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Not our dog, but...

2.5K views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  FlickeringHope  
#1 ·
Just wanted some opinions; my mom's best friend and her husband got a Golden Retriever pup a few months ago after their prior Golden Retriever had to euthanized due to a deterioration in his health from cancer.

They got their new puppy from a breeder - and the only way this breeder allowed them to take the puppy, for free, was if they promised not to get him neutered so she could use him as a stud dog(which is what she wanted to do ever since he was born). So, as they promised, they have not gotten him neutered. But he is driving everyone up the wall since he came into sexual maturity - he won't focus in obedience class(they're trying to train him to be a therapy dog, like the Goldie that preceded him), and he tries to mount everything female.

So my question is; is this legal? The dog is in their care now, can't they get him neutered?
 
#2 ·
I would say if they never signed a contract then it would be fine to get him neutered. If all else fails let her use him for a stud once and then get him neutered
 
#3 ·
If their is no contract then it should be fine. If there is then I would talk to the breeder and tell them how hard he is being.

My friend got a golden from a breeder, who was meant to be a show dog for the breeder. But the breeder change their mind and let them fix her since it would be to dangerous to not fix her (running away etc...)
 
#4 ·
To be honest they might want to get legal advice before doing anything. Even with no written contract the breeder could try to sue them over the verbal contract. If not legal advice then at least talk to the breeder first and maybe offer some money to pay what they would have paid if they hadn't made the agreement in the first place. Not the best situation to be in, but seriously people can get sued for anything these days.
 
#5 ·
I'll report all of your suggestions, but I get the feeling they're not going to be in any mood to take legal actions. :/ They're not the type of people willing to potentially upset the lady they got their puppy from..but they may be willing to let her have him to use once, and that's it. In any case, thank you all. :) I'll report your pieces of advice when I'm on the phone with my mom later today.
 
#6 ·
To clarify, I didn't recommend that they "take legal action". I recommended that they seek legal advice. You asked if it was legal and the best bet for them to find out would be to ask someone with legal experience.

I would not recommend doing anything without the talking to the breeder first. And if the breeder does decide to allow them to neuter the dog (now or at any point in the future) they should get that in writing, just as a precaution.
 
#7 ·
Well if the dog doesn't have good manners the breeder may not want to use him for stud anyway. If the breeder is one that cares about the dogs behaviors.

It kind of seems odd to me a breeder would give away a dog that they want to use as a stud anyway.
 
#8 ·
Waiting to hear back from my mom tomorrow on whether they have a written, or verbal contract with the breeder.

Kendalle - I don't know exactly how it went down, but all I know is that she gave them the dog for free if they promised she could use him as a stud dog. Apparently he was a "big" puppy, and was much larger than the other puppies in the litter, and maybe that was the major contributing reason as to why she wants to use him as a stud. As far as I know, at least.
 
#11 ·
no, why dont your moms best friend take the dog to obedience classes. buy a few books, and try to teach the dog manners that way. being "intact" is no excuse for a dog to act up. yes, it is harder to keep them well behaved, but not impossible by any means.
 
#12 ·
Ditto to Kendalle -- a responsible breeder won't keep intact dogs in pet only homes. If they decide they want to stud a dog, the owners will agree to show the dog and finish him.
 
#14 ·
As I said, I don't know much behind the reasoning as to why she was so desperate to use him as a stud dog. The only other one of those "options" that could possibly fit, in my opinion, if the dog's owner want to use him as a therapy dog, since that's what their last Goldie was. But .... I don't know anything beyond that. I keep forgetting to ask my mom for updates on what her friend said.

As for them buying dog training books ...uhhh..... let's see...they let the dog jump all over guests that walk in the door - to the point where my mom doesn't even want to go over there anymore. It's highly possible her husband would set forth and buy obedience training books, but I highly doubt his wife will comply. She didn't want another dog to begin with. They're pretty divided as far as pets go - she likes cats, he likes dogs. I don't think they'll ever be a team together on training obedience to a fixed dog..:/
 
#15 ·
Even if they were using him as a therapy dog and the breeder wanted to use him, she'd still be insisting that he be going through health certifications (CERFs and OFAs) and then competing in SOME sport, like agility or rally.
 
#16 ·
While I do think dogs should be spayed/neutered, that won't just magically fix his behavior problems. I have known plenty of neutered dogs who run around like maniacs. Neutered or not, he needs to be trained.
 
#17 ·
I think one of the problems may be that very few training classes will take intact dogs unless they're puppies because of the problems associated with them. :)
 
#18 ·
You are right, however OP stated that the dog has already been going to obedience classes but the owners are clearly not on the same page with the training and it sounds like the wife doesn't even want the dog... The owners need to work things out regarding the dog. Yes, I think he should be fixed and yes, I think it's sketchy how the breeder picked him to be a stud, etc. Just trying to provide a reality check that neutering the dog will not just morph him into an angel pup. Don't want to spread unreasonable expectations. :rolleyes: