Am I entitled to my money back for a puppy I can't keep?

[cordonbleugh]

basically, I have a puppy I can't keep, he is 13 weeks old, and has done exeptionally well with training etc, knows quite a few commands already, is very clever etc, apart from one issue - the biting, it's not just normal biting and rough play, but is actually very agressive.

Before you say anything, I have tried EVERYTHING to train him out of this, no techniques work, and when his agression is directed at my 3yo DD, I just cant take the risk that he will grow out of it.

It's not fair on her, DD can't be a normal 3yo, do anything she norally does for fear of getting attacked!

So, the breeder has agreed to have him back, but says she has no money to refund to me!

I'm assuming that she used the money for the sale of the puppies to pay off a large debt, because 8 puppies at £250 each is a lot of money!!

He is not purebred by the way, so he is not kennel club registered or anything like that.

I have asked her to have him back asap, otherwise he will go to dogs trust or somewhere similar, but now she is getting a bit nasty towards me (via text!) about the whole situation.

I made a mistake in getting the puppy and fully admit to that, now i just want him gone before he hurts DD again. I did a LOT of research, and waited months before getting him btw, so it was definately not and impulse decision, it just hasn't worked out

Anyone got any advice?

He is your dog so you can do what you like with him. She obviously doesn't sound very nice or particularly helpful and my guess would be she will take him back, then sell him on without telling anyone the history. She will probably just say he wasn't sold in the first place or they were keeping him for their own pet but have changed their mind. A good one is the original owner had a child who was allergic and its been returned. Anyway, not your problem you want rid so you thats what is happening. Only problem with Labroador rescues is that a) some only rehome purebreds and b) they don't have kennel facilities but they do sometimes have club members who will foster, so could be out of your house fairly quickly. I am about to go and get DC's then swimming lessons. If you get a chance google and see what you can find. It may be worth the phone call. I help with another breed Welfare Society and we tend not to judge but just to do whats best for the dog and get on with it as quick as possible. If it did come up trumps for you then surely the breeder would be happy her pup has gone to a home with love and experience. If she is cross then you will know for sure she just wanted to double her money on this poor boy.

Sorry, there was a reason for telling you my plans for the rest of the day . If I get a chance I will try and get some numbers but it won't be until much later! If you have time, have a look yourself but do tell them that the dog is going on Friday, then at least they won't waste precious time and arrange something for next week say and then find out he's gone. Be open and honest as you have been here, the mess has been made it's got to be dealt with now and thats the main thing.

thanks guys, will def google local rescues, and see what they say.

I didnt sign anything, no contract all, so im assuming that means that legally, he's mine to do what I like with re who I give him to for rehoming?

Anyway, off to the shops now (in the rain), will report back later.

Thanks for giving practical advice and not judging

CB - like some of the posters here I think your version of events is unlikely - however (before you jump on me!) it's not impossible. So I've taken you at your word. You have the full picture, not us, and I prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt. Can I say two things though - for the sake of the dog, who, even if he did hurt your dd, still deserves decent treatment.

Firstly, re the breeder or rescue decision - rather than asking for opinions on here, get on the phone and internet and get some facts about the local rescue places. tell them the story and ask them specifically what they will do in a case like yours. ask the breeder too what she will do with him. get yourself some facts and then make your decision. and remember - it is your decision. the dog is your responsibility - and imo you have an obligation to make an informed decision on his behalf. Don't be bullied by the breeder. Make your decision today.

Second - you really should work out a way, for the next two days (if you decide to keep him until Friday and let the breeder have him back), of giving him time out of his crate. it's not impossible. you have doors in your house. you and dd can play in a bedroom, with the door shut. it's not locking dd away. the dog can spend time in the garden - you can block a catflap. dd could maybe go and play at a friend's house for a few hours. you can let him out - and continue your training with him - when she's asleep. there are plenty of ways to do this. if you can't bring yourself to take him out of his crate, and interact with him, you should get a rescue place that will come and pick him up now.

