[Lili]

If you do a search under my name, you'll probably find some threads I posted about issues I was having with my Aussie when I initially got her last summer.

I recently boarded her at a new kennel (first one we tried did not work out – she had virulent diarrhea while at the kennel, and for one week after coming home. Note that she did not catch something while over there - she was tested for all sorts of parasites and the results were all negative). This new kennel then told me they would not take her again, as she was not "house-trained". I went on to explain that she was a nervous/anxious dog, and that she had accidents at my house for the first month or so after arriving, but I thought that in time, and with repetition, she would probably come to be at ease at this kennel, thus not soiling her crate. Nope, they would not have it! (I was disappointed and somewhat mad, as I'd been going there for 10 years with my previous dog...) Anyway...

All this to say I was pretty bummed out about this setback. Then I got this piece of information -- I won't go into the details, but I was recently informed that my breeder's dogs were most likely abused over a 3 years period - by a man! That explains SO much about my dog's temperament, you have no idea...

What I'm asking all of you is what would you do if you were in my shoes? I doubt I have any legal recourse that I could take against the breeder, since this information would be considered "hear-say"... But not disclosing this information, and selling me a dog $1,000, that was clearly victimized????? And that's not counting the hundreds of dollars I've spent on consultations and classes to get this dog comfortable in her new environment.

So, what approach would you take, if this happened to you?

Thanks in advance!

 

[cshellenberger]

Unfortunately if you can't prove it, there's nothing you can do other than avoid the breeder in the future.

 

[deege39]

Well... Like cshellenberger stated, if you have no proof and facts, then they'll just take it like you said as "hear-say" and you'd wind up spending more money trying to fight a fruitless battle.

If it were me, and I spent $1,000 on dog that I believed was emotionally traumatized and scarred for life, I would contact the breeder. I would confront the breeder in a non-confrontational manner and just express your concerns for your dog's mental health... See what the breeder has in response, then maybe offer up that you've heard some rumors that other dogs have been abused... But I would make sure to not sound condemning and as if you're pointing the finger and accusing the breeder of abusing his/her dogs...

That's just me, and maybe that's not an appropriate approach... but other than that, there's really nothing you can do...

(BTW: Donatello is a recovering abusee.) : )

 

[lovemygreys]

You have 2d- 3rd- 4th-hand information that your breeder's dogs (not necessarily your specific dog) may have been abused by a man.

Uh....unless you have PROOF, you have no case. Buyer beware.

 

[sheltiemom]

I recently found out that Frosty's breeder has been accused of a laundry list of things, including abuse and falsifying papers...I have no idea if any of it is true, and she has dropped off the face of the earth, so I can't get any answers from her. It was very disheartening because I thought I knew her at least a little bit and thought I was buying from a reputable show breeder. I am inclined not to believe the abuse allegations, but I never received his papers, and now can't find her, so that part may be true.

If you feel comfortable enough, ask your breeder about it and see what she says, but I don't think there is anything you can do besides try to get information and verify whether what you heard is true....in my case I've decided to let it go and move on, even though it did peeve me...I basically paid $700 for a byb dog with a luxating patella and no papers, but, to me he is the best dog ever, so...

 

[Lili]

You have 2d- 3rd- 4th-hand information that your breeder's dogs (not necessarily your specific dog) may have been abused by a man.

Uh....unless you have PROOF, you have no case. Buyer beware.

I did not go into the details, because it would have been too long of a post, but I got this information from a woman who bought an adult dog from the same breeder. This woman bought this dog while knowing the breeder's dogs had been abused by the breeder's boyfriend at the time. The breeder herself informed this woman/buyer, but I wasn't so lucky... No need to be harsh... I was simply soliciting input as to how people would act or react in this frustrating and heart wrenching situation... And after beating myself up - no need to it for me - I came to the conclusion that there was no way I could have known this went on, unless it had been disclosed to me. Yes, I thought the dog I was buying was overly shy, and when I brought her home, she had noticeable adaptation problems, but it's nothing I could of assessed clearly beforehand, while coming up with a diagnostic of this dog's behavior, in 2 visits of a couple of hours at the breeder's. And trust me, I grilled the breeder with questions, and she had an answer for everything. I had thoroughly researched this particular breeder, and she was referred to me by a family member. Nobody is immune to trusting someone who seems to have the best intentions and ethics, but who in turn misleads people around them...

Well... Like cshellenberger stated, if you have no proof and facts, then they'll just take it like you said as "hear-say" and you'd wind up spending more money trying to fight a fruitless battle.

