Breeder refusing to give me puppy or my money back

[Ownerofsmallpeople]

I’m not sure if I’m being u or where I stand on this.
DH and I have decided to get a puppy early feb. We have a 2 year old and another on the way but not due til summer. We have wanted a dog for ages and decided now is the best time as my DC has just started full time nursery, I’m not in work so I have plenty of time during the day to train and spend time with the puppy. For a few weeks after I give birth DH will be taking over walks but I will still be doing the training during the day and newborn will be joining me on school runs etc so my routine doesn’t change really. I’ve raised puppies before so I know what it entails and also obviously had a newborn before so I don’t see any great issues.
We went to view some puppies a couple of weeks ago with DC, chose a specific puppy, breeder was happy discussing diet and training etc and then asked for a deposit. I paid the deposit via bank transfer the next morning. She has now text me last night and said she had one of her friends (who is also friends with me via Facebook) to have a look at my Facebook profile and show her what was on it and she has seen that I’m pregnant and now is telling me I’m “deceitful” and she “can’t trust me with her puppy”. I didn’t think it was a huge deal and I was required to tell her I was pregnant? Obviously the puppy is going to a good home with us so I don’t see an issue. I completely understand wanting your puppies to go to a good home that will look after them but I wouldn’t have thought having a baby 6 months after purchasing a puppy was a big deal.
The conversation went on for about 20 minutes of her basically patronising me and saying that in 6 months I would be calling her to take the dog back. I eventually said to her to either tell me she’s happy for the puppy to come to us or she’s not happy for the puppy to come to us, she replied “I’ll speak to my partner and decide”. I have not heard from her yet so I text her again saying she needs to let me know or send me my money back, she has read the message and ignored it.
Am I in the wrong? What would you do?

omg this is horrible.. please get your money back OP.

So before you paid a £300 deposit for a dog, you had a) never seen the mother, b) not asked the seller what breed the mother was (particularly because of welfare considerations) and c) not actually looked at the pups with the mum?

To be honest, I hope you don’t get the money back.

@Juliette20 this is what I’m aiming to do she said the bank closes at 7 which is also the time DH gets home from work so I will give it til then and then I’ll text and say we are coming to get it as she simply can’t just hang onto someone else’s money after refusing sale of the puppy. I assume this is some sort of “revenge” for being “deceitful”

I wouldn’t buy a pup off someone just in it for the money. Even if I was lucky and it was healthy and well adjusted? What about the bitch and the ethical implications? Just so I have a cute cross

This. Why do people breed crosses? To sell. They’re not working dogs, or show dogs...

The chances of finding a reputable cross breeder are very slim. Especially when most people can’t see past “cute puppy” to engage their brains and see the red flags.

Add in the fact that there isn’t even KC standard or registration as a starting point for choosing a breeder. There are no records of litters.

If i want a crossbreed, where do i start? Where do i find a breeder? Internet would probably be first, small ads. If I’m lucky i may get word of mouth, but that may be no more than someone else who bought a cute puppy from a puppy farm without realising.

For my pedigree first stop was KC and champdogs. I compiled a list of breeders on the extra check list- no more than a certain amount of litters, dogs, health checks all recorded. That i cross checked with champdog records, found pedigrees and checked inbreeding coefficients. also checked they only had one breed. I’ve also had four of this breed before so i was specifically looking for a breeder who used lines related to the one with the best temperament.

Once i had a short list i started checking show results, and narrowed down breeders more. It also gave me a feel for the breeders lifestyle. And yes, i checked all their social media

I may have scared the eventual lady i approached as i wrote a very long email outlining why and how i had chosen her. I think the reply said i’d answered all the questions she was going to ask!

Cross breeds simply aren’t that easy to research.

@Ownerofsmallpeople
Are you trying to tell me that a french bulldog is not a type of bulldog??

I think the clue is in the name dear

if you have text messages or emails about the deposit and her cancelling the sale, then you could take her to small claims if she is being shitty and you dont want to confront. No you didnt have to tell her you were pregnant

That is a terrible crossbreed!!

I have two chihuahuas and I shudder to think of them trying to birth french bulldog cross puppies.

