08/06/2025
Yesterday, I had someone scheduled to pick up a puppy show up and ask if she could instead “just try her out”—to take the puppy home temporarily in hopes of changing her husband’s mind. We don’t allow puppy “test drives,” for many reasons. It was incredibly upsetting, not just because of the principle, but because I had already told other interested families that this litter was spoken for—potentially great homes that I turned away.
When I explained this, she told me I should just call them back—it wouldn’t be hard to find the puppy a new home. But that’s not how it works. I don’t keep a list of every person who inquires. Sure, I have some emails I can reach out to, but when a puppy is passed over—especially after Go-Home Day—people start to wonder if something was wrong with her. Even though she did nothing wrong, the context changes. It can take days or even months to find another truly prepared home.
It’s also heartbreaking. This wasn’t a stranger who popped in randomly. This was someone who’d placed a deposit, received weeks of communication, participated in a Virtual Visit, and exchanged countless emails preparing for this day—without ever discussing it with her husband. She wanted to surprise him. I explained that we don’t recommend ever surprising someone with a puppy. Every adult in the household should be involved in the decision. When they’re not, every normal puppy behavior—chewing a shoe, having an accident—can feel like a breaking point, rather than a learning curve. That’s not fair to the puppy or the partner.
When someone backs out last-minute after committing, it’s more than disappointing—it creates a ripple of challenges. I run a nonprofit, Herzog's Heroes, and had planned this week around the expectation that all pups would be in their new homes. Having one puppy left actually creates more work than having a group, because now I’m doing one-on-one crate training instead of littermate socialization. My meetings are being rescheduled, and I’m missing a conference I was supposed to attend.
And of course… she’s already stolen my heart.
Last night, she cried in her crate—alone for the first time after all her siblings went home—and I broke my own rule. I let her sleep in bed with me. Not ideal, I know. Crate training will be harder now, but she needed comfort and so did I. She’s currently by my feet, chewing a bone while I type this. She rides in the puppy carrier when I need my hands free. She’s sweet and spunky and already attached.
Part of me is wondering if this happened for a reason. She’s Nero’s great-granddaughter. Some of you know Nero passed last October, and losing him was soul-crushing. He was my guy. From Nero and Godiva came Winston. Winston and Ada gave us Uta. And Uta and Woody gave us this little girl. Since the planning of this litter, before they were even born, I’ve been wrestling with not keeping a puppy from Uta’s final litter, it was easier knowing they all had homes...
But the reason I’ve always stayed firm in not keeping a pup is because I have to be prepared for returns. Thankfully we don’t have many, but when a dog comes back, I believe—wholeheartedly—that the breeder must be ready. It’s what we teach in our breeder education program, and it’s what we’re advocating for in regulation: no dog should ever end up in a shelter because their breeder wasn’t prepared to take them back.
Nero’s last years were spent sharing me with returned dogs who needed rehab and rehoming. I believe he had a wonderful life, but I always felt guilty that he had to share so much of me. That guilt is what stops me from keeping this puppy.
I’m writing this for three reasons:
1. Breeders: Always talk to all adults in the home. This was my mistake. I knew better. Had I followed that rule, this wouldn’t have happened. This is on me. It’s a reminder that breeders aren’t perfect but they have to get better with every mistake.
2. Potential puppy owners: A puppy should never be a surprise to your spouse or partner. This is a shared commitment. Part of the joy of getting a puppy is preparing together—choosing the right match, the right breeder, and setting up your home. And please let go of the idea of “trying a puppy out.” If everyone isn’t already 100% on board, the answer is no.
To be fair, this woman had heard from another puppy owner that I once allowed them to “try out” a pup. But that situation was very different. It involved a family I’d had extensive conversations with, where both adults were fully committed. The question was how their daughter would respond. We had a structured in-home visit with a contract and a plan. These people were making this decision very, very carefully. That was not this. This was someone showing up on Go-Home Day and dropping a bomb on me.
3. Lastly... We need the perfect name for this little girl. She’s wearing a yellow collar, and she’s tearing me apart. People ask me how I can give them up, and the truth is, while it’s hard, it’s also joyful—to see them become part of a loving home, a family, sometimes even a service dog. But this one… Nero’s great-granddaughter, the last of Uta’s final litter. I keep reminding myself that someday, when I’ve fully retired and have a strong legacy plan in place, I can keep a pup from Drago—Uta and Woody’s son. But that’s not making this any easier right now.
So... what do we name this girl?
