# Fair warning for others to avoid heartache.



## ZoeTheSugarPrincess (Nov 18, 2011)

It took me a while to actually take the time and post this, but it just seems like the right thing to do to share my experience. hopefully I can even get some advice. I know this will be a long story, so I do apologize.

Last summer I got married, and my parents moved away taking my dear princess with them, and I was left, for the first time I can remember, with no little maltese running around under my feet. and I'm sure many of you know, that once you have had a maltese, let alone to grow up with them since I was 3 years old, a house is not a home without one around. So I started looking for another companion to live with me any my hubby. well we had just gotten my last maltese, who stayed with my parents 3 years earlier, so I started partially where I left off, remembering some names of reputable breeders and sites like this for reviews and experiences.I freshened up a little bit, and then i started to make contact again.

In the beginning I would send them an information inquiry with a little information about myself, just to get the ball rolling:

"I was interested in information about your breeding program and puppy availability. I have plenty of questions to ask, as well at I'm sure you have plenty to ask me. I was just looking for any put together information you may have about your program and puppies, even a website would help I guess to cover some of the basics. If not I'd be happy to start with specific questions.

Just a little about myself. I am recently married and my parents would not let me keep my maltese, Princess, because they were too attached to her as well. This is the first time I can remember that I have been living without a maltese. I got my first one at 3 years old and she lived to be 17.5 years!! I will always cherish my memories with her. we got my 2nd maltese just a few months before my first one died, and Im always replaying the memories of the two of them together. In the end of December/ Beginning of January I will be moving to Savannah Georgia, as my husband, who is enlisted in the army, is being restationed there. it is likely that my husband will be deploying shortly after our arrival, and aside from having this void in my life of not having a dog right now, I want someone to come home to everyday. So I am looking for a puppy, preferably a girl but if i fall in love with a little boy I won't be able to deny him, in the very beginning of January or even late December. I believe for them to be old enough to come home with me, they should be expected to be born in just a few weeks from now. If I would have to wait a little longer for the perfect pup I will though. 

Thank you,
Megan"

I tried to keep my first emails short figuring conversation could grow from there, the ones I e-mailed like this i was able to find good recomendations for but little or no information so I just wanted to get the basics to start.

However this inquiry for basic information rarely seemed to produce the information or conversation I was hoping for. in some cases all I would get in response was "I do not have any puppies available at this time"

I really hoped for a response that may have provided information about their programs as well though. or if they were planning any breedings in the future.

well I was only e-mailing about 3 or 4 breeders at a time, about the rate i thought i would be able to go through the information myself and get back to them, while proceeding with a few more as necessary.

When I say as necessary, I mean I am willing to travel for a pup from to reputable breeder, but also I have a budget, unfortunately I cannot afford just any maltese out there. so i proceeded with these considerations, as well as health concerns for the puppy.

Because i was not getting the information I wanted, I decided to take a different approach. if their responses were all business, maybe i should leave out my anecdote and present a more 'to the point' approach myself.

well I made some mistakes... I did not realise that if you send an e-mail to multiple recievers, it creates a conversation between all parties included rather than just a duplicate conversation. that was error number 1.
And now looking back at it, my message, while to the point, but much too blunt 
"I am just gonna cut straight to the point, and from there move forward with my puppy search, I have a few questions:

- What is the price(range) for your maltese pups?

- are you expecting any litters to be born soon? at 12 weeks I believe this would have them ready to come to my home around mid January or later. If not expecting any time soon, when do you expect your next litter?

- Do you provide a shipment service if you are located outside of my local area? if not, where are you located?

- Do you support DNA testing?

- do you provide a written health guarantee? if so what is it?

also if you have any pictures you could include or a website link that would be great as well. if you do not have pictures available could you list some of the usual traits? Average weight (for your dogs), baby doll face, etc?


If you wouldn't mind answering these questions, and from there I will decide whom to move forward with... I am very picky about my maltese, I want the best! but I also have a budget so that is influencing my decision. if you do not have pictures available could you list some of the usual traits? Average weight (for your dogs), baby doll face, etc?

