buyer wanted a "pet" puppy and put a deposit down for a current litter, she ended up the last puppy.
small litter so not a a lot of choices and the pup she was to get developed a very slight overbite at 6 weeks old.
I told her about the issue and told her I felt it would be fine. I sent photos of the bite along with the puppy, who is a very nice quality pup.
On her request my vet call her and spoke to her about how slight it was and how it would not affect the puppy's health.
Unfortunately her vet told her it would cost $1000-$1600 to "fix" this. I am not sure what he is expecting to "fix"
She declined this pup and I told her I would send her deposit back.

Now she wants to get on the list for my upcoming litter. I am not sure I want to....will she be looking for something wrong with the next one as well? what would you do?

First, a little bit of knowledge with a pet buyer is a dangerous thing. Yes the buyer will most likely be very picky now with the next litter and might try to find every little thing wrong with the puppy. I had one who was waiting for a female from one of my litters. My girl needed an emergency c and after I had 2 fading puppies in the litter both females. Since the buyer knew that I had lost the 2 girls, she started to think her puppy, who was perfectly healthy, had something wrong with her after she took her home. It turned out to be a bad situation and after I had wished I did not place the puppy with this person. Now we do not communicate at all. It might be best for you to wait for another buyer.

"WE" created this whole Perfect Pup mentality ourselves, we over educated the public PET buyers, with all of our clearances, and all of OUR searching for that perfect puppy , standing behind every thing imaginable in guarantees. NOW , they want perfection, they figure we are charging for it, and they should receive it. A little bit of knowledge is VERY dangerous, we give too much, things that are of no concern to the PET buyer. Now we sit back and wonder why they shop for puppies like they do automobiles, price comparisons, guaranttee comparisons, etc.

I would never place a puppy with your client, who needs a phone call everytime a nail is caught sideways !

I know that it's hard since folks do want perfect puppies. I have had one pup out of each of my litters with "something" that makes them "imperfect" and both times I gave buyers an option OUT. Both times they took the pups anyway and have turned into perfect families.

Better that they be honest about not wanting an "imperfection". An overbite can turn into more than "slight" when it grows up.

Should you knock them out NOW just because of that one incident? I wouldn't. But if they pulled out a second time, they would be black-listed!

You could have told another person the same thing and gotten an opposite reaction. I think "perfection" is not the issue. The person is the issue. Some people worry about every little thing. They are called "worry warts". And yes, they are a PITA to deal with. Sometimes you recognize them right off the bat. Other times you don't know about it until something like the bite comes up. Don't get me wrong. They can be very nice people. Even so, my patience can run short. If I think a person is a worry wart, I don't place a puppy with them so I won't have to hear about every little sneeze.

JMO, but I think you're blaming the buyer and not the Vet who scared her and should know better... In 30 years of showing/breeding, yes, I have come up with an occasional overshot bite. Frankly, I have a slightly overshot bite, and darn it, it has never kept me from eating!!! I guess that's what I tell clients wanting just a pet. This puppy doesn't need (nor want) braces, just a loving home. Maybe the next pet puppy will have a white hairs on a toe...it still doesn't keep it from being a good pet and I would explain it as such.

Most people mean well, but Vets often intimidate them, somewhat like Doctor's can, and if they trust the breeder, will take their view... Then again, some people are just goofy. The joys of breeding dogs!

Best,

Leslee Pope
Huntcrest

I would only work with her if she found another vet, for example your vet. Otherwise, you're looking for another problem with her.JMHO-FWIW

Your 100% correct Leslie, a lousy vet can be your worst nightmare. The sad thing is, many times the Puppy Buyer will take the vet's word as Gospel no matter what you say.

I just told her that I would be happy to add her to the wait list but it will depend on what I end up with if I will even have anything available for her.
gives me a little bit of time to figure out if I want to deal with the possibility of the same situation again. maybe if there are plenty of pups to choose from she wont feel so pushed into the "not perfect" one.

....maybe I just wont have anything for her....

this buyer will find fault with any puppy you might offer. She doesn't want a "last" puppy, she wants the pick of the litter. She wants a lot of choice - her choice. Not what she "gets." She wants the guarantee of perfection, what she thinks she's paying for.

I'm not a breeder. I'm an owner. I would NEVER pass up a well-bred puppy from a reputable breeder with dogs of sound health and genetics, due to an over/under/whatever bite. Period. If someone is serious about making a commitment to an animal, that won't matter. I can't even fathom calling a vet to find out how much it might cost to correct a bite issue in an 8 week old puppy.
I can't imagine turning my back on a puppy I was waiting for to add to my life.

This isn't a bad vet issue, it's a bad buyer issue. The vet gave a medical opinion. Quite frankly, who knows how this buyer presented the issue? The vet did you a favor, even if it went to worst case scenario. Do you want to sell your puppy to someone who doesn't want something less than "perfect?" Who has to know exactly what something might cost to "fix" - in a puppy!!! I could go on and on about this. It's an 8 week old puppy!! A baby!!

I can tell you one thing, shelters and lab rescues in my area are chock full with puppies/dogs who are suddenly out of a home because they now have allergies, hip dysplasia, you name it. I'm guessing one could find a puppy or a dog with an overbite, too.

Trust yourself. If you felt you should come to this forum to ask about something that doesn't sit quite right with you, I think you have your answer.

Sorry if I went overboard on this, and thanks for allowing me my thoughts. And thank you all, for the care you put into this breed and your breeding programs for those of us who love our family members, under/overbites, faults and all!