I mean my smallest is only 2.5kgs!!

There is now way she had a natural birth

Good luck getting ur money back OP!! I really can't believe some people on this post OP honestly WOW Some people are just nasty!

@Branleuse Note the very obvious size difference!! 🤦🏼‍♀️🙄☺️

@Branleuse The one on the top is a Bulldog the one on the bottom is a FRENCH Bulldog

I'm just trying to picture a chihuahua having the time and capability to impregnate a French bulldog in the park...

Do you really believe that that's actually what happened OP?

Bit concerning that you were buying a dog and you hadn't even seen the parents - especially the mother. You say you're an experienced dog owner but that alone would suggest otherwise.

Please do some proper research before attempting to buy another pup.

She has no reasonable grounds to keep your deposit IMO. You won't get the puppy but I would make it clear that I would be taking this to small claims court on principle if she doesn't refund your deposit.

I'm just trying to picture a chihuahua having the time and capability to impregnate a French bulldog in the park...

Yes, I think we can all say with confidence that the two dogs were put together deliberately.

ok broken, the one on top is an ENGLISH bulldog. The one underneath is a french bulldog. They are both bulldogs, hence the name. Are you fucking finished yet?

Are you next going to tell me that a king charles spaniel is not a spaniel because cocker spaniels exist?

@LochJessMonster you misunderstand. Commercial breeders breed so frequently they can’t devote time to each individual puppy. They either breed each bitch too often or have too many bitches to socialise and care for each one properly.
Decent breeders care about their breed and where each pup ends up. They offer lifetime support and have reasons other than cash for breeding. They want the next generation? A dog to show or one to work? They are invested in the litter and choose parents carefully to ensure the pup they keep will be of the best quality. And so the same for the others.
Commercial breeders aren’t all that different from puppy farmers. I don’t want to support someone who’s churning out litters to make cash.
Welfare first.

Update - still no bank transfer. I don’t think she wants to give me the money back

Well, no, of course she doesn’t, OP. It. Is. A. Scam.

I think you’ve been very stupid in how you’ve gone about getting a dog, you’ve ticked every “what not to do” box, but I think you’ve realised that.

However she is being horrible and rude so I think, if you’ve got proof of the deposit, I’d just go to the small claims courts and show her you mean business.

The dodgy women who sold you a puppy, who wouldnt let you see the mother, who is selling unhealth tested puppies from unhealth tested parents, who is breeding dogs with lots of known serious problems and selling the puppies cheap....isn't giving you your money back?

If only there were signs she was dodgy!

She sounds like an absolute dick!

I don’t think there is anything wrong with buying a mix at a high price IF the parents have full histories, the pup is insured and has been vet checked and you can meet the mum. But a high price for a pup born from an unplanned mating because 2 idiots let their intact dogs run free in a park is disgusting.

Personally I feel rescues are a much more ethical and responsible way to get a mixed breed dog, but RESPONSIBLE breeders of mixed breeds are no less “wrong” than breeders who mate pure breeds. We are overflowing with dogs in rescues, and not all of them are mutts, so breeders don’t get a free pass for producing pure bred pups.

@AngelsSins no reputable dog rescue would allow a pregnant lady with a toddler to adopt a rescue dog.

Most don't allow dogs to go to families with children under the age of 12. They don't always know what a dog has been through and how they'll interact with young children so that's not always the best option.

To be fair you willingly transferred the money to her account, unless she invoiced you you can’t really do anything to get it back

Why do people breed crosses? To sell. They’re not working dogs, or show dogs...

Plenty of working springer x cockers and whippet x Bedlingtons around. And the Plummer terriers are a mix too, and highly sought after for their working ability.

@Broken2020 you're sounding a little silly - one of your pictures is an English/British bulldog and another is a French bulldog. You also get American Bulldogs.... all bulldogs!! Yes frenchies are a little smaller but those photos are not to scale and you get some massive French bulldogs and some smaller English ones. I'm sure @Branleuse knows the difference though lol

Update - still no bank transfer. I don’t think she wants to give me the money back

No shit. Take it as a lesson learned OP. People who buy these puppies are every bit as bad as the people who sell them. After all, it's you who creates the demand.