Thank you!"

easily my intentions could be and were misinterpreted. but honestly this is a big purchase and commitment, two breaking points for me were if they are not doing the applicable health screens, or if their pups were out of my price range, i would not move forward with more questions.

well FYI. there are currently not indicators identified for the maltese breed, so there is no DNA testing to be done. but there are applicable health screens that you want to have done to ensure you are purchasing healthy pup. my apologies that i was not originally an expert on these things, now I know there is a difference between the two.

while i did get some responses, simply answering my questions. there were some such as:"Our pets are placed girls 3500 and a boy 1900.

I currently have a girl puppy. She is 4 1/2 weeks and we will take a deposit at of half at 6 weeks. We place our pets at 12 weeks of age. She will come with a one year guarantee and a spay contract. Let me know if you are interested and we can love down the line with you questions. 
I wil be glad to answer them on the phone with you.
Thank you for inquiring with us."
welll this one was alarming because just weeks prior i had emailed this same breeder individually and they had told me they had no puppies. also i had seen their pricing to be about half as much. so I ignored their response. I do not want a breeder that would lie to someone with a sincere e-mail, nor would i want to or be able to pay the price they were now demanding. Mind you, this is a breeder without a website, so it was very difficult for me to have gathered the information I had up to this point. but still they are not providing the information i was interested in. which all of this was quite unfortunate because they seemed to be the closest and most reputable breeder for where I was looking to get one from, it had seemed as though it could have been perfect.

well my lack of response i suppose stirred them to re-evaluate my email and generated two more responses:
_"I did not realize she had all of our breeders on a list. I won't be placing a puppy to her. She just blackballed herself adding everyone in the AMA. And now I realise what she is "_
and:
_"I was so pissed 
I jacked the price up. I wanted her to call me so I could tell her off in person. I thought what a attitude. And I replied to all and would have loved to have her comment back. 
Well she is now blackballed from buying anything nice because of this we will all surely remember her."_

this among other nasty e-mails seemed to start flooding my inbox breaking my heart as I came to see what a nasty community the maltese breeders seem to have.
I aquired the email adresses from a couple of lists. One from here that someone had compiled, one from the AMA and i went through these lists and selected those that were in the right location for me to be able to visit and get a puppy whether it was visiting family or friends, or making a stop along my cross country move with my husband.

eventually after a few days I was able to put together a response: 
_"Oh Loretta,

Although I have a difficult time believing you are the all powerful oz that can "blackball" me from getting a quality maltese, I will take the time to explain myself and clarify some discrepancies.

Yes, I did e-mail quite a number of people. I like to explore my options. Is that such a crime? Yes, many people I included are from the AMA breeders list but it is not all of them. While it is possible I misunderstood the purpose of this list, I thought it was a contact resource for those interested in adding a maltese to their family. I thought these breeders had met a high standard for promoting the best traits of the breed. I thought it was for recognition, and a source of reassurance that I would be purchasing from a quality breeder, who is not about abusing their dogs or running puppy mills. I have spent hours upon days searching for as much information as i can find about the majority of these breeders, and many of them I have not been able to find anything other than contact information or reviews. There are also many credible breeders who I have read great reviews of, who are not on the AMA list included in this e-mail. To my understanding, many breeders are very selective over whom they would like to sell their pups to. Am I not allowed to be informed and selective in who i want to purchase my next pup from? I am not e-mailing you all saying I want to buy your dogs. I am trying to acquire general information so that i can move forward with those i choose and not waste everyone's time by sending them my life story from the start. And yes there is a method to my madness the majority of those I emailed reside on the east coast, I currently live in New York and will be moving down to Georgia, aside from making the trip from the north to the south and travelling through many of these areas, I also have family in friends in many of the areas of those i have e-mailed and could easily visit to see or pick up a pup. Although I would hate to fly a precious baby across the country I still want to know all of my options, especially for those whose websites or reviews i have found that i am quite impressed with.

