Breeder Beware-Red Flags - Page 1

• Potential buyer wants a dog to protect her from an abusive spouse, still in the relationship. 
• Potential buyer has too many dogs at home already, none trained.
• Puppy being purchased for the young children to "teach them responsibility."
• Brokers...  Plan to resell the dog.  :-(
• Any member of the household not thrilled about having a dog.

After a couple of bad experiences, I am very wary of young, lovey dovey couples who keep making eye contact and cuddling each other while choosing a pup.  One such couple split up within a month of taking a pup and another literally bought the pup on a Monday and the girl brought her back on the Wednesday because the guy had left her for another woman.  I suppose it is a variation of having a baby to keep the relationship together. 

Margaret N-J

GREAT TOPIC!!

I DO NOT breed, but........have owned a German Shepherds for 24 years. Breeders brag about the black and red on the German Shepherd in their advertisements, the color does not make the pup, or the pup more valueable. HEALTH AND TEMPERAMENT should be first and formost! Does the breeder check on the health of the Stud/Bitch that will be coming their way BEFORE the breeding is done? If there are heath issues but there is a breeding done anyway, are there breeders that are honest with other breeders? OR....does the problem go on? Joe Shmoe does not know about titles the parents have. All they see in an ad is Black/Red  pups with titled parents from Germany, so they think...hey these pups must be SUPERPUPS, must know everything because they are German Shepherds, so they think," I can make money by breeding to the German Shepherd down the street."

I ask the breeder if they want references on me, to call my Vet to ask about me, how my dogs' in the past were taken care of, and to ask questions about me.

Dawn





 

What do I say to someone who has a history of rehoming dogs? I am straight up, and tell them that is exactly why and have. I am simply not comfortable selling a puppy to someone who washes out puppies on a frequent basis. If they respect that, good! It is nothing "personal". If they want to hate me for it, that is fine too. 

It is not so much the fate of the dog I am worried about. Yes I always prefer the pup comes back to me, and I know a couple "frequent rehomers" who do indeed pass their puppies off to good situations. Yes, I do want control over where the pup ends up, which is why I prefer them to be sent back to me. But, more than that, a puppy brings with it a whole bunch of unknowns. Sometimes..no, OFTEN, you have to adapt to the pups way of thinking, strengths, quirks, drives, to get the training results you want from them. Sometimes they mature slower than we'd like, and you simply cannot rush them. It is crazy to think an 8 week old pup is going to adapt to your 2 yr "game plan".  It is the puppy owner who must adapt. If you cannot do this, and find yourself washing out puppy after puppy after puppy after puppy, maybe you should not be starting with a puppy to begin with.

I too wish there was a "do not sell to" list for breeders...

In regards to wealthy vs working class buyers: I would rather sell a pup at discount and know the pup will be loved and have a very good life versus wearing a fancy Coach collar and growing up to be a menace and/or ignored. So no, the size of the wallet does not matter. I have stopped visits mid stream and announced "ok, you can leave now". I am never in a rush to sell my pups and have been known to keep at least one back for a long time simply because I love having them around and they will stay until the right home is found.