How NOT to get taken when buying a dog?

Question

Well, we've all seen the questions where people are asking about their new designer dogs.

This is a good place to come up with a list of how NOT to get taken when buying a dog.

First of all, nearly all dogs are adorable when they are puppies. That's one of the reasons people are able to sell all of these new "designer dogs".

If your intent is to just have a dog as a companion there is no reason to spend $500.00 to $1,000.00 for a dog. Especially one that is a mixed breed. You are being taken advantage of BIG TIME.

A gallon of milk costs about $5.00 these days. If someone told you that the milk came from a "special" cow that was half something and half something else would you be willing to pay $10.00 for that same gallon of milk?

What are some other advice we can give people on how to buy a dog the RIGHT way?

Well, I'm a judge for the AKC and for ASCA.
I've taught obedience for 30 years and tracking for 20 years.

It just drives me crazy when I see people spending around $1,000.00 for designer dogs that end up with the genetic faults of both breeds.

Answer 1

Decide what breed you want by looking at the breeds available on the websites of reputable registeries and clubs, like the AKC, the UKC, the KC of Great Britian, the Canadian KC, the FCI (international) Go to dog shows and performance events like feild trials, herding trials, obedience trials, agility, and rally-o, and any other breed specific events. Talk to peole who have the breeds you are interested in, and ask about whether they think the breed is right for you temperament wise.

Also, visit your local shelter a few times to see if you have that magical instant bond with a dog that might fit your lifestyle. If you do, ask shelter attendants and volunteers about how the dog usually interacts with people and other animals, in general, get all the info you can. If it sounds right, and feels right, adopt it, and your job is finished. Congratulations. If not, go to the next step.

Once you have chosen the best breed for you, you might want to check for rescues if you want to help out a down-on-his-luck dog. Many good dogs have fallen on hard times and would love you forever if you help them out. If you find one at a rescue, you will be asked for an application and knowledgeable staff will let you know if the dog would work for you and fill you in on his idiosycracies. If it is, you adopt the dog, and your work is done. Congratulations! If not, on to the next step.

If none of them are what you are looking for, use the contacts you made at the shows & trials to find out who has pups or adults available. Then contact potential breeders and expect the following-
1. LOTS of questions by the breeder regarding your lifestyle and why you want this brred and this dog in peticular.
2. Fill out an application and be given a copy of the breeder's contract to look over. A good contract will tell you what genetic maladies the parents have been tested for, what the breeder's return policy is, (any good breeder will take back their own for ANY reason at ANY time. Return of money is variable) give health gaurantees, and REQUIRE spay/neuter of pet puppies.
3. Many good breeders will want to either visit your home to be sure you are giving accurate info and to see where their pupies will live. If they can't do it themselves, they will ask a trusted associate to do so.

These are some ways to get good pets and not further unethical breeding practices. It is not complete by any means, but at least you'll have some guidelines.

Answer 2

Great question!

I think the first think a person should do is decide exactly what qualities they want in a dog.

Do you need a dog that is good with children?

Do you need a dog that is good with other pets?

How long are you likely to leave the dog alone?

How much time are you realistically going to want to spend grooming a dog?

How much exercise can you afford to give it?

Does it need to be a good traveller?

Apart from this, in most cases all people want is a good pet. With that in mind, an all-breeds rescue is often a very good place to start. Whilst it's true that there are often dogs with behavioural problems in shelters, there are also many that fit the bill perfectly.

(When I got my current dog, I looked in a couple of all-breed rescues, found only ONE dog that was suitable. I only wanted ONE dog, so that was OK. He's been in my home for the last 18 months and he's great!)

The important caveats with this are that you are 100% honest with yourself and the rescue staff, and that you take the advice of the staff at the rescue. If they tell you that the dog is unsuitable for you, believe them - they know the dog better than you do.

Supposing that you can't find what you want in rescue, or you have some other reason why you want a puppy.

Read up about various breeds. See just how many breeds of dog there are (chances are you'd be surprised at the variety available). Speak to members of breed clubs. Go to shows and speak to owners of the various breeds. Perhaps there's even field trials near you. Speak to people involved with them.

Once you've selected the breed you are after (bearing in mind the questions at the top of this post), look on the website of the your country's Kennel Club, to find advice on how to select your breeder. Follow that advice.

Be distrustful of a breeder that WANTS to sell you a puppy. If they don't care enough to thoroughly scrutinise the home the dog will be going to, they are unlikely to care enough to make sure the dogs are healthy and have sound temperament.

