Watch Out For Puppy Scams, Even From What Appears To Be Bona Fide Breeders.

I recently visited a client who had bought a pedigree puppy Labrador from a well known gundog kennels and breeder. The dog was suffering from severe separation anxiety.

When I arrived, I was somewhat surprised to see a dog that looked about five months old. In my humble opinion  this dog was a cross breed. I have taken some pictures, have a look yourself.

I believe this dog to be a cross Labrador Flatcoated Retriever. It was sold as a Kennel Club Registered Labrador Retriever, from well bred and well known working stock kennels.

The client paid £750 for the alleged puppy, plus £50 extra in kennel charges, because he could not pick it up for a couple of weeks.

The first thing I checked was the dogs teeth, he had lost all of his puppy teeth. This would be impossible if he were really 15 weeks old. The whole shape and size of him screamed he was a “wrong un”.

I then asked to see the Kennel Club pedigree certificate that were provided by the breeder. Firstly it was a scanned in copy. Secondly it had been altered with tipex. Thirdly it was for a bitch not a dog.

Last but not least it claimed to be for a dog only 15 weeks old.

The second thing I looked at was the registration certificate. This had a different AP number to the pedigree certificate. All in all there were numerous discrepancies regarding the sale and provenance of this young dog. In fact there were three separate AP numbers and three different dates of birth on the various documents.

I could accept that people can make mistakes in paperwork.  However when the paperwork is deliberately altered, then I believe that constitutes fraud, and a deliberate intention to mislead.

Couple that with the fact that the dog was far older than the 15 weeks old stated by the breeder. Plus the fact I believe it to be a cross breed.  Then the sale of this puppy was intentionally misleading and frankly fraudulent. 

I believe the information was purposely doctored, to sell a dog that was clearly not as described in the documentation.

Look at the teeth on this dog they are not the hypodermic, piranha type fangs you normally get with puppies under 18 weeks of age.

Look at the nose and muzzle, they are quite flat and long. Look at a Flatcoated Retriever and a Labrador, then mingle the two together. That is what I believe this dogs provenace to be.

Is it any wonder that this young dog was suffering from separation anxiety. I believe he is approximately  5 to 5.5months old.

He would have been kept outdoors in kennels, with lots of other dogs, 24 hours a day. Suddenly he is in a environment with no other dogs. When the new owners left the room he screamed blue murder and peed on the floor.

He was also nervous and  somewhat insecure. This is one of the signs of a young dog being isolated from normal socialisation for some considerable time. These arecritical sociaslisation periods in any puppies life. Ignore them and isolate the puppy and it can be a recipe for disaster.

This breeder has sullied these new first time  dog owners., They feel conned and taken as fools. I will call them Mr & Mrs Jones, as I do not want to reveal their identity. Both feel terrible about this, but Mrs Jones has particularly been affected. Both have found the whole thing very emotional and traumatic. I can understand why. If it had been my first dog, I would have felt the same way.

The dog has been now been returned to the breeder, and a full refund given. Having said that, it does not take into consideration the time, effort, vets fees, and emotional trauma it has caused this young couple and of course the dog.

This breeder should hang his head in shame. He has a modern high profile web site. This web-site shows a slick and  professional operation in place.

This man is reasonably well known in some circles, as a breeder and gundog trainer.

I was asked by the buyers not to post the address and the affix of the seller. I will of course abide by this request.

They felt the poor dog may suffer the consequences, if this man was exposed for his subterfuge.I do not believe that would actually be the case.

I also hope this man will cease any further sales of puppies where paperwork and the dogs provenance is deliberately altered for financial gain.

It is my belief that the dog on the right is a Lab Cross Flat Coated Retriever. Perhaps someone could suggest differently?

I am an expert witness under the dangerous dogs act of 1991. I assess banned breeds on a regular basis.

That  assessment is to affirm or question the provenance of dog classed as a banned breed under the Dangerous dogs Act 1991. I also assess dogs that have been charged with being dangerously out of control in a public place.

I am therefore reasonably adept at spotting cross breeds and breed types.  

The buyers contacted the Kennel Club regarding the fraudulent use of  KC pedigree certificates. Amazingly they were not really bothered or interested by this fraudulant behaviour. I have a lot of time for the Kennel Club, but lately they have been doing some rather stupid things.

One of my previous blogs questions their sanity, on the ban on certain moves in heel-work to music. Attacking Pudsey is not a good move, he is a after all a British institute!

To be disinterested in what clearly suggests fraud, by using their own pedigree certificates. Suggests unprofessional behaviour on their part. Wake up KC.  People quite rightly will start to question exactly what use is the Kennel Club if it cannot even monitor this sort of scam?

I still believe they have a major role to play in championing the various breeds. They have started to control some of the excesses that the show judges appear to consider as normal. I will however leave that to another day.

If they cannot take allegations like this seriously, then they deserve to have questions asked. I would be interested in their ongoing stance over these allegations. If you feel the same then put your comments below. 

If nothing else, this sorry tale should make other unscrupulous breeders think again. It may also stimulate potential buyers to look closer at the often worthless certificates they are given.

The two pictures shown below are the alleged 15 week old Labrador on the left. Right is a picture taken of a 17 week old Labrador last weekend, at the Horse. Rangers Gymkhana, where I was compering and judging the dog show, as I do every year.

The chocolate lab is supposedly two weeks older. In reality you do not have to be an expert to see that it is many many weeks younger.