[Dailydrool] What does a responsible breeder do when?

[Beverly Szaton]

Fantastic that you have people willing to take on the two pups.
When I bred my one and probably only litter, I had a call 6 months later
from an experienced Basset owner with another Basset already, who had gotten
one of mine at half price because I "knew" them and "knew" they would be a
good home.
And they are.
But 6 months into it, they had been unable to housebreak the puppy. It was
easter weekend. She had eaten a new pair of $400 eyeglasses that someone
left within reach (this is how we learn to put things UP) and, in addition,
she wasn't housebroken. They were devastated.
 I told them to bring her back after Easter and in the meantime to follow
strictly the housebreaking regimen I outlined for them.
I got lucky, because I had NO prospects for anyone to take an 8 month old
puppy. They worked with her over the weekend and lo and behold, she actually
made progress in housebreaking. (They had no idea how to do it. I don't know
if they had forgotten or what. The pup was about half trained when she left
my house.)

So yes, you take your dogs back whether they are still cute and cuddly or
lanky and stringy, or grown and fallen upon hard times. You put it in the
contract. YOU RETURN THIS PUPPY TO ME IF FOR ANY REASON YOU CANNOT KEEP OR
DO NOT WANT THE DOG ANY LONGER.
That's what responsible breeders do. That's why you buy from a breeder who
loves the breed and cares what happens to every puppy she whelps. That's why
you listen to the person with the puppies when you first make contact: are
they interested in the home? Or what you can pay?
I had a rule.
If the first question, or one of the first two questions was "How much?" it
was an automatic NO.
I got that from a responsible, very reputable breeder.
It is not for the casual owner, breeding. It isn't even for me.

MomPerson to Nigel & Llewis, who I whelped. Conley and Cooper, who I did
not.
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