Not taking BYB puppy; other possibilities

[Box Boys]

I joined this site just a week or so ago. I had met with what I now know is a BYB and had put a deposit on a male fawn puppy. He was only 2.5 weeks old at the time. After reading some of the horror stories on this site and doing more research on my own...I realize that this breeder has no business selling Boxer puppies. They have six adult Boxers. They had two litters within days of each other. The dam is not quite 2 years old, but this is her second litter. The parents have not been tested. They want the puppies gone at 6 weeks...it was stressed that he needed to be picked up AT 6 weeks (they were hesitant to even wait 2 more days until the weekend). When my child asked if he could see their other adult dogs (which are kept in pens in the BACK YARD), they told him no...they didn't want all the dogs getting stirred up. The sire looked beautiful as did the dam (for just having had ten puppies) and it was hard not to get sucked into laying down a deposit on a cute little puppy even though all he did was lie in our laps sleeping. I have decided NOT to buy this puppy and talked to my children about the fact that this breeder isn't taking the best care to make sure the dogs are healthy, etc. They were OK with not getting this puppy since there was no attachment to it yet. I have yet to talk to this BYB about my decision NOT to take the puppy. She didn't say that the deposit was non-refundable, but I have a feeling that I will have a hard time getting my $200 back. Any suggestions on what to say? Should I tell her the truth?

I have talked with several good breeders in my area and am headed in the right direction. I even went to a dog show this past weekend and talked with a Boxer breeder that has 5 mo. old puppies he's interested in selling. He would prefer that they go to a show home (as he's been showing them), but agreed to sell me a female under a co-ownership/breeding (one time) contract. She is a dark brindle with a complete black face and it was his opinion that it would take her awhile longer to receive her champion status based on how dark she is. Since I am not a show person, I am assuming this is correct. I'm also considering 10 week old puppies from another breeder.

Any thoughts to buying a 5 mo. old puppy. My concerns are that she is in her teenage years and may be harder to train basic obedience commands to, etc. The breeder told me she is crate trained but is not house-trained yet. Any potential issues with getting a puppy that is 5 mos. old.

Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks!

[djheitz]

If you think you will have any difficulty getting your deposit back, feel free to tell the BYB anything you think will work. If you tell them honestly why you are not buying form the, they probably will not change their operation at all, but you certainly can try.

I think I would be more likely to choose one of the ten week old puppies. I don't have any real reason for it other than not wanting to be obligated to breed my dog if I felt it wasn't right to do so. A pup that age still has a lot to learn and they are fully able to be trained, so don't let the age scare you off. We get dogs into rescue much older that have never been house trained, and they pick it up very quickly.

[kayboxer]

Originally Posted by djheitz

I think I would be more likely to choose one of the ten week old puppies. I don't have any real reason for it other than not wanting to be obligated to breed my dog if I felt it wasn't right to do so. A pup that age still has a lot to learn and they are fully able to be trained, so don't let the age scare you off. We get dogs into rescue much older that have never been house trained, and they pick it up very quickly.

I agree with djheitz. I don't know if I would want to sign a contract for co-ownership/breeding. It think it is a good deal for someone who is serious about showing or breeding boxers, but just for a person who wants one as a pet I would say no. I'd go for the 10 week old pups also. I would also say kiss that $200 dollar deposit on the BYB pup goodbye and consider it a valuable lesson learned.

[Caney Creek]

So glad you were able to join us here and learn before you purchased from a BYB. Unfortunately most end up buying first and joining later, so consider yourself lucky. I hope you find a way to get your $200 back....

As far as the GOOD puppy, I agree that the 10 week old is your best bet, number one being because you will be able to bond with it at a much younger age, and two being you won't have to "share" the 5 month old while it shows and breeds. Breeding is a risk, too -- remember there is always a chance that you could lose a mother during pregnancy/whelping. I don't think the 5 month old would be any much harder to train, mainly because I assume that a good breeder who's showing her has also been working with her on the basics.... but still, I would go with the younger pup.

[Barron's mom]

I, too, would go for the 10-week old puppies! I would not want to co-own my boxer with someone who has equal say in how I raise him. Plus, what happens if you disagree on how that puppy is raised? Who settles your disagreement? The court?

I got Barron (my first boxer) through a BYB when I did not know any better over 10 years ago. Barron recently passed and I researched good, responsible breeders through the AKC website. On Saturday, August 9, 2008, I got Zeus, who was 3 months old when I adopted him. He is everything I wanted and more. He is smart, sweet, affectionate, laid back and mellow. He is crate trained and sleeps through the night. We are working on housebreaking. I really feel the extra month with his mother and aunt benefited him.

[Box Boys]

Thank you for all the great responses! I now am the proud mama of a 10 week old flashy brindle male (actually, he'll be 10 weeks on Friday 8/15). He is so sweet. We already love him dearly. Both sire and dam were health tested and clear...so I'm confident he's good. We brought him home last night. He is a GEM! I put him into his crate in my bedroom fearing the yelps and cries...he went right to sleep. I set my alarm at 2:30 am trying to pre-empt him waking up and crying, but he was sound asleep then. I'm a light sleeper anyway and drifted off. He stirred at 3:50 am so I took him out and he peed. Then he went right back to his crate without any trouble and went back to sleep until I woke him up at 6:00 am. He's quite a cuddly fellow...loves to climb into our laps (if we're sitting on the floor), or snuggle at our necks and loves to gives tons of kisses on the face. I thought he looked a bit thin (you could see his ribs). Some of his siblings were quite robust in comparison. I had him checked at the vet. He feels that once his nutrition is better, he'll get more active and be fine. He gave us Canine ID Diet Cans for three days to feed, then definitely wants him on Royal Canin. The breeder had the pups on that, but said their stools were soft and switched them to One Purina (ick). We're going to be switching back to Royal Canin and the vet thought a little bit of yogart in the evening would be a good idea. He also said that Buster (that's our little guy's name) has a slight heart murmur (level 1), but didn't think it was anything to get alarmed at. Really thinks once his nutrition gets better that everything will. He also gave us vitamins to give Buster daily. Buster weighs 8 lbs. 8 oz. today...but I know that the "show" pup of the bunch (male) was at 13 pounds and another "show" quality female was at 11 pounds. The breeder fed them altogether...so maybe Buster just wasn't getting his share.

As for the BYB...she did agree that if she sells the pup that I agreed to buy by the six week date, she'll return my $200 deposit. We'll see. She could sell him, and tell me that he didn't sell...I won't know for sure. At this point, I am not going to worry about it. It would be nice to get it returned, but...I'm not counting on it at this point.

[Barron's mom]

y-- Congratulations! y--

Puppies are so much fun! I am so enjoying my brindle boy!

[Barron's mom]

Okay........That didn't work. I tried to do an emoicons and it failed.