I’ve been the proud owner of a Pomeranian puppy for a few days now.
I bought my dog for quite a high price from a breeder who had ads on various Facebook platforms... the description and photos said the parents could be seen on-site, and she guaranteed the puppies were fault-free. I went there myself and picked out my puppy.
She gave me all her paperwork, and everything for the puppy is in order. I also saw both the mum and dad there.
Both were gorgeous, and I’m just waiting for the pedigree papers to confirm she's a purebred.
Out of a litter of seven, she sold me the smallest one, telling me she’d only reach about 18cm (7 inches) as an adult and would be a 'true' miniature Pom. That’s why she was so expensive—I paid more for her than for the others in the litter. However, it turns out I’ve just been to the vet, who told me she has a misaligned jaw, so the bottom part is shorter than the top. They also said the puppy has crooked back legs, so when she runs, she has 'frog legs'. My puppy is also cross-eyed in both eyes, which is even more noticeable in the left eye. After this vet visit, I have to admit I’m quite upset. The breeder gave me a signed health guarantee and assured me the puppy was healthy and guaranteed to be fault-free. Now, with all this, I feel like I’ve been ripped off on the price, and above all, I’m worried about her future. She sold me a supposedly healthy, fault-free puppy for around £1,500 with a pedigree. What do you think? I really need some advice; I’m completely lost as this is my first dog.
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Hi there,
Even if you aren’t planning on breeding your dog, you might have been interested in breed confirmation—this is where a judge at a dog show officially verifies that your dog meets the breed standard set by the Kennel Club. However, given the faults already mentioned, you know that wouldn't be an option.
If the parents are KC registered, your breeder should have registered the litter and provided you with your dog's pedigree certificate.
On another note, which lab tests are you referring to????
Even if you’re not planning on breeding her (and given her health issues, you’re absolutely right—it would be far too risky for her and the pups), you can bring up the fact that she won’t get her full Kennel Club registration, which gives you room to negotiate.
A pedigree puppy comes from registered parents, but they usually have to meet certain standards to be fully "confirmed" for breeding or showing later on.
Yours won’t be, so that’s a solid argument for you. (If the breeder tells you it doesn’t matter because she’s just a pet and you won’t be doing shows or breeding, you can say that you came looking for a proper pedigree dog and at least wanted the option of having her officially recognised...)
You should also mention the vet bills, as the little one is definitely going to need some treatment...
I’m writing this for everyone’s benefit (not just yours), but you really have to do your research when buying from breeders; they aren’t all honest or professional. You don’t always have to go to a breeder to find a puppy. I assume you're looking for a specific breed because you love them, so again, you need to do more homework. For instance—and I’m sorry to say this—you didn’t actually know what the pedigree registration process involved.
What does it mean that she won't meet the breed standard? Both her parents are KC registered and I'm currently waiting for the pedigree certificate with my name on it, as the lab tests have been sent off and we're just waiting. I have to admit I don’t really know much about all this and, honestly, we just got our puppy to be part of our little family; she isn't for breeding. I won't be having any litters with her, and she’ll probably be spayed anyway.
If you don’t want to exchange her, negotiate a big discount, especially if you paid a premium because she was supposed to be under 20cm (the standard for a Toy is about 20cm +/- 2cm). From what I understand, the parents are KC registered, but given the issues, she won't meet the breed standard—this is also something to negotiate. So, get a note from your vet and send a letter to the breeder via recorded delivery. You should also check your insurance to see if you have legal expenses cover.
If you aren't looking to do an exchange, try to negotiate a big partial refund—especially if you paid a premium because they said she’d be under 20cm (the miniature standard is roughly 20cm +/- 2cm).
If I’ve understood correctly, the parents are Kennel Club registered, but with the issues she has, she won’t meet the breed standard—so you should negotiate on that as well.
Get a written report from your vet and send a letter to the breeder via recorded delivery. It’s also worth checking your insurance to see if you’ve got legal cover.
To answer your question, I let my daughter choose. It isn’t the size that matters, it’s the bond we felt with the puppy when we were there. She was also the calmest one, which is why we were interested. I’m going to have a proper look at her paperwork, but I won’t be exchanging her because we’re already attached to her; no matter what’s wrong with her, we’re keeping her. However, what I won't accept is the breeder’s dishonesty. My vet saw the issues, so she must have seen them too. She definitely knew because she had the dog vaccinated and microchipped, so her vet would have done a health check as well. They must have seen it, yet she sold us a "flawless" dog at that price. That’s what I’m wondering—is that right? I don’t want to contact her until I’m certain of my rights, especially as I’m still waiting for her pedigree registration papers.
[Quote: Beaujabote]
Your dog should have been sold to you with a health certificate. Get your vet to write a report listing the puppy’s defects and contact the breeder to ask for either a partial refund or an exchange. Mind you, by always wanting smaller and smaller dogs, the smallest ones are used for breeding and you end up with health issues—you were after a dog that was only 18 cm...
Your dog should have been sold to you with a health certificate. Get your vet to draw up a report detailing all of your dog's health issues and then get in touch with the breeder to ask for either a partial refund or a replacement.
Mind you, when people keep wanting smaller and smaller dogs, the smallest ones are used for breeding and you end up with genetic defects – you did want a dog that was only 7 inches tall...