If it were me, and I spent $1,000 on dog that I believed was emotionally traumatized and scarred for life, I would contact the breeder. I would confront the breeder in a non-confrontational manner and just express your concerns for your dog's mental health... See what the breeder has in response, then maybe offer up that you've heard some rumors that other dogs have been abused... But I would make sure to not sound condemning and as if you're pointing the finger and accusing the breeder of abusing his/her dogs...

That's just me, and maybe that's not an appropriate approach... but other than that, there's really nothing you can do...

(BTW: Donatello is a recovering abusee.) : )

I think what you are suggesting is a good approach! In the first weeks I had my dog I was so overwhelmed with the problems I was having, that I was in constant contact with the breeder, but after a while, she stopped contacting me, leaving me on my own with my worries and issues... After the shock of what I got myself into passed, I rolled up my sleeves and got help and resources elsewhere, and I'm proud to say that I have a completely different dog now - even after only 9 months! It was a lot of work though, and it's not over yet, but it is oh so rewarding to see her progress and how she is coming out of her shell!

But based on what I just said, I doubt the breeder would offer me any valuable assistance or wrongdoing admittance... And it makes sense now that she distanced herself from me, since she clearly knew why the dog was acting like it was, based on the environment it lived in for 2 and a half years! I guess I need to determine if I need to contact her at least once, to get some things off my chest. And I would do so, in a non-confrontational, but nonetheless direct manner. I'm not pleased to have been taken for a fool!

 

[Angie's Bella]

I am very sorry to hear that you dog has been abused , I had a jack russell that I fostered for for nearly 2 years that had been abused, so I know how sad it can be. He too was abused by a man to the point that he was thrown out of the window of a car while driving down the road, that was when he came to live with me. He was so scared of my husband that everytime my husband was the least little bit loud, even if he was laughing, Pete would go hide under the bed for hours. It made me so sad. But I would be mad and sad if I had paid $1000 for a dog that was represented to me as a healthy dog.

I agree with Deege39, I would be calling the breeder. And just as Deege39 said, I would be very nice about it and approach her with the concern for your dog and give her the chance to own up. If she doesn't own up, then ask her about the other dog that was abused in her care. Just remeber to try to be nice, I think you will get futher that way.

 

[Lili]

I recently found out that Frosty's breeder has been accused of a laundry list of things, including abuse and falsifying papers...I have no idea if any of it is true, and she has dropped off the face of the earth, so I can't get any answers from her. It was very disheartening because I thought I knew her at least a little bit and thought I was buying from a reputable show breeder. I am inclined not to believe the abuse allegations, but I never received his papers, and now can't find her, so that part may be true.

If you feel comfortable enough, ask your breeder about it and see what she says, but I don't think there is anything you can do besides try to get information and verify whether what you heard is true....in my case I've decided to let it go and move on, even though it did peeve me...I basically paid $700 for a byb dog with a luxating patella and no papers, but, to me he is the best dog ever, so...

Makes you wonder if you can trust anybody in this world huh?! I also think my little Aussie is simply precious - I have no regrets on having her in my life that is for sure! But I had purposely chosen to get an adult dog from what I thought was a reputable breeder (my Aussie was also a show dog) to avoid difficulties often associated with puppy hood or with rescue dogs. The challenge I faced was not something I wanted at this particular time in my life... But hey! Maybe my cutie was meant to teach me lots of things... Like patience, perseverance, forgiveness??!

 

[Thracian]

Sorry to hear you've had such a hard time with your dog. It's great that you're providing a good home for her.

As for what you should do . . . one thing to consider is this: what do you want? Acknowledgement from the breeder? Refund or partial refund? Something else? This will affect the way you approach her. To be honest, I don't know how to be non-confrontational about talking to her. I suspect she will be defensive from the start.

So, before you talk to her, make sure you have a goal in mind. You might not meet it, because any conversation takes two, but it's a good place to start.

Good luck! I hope you'll let us know how the conversation goes (if you have one) and how your girl does in future.

 

[Lil Red Express]

This may sound mushy but I will come from a different point of view here . I always believe there is reason for everything and maybe , just maybe this wonderful Aussie needed to be with you . You sound like a very caring dog owner and to me , Aussies are very special dogs and need someone special that will help them when they are / were down , like yours was .

If thats her picture in your avatar , she looks like a great dog !!

 

[Lili]

I am very sorry to hear that you dog has been abused , I had a jack russell that I fostered for for nearly 2 years that had been abused, so I know how sad it can be. He too was abused by a man to the point that he was thrown out of the window of a car while driving down the road, that was when he came to live with me. He was so scared of my husband that everytime my husband was the least little bit loud, even if he was laughing, Pete would go hide under the bed for hours. It made me so sad. But I would be mad and sad if I had paid $1000 for a dog that was represented to me as a healthy dog.

