Alta Tollhaus German Shepherds Julie Mostosky Took money, failed to produce appropriate puppy, did not return deposit Marshall, Michigan

I really researched German shepherd breeders because I wanted to find a good one. I was looking for a very specific personality, and so I gave Julie Mostosky my "shopping list" of what I wanted in a puppy. I was looking for a medium drive pet that was outgoing, intelligent, non-hyper, and non-aggressive. I told Julie I like a dog that follows me from room to room. Julie assured me she could get me what I was looking for. I gave her $500. toward the puppy.

Julie emailed me and told me she had a puppy that was just what I was looking for. At the time of her email the puppy was 3 weeks. I wondered how someone could tell a puppy's tempermant, drive and personality at 3 weeks? So I met with the pup when it was 6 weeks really hoping it was what I wanted, as my old and beloved dog was dying of cancer and I really wanted a new dog.

Julie's helper that lives with her introduced us to the puppy. The first thing she told us was that the puppy was high drive and would be a good agility dog. The pup seemed very independent, going off to play by itself. It also squirmed and cried to be put down every time I tried to pick it up and bring it near me. It definitely did not seem like the outgoing wants-to-be-near-its-owner dog I was searching for.

I talked to Julie about my concerns but she kept saying the puppy was exactly what I wanted. I wanted to believe her, but my husband had videotaped my encounter with the pup, right down to the part where I said she was a little "spitfire", put her down and watched her run away. I kept watching that video and I knew she wasn't the pup for me.

I told Julie this wasn't the right pup and that I had been told different things about the pup's drive by her helper and that I had lost faith in her ability to match me with the right pup. I asked for my deposit back. I had never signed a contract. Julie kept pushing the pup on me and telling me to come see it again. I told her it wasn't fair for me to bring home a pup I had so many doubts about...it wasn't fair to me or to the puppy. Julie never returned my deposit. I feel she was dishonest with me from the moment she told me she had a three week old pup matching the description of what I was looking for.