Best of luck - as Wags said, breed rescues use a network of foster homes and a young pup is relatively easy for someone to foster ( in fact socialisation with a foster worker's own dogs would probably do the pup a world of good) so they may be able to take him quite quickly, especially if you tell them you're keeping him in his crate.
Hope you get a quick solution

Let the poor puppy out of the crate, no wonder he is biting, the poor thing is probley going mad!

13 weeks old, agressive, i find that unbelievable,he's a pup FGS! maybe you should train the pup and find something that works instead of locking him up

My ddog is a rescue, from a local centre who don't ask a lot of questions when taking in a dog! From his behaviour, the vet and the trainer, we worked out that he was younger than his owner said, he had never been on a lead, didn't sit on command, didn't know his name, and had temper tantrums. He adores small children. He is now much calmer than before - but hard work. A rescue place will help him, his original breeder sounds a nightmare.

thanks hatwoman and bella, he has been out of his crate more than in it today, its not been easy but i do feel guilty keeping him in there, and of course, he's let out when DD is in bed anyway.

thesunshinesbrightly - if you had bothered to read anything properly, you would know that he is only being kept in his crate for the last few days as a precaution, so that he doesn't attack and bite my DD again.

Again, if you bothered to read my posts properly, you will have seen that i listed all the training I have done with him and the many techniques I have used to try and overcome his behaviour. He has been trained re commands like sit, down etc, but NOTHING works re the biting/attacking.

You dont believe he is aggressive - thats your choice, you havent seen him, i am intelligent enough to recognise the difference between play biting and full on attacks.

POOR PUPPY?! HE CUT MY DD'S LIP OPEN FOR FUCKS SAKE! DD is the poor one in all this! If you are seriously suggesting that I put my daughter at risk from attack for the puppy's sake then you are seriously deluded and i feel sorry for any children you might have!

CordonBleugh, I understand you want to rehome the dog and I think that is best for all around. Hopefully his next owner will have more time/patience with him. I can see that you had the best intentions, but you say you have listed the techiques you have you used to train him re his biting. Yet you have only had him five weeks. For future reference, if you do decide on getting another puppy when dd is older, you chose one technique and stick with it for MONTHS. Consistency is the key to training.

I dont think he should go back to the breeder. 20 seems v young and she sounds a bit dodgy TBH from what you have said.

I would approach a breed rescue asap.

i have 2 v v big dogs (one from a pup and one rescue) and 2 young children - i have had one incident with one of the dogs and one of my children - straight to a behaviourist for advice (and i done a yrs dog training course before getting them!) and lots of consistent training is a hell of a lot of work. but worth it.

as for the posters saying about big dogs and kids dont mix - your are hilariously stupid.

best of luck CB.

How long have you done ALL the training with him? 4 weeks perhaps? it's no one's fault you cant control your dog.

training started the day i got him, like i said, he is very well trained re commands such as sit, down, come when called etc, but no, nothing I have tried has any effect whatsoever on his aggression.

And to be honest, since he hurt DD, i want nothing more to do with him, and am not prepared to go to great length to sort his behaviour out over a long period of time because I simply don't like him or want him anymore.

So be a dear thesunshinesbrightly and learn to read properly stop bothering me with your nonsense. It is how it is - I made a mistake which if you read my OP (which is conveniently at the top of this page) you will see i admitted that from the very start of this thread, and do not need people on their high horses with no insight into my situation coming and reminding me.

OP - you're doing the right thing rehoming the dog now, instead of waiting any longer. He's only a baby at 13 weeks, he's still in a critical period of socialisation and it won't be doing him, your DD or you any good keeping him in the current atmosphere.

But is this the breeder who was happy to sell you two puppies at the same time, knowing you had a little girl in the house, and then breed the mother again with an American bulldog next year? She sounds totally irresponsible to me - a good rescue will thoroughly vet the new owners, and make sure he goes to a home that can invest a lot of time in getting him through this stage, and into a calmer adolescence. I'd second all the votes for checking out your local rescue options.

