Would you return puppy to breeder?

[NorthernAnnie]

We bought a cross breed puppy. He is now 10 months old and has numerous allergies including grass and certain foods. He is now on an expensive diet, can't walk on grass, our vet's bills are huge and not likely to get any less and he sheds heavily which aggravates DS's asthma. We love him but in hindsight we should have been more careful about where we bought him from. I have realised the breeder was a BYB, she hadn't had her dog (or the stud) health tested although she was a much loved family pet. Would it be awful to return him to her?

:( poor poor dog how sad you didn't research your breeder. Am shocked that a breeder that failed to do the most basic health checks is prepared to take back a 10 mth old dog.
Not sure who you expect to take on a pup with the health issues you describe either :(

I mean would I be within my rights and/or would it be ethically wrong?

She would have to care for him. There's no way I would sell him or give him to the RSPCA.

I didn't know about BYB, I assumed that pets4homes was a safe place... I have since joined mumsnet and learnt a lot from the doghouse.

Can't imagine she would take him back and I don't think she has to either. Surely it's a 'sold as seen' scenario?

Any dog can have allergies.

There is no health testing for atopy, which is what I assume your dog has. The shedding well am assuming its a poodle cross of some kind and in that case you can never guarantee if they will shed or not, if the breeder told you otherwise then that's wrong of her.
Otherwise I think no it's not fair to ask the breeder to take this dog back, presumably you have insurance, if not then the breeder will not be able to take any out at this point.
It's not like buying a washing machine, animals get problems like we do.no ones fault.
If you don't want to keep the dog then you should take the responsibility to rehome it yourself, via a charity not a classified ad.
Ethically wrong and I think you would struggle to do it legally under sale of goods act as not something like hip dysplasia that could have been prevented.

It's taken you 10 months to realise your dog has health issues and your son is allergic? Wow. That's lax even in my books.

Oh and fwiw I'm allergic to grass as is Devil Dog, we can still walk on it. I've never, ever heard of an allergy to grass being that bad that the sufferer cannot walk on it. Try Piriton, ask your vet about the dosage.

Health testing parents wouldn't give info about puppy allergies, or how much hair they'll shed. Poor dog

You don't want your puppy anymore? Poor thing :(

What Korma said.

This post made me grrrr would u dump any other family member for illness? Poor dog.

Okay, assuming you do love him and are willing to work to help him...

What's he allergic to - perhaps people can suggest some protocols that have worked for their dogs if they have experienced similar?

Why can't he walk on grass? If it's his allergy, DOoin has suggested Piriton, which must be worth a try.

What expensive diet is he on and why (i.e. what's in it, or not in it, that makes the difference)? Again, perhaps people that have experienced similar could suggest a cheaper alternative, if there is one.

Shedding / asthma - is he groomed or clipped regularly? If not, probably worth starting regular grooming either by yourself or a groomer, as this should help keep that under control. Is it worth your son seeing the ashtma nurse again to check his medication is optimised? I'm asthmatic and allergic to cats and dogs - currently have 3 cats and am in the process of adopting a dog; it can, in most circumstances, be managed.

What breed is he, out of curiosity?

BYB = back yard breeder?
There is no test to prove if a dog has genes for atopy. There is a genetic component, it is more common in certain breeds, but it isn't as simple as if either parent was affected the puppy will be. It normally presents in the first couple of years so the breeder would have no way of knowing the puppy was likely to be affected at 6-8 weeks old. The breeder has done nothing wrong and is under no obligation to take the puppy back. If you had found there was a problem at your post-purchase vet check that would be different.

If you give him back how long will it be before you buy another puppy to try and get one thats not broken?

You say he sheds easily, can you not limit him to certain parts of the house? I don't mean locking him up, but maybe having the lounge dog free and upstairs? and then you will have less rooms to hoover, dust and air each day

As for vet bills, they are expensive. It's the main thing people should consider before getting any pet. Even if you have a dog who is extremely healthy you can still be landed with a huge vet bill. Keeping a dog isn't cheap

I ant believe i am reading this I have returned a dog to the breeder, my DP "surprised me with a puppy" i wasn't well (mentally), the dog clearly had issues - DP was a twat - so I made him take the dog STRAIGHT BACK! that very day - and no, we didn't get a refund! I felt like the biggest shit toever walk the earth.

When the time was right, we got a dog, and now we have two. Both cross breeds - one is a rescue.

You have had this dog for 10 months, what makes you think the breeder will take it back? What makes you think it is better than the rspca? Why the hell did you get a dog if you knew your DS had asthma - seriously, im almost speechless.

Get onto your local dogs trust/rspca and hope they can find the poor animal a loving home. I think the only reason you want him back to the breeder is because you want your money back

Okay now I am done with bashing my head against the desk....

