loan without my consent. She refuses to answer the phone for me and only responds with excuses via email.

I am thinking I should file both a Paypal claim and contact the Michigan State Police(who by the way own 4 of her dogs). What other steps can I take to make sure she doesn't do this to someone else? I am shocked at how she went from a professional breeder with many positive reviews to someone willing to essentially steal from me. I have tried to work with her and gave her to opportunties to make good and send me the dog and both times she blew me off with no consideration to her customer. She feels she is doing nothing wrong. I am not willing to take a $1500.00 loss so she could purchase a new dog for her kennel. I'm sure she has received her dog but here I am with no dog and no money.
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by Keith Grossman on 28 October 2011 - 17:20
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No, it is not ethical.  You can start by telling us who the breeder is.
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by AmbiiGSD on 28 October 2011 - 17:20
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That's disgraceful and yep name and shame them!
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by VKGSDs on 28 October 2011 - 17:32
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I live in MI, who is it?  I think you've already compromised way more that I would have put up with!  She either needs to send the dog for the original price or refund all the money, like yesterday.
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by Rass on 28 October 2011 - 17:44
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I am sorry you have been taken (and I think you have been taken). 

Now you know why you buy a dog and go and get her yourself. 

I have other questions about all this... it sounds like you have a male (intact) and your intent is to buy this female and breed the two and make puppies that you are going to sell.. (and be the next Back Yard Breeder).   If I am incorrect on the breeding thing then I misunderstood. 

Breeding these dogs should be based in a desire to improve the breed.. to study lines and pedigrees and discover through research what will cross well with what you have or what you are buying.  It may not be the stud you own.  Maybe that is what you are doing and if so, great.  However, with a limited income and difficulty coming up with $500... well... I have my doubts.  I am not intending to be rude in expressing this opinion (though you may find it so). 

Again.. what she is doing is out of line.  What you are planning to do may be as well????????????

She should simply refund your money and that is that. 
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by TheWildWolf on 28 October 2011 - 17:45
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Completely unacceptable.
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by 4 mals2sheps on 28 October 2011 - 17:54
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   Well if its the breeder I've heard about yes you have been ripped off .If you would like more info that I know please pm me and as far as you wanting to breed thats your business.This person(breeder)was a reputile breeder once .easy to find out who look up shepherds in Michigan shows State Troopers with dogs.
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by hunger4justice on 28 October 2011 - 17:59
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Isn't serenity farms the same one that posted on sept 11 this year
Looking for an extreme long coat female with good bone structure and even temperament. Black and tan or black and cream. Also see my ad looking for a sable or dark sable lc female. I have had great luck buying my dogs here so far and hope to find the last two additions to our small breeding program. Prefer to buy from the US.
  seanna.mccarthy@yahoo.com
and also posted:
Looking for a solid extreme long coat sable or dark sable female. AKC full registration required. Looking for a good schutzhund prospect. Willing to import from a breeder with references in the US if necessary. Prefer to buy from the US. Pup to young adult(2 and under) considered.
Email: seanna.mccarthy@yahoo.com and also:
I am new to Schutzhund. Purchased a few pups to train. Joined our local club and starting private training in October. In the meantime I would like to start working with the pups at home and I am looking for recommedations of equipment for beginners. Tugs, etc. What's most important for me to acquire in the beginning?
Thanks!
WHY are you breeding when the dogs are not titled and you are "just starting out." ????????
I think there is more here than meets the eye.
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by Red Sable on 28 October 2011 - 18:04
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Well I googled and Chris Wild's name came up, as did a few others.  I have a hard time imagining this breeder to be Wildhaus Kennels, so maybe googling isn't the best way to determine this breeder.

Can you please tell us who the breeder is, before we start assuming it is the wrong one?



@ Rass, speaking of assuming, why are you assuming anything? you know nothing of the dogs in question here and are out of line jumping the gun on something you know nothing about.  The dogs could very well be good representations of the breed.
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by SerenityFarms on 28 October 2011 - 18:28
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I was not purchasing her to breed now. None of my males will be bred until they are OFA prelimed and have titled and none of my females will be bred until they are OFA'd and titled. I was purchasing her because she had her CGC and I am interested in getting into service and therapy dogs. My father is a district governor for the Lions Club and there is no shortage of need for service dogs.  If I was just interested in pups I would have agreed for her to breed her and split the litter. My male is only 5 months old. I wanted to get her here and take her for the TDI test which I also explained to this breeder when she offered her to me. She offered the lower price and the pup back because she was wanting to purchase another dog.

When my husband passed away and I decided to get into the shepherds I spent close to 12,000.00 on acquiring my few dogs. I have not purchased a single cheap dog with a poor pedigree. My male has a very nice pedigree with many Schutzhund titles but he does have some show line in his background. I am involved in both our local schutzhund club and private training. I am doing this properly and learning as I go which I am fairly certain is how most people learn.

