Can I post a bad breeder?

[Julie B.]

I know we have a "Recommended Breeder" group but do we have a way to warn others of a potentially bad breeder? I am treating Sydney for the 4th time for giardia and another member on this site is treating her pup from the same litter for the 3rd time. I have contacted the breeder numerous times and she tells me that giardia is very prevalent in many dogs and most never show symptoms. In other words she is making excuses for a chronic problem in her kennel and I really think future puppy buyers need to be aware of breeders that send home a lot of puppies with this problem. I totally understand that this can be common and can be aggravated by the stress of going to a new home but.... Sydney has never really gotten rid of this nasty parasite even though I have treated her, kept the yard perfectly clean, bathed her, washed her bedding and toys every time I finish the meds etc. All I can assume is she was really infested, probably wasn't even wormed properly as a small pup, and lived in a pretty dirty environment. I should have eliminated this breeder when she wouldn't let me go back into her home to see where the puppies were kept. She claimed she didn't want to bring in germs like parvo etc. At the time I understood that and actually thought she was an overprotective breeder but now I wish I had insisted or walked away. Another warning sign should have been that she always seems to have at least 4 litters going at a time. Anyway, just wondered if we have a mechanism to handle this type of situation.

[Adina P]

I'd rather you not post publically but if someone wants to ask you about it privately...what you share is up to you. You can report to the Better Business Bureau and other such organizations set up to check on businesses. If this breeder is a member of any breeder organizations, feel free to notify them of your complaint.

[Julie B.]

This is becoming a very prevalent problem with our doodles and I wonder if you shouldn't rethink your answer. I will respectfully follow your instruction but how are we to stop the over breeding and GI problems that our doodles seem to have in ever increasing numbers if we can't let our membership know about this? If you ask for references from your breeder they undoubtedly won't give you the ones that had problems... I also realize that breeders make up a significant percentage of the members here on Doodle Kisses and you want to protect their business' but they won't suffer if they run a clean operation.... in fact they will benefit from it. Thanks for your quick reply.

[Adina P]

While any individual who might have a legitimate complaint should have a place to voice this, I don't want DK to be a place to "out" breeders or sully reputations. One person's complaint might be legit, another could be a personality difference, another could be a fluke, another could be totally unrelated to the breeder's ethics or health of their dogs or program. I have no way to know who has a legit complaint. So while I haven't outright banned complaints, I'm not going to provide a place for them.

Now, because I do want people to get info...anyone can post and ask "Anyone dealt with Pie in the Sky Kennels before?" and then those who have can privately address the info seeker without the need for a public display of complaint. DK also encourages prospective puppy buyers to visit the premises of any breeder OR get info from those who have been there. And our Owner Recommended Breeders group only has recommendations from those who've visited their breeder and have been happy with their experience/dog, etc. So there are things in place to promote breeders who seem to be on the up and up. One thing I'd add when seeking a breeder is if you can't go to the breeder to check things out, try to get referrals from those who have been there recently. I say recently because in a year's time (or less) the situation can change and due to money or family circumstances or illness a breeding program can go south. So if a recommendation was from 2008...see if you can find someone who has been there more recently than that.

[Adina P]

P.S. if anyone can think of a useful reporting system that is private and fair--let me know!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Considering that you have the info on your page and had also posted a discussion here about the "breeder' prior to getting Sydney, maybe just a discussion like this is enough, without mentioning the name. Then anyone who wants to know can go to your page and/or contact you.
I wish we could have something like this, too. I keep my own list for those people who ask me for breeder referrals. The best we can do is what you've done, and also make it known that we will be happy to share any info we have with anyone who contacts us.

[Julie B.]

i didn't remember that I had named the breeder on my home page. I guess that will have to do for now. Thanks for your reply Karen!

[April Cliber]

I don't know your breeder and actually had never heard of them... It is possible that the pups do have filthy living conditions and that your breeder doesn't treat properly. It is also possible that you have a good breeder that has a VERY hard to get rid of problem with the mother of your litter.

Giarida is one of, if not THE most frustrating problem breeders deal with! I have made it my life's mission to rid the world (at the very least my town) of giardia! I've actually gone a little nutty over it... I'm always researching, reading articles and having discussions with my vet about it. ALL my dogs are on monthly dewormers, live in a very clean environment (my house) and are well cared for. I have one female that has a pup or two in each litter that gets giardia. It's beyond frustrating and I've tried everything. What I've found that works best is a combination of both Marquis (prevention) and then if they develop it, treating early and often with Albon. I now have a system down and will send home treatment with the owner if I know there is,or may be a problem. Typically by 8 weeks I've got it under control though... If you breed long enough, every breeder will deal with giardia at some point. I consider myself a pretty conscientious breeder and have dealt with this problem. It is a pain, but is typically not life threatening. I worry that you may potentially destroy a breeders reputation based on a problem that he/she is actively trying to correct. Or it could be an isolated problem... (such as the mother having a pup or two in each litter with it.)

Four litters at a time is a lot, and I agree that she should have let you see where the pups live. So it does sound suspicious. I just wanted you to know that it's not just mills and BYB's that deal with giardia and doesn't automatically mean that a breeder is "bad" if pups develop it.

BTW, have you tried a pro-biotic? Some people have had great success with a product called FortiFlora. You can buy it at amazon.com. Metronidazole will also firm up the stool. You need to get it from your vet though.

Best wishes!! I hope your pup feels better soon!! :o)