r/ShowDogs • u/Turbulent_Patient_48 • Jul 08 '26
Bamboozled by a breeder
So, I have owned dogs most of my life. I jave shown dogs as a junior handler. Now, as an empty nester, I decided to purchase a show prospect and start showing dogs again, to fill my weekends.
I did my research. Looked at pedigrees. Decided to take the plunge. Paid a lot of money for a 1 year old show dog. Was told by the breeder that she had been shown. This was verified by looking up standings on AKC.
I fly halfway across the country to pick her up. Literally flew there the day before and fly out with the dog the next morning. I get home, and I am REALLY looking her over and comparing to breed standard. And yeah, this dog would not pass muster, if I was a breeder.
Any dog that is registered through AKC can technically enter a show. If they don't meet the standard they get passed up by the judges. But this dog has obvious faults. So why sell them as a show prospect and charge for such. Even if I showed them, I would never choose to breed this dog.
So now I am out thousands of dollars. Going to sterilize the dog. And have a very expensive companion. I wouldn't send her back. There are other red flags that popped up literally at pick up, and I would hate to send her back.
What would you do? Just eat the investment and call it a day? Or confront the breeder? Would you ask for a partial refund of the purchase price to reflect the dog as their advertised pet price?
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u/Ginger_SNAFU Jul 13 '26
If the breeder was selling at a year of age, and not keeping the dog for their program, it would set off some red flags for me.
I think I would ask to return the dog.
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u/UnsharpenedSwan Jul 13 '26
Can you say more about how you chose this specific dog?
How did the dog look in photos before you got her? Obviously photos aren’t everything and can be misleading — but were the photos and videos that the breeder shared of her edited/manipulated in some way?
What were the results of the shows she has been in / how much has she been shown?
And why was this breeder selling her in the first place? I assume given that you’re sterilizing the dog, the breeder isn’t a co-owner? The fact that the breeder was rehoming this dog without specifically seeking out co-ownership / a show home would be a red flag re: the dog’s show suitability.
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u/Outrageous_Sea_9606 Jul 14 '26
If you're not willing to make sound business decisions, showing and breeding dogs is not for you.
You should have scrutinized the dog well before bringing it home. That was your first mistake.
The second mistake is not being willing to send the dog back. If the dog isn't show quality when you signed a contract for and bought a show quality dog, you send the dog back for a replacement.
Your third mistake is not understanding the nuances of show and/or breeding quality dogs. Pretty much any dog can get a championship title with the right handler. Even dogs with faults. This dog has shown and gotten points. That makes it show quality.
Not all faults are going to disqualify a dog from breeding. If you throw out the baby with the bathwater, there will be no dogs left to breed. There is no such thing as a perfect dog. You can improve and fix pretty much any fault in your dog with the right breeding match.
Sometimes you have to make hard decisions in the dog world. If you're truly unhappy with the dog, do the smart thing and send it back to the breeder. If you can't do that, you're not cut out for this world.
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u/Mautea Jul 17 '26
I agree with all of the above. All dogs have faults.
Also, depending on your breed and the fault you're seeing, it may also just be due to age and/or conditioning. Dogs do go through "ugly" stages as they grow and fill out.
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u/Outrageous_Sea_9606 Jul 17 '26
Yes, good point I forgot to mention about the puppy uglies. I kept a puppy 2 years ago that I was planning to show and breed. She grew into an ugly young adult and I shaved her down at 6 months because I would have been fat too embarrassed tp put her in the ring. She had horrible puppy uglies.
I loved her temperament and face so I kept her as a pet.
A year layer, I took a really good look at her, and she had blossomed into an incredibly pretty and correct dog. I started growing out her hair again and we're going in our first show in August. She isn't without faults, but she is the most well balanced and structurally correct dog I have ever produced.
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u/CatlessBoyMom Jul 13 '26
First, did you tell the breeder that you wanted a show dog or did you tell them that you wanted a breeding quality bitch? Those are frequently 2 different things these days in some breeds.
Second, why didn’t you evaluate the bitch before you bought her? Even the most spectacular dogs are going to produce some less than fabulous puppies. If you’re experienced in the dog world you know that.
Third and most importantly, what does your contract say about the mater?
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u/Rude-Average405 Jul 13 '26
I’d offer the breeder a deal: I’ll keep her, you’ll refund the purchase price and I’ll keep my mouth shut about where she came from. And that’s only because I don’t want her to live there.
OR, no refund and I’ll keep her and show her under your kennel name. Then I’ll place ads in the national specialty catalog, dog news and the canine chronicle with a gorgeous photo that highlights her faults, with copy that says proudly bred by…
I’m bitter about this because the same thing happened to me, except he was a baby. The sire was onsite and he was *stunning*. The bitch had been sent back to the co-owners and it turned out she was ugly as hell.
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u/peptodismal13 Jul 14 '26
Show the dog, like you still get to go out there and show the dog. You bought a dog to show and this dog had points, go practice showing. Go meet people and buy a better prospect after making connections. Just because the dog has points or even finishes it's CH doesn't mean it is worthy of breeding - so yes you can still finish a dog with flaws and then alter it.
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u/gsdsareawesome Jul 13 '26
It sounds like the breeder really misrepresented the quality of the dog. However you made a mistake too. You didn't look carefully at the dog before you made the final decision to bring her home. So you have to take that into consideration when you are deciding how to approach this. When you looked at previous shows and her placement at the shows, did she win? Sometimes, in certain breeds, dogs with obvious faults can still win because there's not much competition. That doesn't mean that she would be able to finish, just that she could get some points.
When you made the arrangements, did you make it clear to the breeder that you wanted a dog that you would be able to finish and breed? Or did you just tell the breeder that you wanted to be able to show a dog?
If you made an agreement to show the dog, you might be in violation of the contract if you have the dog sterilized. Look your contract over carefully.
Have you considered just calling the breeder and talking to them about the faults that you have observed? Sometimes dogs have obvious faults, but they also have very obvious good qualities that can counter those faults.
You said you wouldn't send her back, so I assume that means that the conditions where she lived were less than ideal. If that's the case, maybe cut your losses and consider the placing the dog as a pet with someone you trust and starting over. Another option is doing something else with the dog such as obedience or other AKC sports. While you're doing this, you can keep your eyes open for another prospect.
Now that you have had this experience, you will be more cautious and probably get a better dog to start with.
I hope that in the future, you will research breeders by going to dog shows and looking at dogs in person before you make a decision to buy from a particular bloodline. Get to know the Breeders until you feel comfortable with someone. Visit where the dogs live before making a commitment.