I would think you would understand my inquiry for general information seeing as there is very limited information available for ****** Maltese. But obviously I see no need to move forward with this breeding program, that one was an easy elimination. I am however, saddened to see ****** is a disgrace to the maltese breeders community. Also for your information and education, when someone says they have a budget, it means they have limited funds so "jacking up" your price did nothing but prevent me from contacting you. Thank goodness.

As for my life story which may be of interest to some of those i have contacted, i will send that in a separate e-mail for i see no purpose in telling Loretta anything about myself. 

It is my mistake that this email became a conversation among everyone, I thought replies would only go to me, so I apologize for clogging anyone's inbox. For those of you who wish to speak to me if you could send an e-mail to [email protected] rather than replying, I would greatly appreciate it.


Thank you,
Megan"_



this of course stirred more nasty responses, but a few supportive ones as well.

all in all it was a horrible experience which i hope to never repeat. and one that i do not wish upon anyone else. I am still not sure what the best approach is. unfortunately. I was so disheartened i didnt even attempt to speak to many of these breeders any more. and instead resorted to rescuing a pup from the same breeder i got my previous one from. adorable puppies, sweet as can be, but I do NOT approve of their program/ household. So I love the puppies that I have but i am half tempted to report them, because there must be something unapprovable of over 20 maltese in a 1 bedroom home and a German Shepard spending its entire life in a crate.

Funny though, I guess my name circulated the maltese community, someone who had sent me support and advice and let me know to ask them any questions and in time i did, but they think I got my pup from a breeder i had most initially e-mailed. unfortunately i was unable to get one of this breeders pups because it was out of my price range. My little one Zoe is adorable though, just a few questions about her health due to differing reviews i have recieved from vets. but so far all good, happy and healthy


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

How unfortunate that you did not join our forum before beginning your search. We could have referred you to this excellent article on puppy buying etiquette:

http://spoiledmaltese.com/forum/56-breeders/117699-cross-posting-article-puppy-buying-etiquette.html


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## ZoeTheSugarPrincess (Nov 18, 2011)

ah yes i did find this forum before that, but that article was not yet posted i don't think. hardest park though I think is that I did in the beginning follow the "proper etiquette" but wasn't getting the responses/answers I wanted


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## Furbabies mom (Jul 25, 2011)

I'm sorry for the experience that you had trying to buy from a reputable breeder. I know many on this forum have had wonderful experiences and have gotten more than one fluff from that same breeder. I hope that when I add to our family of fluffs, that I have a positive experience. Welcome to SM. Now that you have your little one, love and enjoy her, and hopefully you'll stick around and enjoy this forum.


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## RudyRoo (Jun 24, 2011)

Thank you for sharing your story Megan. That is so unfortunate. It sounds like this is such an unfortunate case of misunderstanding. The breeders probably get many "suspicious" emails, so I understand some of them not responding if they felt like your email fell in that category, but it is just flat out mean to say things like you are going to be "blackballed" from buying a Maltese. 

Until that article was posted I had NO IDEA about the etiquette. It seems like many well-intentioned people could make honest mistakes in this process. Thank you for sharing so that these things can be avoided in the future. 

I am glad that you found your baby! I would love to see pictures of Zoe!


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## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

Hi Megan,

I am sorry for your experience. I am in the processing of trying to find a maltese as well and it has been choppy waters...not certainly to the extent that you have gone through but definitely a little disheartening. My groomer recently referred me to a breeder she knows via one of her clients and it looks like things may come together in unexpected ways. I am cautiously optimistic. I think the email responses you received were horrible, mean-spirited and nasty. Ok, so there is a certain "protocol" that is expected to be followed when inquiring about a puppy, I get that. I have read the article and it made some good points which are now burned in my brain for all eternity but really, to "blackball" someone for essentially not knowing which fork is the salad fork says a lot about a person and none of it is good. I wish you many, many happy and joyful years with your baby. Hugs. Hope


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## Summergirl73 (Sep 18, 2011)

babycake7 said:


> Hi Megan,
> 
> but really, to "blackball" someone for essentially not knowing which fork is the salad fork says a lot about a person and none of it is good.


