We are planning to buy a dog, a young one around 1-3yrs?

Question

What questions should we be asking and what should we look out for.

So far;
Why are you selling?
Health problems?
Behaviour problems?
How well does he travel?
What's the dog's routine; feed, walks, time left alone (if any)?
Does he get on with; other dogs, other animals, strangers, children.

Any obvious things left out?

Thank you.

We have been to our local rescue centre a couple of times, and got our kitten there. However their is little choice of dogs, and most seem quite scary breeds to me ( never owned a dog before; rotweillers, alsations, bull dogs etc. I'm not ready to take on a dog like that, especially when he will probably have been mistreated and require confident and assured handling. I want to give my dog heaps of love and attention, and a little discipline, but I need a bit of an easier ride to what I'd get from any of the rescue dogs we've seen.

Answer 1

What on earth makes you think someone selling a dog is going to be easier on you than a rescue. Trust me rescues know they have been rescued. Animal rescue will not lie to you to get your money they will expect you to get what you need for your family and what the dog needs. Not the concern or your cash. Most rescue dogs that are in foster homes are with our families, children, dogs, cats neighbors other fosters some rabbit fosters too, a more stressful life than you could imagine and prospering by not being on the street. Happy as snot to be one of the crowd and a filled bowl of food.

Please remember while your shopping for someone to sell you a dog that if they have them at 1-3 years and want to get rid of them there is something wrong. I love the story we want to have children and don't want the dog. So be prepared for all types of excuses and non of them true. At 1-3 it wouldn't matter what was going on that dogs life is there and they are turning their back then how good was its treatment. Its being dumped with you a rescue it is being pulled out of the wreckage to look forward to you and your family. Buy one and there is always a chance he will look at you as the one that took him away.

Please be sure to think again before turning your back on a rescue dog. Petfinders has every breed imaginable. You can make sure of all of these basically questions except why are you selling. I do however have me ask why I don't keep them and most of the time I tell them in TEARS that because then I can't rescue. I want to rescue more and attempt to teach those like you that want to "Buy" a dog how the truly wonderfule ones are the ones dying in shelters. Rescues can not get them out fast enough.

I have five large dogs of my own. Two from before I did rescue, Two unadoptables that were too good to die but no one could love them as much as me. One parvo survivor that I just couldn't let go after his eyes rolling back in his head on going unconscious on the way to the vet in my arms.

However:

I would love to keep these.

Baxter is the big baby of the group the only problem with him is he wants the lovins. Will follow teenage girls around to the end of the earth.

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7935542


Tweety - A diamond in the rough. Happy go lucky lovin life in a real home and not running the countryside. Loves the other dogs kids everything. Loves playing with the little baby rolling on the floor. Its a riot

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7936357

So itty bitty compared to the rest but holding his own with all the other fosters towering over him and they are all perfect with him!!!
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7674066


Marti was found eating at walmart. God love her trying to feed all those babies in her belly at walmart. Now she is lounging on the couch and bed like its the only life she's known.

http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7601978

And the one that doesn't like dogs is at my house. HE HE

Oreo or she will answer to Oh Oh is my favorite!!!


http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7666205


Broaden your horizons check another rescue. Rescues usually have twenty times more going for them and your family than anything you could purchase for the price of vetting ( And usually at one H*ll of a discount)

You can buy a dog and hope they told you the truth but a rescue dog will have the support of everyone with you for the life of the dog. Just like Oreo. No matter what dim witted excuse you can come up with to dump your rescue we will take it back. Any good rescue will try givein back a dog that you buy from someone because they are moving. Then it doesn't work out what do you tell the kids. Sorry I wanted to spend 500 dollars and didn't get a qaurantee we would love the dog so now we are going to kill it children.

RESCUE. And certainly don't think you will find a decent dog to ":buy on Yahoo With everything out there you can't find anything on petfinders. I am appaleed at your lies. I don't care if you purchase top line and or breed top line there are numerous dogs that will steal your heart on petfinders.

Answer 2

You look to have given this quite a lot of thought, and you seem like someone who would be a great pet owner. But there are a few other things to consider...

You say you've tried rescue, but how many have you tried? When I was looking for my dog, I went to the nearest rescue first, but didn't see any dogs that were suitable, so I tried another and ended up with a dog that was perfect for me.

Also, you could go back to that first rescue again, they have dogs coming in and out all the time - the right one for you may become available tomorrow.

It's surprising the number of rescues there are that you probably don't know about. I don't know whereabouts you are in the world, but if you're in the UK, this link may be useful:

http://www.dogpages.org.uk/

It's not a list of ALL rescues, but there's a lot, and I bet there's a few on there that you weren't aware of that are local to you.

There's also a forum on there where you can ask questions and advice, and you can also put a note under the section (homes offered). Rescues look at this all the time, and if they have a dog that is suitable for you, they may get in contact. You'd have to check the site regularly to pick up the message though.

(Just be aware it's a VERY pro-rescue site).

As for obvious things you've left out - you've got some pretty good questions already, but there's a couple more questions:

What are the dog's exercise requirements?
These vary widely between breeds. As a rule the toy breeds don't need as much exercise as say, dogs bred for herding.

If the rehoming doesn't work out, will you take the dog back?
Rehomings will usually be successful if the seller is honest and you are fully prepared for what to expect from your dog.

Personally, I'd be very dubious about buying a dog of that age from anywhere but rescue. Other than that, I could only ever recommend a REPUTABLE breeder, but then you'd be looking at a puppy, a couple of months old.

You say that you'd ask why the owner was selling etc. - but how would you know whether they were telling the truth? Not necessarily lying, but there may be a few facts they leave out. Getting a dog from rescue or a responsible breeder or rescue means you have somewhere to go should things not work out.

