Let me tell you a story. We bought a pure bred dog last year. A nice and presumably healthy Vizla from reputable breeder.
It was our first dog. We fell in love with her. She is so sweet.
Our main reasons to have a dog was to provide companionship and balance to our only child. We also liked the idea of a running dog and we selected this breed exactly for this. Vizlas are running dog. They run fast and they don’t stop. They simply can’t walk. Our breeder provided a 5 year “warranty” that this dog would be healthy and free of any genetic defect. In any case, it could be replaced for free. We thought this was great.
In december Ani started to limp. Not a big limp but still a limp. We eventually investigated and found she suffers from bilateral hip dysplasia. Our beloved running dog turns out to be a limping dog. Our heart were broken. We simply cannot exchange a dog we love. The “warranty” meant nothing. We were angry, very angry but i did not give into my feelings. I called and emailed the breeder. Through careful negociation, i convinced them that the right thing to do would be to refund us a thousand dollar. By contract, they had no obligation to do so but they did, i got the check in my mail last week.
This brings me to the subject of conflict resolution which is dear to me. Resolving positively such a conflict requires building bridges between broken relationship. It requires finding common values on which we can start the process of healing. Here is how i did it with my breeder. Samples of email conversations…
“Hi,I need to tell you that we suspect Ani of having hip dysplasia. In the last month, she has developped a progressive non traumatic limp that did not respond to Meloxicam. The vet’s physical exam confirms hip pain and she certainly sits like a dog with hip dysplasia as you can see in the photo. We were offered to do x-rays under sedation for 400$ but we have chosen to wait as x-ray will only cost money and bring no cure.
We are disappointed because she became part of our family and our son loves her. We bought a running dog and in just a few months got a limping dog. Most of the pleasure we got from this dog was from going out for our daily 30 min run. We could confirm our suspicion and exchange her as per the terms of the sales contract but the deep bond between us and this dog complicates things… We are not sure what to do. I thought you should know our suspicion as soon as possible since you are breeding these dogs and Ani’s sisters and brothers might be affected. “
“Martin, We stand behind our dogs 100%, and if Ani is not meeting your expectations and you are not able to enjoy her for the reasons for which she was acquired, we will certainly replace her with another dog (per the contract, a puppy from the next available litter).As of this time, no other dogs from this litter, or similar breedings/lines, are suspected of having hip dysplasia. Perhaps some rest for Ani, or another course of treatment, may help resolve any underlying issues, that may not even be dysplasia, but another form of injury.””Thank you. I’m reassured by your answer. As you said, it might not be hip dysplasia and we are undergoing a longer course of rest, meloxicam and glucosamine. Hopefully it will go away. We love this dog. Enjoy the holidays. “
/////later////
“Hi, We did X-rays today on Ani and they confirm bilateral hip dysplasia. I’ll have a written report today when i go get her at the vet. We are deeply disappointed with this situation. We love this dog, she is like our daughter now yet we bought a running dog because we are runners and we got a limping dog. Because we love this dog, we’ll probable spend thousands of dollars in the next decade to keep her healthy and happy. I mean medication and eventual surgery is not cheap. The warranty offered as per the contract means nothing because there is no way we will reject and return her because she is sick, she is innocent in all this. If you say you stand by your dogs 100% then i think the best thing you could do is share the burden with us for offering her a nice life. We will love her and take good care of her but we want you to share the expense such good care will require. We have already spend 400$ on x-rays under sedation and will spend hundreds of dollars on medication in the next year. I propose i send you the receipts of every amount spent for her care until the end of the warranty period (+- 2 years) and this could include hip arthroplasty because it’s an option or you refund now 1000$. When i met you last summer, i felt you were good and caring people. I would like to continue thinking that you are and i’d like to keep refering my friends to you because you really care about your dogs. You have a good reputation. Preserve it, this is the future of your business. Be responsible.Ani has transformed our life. We’ll probably be Vizla fans forever. Thank you. Martin, Nadine, Liam and Ani
(Picture of us with our dog smiling)”
“Hi Martin.Thank you for contacting us and I’m sorry for my delayed response.I have all intentions of refunding you the $1000 however at this time do not have the means to do so. Puppies are coming, so I am hoping to send out a cheque in approx 8 weeks, or sooner if possible. I trust this will be ok.Thank you for your patience and for giving Ani a great life. We never doubted your ability for one minute and are truly sorry that this has happened. If only we had a crystal ball. Thanks”
There you go. To resolve our conflict, i built a bridge that was supported by our love of dogs. I felt these were good people and they loved dogs. They would not be in that business for over 25 years if they didn’t. I love my dog and i wanted them to understand that. I used that feeling to convince them to do what i thought was the right thing and they did. I have forgiven them for this. Everybody makes mistakes. So when you are stuck in a conflict with strong feelings involved, change your perspective, stop wishing hurt for the other party and think to build a bridge.
Original post Facebook, June 2014
Martin Pham Dinh 