One tiny victory - a puppy broker lost one customer

[BG and Gavin]

My very good friend’s Jack Russell mix died a few months ago after a very long and happy life.  The family decided after much consideration that a French Bulldog is the next dog for them.  Two nights ago my friend sent me a pic of a cute Frenchie pup that they are going to pick up this weekend.  The picture made my spidy senses tingle.  Everything about it from the blue background to the fake grass carpet shouted broker to me.  I made some gentle inquiries and gave some info on being careful around choosing a breeder and was assured that they did their research and the website looked professional with all the health guarantees, hundreds of references etc.  So, I googled and found the exact pictures on two different classified sites with different ages/birthdays of the pup.   I saw the pictures a third time on what was undoubtedly a broker site.  I then found a complaint site with information.  The broker had recently changed names, but there were several entries under both names. The stories were terrible with two people having their pups die after being home less than a week.  Some people took the pups to “save them” from what appeared to be an abandoned house with an office where the deals are made.  Speculation was that the pups were being bred at a mill in PQ and sold out of this “home” in the GTA.  They were expensive, but much less than the norm for this breed.

What followed was a difficult series of texts and emails.  Me offering bits of info for her to consider; the inherent health and behaviour problems from poorly bred dogs; offering the expertise I had gained from DK.  She had all the familiar refrains:  we just want a family pet, we are not looking for a show dog.  I needed to educate her gently (so she could educate her husband).  She did not want to look foolish of course.  She assured me that if things did not look good when they got there they would call it off.  I would be very proud of anyone that could do that, but I know of no one that strong.  They already had a name for the little girl, the kids had fallen in love with a picture and after a three hour drive and that notation of “saving” the puppy – well they would already be committed.  Who could walk away?

The following day I emailed the links to the negative experiences and also a copy of “What to look for in a Breeder” from DK.  She texted me last night, briefly stating that they agreed it sounded sketchy, they got their deposit back (egad! I didn’t know that they put down a deposit!) and they are considering another breeder (which I also googled and looks good).  At first I know she wished she had never told me, and she is not quite ready to say “thanks” but I know I did the right thing.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Good for you. You did the right thing and saved your friend a big heartache. I just was walking the doodles at a strip mall a woman stopped her SUV to admire the dogs and she said she's been looking for a doodle. I gave her all the cons and pros, notice the reverse order. I gave her the name of a local breeder, Dk website info, etc. We do what we can.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I do that too F.  Every time.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

You definitely did the right thing!!!!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

Way to go Brucegirl! I am glad they listened--I had someone here meeting my momma dog the other day and she was so worried that she would fall for a fake website--apparently she had found many doodles online and couldn't tell which were falsely represented--it is so hard!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

You did the right thing. Good for you!

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

BG, Good for you! So glad they "heard" you. I do think a French Bulldog (from a reputable breeder) is a wonderful choice for a next dog. I have two Frenchie Grand dogs and we love them.

[Leslie and Halas]

Nice job, BG!  

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

You absolutely did the right thing, BG! Good for you!

This is what I do when someone is looking for a certain breed and uses the "we just want a pet" line. I respond with "But you want a healthy pet, right? And you want a pet with a good temperament, don't you? Well, the best way to get that is to only buy from a breeder who does genetic testing and follows the best breeding practices for her particular breed." Then I give them two links.

One is for their local branch of the AKC Breed club for their breed, easily found on the AKC website. https://classic.akc.org/breederinfo/breeder_search.cfm In Canada, the CKC has a similar resource:http://www.ckc.ca/en/Default.aspx?tabid=113

The other link is to the Canine Inherited Disease database, where they can look up the breed they are considering, and see what kinds of diseases are common in the breed. http://ic.upei.ca/cidd/breeds/overview

 

[Camilla and Darwin]

Good for you. Even though she may have sensitive feelings towards you for a while, it's nothing compared with the heartache of what could have happened.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

You absolutely did the right thing though I can appreciate what a tricky situation that was for you.  Thing about DK is that we are so educated here on matters such as this.  I

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

WTG BG!! I've been working in much the same way with a friend who is looking for a Corgi puppy. I feel like I'm walking on eggshells sometimes. She started by sending me links to on-line classified ads with puppies. But I think I''m making progress because the last link she sent appears to be that of a reputable breeder. She talked with the breeder and found that the breeder is pretty choosy about what homes her puppies end up in so that sounds encouraging too!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Ricki, give her a link to the AKC Corgi club in her area. That's the best way to get breeder referrals for purebreds. If you have trouble finding it on the AKC website, message me and I'll help.