Hi all -any of you breeders ever experienced anything like this? I took the last puppy of our border collie litter to Norwich yesterday. All seemed fine. The family were all excited; they'd wanted a border collie for years and had waited until their son was old enough; they'd been to Crufts and spoken to the border collie people at Discover Dogs; they knew what to expect from the breed with regard to exercise and stimulation; and they were looking forwards to showing and maybe doing agility when he was old enough. They had bought a puppy pen and toys; their house and garden was secure. The pup seemed to be at home and looked set to have a fine old life with his new owner - especially the 11 year old boy, with whom he had bonded straight away. I was sad to sell the last pup, but felt happy that he had gone to a good home - as have all the others.

Then this evening the lady of the house emailed me to say that she's changed her mind; they don't want a border collie pup and would I come and collect him and give her her money back.

Well, I'm going to go and get him back, of course - but how can someone decide just like that that they've changed their mind? How can they morph from the ideal family to own a border collie to the buyers from hell? It's a 3.5 hour journey to Norwich from where I live, and it means I've got to take a day's holiday from work tomorrow, but I know I won't rest until I get him back. I'm so annoyed at them but I'm also beginning to doubt my own perceptions - I've been so careful with prospective buyers (as AJSHEP will probably testify ) and these people seemed good prospective owners, who had researched the breed and decided it was for them.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

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Until you've been hugged by a bergamasco you've never lived!!!

never sold pups as pets untill now (only bred workers) but have had similar problems when someone found a pup of the same breed cheaper than mine that would do the same job (only without the quality and working lines) but with this family having a kid then i doubt this would be the case

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'Kissing a man without a moustache is like eating egg without salt'


i want to meet my babies, please click on the eggs

I'm just glad they got back in touch with you rather than just sell the pup on - I'm sure you are too. What a bloody set of time wasters though - I'd be mad as sin. In future I'd suggest that if someone really wants a pup from you, you make them do the travelling to come and see the pup - and then again to pick it up - that should help identify who really wants a pup - and make them pay a non refundable deposit too - with the price of petrol these days you'll be well out of pocket.

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Yeah, I'm really glad they didn't just sell him on. They had come here to see him in the first instance, but part of my policy is to do house checks on prospective owners - supposedly for peace of mind (my own) to make sure that I'm selling to a genuine family and not some puppy farmer who is going to sell the pup on and make money. I think one of my main problems is how did they seem so ideal, and turn out to be just the opposite? It's really made me wonder whether I can trust my own judgement!

I'm in two minds whether or not to say their deposit was non-refundable - but think I'll wait until I have the pup in my car and his papers in my bag before I say that! If push comes to shove, I'd rather let them have all the money back so that I can make sure I take the pup home with me, and just shrug the petrol money (and a wasted day's holiday) off to experience.

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Until you've been hugged by a bergamasco you've never lived!!!

can you not ask for petrol money?

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'Kissing a man without a moustache is like eating egg without salt'


i want to meet my babies, please click on the eggs

The pup was nine weeks old last Wednesday. They would have had him at eight weeks, but they were on holiday and asked if I would keep him for an extra week. This seemed very sensible on their part, and so I agreed. I took him to my vet for his first vaccination, and she was going to make sure he got the second.

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Until you've been hugged by a bergamasco you've never lived!!!

I can try - but something tells me that this is a family who may not agree

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Until you've been hugged by a bergamasco you've never lived!!!

Good points - thank you for the heads up. I have to admit I'm not exactly thinking clearly just yet - I know it's stupid, but all I can see in my mind's eye is a poor, bewildered, frightened little puppy wondering what on earth has happened to him. I just hope they take proper care of him until I get there tomorrow - I wanted to go for him tonight, but they said it would be too late and that they would be in bed when I got there.

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Until you've been hugged by a bergamasco you've never lived!!!

did they say why they wanted to return him?????

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A cats work is never done

could be first night blues, i.e. not prepared for the first night crying of a puppy separated from its litter.