when puppies are returned from buyers,what timescale would you give a refund eg obviously if only after a few days or a week full refund would be given. If after several months or so someone rings and wants to return pup would you still give a full refund. I have one buyer for one of my bitch pups who has another small jack russell x breed that does not get on with other dogs. She is hoping it will get on with a bitch but would like to take it on trial to see if they get on.  I am not sure if this would be a good idea and I dont know how long the trial should last for. Any advice would be appreciated.   

I'm not a breeder, but I would say if in any doubt then find another home for your babe, this sounds a bit like 'try before you buy' how awful is that for the pup, IMHO I would find another owner.
Just to add that the breeder I got libby from said that at any time I needed to give her up, she would give me my money back, hell would freeze over first before I gave her back, and heaven forbid something happened whereby I couldn't keep Libby, I would accept no money.

liberty

I agree with liberty, what if the trial doesn't work and the puppy gets hurt by the other dog? also it would be very unsettling for the pup, i would find a more suitable home if it was me :)

I think I will have to find someone else. This person was a friend of a friend and very keen. She seemed really nice when she came a week ago but she came again tonight and although she was ok she brought her children with her and one was a right little brat.

Well done you! At the end of the day, as a breeder, it's your responsibility to find your pups good homes, and you're right, this one doen't sound good at all.

Best wishes

liberty

I think you're right  There is a better home out there for your puppy, this one sounds doomed before it starts.  If this baby is returned, it won't have had the best start.  After even a few days living with another dog 'having a go' and a 'right little brat' to content with, it will have had experienced that it didn't have before and REALLY doesn't need.

Find another home. And although I don't breed my breeder said much the same as Liberty's. I  for any reason we could not keep Sal return her and they would refund our money....no time scale. No way would I do that ever...and like Liberty would not expect my money back either. But it is settling in your own mind knowing that when you read of some horror stories.

Your "baby" deserves better :)

Karen    

Definately besides the possibility of being hurt by the other dog or the brat child if pup is returned it will be unsettling and unfair on him. I would home him with a nice forever home that you are happy with.

I agree with the rest, any doubt with anything then NO..

Pam

How would you go about telling people that you dont think they are suitable without being too blunt.

I personally would just explain that you first priority is to the puppy, you cannot let them go to anyone that there is even the slightest obvious risk.  You could explain that if the puppy did need to be returned and then you had to rehome the puppy again, that you as a breeder would feel you had not gave the puppy the best possible start in life. Which is your first priority.

We had a couple , I have to say a lovely couple who booked a puppy with my first litter last year, they travelled a good 50 miles to visit us prior to the pups being born and after several times. Initially I thought there could not be better owners.  When the puppies were 6/7 weeks they came to visit and they told me they had just found out the lady was pregnant (unplanned)  , they said all the usual stuff like it won't affect the puppy etc.  Of course it would.    It took me a few days to think how I was going to put it to them but I did call and say that in my heart I felt there could and may be a problem and told them I could not let them have the puppy.

Whether or not it would have worked out or not was not a gamble I was prepared to take.  I did feel terrible as they were do nice but my priority lay with the puppy.

We found another home just as I wanted for the puppy. 

Good luck.

Pam

hi a simaler thing happened to me a lady phoned and said her daughter has ecxma but they loved dogs had done research and decided that my breed were ideal, she was worried in case the pup brought out her daughters ecxma and if so could she bring pup back.
my response was i wasnt prepared to let pup go on a trial basis but was very happy for little girl to come over and play with the pups for a couple of hours they were happy with this and are comming over next weekend, maybee you could suggest the same thing ? buyer brings her older dog along with her to visit pup and see how they go on.....plus you wont be sat at home worrying that things are not going well in pups new home?
emma

I wouldn't invite a strange dog to meet a litter of puppies! The bitch would probably go ballistic! Apart from the health risk.

Sorry Emma, I wouldn't have a strange dog in my home when I have a litter.  My pups cope with my germs, and your dogs cope with your germs, but I wouldn't risk my litter just to please other people!!
If I have any doubts at all, then I don't part with a puppy.  People who seem OK can let you down, so there's no way I would let one go to a home that was already on slippery ground.

hi val, yes your rite about germs etc with a young litter but surely with a litter ready to be homed it wouldnt be such a huge issue? i guess theres no such thing as the "perfect home" i was pregnant with my eldest when i got poppy and she loved and protected him from day 1....they are now inseprable....if you have doubts about the home for your pup then i would go with your insticts :)
emma
edit to say: my bitch is very very easygoing and doesnt mind other animals and people around her babies but i know thats not normally the case so yes i can see that another dog would be a huge issue....duh!!

I would not home a puppy where there are already doubts. You want your puppies to have the best possible start. I do have a question......what to do if another breeder wants one of your puppies? I mean the demands on that puppy are so much higher in terms of useability for breeding/showing/training etc...
I think the policy "I sell family pets, everything else is bonus" is great, but how to put this tactfully?As for return puppies, the policy that most breeders I know have is:
within 14 days 80% back, 15 days - 3 months 60% back, later but within 12 months 40% back.

Last year we had an absolutely lovely family come to see our Aussies, they had done all their homework, had a lovely large garden, knew that the pup could be hard work & were prepared to invest time in it, but Mum was at home with 3 young children AND no 4 on the way.    The children were lovlely, and had been taught to respect animals, but I suggested to her that it would be far too much work at the present time, and that she should think about it again once the eldest two were at school.

They agreed, but said they thought that the fact that she would have been at home all day, would have weighed the balance in their favour!    I send them a note from time to time, with photos of the Piddles, and they might have a pup in a couple of years time.

I just said that I thought that the puppy would be too much in their circumstances!

Margot

i wouldn't have this woman bring her dog to your home, apart from the risks JG has said the dog could also be fine in your house but on its own territory it could attack the puppy...go with your intincts, your not happy about it because you have doubts so don't do it, just tell them your very sorry but you don't feel they are suitable to have one of your puppies :)

My view as an owner and not a breeder for what it's worth.... if I were turned down for a pup it would of course be disappointing. However, if the reasons were clearly given I may not agree but could understand.

In this case I can see the reasons clearly - what also seems clear is the prospective owner seems very responsible, highlighting the potential difficulty - putting their cards on the table. Seems a good attitude from the buyer - a no becuase a trial pup [maybe word that better - the phrase wanting to give all the pups the best possible start in life fits better heh] wouldn't be in the pups best interest. What I, if I were the buyer, would find very useful [these buyers clearly want to add a dog] would then be to offer advice for a future buy. Maybe things like.... does the dog goto training where it can socialise with other dogs, are there other dog owners amongst the neighbours/family where trial socialisations could take place. Any new dog owners in the family maybe with a pup that could have them spend some time together.

I don't know if thats good advice, I am an owner not a breeder... but some guidance on how to remove the 'trial' part would be I am sure welcomed. These prospective owners could then prepare themselves best way when they go for a puppy in the future. The danger without some good advice is that these prospective owners when they go for a pup elsewhere may omit to mention the potential problem.

Sheesh it is hard to be a resp[onsible breeder eh, I couldn't do it thats for sure. The pup comes first seems to be the clear motto from you guys and rightly so. i take my hat off to you!

Regards Dave

converted to a lover of the smaller dog - the Cairn Terrier... the big dog in a little body with the heart of a lion!

I recently took back one of my Springers at the age of 7months.Her owner had become ill and was unable to give her the excercise and training she needed.I gave no refund but offered to sell the pup on for him which was an arrangement he was happy with.He got back what he paid for her at the end of the day and she found a lovely new family.
In the past I too had a buyer I was not happy with.No real reason other than they made me feel uneasy in their handing of the pup.Despite being shown how to pick up and hold him correctly they were very rough and carless in their handling so much so I took the pup away from them and asked them to leave.It was not a pleasant experience but I could never have gone through with the sale.
I say if your heart tells you not to sell then dont

Phoned lady today and said was not happy with the situation regarding other dog and also that the children were  a bit young at the moment. Have had another couple round to see the bitch today and they were really nice. You know you get that feeling that they are the ones. Will feel happy when she goes with them but would have felt guilty and kept wondering how the puppy was if it had gone to the other person.

Good on you :)
Your pups well being is more important than your friends feelings