This Good Dog puppy review shares one buyer’s experience purchasing a puppy from a breeder listed as vetted on the Good Dog platform. Her story raises important questions about what buyers should independently verify before relying on breeder screening, health guarantees, and online puppy-buying protections.
Note: Good Dog describes breeders on its platform as vetted. Its published screening process includes information supplied by breeders and other review steps, but a “vetted” listing should not replace a buyer’s own research, including visiting the breeder and seeing where the dogs live.
This story was written by a longtime dog owner in Northern Virginia who reached out to Stop Online Puppy Mills. It is shared in her own words, with her permission. We have kept her name private.
Why I Thought Good Dog Would Give Me Extra Protection
I have raised 11 dogs from 8 to 10 weeks old to their final days. Eight of them were miniature schnauzers. I have taken every one of them to the same veterinary practice for 43 years. My dogs are my life. I am in my later years, my kids are grown, and my dogs give me purpose, a reason to get up every day. I am telling my story because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.
I Waited Seven Months for My Puppy
I found my puppy on Good Dog. The breeder was listed as a “Vetted Breeder.” I paid my deposit in January and waited seven months. I have NEVER paid this much for any dog. I was under the impression that Good Dog was an organization that did such vetting and had safety nets in their system to prevent problems. I went to reputable breeders before. I even thought I would be extra protected by dealing with Good Dog. Those were things I assumed.
The Breeder Would Not Let Me See Where the Dogs Lived
When I asked if I could see the premises where the dogs were housed, the breeder said “NO, because of security reasons.” Check out the premises. That’s the first thing any information about buying a dog says to do! I picked up my puppy in a restaurant parking lot at a shopping center. The breeder sent me the contract as a text message, barely legible, the day we met. If she asked me to read it, I did not hear her. She did not explain anything about what would happen if the puppy was sick. I have never received a hard copy of the contract or any AKC registration paperwork.
In the past, the people I purchased a puppy from sat down with me and explained EVERYTHING so there were no misunderstandings. When my vet asked me if I saw the premises, I said no. He just shook his head. I felt so stupid.
My Puppy Began Showing Signs Something Was Wrong
I was concerned about her bony body the day I picked her up. She had crusty eyes. The breeder told me to make sure she ate something because she was concerned about her blood sugar, and said the puppy had vomited on the trip. When I told the breeder the puppy didn’t seem to be thriving, she said as long as she eats, drinks and poops, she’s fine. Well, I do worry about it. My vet even said she was thin.
About two to three weeks after I brought her home, she began to fall ill. She was not the playful puppy she was when I took her home. Then came the emergency vet, the bloodwork, a respiratory infection, more medication. Every time I raised a concern, it was dismissed. At one point I was told I should have gotten the breeder’s “approval” before taking a limp, unresponsive puppy to the ER at 7:30 in the morning. I paid for this puppy, and I am supposed to get her approval for her care?
The bloodwork pointed to a liver shunt. In September, an ultrasound at a specialty hospital confirmed it.
This Was My Second Puppy With a Liver Shunt
Less than a year earlier, I got a puppy from a different breeder who was also born with a liver shunt. Her case was so severe she had to be euthanized at 9 weeks old. I had her for a mere 10 days. That breeder was honorable and professional. She did not hesitate to refund the cost of the puppy, all the vet bills and the cremation fees. That is a person who knows and understands good business.
To have this happen again with two separate puppies and two separate breeders in such a short amount of time is just bizarre and cruel. Both breeders told me I am the only one this has happened to. I am not sure I agree with that.
Good Dog Told Me “The Agreement Governs”
All I asked for was my money back for the puppy and the medical bills. She could have the puppy back. That’s fair. I did not know I would be getting a special needs puppy.
The breeder would only offer me another puppy from a future litter, at her convenience. I have my second knee replacement planned for next year, so I couldn’t care for a new puppy until the following summer. And getting another puppy means starting all over again: the vaccines, the flea and tick treatment, the puppy vet visits, the training. How would I even know what I was getting? Later she offered to take the puppy back with a $1,500 “good faith” payment, if I drove her all the way to the breeder’s vet. I found that insulting, so I declined.
I turned to Good Dog for help. After weeks of “our team is reviewing everything,” they told me the puppy’s pre-placement exam showed a healthy puppy, and that my contract with the breeder did not cover this condition or reimbursement of vet bills. Then they wrote:
“As we shared previously, the agreement for [the puppy’s] purchase was entered into directly with [the breeder], and the terms of that agreement govern the resolution options available.”
I was perplexed. Why didn’t they just tell me this to begin with? Good Dog truly has no ability to mediate anything for the people who buy puppies from their network of breeders. It seems like they create a false sense of fairness and accountability for us consumers. Lesson learned.
I have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.
What This Has Cost Me.
I have about $8,000 invested in this puppy between the purchase price, the ER, the ultrasound, the medications and the special prescription food. The surgery she may need costs $8,000 to $10,000, which I cannot afford. Her medicines alone are hundreds of dollars a month. I lost wages going back and forth to the vet, the emergency vet and the specialty vet, just to prove my point that this puppy was not healthy from day one. The stress put me in the emergency room. I had to stop the madness.
And I love her so much. Some days she feels better than she has in weeks. She gets the zoomies, she plays tug of war with my other dog, she takes her medicines like a big dog. She has so much spirit. I have put my heart and soul into raising her. It is so not fair to see her so playful and happy knowing she is in such bad shape. I am angry, I am broken, I am devastated.
It is these beautiful dogs who pay the ultimate price. They have no choice. My message to anyone buying a puppy online: see where the dogs live, meet the mother, and read every word of the contract before you pay. Do not trust a badge on a website to protect you. I did, and I have paid a hell of a price.
What This Good Dog Puppy Review Shows About Buyer Protection
Good Dog’s own Terms of Service say it “does not guarantee or warrant any health outcomes, temperament, or quality of any dog purchased on the Good Dog Platform. Any health guarantees or warranties are provided solely by Breeders, not Good Dog.” They also say members “contract directly with other Members” and Good Dog “is not and will not be a party to any contracts between Members.” Its buyer protection is tied to your payment, capped at the deposit amount, and limited to situations like a breeder going silent or cancelling. Meanwhile, Good Dog tells breeders every payment made to them is protected by “The Good Dog Breeder Guarantee.”
That leaves the breeder’s health guarantee, inside a contract the breeder writes. In this case, the buyer says the breeder’s contract did not provide the reimbursement she expected for the puppy’s condition and veterinary expenses. Good Dog also told her that the purchase agreement with the breeder governed the available resolution options. Puppy buyers should read the complete breeder contract before paying a deposit and understand exactly what the health guarantee covers, excludes, and requires. They should also visit the breeder in person, meet the mother dog, and see where the dogs live. Read the full contract before you pay a deposit, and meet the mother dog in person at the breeder’s property. If you’ve had a similar experience, email us at info@stoponlinepuppymills.org.
This Good Dog puppy review shows why buyers should independently research the breeder behind an online listing. Before paying, visit the breeder, meet the mother dog, see where the dogs live, and read the entire purchase contract.
Read more of our puppy buyer stories, learn how online puppy brokers work, and review our guide to buying a puppy online.
