In our puppy contract there is a provision that if the new family ever decides to get rid of him, we get him back - any time, any reason, any age, 10 months or 10 years, no matter - We get him back. We can be flexable for good cause, but in the end, we do what is best for the pup.
This assures that no matter the reason or emergency with the family, the pup is never in danger of going to "the pound". We disclose this term during the application process and everyone accepts it.
He was the Purple People Eater (purple collar boy) from our Roses Litter. He was a little sweetheart and he went to live on a family farm with Mom, Pop, 2 sons and a daughter. He was to be the hunting companion of the oldest son.
Perfect? NO!
At 8 months of age, the email that he was to be rehomed came with the question, did we want him back or should they find him another place. We immediately called to arrange to get him back home to us. We found him an emergency place to stay until travel arrangements could be made and were ready to have him picked up immediately.
The family, however, after much talking, and some major improvements in his housing, decided that they wanted to try again. We consented, but stayed in touch, just in case.
Then at 13 months, we got the second email. He wasn't working out, he was giving them problems, he had been neutered, he had been to intensive obedience school and they would be happy to look for him a place up there (several states away). We called again, and confirmed that we wanted him back, pursuant to our contract. Then we started scrambling to find a safety network to retrieve him ASAP.
As Lady Luck was smiling that day, a friend one state over who heard about the emergency sent an email saying he going that way, and with just a few hours' detour, it would be easy to swing by and collect him for us. We were thrilled and immediately got on the phone to coordinate the "Meet" that would send our boy on the next leg of his journey.
He came home with a list of complaints and a journal.
The journal, it turns out, was written in long hand by the prison inmate who had trained him in an in-house prison training program. He had been there for two of the months between the first and second email. The notes described him as the smartest dog the trainer had ever trained and at the conclusion of the program, he had even earned his CGC.
The trainer went into detail as he explained every complaint the family had, why it was a problem and how to fix it - easily. All they had to do was incorporate the dog into the family and let him be a part of their pack. So naturally, when he got home, he was turned out into the yard and not included in the family.
Thankfully, the family recognized that the Curly was not the breed for them and honored their contract to return him.
Once home, he visited our Vet to update his innoculations. Then we posted a web page for 'a sweet boy looking for a forever home'. He had several good offers, and after much consideration, we selected the family that seemed best for him.
The email that "he fits our family like a glove" was the best news we could have received.
Finally this sweetheart of a boy found his loving, forever home, and they named him Murphy!