Find out what health checks should be carried out for your breed, and ask to see certificates that the tests have been PASSED by BOTH parents.

Make sure you can see the dam (mother) with the pups. Her temperament is likely to be passed on to her puppies. See the conditions the pups are raised in.

(Don't worry about not seeing the sire (father) - the stud dog should have been specially selected for quality, and the most suitable sire is unlikely to be at the same address as the dam.)

Answer 3

When i pay big bucks for a dog, i want to get what i pay for, i want the whole medical history of both parents, i want the pup vet checked for any inheirent diseases within that breed or lineage, i want all vaccinations done, and i want proof that all this has been done. And i want copies of the parents registration papers, and i want my pup to be registered, even if its not being used for show purposes.

I have one dog that i paid a reasonable amount of money ($300AU) for, but i didnt get the checks done (not a registered breeder, and she was from a pet shop), but i didnt buy her on a whim or in ignorance, i had seen her, and spent a week thinking about her before i went back, she just had the personality i wanted, and she really needed an owner. As it turned out, she has cost me a lot more than the original purchase price, over 30 times the purchase price in less than 4 years, but i still dont regret getting her. I just recommend to anyone not willing to do the same, to be really careful about buying these designer cross breeds, with no guarantees.

Health checks are the most important thing when choosing a pup, knowing that your puppy is healthy and has a lesser risk of developing an inheirent breed related disease, due to responsible breeding, that is the key. It takes stuff all money to breed dogs in your backyard, so to pay over $500 dollars for a dog that has no health guarantees or checks just means that someone is getting a huge profit for nothing, so the health of the dogs is probably the least of their worries.

Answer 4

As with any other purchase, you have to become a knowledgeable consumer.

Now, I know that this question has more to do with not being taken advantage of by the breeder, but I would respectfully remind the good Judge that one of the first questions the potential puppy buyer needs to ask HIMSELF is: "Is it practical for me to be a dog owner and can I meet the responsibilities that come along with being a dog owner."

Here's my thinking, the person that answers that question impulsively is probably going to buy impulsively. And when you let your emotions drive - a wreck of a mess is usually waiting down the road.

On the other hand, the person that sits down, takes a moment or several to contemplate being a dog owner, and arrives at the conclusion that "by golly I'm ready to be a dog's owner," AND CAN THEN ARGUE THE PRACTICAL MERITS OF THE DECISION, will probably be better prepared to examine and evaluate the choices and options available to him.

So in my humble opinion, the best way to not be taken advantage of is to first determine the practicality of dog ownership - and the life-long comittment (to the dog) involved.

One other minor point, only as a matter of continued thought: not that long ago, the Doberman Pinscher was a 'designer breed' and to this day I'm not sure anyone knows what mixture of farm dogs make up der schaeferhund ... so who's to say that the Labradoodle is not destined to be our next purbred?

Answer 5

my dogs are mutts, i have always had mixes. Now would I pay a breeder of them...no. just like i most likely wouldn't go to a purebred breeder. i would go to a rescure first. i have seen to many nice purebred and mutts die year after year to want to put money in really any breeders pocket. however if they a good breeders bettering the breed...ect. then they more then likely have good homes waiting.

Designer dogs are going nuts and i know its bad when they are in my small town (it takes us awhile to be with the rest of the world) i just saw and for a peke-a-poo claiming this hypo...and doesn't shed yeah right. $325 that byb breeder wants. only fools fall for it if u ask me. and this is why that most end up at the shelter. the sad thing is 5-10 years ago a pekeapoo was a mutt(still is) but they couldn't find homes for free because it was a mutt. i don't understand it and i don't think i ever will. 'everyone thinks my mutts are cute' is an often statement i hear. 'then we want to breed it because they are cute' honestly i don't think i have even see a truely ugly dog. mongel or not it doesn't make breeding right. i had a very pretty mutt growing up and ya know breeding him even then was not something i would do.

the only way to get more ppl to understand that their designer dog is nothing more then a mutt is education...just like having ur pet spayed or neutered. the facts that millions of differ breeds and mutts die yearly make some understand. others don't care or its just not understood. many have never been to a shelter, and if u truely care about animals once working in a shelter seeing how many dogs die in just that one shelter...once u have cared for them, feed them, walked them, did some training with them, how can u not care and realize at least one of each of ever litter will end up in a shelter somewhere...if u breed mutts...or ur purebreed to 'just have puppies.

Answer 6

Find the right breed that fits your lifestyle and go to a dog show. Talk to the breeders and find out the pros and cons of that breed. Most breeders will take the time to talk to you and be VERY honest. Don't believe the hype....NO DOG is shed free. Even hairless dogs shed...maybe not as much but they do shed. Designer breeds are almost always discribed as non-shedding...or hypo allergenic. Have these people even met a lab or golden that doesn't shed? Just like in humans a child will not get blue eyes JUST because his mom has blue eyes. Breeds are going to have breed traits there is no telling what traits a mix is going to have...it is a crap shoot. No matter what anyone says a Labradoodle is a Lab/Poodle mix and NOT a purebred dog. BTW it is a fact that NO dog is hypoallergenic. If you don't have a reaction to the dog that means that the dog doesn't produce alot of dander...but it is not danderless. Even hairless dogs produce dander it had NOTHING do to with shedding.

Answer 7

OK...
FIRST... go to a website that allows you to select what type of dog matches your lifestyle and personality. I think Purina is one of those.

NEXT... when you know what breed you THINK you want to get, read up on that breed a LOT before deciding finally. Go to Google and do a search for [dog type] breed traits... and read ... read... read...

There's nothing worse than getting a really excitable active jumping all over the place dog breed if you're a quiet person. If you're active hiker or jogger, don't get a dog that wants to lie around! If you have children, don't get a one-man breed. READ and READ and LEARN... before your final decision.

Not reading and learning is why so many dogs are dumped and abandoned ... because the people didn't know the breed traits well and when the cute little puppy matured, they go "oh my ***, I can't STAND this dog"

ALSO learn what the cute little tyke will look like as an adult! My little snowballs are now 85 and 100# !!! I never had a large breed dog before...

NEXT... buy from a good reputable breeder (not a Back Yard Breeder) rather than a pet store, or investigate the pet store carefully to ensure they are not supporting puppy mills that produce unhealthy dogs to sell in volume. BYB's breed either to make a quick buck, or because they are too lazy, or too cheap to pay to have their female spayed.

Don't get LOTS of dogs... know your limit and only get how many you can care for and afford.

FINALLY... give strong consideration to possibly getting a rescue dog and making a wonderful life for a dog who was mistreated before and you will be owner of a very grateful, loving animal.

Those are the main things I'd like to add to your excellent beginning list. I like the way you blended a good question with good helpful information.

Next question could be how to be a good pet owner... caring for and training your dog properly...

Answer 8

Hi Dogjudge,
I find the best way is to go online, read, ask other people who have that type of dog.
Get as much information as possible from whatever source.
We all love puppies, so make the decision before you go to view the adorable little things, theyre sometimes not adorable for long!!
I personally am a firm believer in trusting my instincts.
Hope this was some kinda help
Damien

Answer 9

good call!!! I wish this sort of advice could be available to all people that don;t read these types of forums.

I beleive in shoppiong with your head, not your heart. they are all cute and sweet, but they grow up and all dogs have different types of issues that need to be dealt with.

One of the things i find alot, are people that buy a small dog thinking they will be less work as they are so small. Yeah right, untill these little hypo dogs don;t stop barking or chew the house down or need so much exersice to get all the energy out of them.

People need to look at the breed of dog and what they offer as adults as well as pups.... elder people that want companionship should look at adopting older dogs, that just need a warm, confortable place to live the rest of their days. not one that need heaps of exercise.

People really need to research the breed to siut their lifestyle, before just buying a dog cause it's small, or it's meant to be a good guard dog, or whatever they want!!!

I wish people would understand this - there may be less unwanted and uncontrollable dogs in shelters!!!

Answer 10

Don't buy a dog... If you ask me paying for any dog is a sham. Unless of course it's an adoption fee. The only way I spend my money on buying a dog is when I know its going to help that dog and the money is going back into a shelter that helps other dogs. Of course there are plenty of free dogs, the one that have been thrown away, the people not unscrupulous enough to try and charge money for a mutt puppy, and people getting rid of their dogs. If you ask me, those are the dogs that are worth more than any amount of money... I certainly didn't pay for my pup who is 1/2 Rottie 1/2 Siberian husky... because quite simply he is a mutt and anyone who would charge money for his mix is just a racketeer.. I also didn't pay for my female Lab/spaniel mix, she was a stray I found and adopted, I didn't pay for my male GSD/Husky/?? mutt he was free from a friend of mine who's dog got pregnant before the owner spayed her. The point is, lots of people try to say that purebred dogs are better and they are worth the money etc but I think all dogs are equally priceless... and I refuse to line the pockets of others at their expense.