Bought dog off someone and original owners claim ownership.

blackwidowz

We have just bought a 14 month dog de bordeaux that was advertised on a puppy website.
The people who sold him also had a !!!!! there who was 3 1/2 years old and riddled with health problems.
Today while researching the breed more i came across a picture of our dog when he was 6 weeks old.
I emailed the lady explaining we had bought him and if she could give us some of his history and i could send her some pics.
I then received an email back saying i shouldn't have bought him as she had stated that if they couldnt keep him then she would have him back.
The people where we got him from had a very dirty flat which smelled really bad, no carpet and with 2 dogs there, they were out allday.
he was sold to us with a pedigree certificate and told us the original owners kept the papers as they didn't want them bred.
Help how do we stand with regards to ownership he is a lovely dog who has got a very bad skin disorder which they said was excema, but we now think it may be a bad infestation of ticks which we are in the process of rectifying with the vet etc.

pboae

Hmm tricky one, techinically the original owners probably signed a contract saying they would return the dog if they no longer wanted it. In practice that is almost certainly unenforceable. Unless the breeder is arguing that the dog you bought was stolen, there isn't much they can do about it.

On the other hand, a good breeder will always want to know where their dog has ended up, and they will be very upset that it has been passed on without their knowledge. A good breeder will always offer to take one of their dogs back, at any time and for any reason.

Having said all that, the breeder probably just wants their dog in a good home. I'd be inclined to contact them again and explain that as you bought the dog from it's legal owners, he is your dog now. But that you understand how she must worry about one of her dogs, and you'd be more than happy to keep her updated with his progress.

Although I can't see any way she could take the dog back off you, you don't want to get into a battle with her over it.

toejumper

i dont understand why would she want the dog back, the people who you bought the dog from did they pay her for the dog in the first place,or was the dog given to them on the understanding that if they didnt want it its to be returned to her

blackwidowz

I have no idea what deal they had. In the advert they had said they had paid alot of money for them.
i will give them a ring tomorrow and see what the deal was.

MrsTinks

Because all reputable breeders ask that you return the dog to them or at least contact them should you be unable to keep it. They take a LOT of pride in their dogs and they are not in it for the money but because they genuinely love the breed. Wether the arrangement was they would buy the dog back or the new owner simply accept a loss and return the dog to the breeder without them paying... anyone's guess... However it sounds like the breeder is a very responcible person who does not wish to see her puppy passed from pillar to post.
I deeply object to a lot of breeders but so far this one sounds like a good one!
If I was you I would get back to them and explain that you have puchased said dog, you intend to keep it and you want to make sure they are up to date with it's new life, send photo's if you like and try to re-assure them that the dog is now in much better and more responcible hands!
Ofcourse if the dog was never the last "owners" to give away the breeder might have a point and the dog should be returned to them - as in if the dog wasn't bought but "lent" on agreement it would be returned if no longer able to keep...

blackwidowz

We don't want to give him back we have all fell in love with him and he has settled straight away.
If the original owner was really that bothered about the dogs welfare, why were they given to someone in a first floor flat that stinks, has no carpet down just rough floorboards, dirty walls etc.
And they were left while they were at work etc.

I have to sort it out as i have already got him insured and we are about to have him chipped.

pboae

Presumably they weren't living in those conditions when they sold the dog to them, or the owners lied about where they were living.

A breeder can only do so much to try and ensure their dogs go to a good home, but it's a GOOD thing that they had an arrangement to take the dog back. That's what every breeder should do.

It's depressingly rare to hear of a breeder that will do that, so it's a sign that they are responsible and care for their dogs. Try not to take it personally, once they know you are serious about keeping him and are going to be a good owners, they will probably be more than happy for you to keep him.

It sounds like they just want the best thing for the dogs they produce.

foreign_correspondent

I agree with pboa, however it may aso be useful to know that dogs are 'chattels' or possessions in english law, so you are within your rights to buy a dog from someone who is selling it, and it is then yours. Even if the last owner had agreed to return it to the breeder if anything happened that meant they couldnt keep it, that agreement or ontract was between the breeder and the orignial owner, not the breeder and you.
hope everything pans out ok,
fc

ps do not let this put you off getting him chipped asap

eira

Agree with previous posters. Breeders sell animals as
-pet quality ie there's nothing wrong with them but they aren't considered 'good' enough to breed from eg one of our Orientals had a projecting sternum, not a life threatening hazard but not one you'd want passed down, or they could not meet 'breed standards'; Good breeders want their animals to have a good life and they don't want them to be used to breed other than in controlled way.

When you buy a pedigree cat (have never bought a pedigree dog) you undertake to
-return the cat if you can't keep it
-have it neutered unless specifically bought for breeding and good breeders are very picky about who buys breeding stock as their prefix goes with any progeny
-not show it unless this is agreed. We bought our Oriental Black as 'pet quality' because he wasn't that great as a kitten but with the proviso that we could try him at some local shows. In the end he became a spectacular cat who won Best of Breed at the Supreme Cat Show-but that happens. However there isn't much, if any, money in cat breeding.

You have obviously given the dog a good caring home and at the end of the day that is all that's really important. Good luck

blackwidowz

UPDATE>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I had an email back today and she gave me her phone number, i called her and had a good chat.
She gave both dogs away thinking they were going to a decent home, she is fuming about how they have been treated.
Our dog has a health issue which needs regular trips to the vets, which they didn't tell us about, we could have booked him in for his MOT sooner.
The original owner is that happy about us taking him she is sending us all his papers etc.
We have also invited her down here to see how happy he is.

We are all now concerned about the other dog and she has asked us to get her back and she will come and collect her.
The people who we bought him off are not answering the phone or anything to them now.
We are also going to try and get our money back as she as given us the dog now.
All money we get back can then go towards vet bills.
She is also sending us lots of photos etc from when he was younger.


Thanks for all you messages but hopefully it all has a good ending.

sammy_kaye18

congrats blackwidowz - she does sound liek a responsible breeder - i hope you manage to a) help the other dog b) get your money back and c) that your little dude is ok and hes sorted soon with regards to vets - also piccies please - i love this breed!

Unfortunately i live in a small 2 bed ground floor apartment so a dog like that is out of the question and i shall have to stick with my slightly psychopathic jack russell til we get a house.