Advice needed - Pomeranian puppy bought with health issues

I’m just trying to find out if you have to register the mating where you are? Or do you only notify them once the litter has been born?

Yes, she mentions that selling puppies under 10 weeks old is banned now, yet the breeder sold me an 8-week-old pup. I didn't know that, so thanks for the info. I should also add that I absolutely adore her – I love her as much as my own kids and she’s a proper part of the family now. It’s just the principle of it, really; the way she was described and sold to us.

Yeah, I totally get where you’re coming from 🙂

I should also add that I really care about the dog; I love her just as much as my own children and she’s part of the family now. It’s just the principle of the thing – the way she was described and sold to us.

Another thing – she was the runt of the litter. She was sold to us as a ‘super mini’, supposedly going to be smaller than her siblings and therefore recognised as a Pomeranian. But after reading some forums, I’ve realised she might have simply been the last of the litter who struggled to nurse and maybe didn't get enough food because she couldn't hold her own. That would explain why she’s so small. She might well end up the same size as her brothers and sisters as she grows, and be considered a Medium German Spitz. And the others were actually cheaper. I feel a bit like I’ve been manipulated, to be honest.

In France, there are out-of-court and legal routes you can take for this kind of thing, specifically regarding hidden defects, fraudulent misrepresentation, and the statutory guarantee of conformity. I haven't got a clue about the situation in Belgium, though...

Yes, we're in Belgium. The breeder just told me beforehand that there were several puppies, including one that was smaller. Based on her estimated adult weight and size, she wouldn't be able to breed because she’s such a small build—they reckoned she’d be too small and fragile. We didn't want to breed anyway; we just wanted a pet, and out of all the puppies, she was the calmest. Her colour also played a part in her favour. My daughter fell in love with her, and it was only after that the breeder explained all this. This is our first dog, so we just trusted them, especially with all the talk about the St Hubert pedigree (the Belgian Kennel Club), DNA tests, microchips, and the guarantee certificate—you can imagine we thought we were making the right choice. However, if she’d told us that it was actually a problem with her eyes, her back legs, and her jaw, and that it might cause health issues later on, I probably wouldn't have gone ahead with it at the time for fear of her future health. Honestly, I feel like there’s not enough protection for buyers in these kinds of sales. **Nenette42:** It’s not even a question of the puppy’s size here, because you can't be 100% certain, even if the parents are KC registered and measure 20cm and 22cm. The vet gave an estimate based on her weight and size at two months. Yes, the breeder is registered. But the issue here is selling a puppy advertised as having no defects. > Around £1,550 for a dog advertised as a 'toy' isn't the top price at all; usually, you'd expect to pay double that... Having said that, I agree with the rest—get a vet certificate to document the defects (the squint, the legs, the undershot jaw) and ask for a price reduction via registered post. You should also ask to involve a consumer mediator (is one mentioned in the sales contract?). Besides, I don't know any serious breeders who would claim to guarantee the adult size in this breed, especially between 'toy' and 'miniature' sizes. Is it a registered breeder? Don't mention it... I completely understand that the issue isn't so much the size, but the breeder's lack of professionalism. Her claiming the dog will definitely be a 'toy' shows a lack of reliability. You can suggest it with this breed, but you can never state it as a fact just to use it as a selling point. Especially since for a so-called reputable breeder, selling a puppy with an undershot jaw, poor leg alignment that could signal a more serious problem, and a squint is really not on. As for the price, if she was so sure of the dog's quality, it’s strange she’d sell her for that much. Is there really no mention on the transfer of ownership certificate ("sold as a pet") or on the vet health record? And are you definitely in Belgium then?