Breeders, a question about replacements..... - Page 1

Ok, so I have a question for you...

Let's say you have a puppy buyer, whom is now owed a replacement (the puppy they have, turned out to be Pet Quality, etc) and you currently do not have any available puppies for this at the moment.

DO YOU ....

A. REPLACE THE PUPPY AS SOON AS YOU HAVE ONE AVAILABLE (Which could be a month, or even a year depending on your next litter)

B. Scramble to find one somewhere, anywhere from another breedeer, or source, etc.

And how do you handle it when the person owed the replacement demands one, regardless of how you have to get it, because they have to have that puppy now?

I would offer them the first replacement pup that is suitable for their situation, from the first available litter - and tell them when the next litter is due (a month, a few months) - I also tell them that the pup would be the first SUITABLE pup - ie if they want a working-prospect male pup and there aren't any males in the litter, or pups don't look suitable for what they want, then they would have to continue waiting) OR 1/2 refund of their purchase price for the "now" factor - they can keep their pup if it's spayed or neutered, or return it to me.

molly

   I'm wondering myself about a similar situation where it wasn't an issue of a purchased puppy,but a papered puppy in exchange for whelping services,would it be the same process?What is the most amount of time considered REASONABLE to replace a puppy someone was promised and had their heart set on having with full rights to show and breed it?Or is the breeder at LIBERTY TO TAKE MONTHS AND YEARS TO DECIDE what and when they will replace it??

If that puppy was deemed a PET QUALITY (Not breed worthy) puppy by the breeder, and they feel that they would not feel comfortable with it being issued full papers, that is THEIR CHOICE. Period. And it's even better if they do offer to replace it when one is available. I know ALOT of breeders who are shady and do not offer replacements, etc. And I do believe the puppy should be replaced AS SOON AS ONE IS AVAILABLE whether it's tomorrow, or 6 months down the line. However I do not think the buyers should have a right to bully the breeders. Heck, unless they bought it from a BYB and they ALWAYS have puppies available... then I guess that is a whole other issue all together. I do like what Molly said about 1/2 back instead of a replacement if they decide they just can't wait.

At the time of purchase, we explain & go over our contract from top to bottom.......it states within.........(The "replacement puppy" ) is/will be of the same "potential quality"..ie "companion, show, schutzhund"..etc....and will be offered at OUR discretion.  It further explains why......ie..."availability, suitable prospects., future breedings..etc    The contract also states that the (replacement puppy ) will be final.

We make sure that both parties involved, AGREE upon terms before the puppy is sold.  If there are any "changes or circumstances" that arise....we amend the contract so that both parties are satisfied.

The puppy turned out to be pet quality?  In working bred dogs, I would take that to mean that somehow the drives the puppy displayed when sold as a working prospect have disapeared?  

The buyer would have to prove to me that the reason the drives disapeared are due to biological/genetic reasons, and not because of his training methods or the puppy's environment.  He would also need to give puppy some time, to see if the puppy's drives RE-appear as mysteriously as they DIS-apeared.

If I felt that the buyer was a good trainer, and that the environment was not at fault, and an appropriate period of time elapsed to see that the puppy mysteriously did lose its drives forever, then I would allow the person to keep the puppy after proof of spaying or neutering.  I would give a replacement puppy or full monetary refund.  It would be very difficult for me, however, to be sure that the reason the pup's drives went away is purely a result of mysterious genetics.

For other issues covered by my standard policies for a full refund, the puppy buyer is ordinarily allowed to keep the puppy after proof of spaying or neutering as I do not want to kidnap a dog from a safe and happy home.   To me that is emotional blackmail.  The buyer is given the choice of a replacement puppy of equal or greater value when it becomes available, or a full monetary refund. 

The only time I ask for the puppy back to issue a refund is in the case where my veterinarian examined it, and his opinion is that abuse is a part of, or the entirety of, the puppy's problems.  In that case, the puppy must be returned, and I will give a full monetary refund (NO replacment puppy) to get him back.  My goal at that point would be to rescue the puppy/dog.  Again, it would be difficult to be certain the problem actually is abuse.  I don't see that ever really happening, but I like to have the option just in case.