 
Very well said. :goodpost:


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## MaryH (Mar 7, 2006)

Meghan, I'm so sorry that you had such a disheartening experience. I'm having a hard time understanding why anyone would get upset that you contacted multiple breeders. All I can say is not all breeders are the same. I rarely have puppies available but never hesitate to refer potential puppy owners to other breeders. And I generally assume that a potential puppy owners is contacting several breeders, not just me. I'm so happy for you that you did find a lovely puppy.


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## Sylie (Apr 4, 2011)

From your post and another, I am coming to the conclusion that there may be one breeder in the tri-state area who is a little over reactive and maybe in a bad mood most of the time. It sure brings back memories of the person who posted that a breeder she contacted wrote: "don't bother. The price just went up." Maybe someone is going through a particularly unpleasant MP. Maybe you made a mistake in sending a mass e-mail...okay, that wasn't the most considerate thing, but it was innocent...the "blackball" response was just plain mean. 
I hope you will join our forum and tell us your happy experiences with you new baby.


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## hoaloha (Jan 27, 2012)

That is so unfortunate that you had such a negative experience when you were trying to actually adopt a puppy from a reputable breeder. I think many of us can relate that we have good intentions in our search. I'm also pretty sure that breeders probably get some bogus requests. During my search, I had contacted a few breeders as well as looked into rescues in CA and after speaking to Stacy (bellarata Maltese), I wanted to meet her and our Obi. I did email the other breeder back to let her know that we were interested in Stacy's pup and she was very nice about it. I hope this doesn't deter you in the future and I'm happy you have Zoe now! Looking forward to seeing more pics of her


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## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

Sometimes I do believe that protecting this little special breed leads certain breeders to an over-zealous consciousness making it very difficult for the novice to know how to navigate the choppy waters of "securing the perfect pup." It is counter-intuitive and buyers are left to go in the opposite direction of where they should be encouraged to buy=BYB & pet shops. It is a sad outcome of a well-intentioned desire, I am sure.
Breeders are like other people, in that when they get their "knickers in a twist" it is difficult, sometimes to see straight. Thank God we have some fantastic breeders on this forum (who do not promote themselves or their kennels) to whom we can turn for reassurance & direction. My hat is off to you who know who you are! (bad grammer but earnestly meant.)


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## babycake7 (Jan 30, 2012)

I am the person who posted that I had the experience with the breeder who responded to me, after many pleasant email exchanges and phone conversations, with "don't bother - the price just went up." I want to clarify that she was the ONLY breeder that I had contacted and I was not communicating with any other breeders in any way at that time. So, in my situation, it is still a mystery as what went wrong but it definitely wasn't because I was "playing the field."


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

First, I want to say, had I received a note like your initial one with the loving details of your family experience with the breed I certainly would have responded with warmth and interest as your message sounded like the kind of puppy buyer that caring breeders would want to place their beloved dogs with. 

And, I want to say how appalled I am to see that some breeders will attempt to "blackball" puppy buyers for making simple mistakes like writing to more than one at once. To me, breeders should reserve such type of option to only those puppy buyers who are potentially fraudulent or potentially dangerous to the dogs. 

With all of that said, I do want to comment how troubled I am that you went and got a puppy from someone that you claim is so awful you feel that you should report them now. Am I understanding correctly that you went to this breeder knowing that you do not approve of their practices? That you feel the breeder is so unethical they should be shut down? 

