I have recently been badly let down by my breeder. A week before I was due to pick my puppy up, she called to say she had decided to keep the puppy for herself. As you can imagine I was heartbroken. I had visited the puppy, paid my deposit and kept in regular contact. I was in contact with the breeder weeks before the puppies were born so invested a lot of time and stopped searching for any other litters. Does this sort of thing happen often? Do I have any rights?

Dissapointing as it is you need to understand that a breeder primarily breeds for the advancement of their bloodlines and the breed, so if a puppy turns out to be so outstanding they wish to keep it when they hadn't intended to, then hard as it is the pups are theirs until homed.

I am keeping a puppy from my present litter when I had intended to see how these turned out and have a last litter from her in 18 months or so (I also have  a youngster only 15 months old), but the bitch had a hard time whelping, and I have decided not to risk her having another litter.

There could be many reasons this has happend, one of the other pups has died, the puppy they had planned to keep looks like it's bite might not be good etc etc.

I would of course expect my deposit returned, and hopefully they may have made an effort to locate a suitable puppy through their network of breed contacts.

Well yes -this is why we advice breeders NOT to take deposits. This breeder has entered into a contract with you and agreed to sell you the pup, and you could take them to court and demand they do so. The big question is whether you'd want to go as far as that.

So sorry to hear that this breeder has let you down, as you paid a deposit then you could insist on having the pup but then you wouldn't have a very good relationship with the breeder and you may need their help in the future.

I hope you get your money back as I would not agree to wait for another litter from this breeder.

I was let down way back when I was getting my first dachsie, I was told there was no one waiting for a bitch other than the breeder herself, I waited months for the mating then the pregnancy and whelping and was told there was only one bitch pup so I agreed to accept a male pup instead, when I got the breed records for the litter there was 2 bitches listed, never knew where the second one went, all the pups bar for the one the breeder kept had affix plus call name, hers had a name she had obviously given some thought to, the male I got was 8yrs old yesterday and I wouldn't be without him.

I hope you find a better breeder next time.

Very unfair and poor practice.Might be be best to take it on the chin and move on.Goes without saying your deposit should be returned.....along with an apology.

If you paid a deposit and she's now keeping the pup she has to give your deposit back, once you cash the cheque the contract is broken.  You are legally in a contract with her to sell you the pup and you could take it further if need be.

Thanks for everyones comments, it really does help to get different perspectives on this matter. I don't intend to pursue the pup any further, to be honest I would't want someone who could do that to profit from me. I understand the breeder does have the right to change their mind but they let it go on far too long and completely wasted my time as well as really upset me. The right puppy and breeder is out there somewhere!!!!

I would take it on the chin and move on. Did you want that particular pup for showing or was she just your favourite and to be kept as a pet animal?

Feel sad for you as breeder should have made it clear from start the situation if they intended on keeeping a puppy orkept one unbooked there fore able to offer you an alternative. Should I intend on keeping from a litter have agreed  with a person they will have 1 st pick I  let prospective owners know asap plus I inform them of how far down the picking line they are. i only take deposits when then pups reach 6 weeks old .I stress that should any thing go wrong (heaven forbid) they will have a full refund by the same way as deposit payment was made. I dont allow final choice until 71/2 weeks (if show homes are waiting) the show homes get the first  selection  then in order of application the new  owners can make their choice . I always have a girl and boy unbooked so as to be able to offer and alternative  if thing s do awry

Me, as the breeder, gets to keep what I want from my litters ...no matter what.

I dont breed for anyone else and I make this clear to everyone. No deposits, no promises and therefore no situations like the OP had.

I feel so sorry for you, I can imagine how you feel. Hope you find another suitable pup.

I feel terribly sorry for you, hopefully the breeder has learnt from this too, in that this is not the way to do things.

We all hold back the pups we wish to gage against each other sometimes we know straight away other times we have to wait, it was very wrong and unfair for the breeder to allow you to come and pick a puppy, put a deposit on it which is a legal contract of a promise of sale and then tell you 'sorry, we are keeping your pup now.'

I think that we have to put it down to the breeder not understanding she/he has entered into a contract with you, very naive and tbh it is something that you need to just remind them of if indeed they are to breed again, the same mistake should not be made twice, a deposit should not be taken if the breeders choice is not yet made, it is horrible for the person awaiting their pup and it could be devastating to the breeder if someone like yourself took them to court over it.

Breeder should always have first choice, but they should not sell all pups and then decide to refund someone if they now want one that is sold.

The breeder obviously did not think first, however, as already said best to look elsewhere I would never wish to take first choice from a breeder, but {{hug}} for putting you through such a thing.

I hope you find a wonderful pup somewhere else, obviously there is a little pup out there still with your name on it..... and once you have it, you will forget this altogether and no doubt be happy with your eventual pup. :-)

You are dead right there. I had a deposit down on a puppy that died. I was gutted at the time and a little annoyed as others who had viewed later than myself got a pup even though I was 'there' first.

I Found another breeder who had her first choice male reserved for someone who she ended up turning down once she'd met his wife, so I ended up with him having originally put down a deposit on his sister, now I  have my once-in-a-lifetime boy, Nando and I am glad all the messing about happened as it showed it was obviously meant to be! I have met my original puppy's litter mates as the breeder was local and they're not a patch on my Nando, behaviourally and in confirmation. They are oversized for a start.

same hapened to me,I felt very dissapointed and sad,as the lines are all of mine rolled into one,they are a outstanding litter and hopefully one day soon I hope to get another little black lab from the same breeder.

Sheila