Dog breeders advice?

[briggsy's girl]

If the agreement is that she gets a pup, then she gets a pup. That was her price, and you agreed to it. She provided a product/service in terms of her dog covering yours, and her fee for service was a pup or the value of a pup. An unsuccessful mating doesn't negate the fact that she provided the service. Unless her dog didn't cover yours (i'm assuming mating was witnessed) or you can prove that the "fault" for small litter was her dog (limited sperm or similar) then there is no reason she should be penalised. If the agreement had been "x percent of the sale price of the pups" or something which made her payment contingent on pup numbers and sale, maybe it would be different - but her price was either a pup from the litter, or the sale price of a pup. if your dog only has one pup and you want to keep it, then the cost becomes a dollar one for you to pay for the services provided.

[Teeki]

If the agreement is that she gets a pup, then she gets a pup. That was her price, and you agreed to it. She provided a product/service in terms of her dog covering yours, and her fee for service was a pup or the value of a pup. An unsuccessful mating doesn't negate the fact that she provided the service. Unless her dog didn't cover yours (i'm assuming mating was witnessed) or you can prove that the "fault" for small litter was her dog (limited sperm or similar) then there is no reason she should be penalised. If the agreement had been "x percent of the sale price of the pups" or something which made her payment contingent on pup numbers and sale, maybe it would be different - but her price was either a pup from the litter, or the sale price of a pup. if your dog only has one pup and you want to keep it, then the cost becomes a dollar one for you to pay for the services provided.

Good point. You've essentially entered into a contract, and although it seems unfair now if there's only one pup, you can't really change the conditions of the contract. If you were going to breed her again I'd do things differently next time.

[Mildez]

There is no contract just verbal agreement that if she were to fall pregnant then the male dog owner gets pick of the litter. We assumed if she got pregnant she should have a few and there was no mention of what to do if she only had 1. She may not be pregnant and if she is she may have a few and the problem would be solved.

[Kazzo]

Fingers crossed then that there is no pups or atleast two

Did the male dog owner know of the agreement with your dogs breeder before your dogs mated? Or just when you told them you thought there might only be one pup. I think by what you said in your original post they did, just want to check.

[briggsy's girl]

There is no contract just verbal agreement that if she were to fall pregnant then the male dog owner gets pick of the litter. We assumed if she got pregnant she should have a few and there was no mention of what to do if she only had 1. She may not be pregnant and if she is she may have a few and the problem would be solved.

From a reputation POV (your reputation) i would be erring on the side of treating a verbal agreement in the same way as a contract.