One of the hazards of a rare breed is the people who are drawn to them for the wrong reason. No matter what they hear or are told they are convinced that this is the breed for them and they are passionate about helping to preserve this breed-their now "Heart Breed". Sometimes no matter what a breeder does in screening their puppy buyers these buyers say all the right things and they slip through the cracks. Such was the case with Honor. 

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Honor was born at the ranch to two beautiful examples of the breed in May of 2020. He is the spitting image of his father and was a normal happy active Mudi puppy. Many families would have loved to bring this boy home and he was matched to a home that planned to do conformation and performance sports with him. Early reports from his new owner were positive and promising. Sadly two months after he was in his new home I was told by his owner that one of his testicles did not drop, which would eliminate him from doing conformation and being used for breeding which were her future plans for him. I was heartbroken and immediately offered to buy him back. My offer was adamantly refused. I was told that he was loved and would do performance sports. 

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The following months were a downward spiral of his owner posting on social media the problems she had with him. In November she updated me with the problems she was having and once again I offered to buy him back telling her something was not right. She turned down my offer again saying she was determined to make this work. In January she again contacted me to update me with the problems she continued to have and told me she was going to start medicating him to deal with what she perceived as his problems (I later found out she had started medicating him in November). Finally at nine months of age she decided to return him to me. 

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Honor came back to me on 2/12/21. I had no idea what to expect as the puppy she described him as being was not the puppy I watched grow up and placed with her at 8 weeks of age.

 

Imagine my relief when I got back a perfectly normal 9 month old Mudi puppy. I integrated him into my group of dogs with no problems. I took him to the parks and stores with no problems. Nothing I did with him revealed any of the supposed problems she had with him. There were glimpses from him of the effect she had on him-he avoided having a leash put on him, which usually signals to a dog that something fun is going to happen. With him being leashed took the joy out of his eyes and he would shut down in front of my eyes-this to me was a sign of the extreme pressure she put on him and her disappointment in him while training him. It did not take long for him to understand that with me there was no pressure and that joy to return to his eyes.  

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Less than 2 weeks after he arrived to me a family who had expressed an interest in him arranged to have him transported to their home. The transporters raved about how well behaved he was and sent pictures. In less than 1 week in his new home they were positive that he was there to stay and how much they loved him. Honor hit the Jackpot with a Mudi sister and two owners who understand the breed and are letting him be a puppy! I just love a happy ending for my puppies. 

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If you would like to follow the continuing story of Honor in his new home you can do so on Instagram at JuniperandTrout . 

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