My question is if the pup is 6 weeks old and you said a very slight overbite why did you say anything yet. We all know puppies bite change so much. And if she did end up with a very slight underbite so what. This will not affect the puppy. Just from reading your post I would be nervous about getting the puppy and I have been breeding for 15 year. You say she ended up with the last puppy. I never have a last puppy. I do not let buyers pick ther puppy. I make my picks at 8 weeks and then place puppies according to families life style and puppy temperament. If for some reason I have not sold all puppies at 8 weeks I keep the best puppies confirmation wise. So if the last person comes along to get that last puppy they are actually getting one of the best puppies.

JMHO

Unfortunately this sounds more like a Vet problem vs. the puppy buyer issue. This person is listening to their Vet, who is supposed to be a medical expert. These "experts" sometimes tend to biased when it comes to breeders. Many newer vets are trained to put shelter animals first, adopt not shop. They will go out of their way to put down breeders. Throwing out a huge number like that is scaring your puppy buyer into reconsidering. They may actually go adopt a shelter dog now because the breeder's dog isn't perfect.

I had a vet try to scare me once and her attitude towards me as a breeder was very harsh. She is not my regular vet, but did an emergency C on my bitch. Thankfully she did a good job and delivered 3 live puppies. One of the pups at the time was born with a severe heart murmur. She made me aware of the murmur and said it would probably heal up on its own but to have it rechecked in 2 weeks. I am glad she made me aware of her findings, but then she crossed the line by telling me that I cannot sell a puppy like this. If the heart doesn't close up it will be a medical nightmare and I just can't sell a pup like that. I get it lady. Not only did she tell me this over the phone, but twice more while I was at the clinic picking up my bitch. She was very adamant about it. I'm sorry but you do not tell me how to do my business as a breeder especially when the chances are there would be no problem. At the 2 week check up, the pup was fine. No murmur. I did not disclose this to my puppy buyer as it was now a non-issue. The puppy is now 6 years old, again no problems.

I would suggest that your puppy buyer seek a new vet or new breeder. I would not deal with someone whose vet is already taking this type of attitude by scaring your client over something like a slight over-bite.

pups bite went off at 6 weeks
noted on her health certificate by the vet at her required 8 week visit

Since it is written on the health certificate I did not want to hide anything since the buyer was driving 8 hours to pick up pup. I did state it was very slight and would not be any issues.

She did get the last female pick, when she called at 2 weeks I had already taken 4 deposits for the 5 females.

I am fair and prefer to help my buyers pick their pups in the order they inquired. instead of just saying here is your puppy like it or leave it.
my buyers receive photos every week and I talk to them about personalities, good fits to their family etc. 9/10 times they pick the pup I expect them to.

I personally would be very upset to drive 8 hours and find the pup for me has an overbite, under bite or any other health issue. I would hope the breeder would be honest and let me decide. Which is what I did for her.

what bothers me is she wants back on the list again, if a slight overbite bothers her then what else would bother her?

You state that you want to be fair and let a puppy buyer know about the "slight" over bite before she comes to pick up her puppy and yet when the buyer opts to pass on that pup and asks to be put on your list for you next litter you don't want her on there. If the over bite is so "slight" why not keep the puppy yourself? You can look for perfect and that's your option but the puppy buyer public cannot? There is a home for every puppy. I have placed 2 with over bites and even one at no charge with TVD. I would hope that if I were no longer breeding and wanted to buy a puppy and contacted a breeder it would be ok for me to pass on their last pet puppy with an overbite and wait for the next litter. *If* that's how I wanted to spend my money.

In your first post you said 6 weeks. You never said they are now 8 weeks old and your vet noted overbite. If you let owner know that you will help them pick the best puppy for there family instead of who got there money to you first. No one feels they got that last puppy that no one else wanted. Even if there is nothing wrong with that last puppy, people will think there is because no one has chosen it yet. You need to learn how to read people better. They give subtle que when talking to them. You might have had someone else on your list that would not have cared less about an over bite instead of the peron getting that last puppy that must already have some thing wrong since it is the last puppy. In her mind and according to your way of owners picking puppies according to who is on your list first picking first, she know thinks that with your next litter she will not get the last puppy. She may even be thinking since she already has a deposit with you that she will be at the top of the list. And know she will have many puppies to chose from.
In my way of places puppies I have never had an unhappy family. I have only had one puppy returned and that was because of family problem nothing to do with the puppy.
Again JMHO

because she is a good quality PET puppy. I would not keep her or sell her for breeding. BUT that does not mean she is any less of a pet.

I would not be buying a puppy as a pet so this would be an issue with me. She is only looking for a pet and her vet scared her off of a very slight issue.

I have decided not to add her to my list, she will find her the perfect puppy somewhere else. I dont want to wait for the other shoe to drop.

...you are the puppy buyer. You have come to me late. All I have is the last pick puppy who has an over bite. If you want this last pick puppy everything is fine. If you do not you may not be on my list for the next litter. Case closed.

that is what a pet person would say.....



calm down OP said the women put a deposit at 2 weeks, the pup did not overbite till 6 weeks and now at 8 weeks decides she does not want the pup.

I can see both sides, being the buyer paying a decent price I would prefer a "near perfect" puppy.

as the breeder, holding a puppy with a deposit for 6 weeks only to have it remained after they have turned down other buyers can be frustrating....and gun shy that the next puppy will have something not perfect.

her vet called and said it was nothing to be worried about (pretty damn nice of that vet) buyers vet never saw the pup or photos and gave outragous cost quote on fixing a problem that was not there.

my opinion is let her go find her perfect puppy somewhere else and find the right home for this puppy. Happy Ending for everyone.