What would you do? - Page 1

Client calls you for a working dog. Tells you that he is a policer and wants a family dog/ narc dog. You tell him that you have a young female that has outstanding ball drive , food drive, high prey drive (can not live with any cats period) So they want to come and see her Saturday . You have appointments to see her that start at 12-1pm So he wants to come at 11. you say ok. They come down and you spend 2+ hours going over the dog and bloodlines, They bring thier whipet, two small kids (one that is sort of affraid of big dogs) wife. The dog is playing fetch loving up on the kids and husband. Wife and whipet are just sitting there. Dog cuddles up to the small child that is sort of affraid and falls asleep. We bring in parents they pet and play some more . The dog goes to the wife and wants to play with the whipet at this time the dog pops her teeth (something she does with all the dogs or when wanting the ball or toy) we talk more about the needs of the dog, training class is a most, Kids need to also attend so she understand who is Alpha in the house where she is in the pecking order. I ask is this what you are wanting they say yes are you comfortable with the dog the wife says yes. We go outside for a potty break. I am standing with the husband and ask again is this what you are wanting again she is everything I was looking for, I'll be bringher to work with me and have a guy that is a trainer help me and the dog. I then start talking to the wife and ask are you comfortable with the dog she says yes, are you wanting the dog again she says yes. We then sign contract (which I fully read out loud to them (making sure they understand every thing) they sign they pay we take pictures and load the dog. We then say our good byes. He says I 'll be calling you. I say OK. Last night he calls and says the dog snaped twice at the wife. She was doing nothing just out of the blue went after her. Now they want to bring her back for a full refund. They do not want to go and try or work with her. Period just want thier money back. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? some of my breeder friends said ask for a restocking fee, others said refund the money and one said let them deal with it this anit no Wal mart.

In a heartbeat, I would tell them to bring the dog back and give them all their money and wish them good riddance.. I don't charge a "restocking" fee.. this was clearly not the dog for them and you cut all your losses by getting her back and starting over. To me, it sounds like you had a feeling and you tried every way from sunday to bring it out (I've done the same thing).... This is no WalMart is right, it is so much bigger than that.. these people didn't buy a CD or a set of sheets or a TV.... apples and oranges... That's just me and that's why I'll never make any money at this!!

I would want them to deal with it as a lesson. On the other hand, do you want them to deal with it by trashing your breedings and puting the dog in the pound? I would charge them a fee for being a pain in the ass. Now you missed out on other people looking at the dog to purchase and wasted hours on them. I never thought about keeping a small fee but you don't work for free do you??? Either way I would take the dog back, for her own well being.

Let them bring the dog back, but you NEED TO KEEP THAT DOG IN QUARANTINE. I found this out the hard way. Make them pay to keep the dog at the vet's office (boarding costs, etc) for 10-14 days. You could regret if you do not. Find out from your vet how much the costs would be to keep her there for 10-14 days (or however many your vet feels comfortable with for waiting for any viruses to show up), and tell them as soon as she is out of quarantine and healthy, you will refund the remainder of their money. Or, stick to your contract. But the pup would probably be better off with you anyway. Good luck!

Barbara, did they not sign a contract? It is obvious from your post that you explained everything to the clients and they did not sign until they were 100% sure they were doing something that they wanted to do. And now, they have changed their minds? You are right-you "ain't no Wal-mart." And this client wanted a dog with great drive, no? If he is an experienced person then he should know that many high-drive dogs have an inherent bit of civil drive or just a lot of suppressed prey drive if they are not allowed to play/work. Why did the dog snap at the wife? In my opinion that is purely a dominance issue of a new dog in strange surrounding having to make a lot of mental changes very quickly. The dog is in a 100% new home with 100% new owners and has not yet learned the pack order as she did with your family. In my opinion, their criticism of the new dog is not 100% fair. And he states that he has a trainer who will help him with the development of this dog. What type of trainer is this person, and what are his/her qualifications? In my opinion the dog may be receiving too much stimulation too soon, and needs to be progressively adopted into the family. That is where the trainer of choice should be someone who can work with the dog AND with the family members. This dog needs to be given a fair chance, and some supervised training needs to take place to make sure the situation gradually corrects itself and the dog becomes a trustworthy member of the family. I would propose something this to the client, and try to recommend someone that you trust. If you cannot negotiate anything successful, then in my opinion you should take the dog back WITH a restocking fee of your determination. There has to be some money involved; for what is your time worth? You certainly cannot work for free. I've been there as well with more than one (1) client who purchased a lot more dog than they envisioned, and against my advice in one (1) of the situations. Both did eventually work out, but I had to be involved with each of them much more than I usually am. The best of luck, Bob-O

First of all I am not sure they do not know why the dog snapped at the wife but this is typical. Especially since they have young kids in the house, I would take the dog back and count my losses. I agree if you don't, no telling where this pup will end up. I suspect she is much more dog than they wanted.

GET THE DOG BACK....GIVE A REFUND!.....JUST DO IT! Nobody can risk bad media or lawsuits(even if just attempts to sue). You'll sleep alot better knowing that the dog is out of harms way. No dog will survive and have a good life with people that dislike or are afraid of him. Please, just bite the bullet and take the dog back. You will gain a whole lot of respect from future buyers, breeders and friends.

Here's what I would do, I would take the dog back, do what Felsenhof suggested, but her in quarantine, and make the people who bought her pay for that. Did she have a Rabies shot when she left your home? How long was she there, a few days right? And there's two sides to every story. The husband wouldn't just come out and say "Well, my wife was intagenizing her, and thats why she did it." Or they could be having second thoughts about having a dog period, and they know you'll probably take her back and give their money back if they make it sound like it could be something wrong with her. And has been mentioned, too much dog, and they had an IDEA what they wanted, but they didn't realize what that idea would be like??? Either way, if I were you, I'd take her back, quarantine her, and then find a nice WORKING home for her, no exceptions. Good luck, keep us updated, Krista

I agree that the idea of keeping the dog in off-site quarantine (at the cost of the surrendering owner) is a good thing. The well-being of the dog (and yourself) is paramount. The other parts of my post are probably useless, as they were intended for a reasonable person who this new dog's owners are definitely not. I think they either purchased too much dog or have other unspoken reasons to return her. That said, I agree that you should take the dog back and refund their money but I would strongly consider some type of fee, even if it is but a token one. Call if a "paperwork" fee if you must. Bob-O

Ek-- Just get the dog back. I really can't believe you're even asking advice. The dog is in the wrong hands. If ANY (not, just you) breeder has to educate a potential buyer about working lines, then it should be a red flag that this person could easily bail out on the dog. It's that excessive prey drive. What I see in dogs that possess it is a constant and sudden tendency to grab on with teeth as person turns to leave. A person not being knowledgeable is going to be unnerved. Bring the dog home. She comes first. You learnt a lesson here--be thankful. You can rectify it---what if they hadn't called you. God only knows where the dog would end up. If you have puppies around, keep her separate---but, if she has been vacinated, I'd bring her home before putting her anywhere else.