HI all,
I today took back a puppy from my 9 week old litter. I was told that the puppy was wanted as a companion, to the lady's mother whilst the daughter is working, and that they had always had dogs in the family and the last one had died through old age some 12months earlier. I was happy with the initial phone call and the lady came to visit the pups at 3 weeks old, further chats gave me confidence that I had found a good home, so she paid her deposit and all was fine.

Until..... when they came to choose the puppy and the daughter explained that mother would not be getting out of the car as she was fealing a little fragile.....that's when the alarm bells rang so I asked if it was going to be a problem having a lively puppy around the house, I was reasured that they could cope and had experiance in bringing up a puppy so I ignored my gut instinct and thought I was being overprotective.

The puppy had been with them 2 days when a tearful call came through telling me that the mother had taken a fall and could not cope with a lively puppy that it was not how they thought it would be and they wanted to bring her back.

So she's back with me fortunately they realised early on and did what was best for the puppy, it has been upsetting for them and for me as i feel so guilty at getting it so wrong, especially as I had turned away many other callers on pure gut instinct and only wished I'd done the same here!

The pup is not harmed but will get a look over by the vet just to make sure, I have not refunded the money paid as yet but have said I will do so if the puppy is ok when seing the vet. I don't mind giving back the money thats not really the issue, as I would'nt have wanted them keep the puppy now anyway, but I am anoyed that they did'nt tell me the extent of the mothers mobililty problems, even though I asked if about her health.

I thought I'd got it right and although I have always said I will take back any dog I've never had to do it, which I thought was down to me getting the right homes in the first place! has enyone else gone through this?

cheers
kelly

Although its little consolation at least pup is back with you so soon and they didnt leave it too long and then give it away to some one else . :( At least pup is with you .
You would have thought if the mother was pretty immobile she wouldnt have dreamed of having a pup especially so young .
You do have to be pretty fit to keep up with such a young one and considering they have had dogs before you would think they would have known this . :(
Lel

yes, ive taken pups back before too, , and i was grateful they got offered back to me so i could check them out etc, get to know them again and find a suitable home for them ,---we can all say if only.!!! --but it happens and we have to deal with it, id much rather that way as find out the pup had been sold on and not know to who or where,
youre sure to find a great home, good luck,

Hi Kelly,

Try not to feel too bad. At least the pup is back with you now, and the new owners realised their mistake sooner rather than later.

Hope pup is okay.

Take care

Lisa

Be grateful I've just found out one of mine who's now 3 has been adverstised on the net looking for a new home!!! So much for the return to breeder part of my contract as there is nothing I can do about it, was bad enough when I found out that 2 other dogs in the household had attacked another with serious results and another had been attacked by different dogs in the household.

This owner was a very good friend when she had my puppy and he was to be shown, he had got a bPIB at open level under Ann Arch which was very good for a tailed version of a docked breed, we all make mistakes and unfortunately it seems those we trust the most are the most likely to let us down. At least you know where your puppy is and that it's safe and well with you, I'm sure a better home will turn up very soon and it will be very happy there.

On average I have had this happen with a puppy per litter. Any age between 7 months and 3 1/2 years of age. Though usually by the time the litter is 18 months old I breathe a sigh of releif, as except for serious change in circumstances they are staying in their homes by then.

The earlier you get them back the better, as anything after 6 months and some bad habits can be modified but not completely undone.

Friends of mine had a pup back at 10 weeks, as the wife had left the husband. They found him a nice home grom someone they had to let down on their puppy list, only to have the people find they couldn't cope with him chewing things by 5 months. This time he stayed put with them, even though with them having his litter sister, his Mother and her sister, all entire bitches, they needed a male like a hole in the head!

How the second family found him difficult I cannot understand as he is rather laid back and lazy, and get beaten up by the girls, especially his sister. :D

Hi :) Are they a very high maintenance breed then? Sorry, but I don't know anything about Elkhounds, but I am interested to know how people get to know about the breed... is it normally word of mouth? I don't think I have ever met one! :)

Compared to my first dog (a Belgian Shepherd) I don't find them high maintenance at all. They are happy to laze around when in the house, but are lively on walks. Usually very sociable with other dogs and especially people, but being a hunting dog have an independant streak.

They are your friend, but never your servant, and training is best done in the cajoling kind of way that makes them think it was their idea anyway. You cannot brow beat them into obedience, but firm good humour can even give you competitive Obedience level of performance. Though don't expect to win!

I have four of them, and past puppy hood find them easy to care for. Their double coats need a good brushing once a week, but shrug of dirt and wet. when moulting a Dyson is a must, and then they need combing daily.

I don't really know how people find out about them. they are along established breed in the UK, having first arived about 1870, and the first breed club came into being in 1923. The annual registrations at one point around 1970 had risen to around 400, but now it is nearer 100 to 150 per year.

I found them in a dog Encyclopadia after my BSD died. Contacted the breed club, who put me onto a breeder. I met the breed at a Champ show, liked what I saw (had a toddler and a 4 year old child at the time) and had my oldest bitch a week later at 11 weeks of age, started showing her at 19 months, and have been hooked ever since. Dhe is now my Mtriarch of 11 1/2.

I wouldn't doubt yourself so much about this situation. The family was obviously responsible enough to ring you right away and bring the dog back. If they really weren't 'good people' they'd have passed the dog on to someone else and so on until it ended up in rescue. I think them having the guts to admit they were wrong and bring it back says a lot of positive things about their character - and it was those things that let you give them the pup to begin with.

Wendy

Thank You all, I do feel much better about it now, after all it could have been worse!! They were decent people they had just underestimated the work involved, I am glad they did'nt try to carry on as the puppy is back to it's usuall routine and I still have one of it's litter mates here for company.

We have decided to wait a few weeks before deciding if we will rehome or keep her, (she is still only 9 weeks old) it will also give her time to forget about her couple of days away, I would'nt wan't to stress her out by rehoming her straight away and I want to be sure that any new home will be good for her.

Cheers
Kelly