And perhaps I am being oversensitive to this, but I have to also comment, that when someone buys from such a breeder or a petstore it is not a "RESCUE" in any way whatsoever. That term should be reserved for those people who actually save dogs. If you BUY from an unethical breeder you are not saving a dog, you are actually perpetuating the suffering of their parents and other dogs like them. Part of the passion I feel for this is that I have personally fostered and adopted dogs from RESCUE who paid the price for others greed.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

I am so sorry you had such a bad experience. For me, personally, I have absolutely no problem with a buyer 'browsing' from multiple breeders. Not sure how i would feel about being on a group email inquiry but definitely I'd appreciate the first email that was sent out.

Sometimes a breeder isn't 'lying' when they say they have nothing available at one point then something is available later on. I've waffled on keeping a puppy for show more than once so depending on where my waffling is currently at, my answer could vary. 

I am sorry though that you were so disheartened that you chose a much less desirable route in getting a puppy. I hope it all works out for you!


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## ariamaltese (May 10, 2005)

Hi.

First, I want to say I can see how this response to you gave you great pause and had you obviously disappointed. And, please don't read into my response below as a defense of the alleged comments by the breeder, but let me for a moment give another perspective as a Show Breeder.

It is very true, we must be very cautious. There are all kinds of games people can play to attempt to trick the breeder into releasing a very nice quality pet because they have bad alterior motives. It is also true that with all the legislation to nearly outlaw show breeding (and I mean the really good people) through incredibly powerful lobbying efforts, good Show Breeders are very leery of people that reach out to them in a mass way, or even in a way that gives them a gut feeling something is not right here.

Example. I recently had an inquiry for a boy and girl puppy. The statement went something like "We are driving down from X very soon and we love the look of your dogs and want a girl and boy. We are retired and looking for a pair of Maltese to love and love the idea of a boy and girl". When this happens I immediately think...hmmmm do they want the pair to breed, or what exactly? Why opposite sexes...why not a pair of boys or girls? So, I state in response to them..."this might be possible, but if I did this, they would have to be spayed/neutered before leaving my home". Do you think they every got back to me??? No. Why do you think that is? It's scary guys. It's just plain scary.

Another example: A young girl reached out to me for a female puppy, apparently unbeknownst to her or me, her fiancee also reached out to me because he knew she wanted a female puppy and was trying to surprise her with one. Well, what happened is I received an email from her but from his email account! I was like OMG why are these two separate emails giving me stories about how they want an indvidual female puppy, but clearly coming in from the same IP address and Email account. I immedidately responded and copied the other person stating I am not comfortable with this and why the heck are they using two different email accounts. Long story short...girl calls me profuesly apologizes...I tell her this interaction has me very concerned...she acknowledges...she asks to explain...fine, I tell her that if she still wants a puppy that both she and the fiancee have to come to my home together so I can meet both of them. So, far she has agreed to this...she remains on my waiting list and time will tell should I have a female available and I meet them both and they turn out to be an acceptable match. But, I have to tell you had she not called me to explain and spend time explaining the situation to me along with her consistent efforts to check in subsequently with me, I would have not placed or considered a future puppy placement with them.

Another example: Lovely couple adopts a very pretty girl from me. They come to my home - seem wonderful everything appears on the up and up. I always require pictures from new families in their homes later and further on to keep up on my pet puppies. So, I don't get a picture from them...I email and say we would really like to see a picture as we previously discussed. They send me the picture. It's adorable!! Turns out the pictures was copied from Google pics...it was not my puppy!!! ((((( To this day, I don't know what happened and they stopped responding to my inquiries. Again, It's scary!!!

What has happened with all of these new concerns on both sides of the fence, puppy adopter and Show Breeder releasing their precious puppies is that both parties are very suspicious and scared. This creates a natural tension and sometimes even a preliminary adversarial relationship until both parties can relax a bit in their efforts to get to know the other. 

There are always two sides/two perspectives to a given situation. I know my puppy buyers are going to have questions...they should! But, I have many too and if that person is not comfortable with all my questions, they are certainly free to go some other place and seek a different puppy.

