So I found a great breeder, BUT...

[zoomies]

So my girlfriend and I decided to get another male boxer.we found a great breeder, we picked out one of their puppies and we are able to pick him up on the 1st of December..

While we were visiting the puppies for the first time a few weeks back, I had brought along my 3 year old male boxer but left him in the car. While we were inside, the owner had let her two dogs outside to do their business and to let us get some one on one time with the pups. So we are saying our good byes and go to get into our car and notice scratch marks all over the side of the car from their two dogs trying to see my male boxer.

I didn't say anything then, but we are going back this weekend to visit the pups one more time before the weekend we pick him up. I told her I'd be paying for our pup this weekend also. I don't want to sound rude when I bring up the scratch marks all over my car, but I might be able to use it as leverage to get the pup a little cheaper.

Please advise how I should handle this when we go visit the pups this weekend.

Thank you!

 

[Brindlegirly]

Oh I think you should have shown them right away! Now it could just look like you might be
Making it up. But maybe they'll believe you!

 

[Kisaq]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that a "good breeder" would not let their two dogs out for a significant amount of time without supervision in an area that is not fenced? I assume you didn't park your car within their fence?

I don't think your focus should be on the money or what kind of "deal" you can get. I think you need to focus on the genetics of the dog you are planing to purchase. If you don't care about the genetics, then get a dog from a rescue or shelter... That's just my opinion.

 

[TwoDogs]

I wouldn't use it as "leverage"--it doesn't seem right. The time to have brought it up was the day it happened. Since you didn't, and you don't really have any way of proving that it was her dogs that did it that day, then you'll just have to eat the cost of repairing it on your own.

But if you think she should pay for the damage to the car then you might have to be willing to let a little more damage occur in order for that to happen. Bring your dog again, leave him in the car, and let her dogs have an opportunity to scratch the car again before bring it to her attention. Just make sure you wash your car before you go so that all the scratches look fresh.

If it were me and I decided I was going to go that route, I might pay for the pup in full and tell her that you will be putting in a claim with her homeowner's insurance for the damage her dogs did. Then you don't seem like your are trying to manipulate the situation to get a bargain on the pup, just going through the proper channels to get compensated for your damages. If she then offers to settle it by giving a discount on the pup you can take it if you want.

 

[TwoDogs]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that a "good breeder" would not let their two dogs out for a significant amount of time without supervision in an area that is not fenced?

This does not seem odd to me at all, nor does it make me automatically question the ethics of the breeder or her breeding practices. Perhaps they live in a very rural area where they are far from any other homes or traffic and the dogs have been trained to stay on the property.

 

[EAO76]

I agree with the others. If you were going to bring it up then you should have done it immediately. Bringing it up weeks later (especially when you are paying for the pup) will just make you look like a scammer. Its just like when you valet your car or take it to a car wash...once you leave the lot you can no longer claim the damage. If it were me I would forget about saying anything at this point.

 

[zoomies]

Wow.. I wasn't aware that this thread had been moved.

We already picked up the pup. Both mom and dad had been health tested and they were very great breeders indeed. I have nothing but positive to say about them. They live out in the middle of no where. They have an invisible fence around their house and my car was parked in their immediate driveway.

The matter of my vehicle.. I didn't bring it up at all. I had already planned on putting in a claim to fix the front bumper from a semi tire exploding in front of me this past summer anyways. I figured I didn't want to butcher the relationship we have with said breeder.