Shedding - Clip the coat as short as possible, comb daily, use this to reduce the amount of dander shed, contrary to popular belief it is dander (dead skin cells) that most people are allergic to not hair.

Allergies: Devil Dog is allergic to everything he can eat Nature Diet Chicken, Fish and Sensitive, as well as Fish4Dogs, BARF, Orijen, JWB Lamb and Rice and a gluten and wheat free own brand food that is made near Wheatley Hill, so if you live round those parts you might be able to pick it, it's £13 for a huge sack. He uses Piriton in the summer because he is allergic to pollen and grass seeds, just plain regular piriton, I comb him through after walks in the park over summer to remove any grass seeds from his coat.

Vet foods and specialised anti allergy meds can be expensive but if you ask your vet there are usually cheaper alternatives, the only medicated thing my dog has is his shampoo and his steroid cream during summer, those cost £6 each and last the whole of summer, very occasionally he might need an anti inflammatory jab, this costs in total £26, £18 consultation fee and £8 for the jab.

The most expensive thing is keeping all pets completely flea free because he is also allergic to fleas, but this really is something that all dog owners should do anyway, although before Devil Dog I deflea'd things as and when needed and now cannot do that.

If you still cannot cope then PM me, as I see you are based in the north and I know a few rescues up here that will help you out I could put you in touch with. The breeder won't take him back and selling him would be irresponsible and possibly dangerous for him. Dog fighting still goes on and dog fighters do browse the free ads looking for free or cheap dogs to use as bait.

'She would have to care for him'

The sad fact is she doesn't HAVE to care for him just as you are choosing not to. Poor puppy I can't believe that you'd dump him for something like this. Doesn't it bring out any instinct to want to protect him at all.

Steady on... the OP is just asking the question. She hasnt said thats what she will be doing.

She clearly says she loves the dog but wishes she had done a bit more homework. Whats wrong with that ?

Cut her some slack guys or offer fab advice like Dooin has.

I have a dog with multiple allergies. He also regularly tries to kill himself (eats chocolate, impales himself on fences, runs through glass....sigh). He was badly bred, probably puppy farmed in fact. He has cost us a fortune and several sleepless nights. We've had him 17 months, and I hope we have him for at least another decade. The allergy issue can be managed, it just takes a bit of trial and error to work out which meds/food works best.

Is it a PITA to have a dog with issues? Yep. But we chose to have this dog. It isn't his fault he's badly bred and he has issues. My son is also asthmatic, and our dog sheds like a bastard. I groom him daily, hoover daily, damp dust regularly, keep the dog downstairs and monitor DS's breathing. Thakfully, the dog has never aggravated DS's asthma, although during the summer I have to be extra vigilent as DS has hayfever and the dog brings in a lot of pollen on his coat.

I think it would be morally wrong to try and pass the dog back so it isn't your responsibility. Either knuckle down and get on with it, or contact a reputable rescue and hope that they can sort out your dog's allergies and find him a forever home.

OP, my DH has asthma but we manage fine with four greyhounds. Dooin has already given you excellent advice about coping with dog's allergies. For dealing with human asthma and dog combo - I'd suggest the following - regular damp dusting, using a good vacuum cleaner often with HEPA filter. Airing the house thoroughly. Regular washing of dog's bedding at highest poss temps, and also of all soft furnishings such as cushions, fabric sofa covers etc. Remove carpets and put down laminate/wooden/vinyl/tile floors - much less dusty and don't hold on to mites/hair. Consider keeping dog downstairs. Keep dog clipped and regularly groom him outside. Much of this is considered routine housekeeping for asthmatics anyway but I wanted to reinforce the difference it can make.

There is no way that a BYB off a site notorious for being an outlet for puppy farmers and BYBs will take this dog back - by now they will be selling to a fresh lot of mugs. Ethically, you've got this dog and should now be doing your utmost to provide a lifelong home for him. But I am also a realist and if you do decide to rehome, please do so via a reputable rescue (NOT the RSPCA) and give them a socking big donation.

What exactly did the breeder do wrong ? How could she have possibly prevented this from happening ?

Thanks for all the advice. I would never try to sell him or give him to the RSPCA. I would contact a breed rescue center (they have them for his breed) and keep him until they found a good home for him. DS also has eczema which is really bad at the moment which we have narrowed down to the amount of dog hair. It has taken a while, our dogs skin problems didn't start until he was 6 months and then we went through different treatments and elimination with the vet which took a long time, likewise with DS's eczema.

The vet said we may never know some of our dogs allergies and therefore he will need to be on medication. We have wooden floors and I brush him and sweep/mop daily but it literally gets everywhere . The breeder did say he would be non to low shedding