Again, I want to emphasize while I can appreciate the response you received would likely hurt your feelings and maybe even make you go, gosh what is the deal with these people? These people themselves may have been badly burned in the past and they have one very important purpose above all else...to protect the Breed they pour so much love, blood, sweat and tears into...and sometimes perhaps the responses could be kinder, but I just want you to have also the other side to this...many times we are equally or even more so scared than you are of the bad people that are out there with purposes to do harm to our beloved breed. 

Thank you.

Heidi C. Sullivan
www.AriaMaltese.com


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

ariamaltese said:


> Hi.
> 
> First, I want to say I can see how this response to you gave you great pause and had you obviously disappointed. And, please don't read into my response below as a defense of the alleged comments by the breeder, but let me for a moment give another perspective as a Show Breeder.
> 
> ...



VERY well said Heidi! You bring up some very good points. :aktion033:


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## CityMaltese (Feb 16, 2012)

I'm also sorry to hear. Electronic communication can be hard, and breeders live and die by their reputation so it's really unfortunate that some personalities came out . I can't imagine how hurtful the experience was. The whole process is just so emotionally charged for both buyer and seller. I read the puppy buyer etiquette article and the takeaway for me was just for everyone to be good to each other.


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## lydiatug (Feb 21, 2012)

Wow, I guess I'm so glad to have read these threads, I had no idea. My baby girl is really starting to show her age and I am beginning to think of the future possibility of another one. I just can't picture my life without a maltese in it. I was just going to do just this and contact multiple breeders to find one that makes me feel comfortable, even though it may be a year or longer before I'm ready to purchase. I had no idea this would be a mistake. Of course I would never put myself on a list as an actual buyer unless I found that special breeder. 

Thank you breeders for giving us your side of it, it does help. I guess, especially with the pitfalls of the internet, that you have to be extra careful. I haven't made any contacts yet, but am now a bit nervous...how should I proceed? My husband & I do travel (RV), so would want to meet a prospective breeder.


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## Silkmalteselover (Apr 1, 2010)

:aktion033: Wow this is a good thread to read. I haven't been on very much lately, my 12 year old grandson had a serious skiing accident, broken and dislocated hip. He is recovering well having to be horizontal for 6 weeks! I really appreciate hearing potential buyers' experience and it was very well communicated by Heidi Sullivan what we show breeders experience. Thank you Heidi for sharing. :thumbsup:


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## ZoeTheSugarPrincess (Nov 18, 2011)

CloudClan said:


> First, I want to say, had I received a note like your initial one with the loving details of your family experience with the breed I certainly would have responded with warmth and interest as your message sounded like the kind of puppy buyer that caring breeders would want to place their beloved dogs with.
> 
> And, I want to say how appalled I am to see that some breeders will attempt to "blackball" puppy buyers for making simple mistakes like writing to more than one at once. To me, breeders should reserve such type of option to only those puppy buyers who are potentially fraudulent or potentially dangerous to the dogs.
> 
> ...



Its a little more complicated than i made it out to be honestly. I had don't much research and communicated with this breeder for months before i got my first puppy from them, Princess. All I have ever been able to find are good reviews about them from people with good experiences. Also they started their breeding program from very reputable lines. And they also show their pups and have some champions.

With that said, I do not know the official standards for having a breeding program, but i wouldn't be surprised if i hold higher standards than what is actually required. I wouldn't be suprised if they fall well within the requirements, but for me their situation is not quite good enough and doesnt put me at ease, but this is my first experience with a breeder and i don't have much to go off of.

I by no means bought from a BYB or puppy broker. I just bought from a smaller newer breeding program.

that said, I have not had the best experiences, but all in all I do seem to have a couple of healthy adorable pups.

