[kaydanielle07]

Hello, I'm new to this site and am really hoping to get some opinions from experienced Pyr owners and breeders. We bought our Pyr from a local breeder a couple months ago. The father was on site, but the mother wasn't there. As she's grown, I've noticed her coat has remained short, nothing like the full double coat I've read about. Also she seems small to me, but I chalked it up to her being a female.... Sad to say, I believe I've been duped. Any opinions? She is 3 1/2 months. Thanks!

 

[Redwood]

I hate to say it but your puppy doesn't look anything like a pyr pup.

 

[kaydanielle07]

Ugh... that's what I'm afraid of... You live and learn I guess She's still a sweet dog, but her energy level is through the roof and after researching for months trying to find the breed that would best suit our family, it's disappointing to find out you've been taken advantage of.

 

[traciek88]

You really can't trust many of these "local breeders" as most people who visit this site are discovering. Her mom is likely something else. I hope you didn't pay a lot of money for her. She looks like she might be part Lab. Best warn other people about this "breeder" and complain. I hope she's a good puppy either way!

 

[StormyPeak]

You should call the breeder and tell them you are not happy with the way the dog is turning out....that you have doubts that it's a pure bred, and even if it is a pure bred...then it's been poorly done and you are not getting this magnificent looking Great Pyrenees that you expected to get when you bought the dog.

Then ask for a specific amount for a partial refund. Make it a little higher than you want...as the breeder might 'negotiate' down a little bit. Tell the breeder that since you are not getting a dog that looks like a real Pyrenees then he shouldn't be entitled to a full mark up on what you paid for the dog...and as a breeder he should refund you some of the money for selling you a dog that isn't turning out right.

Don't just ask for a refund and let the breeder offer something...put a price down on the table first...so they know you are serious about it.

If the breeder doesn't wish to refund some of your money back, then see about taking the breeder to small claims court to get a partial refund. Show the judge numerous photos of GP puppies and show them what your dog looks like.

You might not be able to prove that the dog is a mixed breed, but you can probably prove that he doesn't look like the dog you expected to get when buying a purebred - and that might get you a partial refund.

It would be great too, if you could find a legit GP breeder who would be willing to come in and give expert opinion as to whether or not your dog is pure bred or not. You might find one who would too, they might just love to get a chance to stick it to a 'breeder' who might cause people to avoid all GP breeders in the area due to that 1 person's irresponsible actions.

I think a partial refund would be one way to go...otherwise if asking for a full refund the breeder can then counter with it's a full refund or give me the dog back. And probably by now you are attached to the dog. So by stating a partial refund you can show the breeder your are not happy but still willing to keep the dog but you expect to be given a 'discount' for the dog not looking the way it should.

The dog in my avatar is Harper, she was a rough collie by Great Pyrenees mix. She was like owning a 110+ pound Lassie...lol. She had really thick bone structure in her legs, big feet and she had well sprung ribs that made her back look wide, over all just a big dog.

In looking at your dog, I just don't see that 'large boned dog look' even for it being a puppy - the ribs/back look rather narrow and the feet dont' seem all that big either. Also, the ears don't look right...on a GP they are kind of off to the side and hang down a bit...while your dog's ears sit more on top of the head and face forward more. I kind of think too, that it might have lab in it.

Still, no matter what, I hope your dog turns out to be one of the most wonderful things in your life.

Stormy

 

[TiggerBounce]

Nope, that's not a Pyr, sorry

Next time you should do a bit more research into the "breeder" before you purchase. You likely encountered what we call a backyard breeder. They breed dogs that are not health tested, or bred to do any purpose. They are not above lying if it means they can sell the pups. They're usually either people just out to make money, people who failed to spay/neuter and were irresponsible and careless, or people who breed on purpose for bad reasons, like they want to continue the line, get a pup for themselves, want their kids to see birth etc.

Good breeders should be health testing. And should be able to show you both the mother and the father, as well as other relatives.

 

[kaydanielle07]

Traciek88- I certainly will be letting people know what kind of "breeder" she is. After looking into it further and googling pictures of lab/pyr mixes, the similarities are undeniable! We have called the breeder, thank goodness I still have her info, but with no response. Lesson learned though.... She is a good dog, but with a temperment that is hard to handle at times :/

 

[kaydanielle07]

Stormy, thank you so much for your input. It is a difficult situation, because like you said, we have grown attached to her and not to mention all the time and expense we've invested in her so far. As I said, she has a boundless amount of energy, and after looking into the Lab's personality, I'm fully convinced that's what she is. At least in part. She is in constant motion, which unfortunately is mostly aimed at my two toddlers, and the playful biting has been hard to break. We were getting worried that we had taken on an aggressive Pyr, but after researching it's obvious that those things are a trademark of a Lab's puppy personality. As far as asking for a partial refund, that's what we intend to do. I know it would be hard to take her to court though without having a signed contract- which I don't have.

 

[kaydanielle07]

TiggerBounce- I completely agree! At least a lab is still a good natured breed so I've read. Definitely won't be making this mistake again!! We've already decided our next dog will be a grown rescue!

 

[StormyPeak]

..........As far as asking for a partial refund, that's what we intend to do. I know it would be hard to take her to court though without having a signed contract- which I don't have.

I'm not a lawyer and what I say here might not be totally correct, but I think I'm correct on most of what I say....I've read a lot about small claims and also seen stuff on t.v. about....my brother and I ran a store for years and upon occasion had to take someone to small claims. But again, look up the regulations in your state or country.

Most small claims limit how much you can sue for... It's been a while since I've helped my brother prepare for one, but in Idaho it was like a $50.00 fee to file, and the claim couldn't be more than $500.00. Other places might have different maximum amounts one could try to sue for using small claims and the court fees might be different too.

I'm not sure where you live, but in most USA states, small claims isn't as detailed as say a regular lawsuit, where people are going after big money and have to show written contracts.

Sometimes a "verbal contract" is good enough if you can convince the judge that a business deal did happen and you were lied to. Maybe you saved the receipt or have emails still on your phone or computer showing communication with this breeder? If you have a witness who can go to court with you and tell the judge what they saw and heard at the point of sale, or when you went to pick up the dog...that would help.

Maybe you can even find others who paid for and got puppies from that same litter - if you can, ask them to go and give witness and tell the judge what they were told about the dogs being purebred by the breeder. But stress the point that pure bred or not, your dog does not look anything like a purebred and you want a refund for basically a defective product.

Be sure when writing up the claim to get the people's names/business names and their address done correctly.

Several things can happen in small claims:
1. You win your case and can collect some kind of refund.
2. You don't win - and you are out the $50.00 court fee.
3. The breeder might not even show up...and you win by default even if you might not had enough evidence to convince the judge if the case had been heard.

So, it's kind of a 2 to 1 chance you can win. Collecting the money might be another matter, but most people don't want liens put on their cars, homes, ect... rovoke:

Also as far as lab being in the mix and children. Once the puppy stage is over, hopefully the dog will settle and labs are known to be in general, good family dogs and enjoy children. So if you do have a lab x GP mix -- it's not what you wanted, but it might not be a bad combo either as far as the kids go.

Again, do some basic research about how claims are done in your area, (as I said, I could be wrong about some of the stuff I mentioned) but round up any info/communications you had with the breeder and take lots of visual stuff to court to show the judge what a real GP looks like compared to what you have. Hopefully everything will turn out well and you can get some of your money back.

Btw, what did you name your dog? : )

Stormy