This breeder, Abba's German Shepherds, contacted me in regards to the ad I had listed. She was asking $2000.00 for Camry. As I had just purchased a new home for my children and built a kennel and was ideally looking for a dark sable or sable female to add I was not interested in paying that amount. She offered the lower price and offer of a puppy back. I was interested in the fact that she had her CGC and I thought she would fit in well with my plans. My male's pedigree was sent to her more than a week before I purchased Camry allowing her to approve or disapprove. I have hidden nothing. I am not understanding how my dogs or my financial position obsolve her of anything. She agreed to sell me the dog and has now decided to keep my money until she sees fit to refund it. Had I wanted to spend the additional $500.00 I could have but I did not feel I was in the position to do so and even once I agreed to do so all I got was two cancelled flights. My financial positon is well enough to care for my animals and children and I do have access to funds for emergency situations such as the 2 year old dog I recently had to euthanize as she had ALL(leukemia) and was not responding to treatment. It however does require long thought and consideration when spending on something that is not a necessity.

My mother has raised Saint Bernards for years. Her dogs have done wonderfully in the show ring. The shepherd is a whole other ballgame but they were my breed of choice when I decided to add dogs to my life.  My dogs are fed well, my kennel inspected, my veternarian visits my home to care for them.

Calling me a backyard breeder and accusing me of breeding untitled dogs is unfounded and has nothing to do with this situation. I have yet to breed a single litter nor do I plan to in the next 10 months or so and that is if I find an acceptable male that can be titled or has been titled prior to breeding. I am currently working with two females towards titling and my male pup is working in tracking and obedience. I did not get into the shepherds just to produce puppies. I am new yes, but not ignorant or stupid.

I merely came here for advice on how to deal with a situation with what from the information I gathered was a reputable breeder.
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by Rass on 28 October 2011 - 18:28
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Not assuming more than the other posts imply.  The OP has two puppies now (both males) about 13 weeks old and now is getting dog #3 and looking for a LSC dog #4.... and has asked about training and trainers saying they know nothing. 

Now this post. 

Leaves me with questions and so I asked.  Maybe be all good (or not). 

Here is a link:
http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/german_shepherd_dog/bulletins.read?mnr=511187

"have purchased a FEW pups....." sort of raises my eyebrows when I also read:
"I am a young widow with two young boys and a budget. I told her initially that I could not afford the additional $500.00."

Anyway, the OP has answered the question.  Time will tell and I wish her luck...

I still think that the person who took her money should give a refund and be done with it.  I also still believe that if you want to get a dog you need to do so in person. 
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by Two Moons on 28 October 2011 - 18:34
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SSDD.
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by SerenityFarms on 28 October 2011 - 18:35
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And before anyone asks yes I am particularly interested in the long coats. A lot of the long coat breeders in the US are breeding merely for size and coat with no consideration to confirmation or working ability. I would like to change that and I am spending a small fortune on training to be sure I do it right.
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by djc on 28 October 2011 - 18:37
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lol (not that this situation is funny at all) But I was just about to say it sure sounds an awful lot like Peggy Sue Walker! AND it IS!! There have been MANY threads on here about her and none of them have been good.
If I were you I would contact the State Police anyway as well as the court system and file a small claim. Not all of them own dogs from her or are associated with her and the court system should not be biased.
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by SerenityFarms on 28 October 2011 - 18:41
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"have purchased a FEW pups....." sort of raises my eyebrows when I also read:
"I am a young widow with two young boys and a budget. I told her initially that I could not afford the additional $500.00."

If you must know along with being a young widow came a lump sum of insurance money. I spent what I was willing to on my home, kennel, and dogs and the remainder is put a way for a "rainy day". Just because it's there doesn't mean I don't have a budget and a specific amount I am willing to spend. I wasn't willing to transfer more money from my insurance account so the additional $500.00 would have had to come from my monthly money as I already had a birthday party and presents to contend with this month with my son.

Really I understand the suspicion but I am not looking to be a backyard breeder. I'm trying to find my specific niche in the shepherds and apply each dog's abilities where they are best suited. I am a huge fan of service dogs and while it may not be the norm for shepherds I find they bond incredibly and can be a huge asset.

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by SerenityFarms on 28 October 2011 - 18:50
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I did not mean to start an entire debate on whether I will be an ethical breeder or not. I just wanted to be advised on whether I was reasonable to expect that a breeder would not spend my funds before delivery and that I am not unreasonable in expecting to be refunded as quickly as I had paid.
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by djc on 28 October 2011 - 18:56
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You have been given advice.
No, it is not ethical in any way.
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by SerenityFarms on 28 October 2011 - 19:08
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After trying to get in touch with her for days she just called me for the first time and told me the shipping money would be refunded tonight and that the balance will be coming shortly. Not sure whether she saw this thread or not but it is quite the coincidence. Thank you for the advice.
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by djc on 28 October 2011 - 19:10
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Make her state that in an email and have a set date for the remainder or it will go on forever.
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by Judy P on 28 October 2011 - 20:43
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Maybe she sold Camry, she has her listed at $2500 on her website.
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