My first pup from them was princess. an interesting situation really, they had recently purchased a maltese from italy and had bred her with one of their champions. the parents were both there in their home for me to meet, and their pup was adorable as can be. saddly however when we took the pup to the vet, she did have a pretty bad ear infection. soon enough that was all cleared up though and she hasn't had a problem since. My main issue with them after this experience was that I never recieved the akc limited registration papers. They don't really matter to me, but quite often someone will ask me if she is a shih tzu. and saddly I do see the potential with her big eyes and stockier build. but it is very possibly just the way the parents genes mixed. I love her either way, but i spent my money on a maltese, i wish i had the reassurance that was what i got.

between never getting the akc paper, the fact the breeder up-ed her price just because she thought we could afford it, and my mom getting into it a little bit because of a dog bite which became infected(they did not do so much as provide us with a band-aid when it happened at their house). I figured my best bet was to look into other breeders.

Then fiasco insued. and since they had some pups available and i was visiting family near them, i decided to stop by again.

All went well, the two puppies they had were adorable. They upped their price again because they figured i could afford it. but I got the akc papers right off the bat and brought another little pup home. well zoe tends to hop rather than walk, keeping her hind legs relatively straight and positioned together. and although she is just a pup it was a little alarming to me, so when i took her to the vet i made a point of asking about it. this vet told me she had loose patellas would need x rays possible surgery to grind down the bone which may or may not fix the problem etc etc etc. needless to say I was quite alarmed. I immediately made another appointment with a very reputable vet who specializes in small breed dogs. but also took the time to call the breeder and let them know of the situation and my concern.

First off let me say, it didn't even cross my mind to "trade" for the other puppy, I was too attached, zoe is such a sweetheart. the perfect mix of my first little tomboy maltese sugar, with a little bit of cuddly loving princess's personality in her as well. My immediate concern was how to handle taking care of her. i looked into insurace programs but still was alarmed by how much it could all cost, even just the $800 x-rays to simply fully diagnose the situation.

well I left a message explaining the concern i had and the breeder immediately called me back, but it was all down-hill from there.
I explained how she has been hopping and what the vet had explained to me about diagnosing the condition. and their immediate response was to claim she wasn't hopping when she left, that she was perfectly healthy according to their vet, and to accuse me of everything under the sun.

First off she was certainly hopping at their house, because i had even made a comment about it figuring it was just her being a puppy and i thought it was absolutely adorable. it was when i lived with her and noticed that she is always hopping that i became alarmed. 
I requested a copy of the vet records stating that she was healthy, well i never received them, nor even got a name of the vet.
and lastly the accusations. the breeders accused me of dropping her or letting her jump off furniture, followed by "I knew i shouldn't have sold her to you, she was my pick puppy" etc etc. and asking if i wanted to trade for the other puppy or something.
Can I not get enough heartache in adding a maltese to my family?

NO I do not want to trade, I wouldn't give up or trade in zoe for the world. No she had not fallen or jumped from anything or anywhere. as a matter of fact, you can set her on the couch and she'll run around on it following you, but to this day she does not jump off. and for goodness sakes I am NOT accusing them of a flaw in their line, I am just concerned for my baby!

well luckily after a visit with the 2nd vet I got the wonderful news that she is just a pup! but as a precaution, now that she has a clean report i should look into health insurance just incase down the line there is an issue.

My issue with this breeder is their additude. and personally I feel they have too many maltese to take care of properly. at the same time though it is understandable that one would have plently of pups for a breeding program, but i personally am uncomfortable because to me it seems they wouldn't be able to provide the proper ammount of tlc to that many. granted they do know each and everyone of their pups by name.


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## shellbeme (Mar 1, 2011)

This kind of drama crap is utterly stupid and unecissary. There is so much preaching done about going to a 'reputable breeder' and when people try, they are too often shrugged off without any atempt of trying to find out if they would be a good fit. There is far too much jumping to conclusions that goes on.

Defeating puppy mills goes both ways. It is also the responsibility of the 'reputable breeeder' not to chase off great potential homes. I am not trying to tell anyone who and how to sell their puppies, but if youre being a snot, you are not doing the breed any favors either.

I see this crap all over, it is not limited to the maltese. It leaves far too many people with a sour taste.

Cloudclan, personally, I really appriciate your post.


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