(And if they can take him, I'd give them all the remaining food, blankets, crate, etc, and whatever donation you can spare - this is a very busy time of year for them. )

Looked on your profile and some of the following may help:

Midlands Animal Rescue: 0121 358 0251
Birmingham Dogs Home (ADCH): 0121 643 5018

thanks wag

Yes its the same breeder wildfig, have reservations about giving him back to her tbh

Lab rescues here:

here

maybe the puppy has a psycological disorder similar to rage syndrome in cocker spaniels.
That would explain his aggression.

I have been a dear and read your thread, and you have locked the puppy up, and have tried too train him for the most of 4 weeks now you are giving him up because you dont want him, yes, i understand your thread, and as for the puppy biting your child, he is a puppy at the end of the day, maybe you should of thought alot harder about bringing a dog into your family if you can't handle the demands and the puppy stage, FGS he is only 13 weeks old!!

If you don't want people too give their opinion, if it is not too you liking, it's simple, dont post.

Puppies bite. It's what they do. I have the most good natured Ddog, and he still bit like a demented vampire when he was teething.

I don't think the OP can be criticised for her decision. She got something she didn't expect and is holding her hands up. But, i think it's totally unreasonable to expect your money back, to be honest.

Def. agree with the points about the breeder. When I got my lab, the breeder wanted to know about, and meet, any kids who would be with Ddog from day one. And she undertook a serious assessment of the home the dog would be going to live in.

She was top notch. As is the dog we got from her.

I would take the pup back and give you a refund after I re-sold the pup depending on it's age and how much I was able to sell it for (people like young pups/kittens) and how much food it cost etc.

CB, i think from what youve since posted a rescue would be a better bet than returning him to the breeder. she sounds dreadful, just make sure you tell her what your doing before she turns up on friday.

and shivvering - im afraid its dog "breeders" that do what your suggesting that cause all the bloody problems in the first place. dogs shouldnt just be seen as goods for sale, and if he has a problem with over excitability he shouldnt just be "sold on". the OP cannot expect a refund and the dogs welfare should be the deciding factor on where he goes now. he s not had the best start, and he has learned some bad habits, so shouldnt just be palmed off on someone else willing to shell out a few quid.

a rescue sounds the better bet CB. all the rescues ive ever gotten my animals from have vetted me and taken the cost of spaying immunisations etc.

he doesnt just bite, he full on attacks, it is waaay more than "normal puppy behavior" as a have said over and over and over again on this thread.

I did not ask for opinons on the morals and ethics of my decision, i asked a simple question requiring a yes or no answer, that is what i got within the first few posts.

There has been absolutely no need to vilify me or brand me a liar. I know how puppies behave, I've had them before (although not soley my responsibility) band this puppy definately goes way beyond any normal behaviour. Im getting sick of repeating that to be honest.

Yes, im giving him up because i dont want him............the reason i dont want him any more is because he seriously hurt my child ffs when will you get that into your head fgs

And another thing i have repeated MANY MANY times is how much thought and preparation i put into it before actually getting the puppy, so please dont tell me i should have done that, when i have already made it clear that i did.

And yes, he is 13 weeks old but hes bloody vicious and nasty and i dont trust him near my DD, he went for her face again today fgs.

And he isnt locked up all the time, i took him out for a long walk today while dd was at nursery, he has been out of his crate more often than in it today, and he is out now and will be until i go to bed.

You say you've read my posts properly but you dont seem to be listening to nything im saying so im going to ignore any further comments you have to make sunshine cos your talking out of your arse.

thankyou vicar - it is this one bad habit, which unfortunately happens to be the one that puts my DD in danger, if he hadnt cut her lip open, then maybe i would be more willing to keep him and keep trying, but as it stands, after what he did to her, i lost the will to continue with my efforts.

I didnt "expect" a refund, i was simply asking if it was something i was entitled to, having never bought a puppy before, i just didnt know. But now i do, and it should have just been left at that.