Good luck.

Answer 3

If you are planning a dog as a pet then there are several considerations to be made. The breed being only one.The rescue centre is probably not the best place to start as the animals there are generally from mistreated homes and have physicological problems which makes them difficult to control without a lot of work.

You want to know the dogd medical history expecially with regard to vaccinations. has the dog ever travelled outside of the U.K and if so was it vaccinated against Rabies first. Has the dog been Neutred/spayed (cannot re-produce) and if so at what age and where/when.

Beagles, King Charles or most Spaniels are good social dogs with good genes and few health problems. After the dog is arond 2 -3 years old they have lost the majority of the puppy ways and then they settle. Consider a dog that has been Neutered or Spayed as then you do not have the added issue of a dog on heat or one that wants to Hump everything in sight everyday.

Every dog is different and every owner is different. So what is normal now will be abnormal almost as soon as you get the dog home. Expect problems early on as you learn to adaptr to the ownership of the dog and as he/she adjusts to the new surroundings and routine. Weting in the house and chewing are common traits for dogs who have changed owners. So be patient.

Answer 4

Can't think of anything but if you want one that isn't a puppy or pedigree then go to a rescue home as they will tell you the truth! Also if it doesn't work out they will take the dog back. Buying a dog even a year old....you never know the history and what it may hav been through as well as the effect on it's behaviour. It may have been abused which could make the dog aggressive. If you go through a home such as the RSPCA they will also have had it neutered, injected etc. Hope you find one you like!

Answer 5

Those are all great questions but you are assuming that the owner will tell you the truth. Most will not because they are just trying to get rid of a dog. I would honestly go through a dog rescue in your area. Rescue dogs are usually fostered, not kept in a kennel. The foster families will not lie to you about the personality & health issues. They will have all the health records for you. Plus, they will screen you to make sure you would be a good pet parent. This is their way of making sure the animals do not come back to them. When adopting an animal the rescues will give you a questionaire to match you with the best animal.

I honestly think you should look into the animal rescues or even the animal shelters. Simply use your search engine to search for animal rescues in ... (just add your city). Good luck with your search.

Just wanted to add that rescues are different then shelters. At the shelter animals are kept in cages/dog runs. In a rescue they are kept with foster families, living in someones home and learning how to be a member of a family. This is useful for animals that were negleted and not taught family dynamics.

Answer 6

Why not go to a rescue centre and save a dog from being put down. The money you would have spent could go to an animal charity. They will go through all your questions with you, and most would also make sure that they check you out as potential owners, they want to make sure that you and the dog suit each other so they don't end up with it being brought back!

Answer 7

Why do you want to buy a dog when you can get one for free from a rescue centre! They are not going to tell you what you are wanting to hear because they are not after your money. There will be a wide range of dogs to choose from and the staff at the rescue centre will be able to advise you on the type of dog that you would best be suited too. Good luck and enjoy your dog.

Answer 8

Ever thought about adopting a retired Greyhound, Emily?
The word retired is misleading because Greys retire from racing between 3 & 5 years old. But, there are also Greys that have never raced (didn't make the grade) & so are available from 18 months onward...
Greyhounds really do make wonderful pets with their calm & gentle nature.
If you home a Grey from the RGT (retired Greyhound trust) you get lots of support & answers to all your questions & more, including lead, colar, coat, weeks supply of food. Also, the dog is neutered, vaccinated, microchipped & comes with 4 weeks pet insurance FREE!
If you want more info visit the website,
www.retiredgreyhounds.co.uk
One other thing, most Greyhounds live in perfect harmony with other pets, even Cats!
I hope, whatever you choose, you have alot of enjoyment & happiness Xx

Answer 9

Please reconsider a rescue dog.
Yes some may have a few problems that need to be sorted out but this is going to be the case at some time with any dog that you will give a home, as like us we are not angels all of the time are we?
I have rescued 3 dogs who have had different homes and been ill treated in one way or another and are all different, large breeds and a terrier too. Once they settled in to my home have given our family such affection and seem to be so grateful for the home they now have.
Any dog just wants to please, its up to us to train them and show them good behaviour by this.
This may be a question itself to either a dog owner you are buying from or a rescue home,

HAS THE DOG BEEN TO ANY TRAINING CLASSES ?

Eitherway i would recomend you go to a class with your new dog as it will help you and your dog to understand each other.

Good luck

Answer 10

As you know if you go to rescue they cant answer most of those problems. If you buy from a breeder many times you will get a kennel dog. These dogs are not socialized very well but will still make great pets after a short time. The breeder cant answer many of these questions. Be careful, a hobby breeder can answer all these questions as the dog lives in the house. Most of the time they are selling off dogs that arent right for their breeding purposes. Try buying from someone whos moving thats a great way to get a ready to go dog. As far as questions you have most of them covered

Answer 11

I would say you are definately thinking of the right questions to begin with. When I adopted my dog I got him from a Basset Hound rescue that have their dogs live in foster homes. So, not only was I able to find out the basics, but also the quirks. Plus, being that they lived in the families house they were able to tell you just about everything, if he liked getting baths, food aggressions, nails clipped, ears cleaned. We found out he wasnt a fan of getting his picture taken. Plus, because he was being fostered 5hrs away from us we were able to make sure he would be okay with the drive, lucky for us he lives for car rides. We did months of research on the breed before making a decision as to whether or not they would work with our lifestyle. But you have to remember that every individual dog has its own personality no matter what breed. With our rescue you could meet with the dog before hand, or even a few times. Make sure he/she would work with your family. Then all you need to worry about it preparing for them! Good luck!