To cut a very long story short, a lady contacted me some months ago to see if I had any puppies. Told her my girl would be coming into season soon and, after the usual checks, put her on my waiting list. In the event, my girl didnt come into season on time and the lady concerned told me she had found another breeder who was expecting pups at just the right time for her and she would keep the pup an extra two weeks so that the family could still take their annual holiday. I thanked her for letting me know, wished her well and crossed her off the list. She rang me last week in tears. She had travelled from the North of England to the South Coast to choose her puppy and since then the breeder has been sending her photographs etc. Everything was going really well. The family had already given the puppy a name and were very excited about the new addition to the family. Then, out of the blue, the breeder rang her and said that her vet had told her to sell all the puppies early because the mother of the pups had become very stressed. she had tried to jump out of a window to get to a dog that was in the front garden and she was hysterical (I know, I know!!!) Because of this she couldnt keep the puppies any longer and had sold the chosen puppy to someone else. She said she had no other choice!!! I told her that I found this excuse absolutely crazy, but that she wasnt here to defend herself so I couldnt really say more. I was wondering if someone had offered her more money for the pup. Anyway, the day after, the lady concerned looked at said breeder's website and lo and behold, the puppies were now on sale £100 more than they were before. How absolutely awful is that. She is an accredited breeder. The lady is on my waiting list once more. She is going to write a letter of complaint to the Kennel Club, although I dont know if she will get much joy there. Her little boys were heartbroken that someone else has taken their puppy and just couldnt understand it.
I too am an Accredited Breeder. The lady concerned had chosen us both because of that fact. Not a good advertisement for the Accreditation, is it??

I would also report her to the breed club(s) This just sounds like greed. She probably found out that someone else is selling them for more than her and decided to make some more money. :-(

I am a firm believer in what goes around comes around. She will get her full rewards in the future :-p

tell the puppy seeker she has had a lucky escape.
someone so money grabbing will have been grabbing money back elsewhere in the way the pups were reared/parents health tested/chose of stud dog used etc etc. lots of ways of saving cash is thats main motivation- poorer quality food, stud dog thats the cheapest rather then most suitable, pushing pups out door to new owners too young etc etc. if been that concerned to make maximum money the pup may well not turn out too good.

DITTO

I believe you should 'Buy into' a Breeder and not just chose a pup.
This buyer has had a lucky break IMO.

> someone so money grabbing will have been grabbing money back elsewhere

Yes, you are right. I honestly didnt think of that. I will pass that on to my lady. Maybe it will make her feel a bit better.

Playing Devil's Advocate - a friend had a similar situation in a way.   Someone came south to see her litter from way up in Scotland, and 'booked' a puppy.    In our breed, there are a few  (luckily just a few) commercial puppy enterprises, and on researching this person, the breeder wasn't happy about the connections, so said she really didn't want the pup to go that far, and the pup is still with her, probably for keeps now!

I think that although most people who come from a long distance are fine, some come as they cannot get the breeding stock they need locally, as their reputation goes before them.

I doubt that was the case with the OPs friend, but some are wary of people who travel a long distance for this reason.

Jo

Understood JoFlatcoat. It was the fact that she upped her prices which was very telling!! There are very few breeders of my breed in this neck of the woods. People who bought from  my last litter were from as far apart as the Isle of Man and Cornwall!! I do take on board what you are saying though.

Yes - that's why I said that this was probably not the case in this instance, but to hopefully make people aware that you need to do homework if you have enquiries from afar!

Jo

Yes, definitely, especially if you know that there are several breeders in the prospective owner's own area.