Thursday, October 9, 2008

Unjust?

How many of you have had a bad experience with a breeder, either due to monetary situations, their rudeness, or lack of knowledge of Club Regs and standards? I'd like to hear your story.

Here's one such complaint:

"Bella the Papillon pup (Talina Altman has SOME NERVE!)

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Reply to: comm-872928392@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-10-09, 1:02PM PDT



I also had a horrible experience with this woman. She is out for the money and if you don't offer her enough she will write you back very rudely and meanly telling you that she refuses to give away an AKC dog that she paid over $900 for and good luck fining a cheap dog. She even went as far as to comment on the reason I'm in a financial situation that I can't afford her high fees!! How absurd of her to question that and how RUDE! I mean, seriously Talina if you don't like the offer just say no thanks we're going to keep looking. Don't be a you know what about it! OR better yet- Don't sell your dog on a site that says you can rehome for a SMALL fee. $500+ is in no way small. AND if you insist as you do then at least tell people UPFRONT when they ask you how much the fee is instead of saying "right now we are just taking offers" since YOU ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO MAKE AN OFFER SO DON'T CRITICIZE them when they OFFER!!! You just want the highest bidder so why don't you sell your poor dog at an auction."

Poor girl. Why can't people be clear on things like this? It causes so much unnecessary tension. Breeders need to realize that word gets around, and it gets around fast. Fellow breeders, customers, and enthusiasts alike won't hesitate to rat your ass out and get the problem fixed. So, you're best off being compliant and helpful when it comes to your business.

11 comments:

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

personally, I always get shelter dogs so have not had the 'privelege' of dealing with breeders. I don't like many breeders because most of them are in it for the money. I know a lot of breeders in my area and not one of them has impressed me with their dogs - all fuglies

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jayjenjo said...

Ummm...

It's not clear here if the person offering the dog is the breeder or even a breeder. It sounds more like they are selling a puppy they bought elsewhere.

Most of the "breeders" folks bash are BYBs or puppymillers and the majority do not belong to a breed club or follow a code of conduct. Paint everyone with the same brush and the the ones who screen for health, suitable homes and working ability etc... and who stand behind their dogs for life will be the first to go, as they do this out of dedication to and love for a breed and often spend far more than they make

LegendsLiveOn said...

Dogsdeservefreedom,

Thanks for following my blog! I will be sure to check yours out. :)

JayJenjo,

I'm aware that many targeted people are BYBers and the like. That being said, that doesn't mean that there aren't reputedly 'good' breeders doing shady things behind the scenes. I recently talked to somebody who was getting a Toller puppy and the breeder denied her her choice of puppy, tried to force another pup on her, and then denied her the return of her money until SEVERAL things happened, including the contact of the local NSDTR breeder's club and her public outing. So no, it isn't always the shitty breeders who have shitty practices.

LegendsLiveOn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LegendsLiveOn said...

Also, from what I know this woman is not a breeder. I'm pointing out that she is bad business. Dogs listed on Craigslist as "For Sale" will be deleted, as it is against their codes... So this lady put her dog up for a "small rehoming fee", and when someone inquired about the dog, the bitch laughed in their face and pretty much told them, too bad, so sad, it's your own damn fault you don't have money to buy him (they offered $500 - quite reasonable when the ad didn't even have a price range), and then told her the "small" rehoming fee was $900 and to take her business elsewhere.

It's about being professional and polite. Damn near anyone doing anything slightly suspicious, or being an asshole to the client, as in this case, will be pulled into the spotlight in the dog world.

Barb said...

You wrote:
"and then denied her the return of her money until SEVERAL things happened, including the contact of the local NSDTR breeder's club and her public outing. So no, it isn't always the shitty breeders who have shitty practices."
...Of course, there are two sides to every story. But assuming that the buyer deserved a refund, this IS a classic example of a shitty breeder. Health checks, testing and titles are very important but a reputable breeder is ALSO honest and does his/her best to be fair and to act in the best interest of the animal first, and the buyer second. To me - and to many other breeders - that means taking back any puppy anytime if the owner can't keep it or doesn't want it anymore. We also give very generous refunds because we don't ever want anyone to keep a puppy after they've changed their mind just because they paid a lot for it.
However, not letting someone have their pick of the litter is not necessarily a bad thing. The breeder not only has the right to refuse to sell a pup to anyone, for any reason but also has the right to keep any pup - or pups - they want. It's their litter, after all. It's pretty common to hear from people who don't want to show the dog, but who want "the pick of the litter" anyway. Yeah, right! :-)
But - assuming that these people turn out to be a great home for a dog and just don't understand why the breeder might want to keep the "pick" or save it for a show home - the wise thing to do is to not ever let them see the first pick. Show them a few pet quality puppies and let them choose from those. This saves a lot of hurt feelings on both sides.

LegendsLiveOn said...

Barb -

The story to the NSDTR girl was that she wanted a show quality pet and was presented with a puppy suitable for showing. After bonding with the puppy, the breeder decided the dog was too much of an investment to lose as a show dog and then tried to force a pet-quality puppy on her after she'd paid the deposit as well as full price. The lady then refused to return a very large portion of the money and was very rude to her until the local NSDTR club intervened and threatened to out her from the community.

Morgan Elizabeth said...

I have no personal experience with a breeder but my no-knowledge-of-dogs-neighbor purchased this http://avatardsunite.deviantart.com/art/Sure-its-a-Pomeranian-95996898

He is sure it is a Pomeranian and the breeder is telling the truth about the papers coming later. His wife and I are not remotely convinced and she knows little about dogs as well.

DogsDeserveFreedom said...

Regarding BYBers ... you're right - they often have shifty business practices.

On the flip side, I know good breeders that don't allow the prospective owner to pick their pups. The breeder allows visits and gets to know the buyer, then chooses the pup that will be best suited to the family. Then visits follow so the new owner will get to know the pup before bringing home.

LegendsLiveOn said...

DDF - Given, a good breeder will match your energy levels and the suitability of the dog to your household. Regardless, the NSDTR lady had no business to refuse her the return of her money after the girl refused the pup the breeder tried to push on her.