Disappointing Day = No Puppy

[Patti Golden]

Yesterday I was supposed to pick up my F1 English Goldendoodle puppy but things didn't work out that way.  It was a 5 1/2 hr. trip to Mt. Juliet, TN.  A friend of mine went with me.  We stopped for lunch and to fill up with gas right before we got to the place so we'd be ready to go when we picked the puppy up.  I'm not sure what I expected to see when she showed me the puppies but there was absolutely nothing about them that drew me to them...to say it bluntly.  I brushed that off to perhaps being tired from the drive and we took both boys out and played with them ; then took them outside to play.   They pooped a lot and the breeder said the stools were looser than she'd like and would send him home with a round of antibiotics.  What?  I know Giardia is common in puppies but to take one home with antibiotics?  Is this normal?  That was one red flag.  The boy I thought I would like turned out to have the straighter hair and when I picked him up I had hair all over my shirt. She told me all puppies shed.   The 2nd boy had a bit flufflier coat and didn't seem to shed much at all.  We played with them a little over an hour because I wanted to be sure.  I had hoped one would choose me but that didn't happen - that itself was disappointing.  Then the breeder started getting a bit frustrated and she finally said she didn't want to rush us but she had only scheduled an hour for us and that most people only take 30 min. to pick out a puppy.  She said she had another appointment in 20 min.  Now, maybe I'm wrong, but I would think since we drove 5 1/2 hrs. to get there that she would have at least informed me of this "minor" rule.  I mean what if traffic had been bad and we had been 2 hours late?  I was still having trouble deciding on which puppy I wanted, which was another red flag to me.  Something just didn't feel right.  She said she'd give us another 20 min to decide.  She kept hovering over us so we finally asked for a few min. private to talk about it, which turned out to be maybe 2 min. at most.  I was frustrated to say the least.  I went to my car to get a drink of water and came back.  The husband came out now and followed me back and asked if I'd made a decision.  To make a long story short, the breeder made the decision for me.  She took my deposit out of her pocket and gave it back.  She obviously wanted to see me leave.   This was a bit heartbreaking, but rather a relief.  I did not want to give this breeder my money.  I was all set to forfeit my deposit but kept trying to talk myself into one of these puppies.  They were cute after all, but looked more like backyard puppies in my opinion.  They seemed really small to be standards.  They were smaller than the mediums we'd seen the day before at same age.  They had not been socialized much either.  They were friendly but you could tell they hadn't been handled and played with that much.

Now, some of you told me not to visit other breeders before I went to pick my puppy up.  I did not heed that advice and my friend and I had visited a breeder the day before.  There was a HUGE difference in quality of the puppies.  If I hadn't gone, I would have thought the TN puppies were what they all looked like.  But now I'm back to square one.  I am going to keep looking and even include labradoodles in my search. 

I was going to blog this and include photos but I couldn't get it to work so just tried to keep this short as I could.  I just wanted to let everyone know my experience, and especially those who have been following my story.

[Nina, Phil, Harlow & Lacey]

I know you are disappointed but now you had a chance visited a couple of breeders.  There will be a puppy out there that is just right...  

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

I say good for you - going with your gut.  My 1st visit to a breeder that had one puppy left from a litter had me RUNNING away - although I was sad to leave the puppy there.  He acted sick and was kept in a dirty metal shed in Florida.  Disgusting.  Take you time, do your research - NO reputable breeder would treat you this way.  I'm sure she wanted you GONE before the other buyers showed up.

[Patti Golden]

She had a small puppy house next to her house where she said she moved the mom and pups when ready to be weaned.   But all her other dogs were in some building out back which I couldn't see.  She said it was all air conditioned and heated.  The father I saw in a kennel though I couldn't go over there because of another fence.  He was beautiful and calm, or bored maybe.  There were two younger Golden pups next to him jumping around in their run.  She said they were future breeders.

These puppies mom was in a crate in the puppy room.   I asked her to bring the mother outside after we'd been out for a bit.  I wanted to get a better look at her.  The breeder hesitated and then obliged, but seemingly irritated at the request.  I am sure I made the right decision because I'm not in "mourning" today.  I also, with reasonable surety, doubt she'd have been any support after I took the puppy home.  So I'm fine with it all.  I just haven't met my puppy yet and I know he's (or she) is out there somewhere. 

[Adrianne Matzkin]

sound like this is a Puppy Mill. 'some building out back' you couldn't see? yup - puppy mill

Wonder why she needed to be crated in the puppy room??

I am thrilled that you really took your time and listened to your gut. Very surprised she had your deposit check in her pocket. Guess with your emails made her 'suspicious' that you aren't one of the idiots that wouldn't question a 'breeder'.

[Patti Golden]

No, she had deposited my check as soon as I had sent it in the beginning.  She handed me a bunch of $20 bills.  She had just told me a few min. before that the deposit was non-refundable.  When I went out to the car to get my water bottle she had gone inside, probably to talk to her husband and they decided if I hadn't made up my mind the next time they asked, that they would refund me because the next person was expected to be there in just a few min.  I was shocked she gave me the deposit back but I gladly took it.

[Sue & Lily Grace]

That is a very disappointing day for you. I do think that things happen for a reason. You will find a puppy just for you, but find a breeder that meets all of your qualifications, talk to them and see their dogs and hopefully the results of previous litters. The breeder you are looking for will not put a time limit on your questions or concerns. Good luck, he is out there for you and when you see him your heart will melt.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

You were right to trust your instincts.  The breeder and her puppies may be just fine, but they obviously were not for you.  There will be other puppies.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Sounds like you had a lucky escape. Bringing home a puppy on Anti-biotics does not go down well with me either.  You will find your perfect Doodle it just wasn't one of these.

I too went yesterday to choose my puppy.  After a three hour drive I was invited into the house and offered a coffee and freshen up.  The puppies were all playing on the patio in a big expen and all were happy and healthy. The space was clean, I met both parents and all the puppy poo was normal lol  I was there for four hours and no one was rushing me to leave.  I also met two other prospective parents and we all got on great.  I did choose a puppy, I fell in love with him so that's it.  I will pick up in two weeks time.

[Patti Golden]

This is so refreshing to hear. And congratulations!  :-)

[Camilla and Darwin]

Aw, can't wait!

[Bonnie and Kona]

I'm so excited for you, Nicky! Congratulations!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I'm sorry this didn't work out. But hey, the "even" labradoodles might just offend those of us who have labradoodles.