Family Returns 8-Week-Old Puppy After Just 24 Hours—Jaws Drop at Reason Why
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The internet has been left baffled after a family returned an eight-week-old puppy hours after they got him, because he wasn't fully trained.
Cindy Richardson, 68, lives in California with her Weimeraner dogs, and recently had a litter of puppies who are beginning to go to new homes.
"I'm not a dog breeder by any means," Richardson told Newsweek, explaining she's kept Weimeraners for 50 years and has had four litters over that time. "I love the breed, [and] it's so much fun having pupppies—even if it's just for the eight weeks."
Recently, however, Richardson got a shock when a young family who took a puppy returned him just 24 hours later—because he wasn't properly trained.
Richardson shared the story to her TikTok account, @cindys_weimeraners in June, where she said eight-week-old pup Shadow was "returned in less than 24 hours due to lack of training."
In a video, the tiny pup can be seen sniffing around the kitchen, exploring with his tail wagging, as Richardson said he had gone to his "supposed forever home" on Sunday.
But the new owners called her on Monday and complained "he poops everywhere, he chews everything, we can't train him, he kept us up all night."
Shadow the Weimeraner, who was returned straight away after his new owners complained he wasn't properly trained.
Shadow the Weimeraner, who was returned straight away after his new owners complained he wasn't properly trained.
TikTok @cindys_weimeraners
Teething generally begins at around eight weeks old in puppies, and owners should be mindful of keeping things they don't want chewed away from the puppy, according to PetMD.
It may be difficult for puppies to understand complex training concepts at this age, and new owners should begin with socialization, teaching them their name and introducing house training, but accidents will occur as they learn.
"I was kind of shocked that they thought he would be more trained than he was at eight weeks," Richardson, who quickly took Shadow back, told Newsweek.
"I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that they had 5-year-old twins, and I think that it wasn't what they expected in a puppy."
She said her puppies were raised with a five-year-old in the house—her granddaughter, who Richardson promised could keep a puppy from the litter—and didn't think there would be any issues with Shadow going to a home with kids of the same age.
TikTok users had a big reaction to the video, viewed over 270,000 times, as one commenter praised Richardson: "I think it's very important you took the dog back because those people sound like they shouldn't ever have a dog."
"He is only an 8-week-old baby," another said. "Training is a constant process. People need to research breeds before they go around getting dogs. I'm glad the puppy was able to come back to you and find a proper home."
"Don't buy a puppy if you can't put in time to train, jeez," another agreed.
Shadow playing with a sibling, before going to his forever home with a woman who is "ecstatic" to have him.
Shadow playing with a sibling, before going to his forever home with a woman who is "ecstatic" to have him.
TikTok @cindys_weimeraners
Some insisted Richardson should have done more to ensure the dog was going to a good home, but others pointed out that people can say anything in an interview and you don't know whether it's true, with one person phrasing it: "This is not the breeders fault it's the people that bought the puppy that are at fault."
In Shadow's case, things have worked out, as Richardson told Newsweek he has found a home "with a wonderful woman that is just so ecstatic to have gotten him."
"She feels like it was a blessing that they returned him because she had been searching for months for a puppy, and finally found him."
Weimeraners are good with young children and affectionate towards family, and are friendly and obedient, but require a lot of physical activity and mental stimulation to keep them from getting bored.
Going forward, Richardson says she will now not give a puppy to anyone who hasn't had experience with the breed before.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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