I agree with Deege39, I would be calling the breeder. And just as Deege39 said, I would be very nice about it and approach her with the concern for your dog and give her the chance to own up. If she doesn't own up, then ask her about the other dog that was abused in her care. Just remeber to try to be nice, I think you will get futher that way.

How awful for that poor Jack Russell! He sure was lucky to find you along the way!

That's exactly how I'm feeling -- mad and sad!

And although sometimes we'd like to give people a piece of our mind in a non-tactful kinda way, kindness is probably most effective to generate results we're looking for - even if it calls on us to suppress anger and bitterness. That's where my friends and you guys come in -- to bear with me while I vent and am trying to cope with all this!

 

[Lili]

Sorry to hear you've had such a hard time with your dog. It's great that you're providing a good home for her.

As for what you should do . . . one thing to consider is this: what do you want? Acknowledgement from the breeder? Refund or partial refund? Something else? This will affect the way you approach her. To be honest, I don't know how to be non-confrontational about talking to her. I suspect she will be defensive from the start.

So, before you talk to her, make sure you have a goal in mind. You might not meet it, because any conversation takes two, but it's a good place to start.

Good luck! I hope you'll let us know how the conversation goes (if you have one) and how your girl does in future.

You're all providing such great advice! Thank you so much!

Funny... That is exactly what a person close to me told me... Be sure to know what you want out of it, before contacting the breeder. That person went so far as to ask me if I wanted to give my dog up for a refund. It was a fair question, but the answer is no way! I've been thinking about the reasons that would warrant me to contact/confront her... I guess I'd like her to know that I now know, you know? And how dare she have fooled and deceived me that way! I realize she may not loose sleep over that though... And that she does not need my endorsement to find future buyers... But heck, I do hope for one thing: Karma!

I will keep you informed on what I choose to do and on my girl's continued development!

 

[Lili]

This may sound mushy but I will come from a different point of view here . I always believe there is reason for everything and maybe , just maybe this wonderful Aussie needed to be with you . You sound like a very caring dog owner and to me , Aussies are very special dogs and need someone special that will help them when they are / were down , like yours was .

If thats her picture in your avatar , she looks like a great dog !!

It's not mushy at all! I've been thinking that myself! She may have needed to be with me -- and me with her! But like any experience, there are rainy days and sunny days! I was starting to think I was finally going to be under the sun with my girl, and then I learn she's not welcome in kennels in my area because of her "issues", as well as the lie concerning her upbringing...!!! But I'm sure the sun will come out again... Yes, Aussies are truly special... It is her in my avatar...

 

[Lil Red Express]

Thanks for posting the full size , she's a beautiful girl !!! I wish I had a better suggestion about the kennel . We have a doggie day care here and they dont crate the dogs . Anything like that in your area ? Sorry , without scanning your posts again , is it for when you go to work you need the kennel situation ?

It's not mushy at all! I've been thinking that myself! She may have needed to be with me -- and me with her! But like any experience, there are rainy days and sunny days! I was starting to think I was finally going to be under the sun with my girl, and then I learn she's not welcome in kennels in my area because of her "issues", as well as the lie concerning her upbringing...!!! But I'm sure the sun will come out again... Yes, Aussies are truly special... It is her in my avatar...

 

[KBLover]

So, what approach would you take, if this happened to you?

I'd give the dog as much patience, training, and quality time as possible.

Oh, you meant the breeder?

Forget him/her and just worry about the dog. Wally wasn't very well treated before coming here and I had to do the same thing.

Remember, it's about the dog now

 

[Lili]

Thanks for posting the full size , she's a beautiful girl !!! I wish I had a better suggestion about the kennel . We have a doggie day care here and they dont crate the dogs . Anything like that in your area ? Sorry , without scanning your posts again , is it for when you go to work you need the kennel situation ?

Thank you!!!

I'm not aware of a kennel that does not crate dogs in my area unfortunately... No, it is not for when I go to work, but for when I travel either for work, weekend getaways or when I'd like to escape winter for 1 week or 2 every year... I do not travel that much really, but you also never know when you'll be forced to go somewhere last minute. I need to have a solid resource for my pup, which is proving so difficult to find...

A place I was considering as far as kennels go is the PetsHotel. Dogs don't go outside to do their business, so I'm thinking that if my dog would have accidents in her own kennel, it may not be that big of deal for them?!