Buying and Selling Dogs - Page 1

While I have dogs in my home that will never go anywhere ever, most of the dogs in my house are "saleable"

I am a professional dog trainer, and unfortunately, I can't keep everything that comes my way, nor do I want to.

However, occassionally I will come across a nice dog, that someone can't keep for whatever reason, I can put some training on that dog and re-sell it to a very nice home, where it will be appreciated.

However, I am very careful about 1)  Who I sell to  2)  What I guarantee that the dog is trained to do 3) I always do hip/elbow exrays, and at the very least do OFA prelims 3)  I do a complete medical workup(IE, Fecal, bloodwork including thyroid) and I put in my contracts "first right of refusal".

So, while you might not understand the business or even approve of the business of "dog brokering"(For lack of a better word), it does provide  a service, so, if done with honest, isn't a bad thing.

I agree with you that there is a "need" for people like you and others who can offer a home/training for dogs who need to be placed, but I feel that they should be "up-front" with their intentions and at least not promise the previous owner that they "just love the dog and want it for themselves",  knowing full well they plan to resell it for profit, especially when they don't put any training or money into them. That's what bothers me when people resell other peoples' dogs.

Do you inform the dogs breeders (or try) that they have come in to your hands as a "broker" ?

I know if I was a breeder I would like to know if one of my "fur bubs" was being passed around ...and would take note of the original purchaser/owner.

I am not aware of this being a link of somthing else (posted) and just reading this thread. But I understand what The Dog Trainer does. I agree that you should be up front with the owners and let them know what you plans are for their dogs. and I am very surprised (if) you do everything you say you do. Most people that buy a dog don't even do that and bred the hell out of the dog and then rehome it. Sad but true. So it is nice to hear there are people that actually enjoy training and "recycling" dogs for new homes.

EK

I'd rather have a real job, thank you.  Somehow the term "dog broker" doesn't sound like anything I'd want my kid to aspire to be.

Done correctly, as The Dog Trainer indicates, can be better then the "owner" selling the dog themselves.  After the dog had been worked a bit by a third person, they may notice some issues that can be disclosed to the protental owener.  I'm okay with dog brokers as long as there is FULL discloser through all parties involved.

Many breeders end  up bein unintentional brokers when one of their pups comes back and they need to rehome it.

Nope, first and foremost, I am a dog trainer.

However, often times a dog comes to me, rather than the shelter, or another inappropriate home.

To me, there is no difference in what I do and what a "shelter" or "humane society" does.  I simply pick and choose my dogs better, and they leave with training and health clearances.

Attitudes like that, and the ones direct toward vets(Hey, they should just care for dogs because they do---heaven forbid they earn a living at it), or trainers for dogs for disabled(Hey, I'm disabled, I should not have to pay for a dog!  Heaven forbid a trainer make a living and pay their bills) or whatever you want to insert into that position.

While there was no "thread" attached to this, I think that people should be aware that there are honest people out there.

Often times, too, I will get dogs in, often times changing hands 2 or 3 times before reaching me.  I always make an effort to contact the breeder and allow them to take the dog back, should they choose.  Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

Had that happen with a Chocolate Lab recently.  He came from a very good breeder, who were out of Champion/Field Trial parents, out of Ch/FT Parents, who were out of CH/FT parents.  There were OFA execellents 2 generations back, and OFA goods for about 4 generations before that. 

The breeder was contacted, given the opportunity to get the dog back, before I put more training on it, and chose to allow me to finish the dog's training(he is going to an Autistic Child in late September).   Her only condition:  PICTURES!  and the next time I need a dog for a child, call her.

As to doing health tests/clearances----I work for a vet part time, and pay cost for everything, and sometimes less----for instance, when he bought the practice, there were 3 boxes of expired ex-ray film.  Nothing wrong with it, just expired.  I bought the next box, and got the 3 expired for my own use.  Makes taking ex-rays a breeze.  He allows me to purchase, and label for my own use only, dormitor, rabies vaccines, etc.....so that helps.  Bloodwork, I pay what the hospital pays(we send out to a reference lab for blood and fecal)  I do not consider doing OFA pre-lims that big of a deal, in the long range scheme of things, if it protects my reputation and business.

Again, I don't expect everyone to agree---that is fine.  What I would like to challenge those who do "broker" or resell dogs to do is this:  BE HONEST.  BE REPUTABLE.  BE FAIR.  In the long range scheme of things, karma really isn't something you want to screw with.

God bless an honest dog broker.  They serve as excellent filters, discovering a dog's good and bad points for a potential buyer and often well worth the extra one might pay to save time, effort, and even money, when the dog broker does the health tests and discovers the dog is not all the original owner represented it to be.  Dog brokers take serious losses sometimes! 

Everyone proclaims "do your homework" like it is a magic ritual guaranteed to make everything turn out alright....but sometimes the homework is misleading.  This is where the GOOD dog broker saves you a money in the long run--- they often know others in the business who can give them information that many buyers can not discover on their own. 

If you run into a bad dog broker...well, that's one of the most frustrating things that will ever happen to you, unless you are good friends with a guy named Guido who wears a very lumpy overcoat in the middle of the summer....

I have an SV genetics disk that helps me when looking at dogs from Germany.  I advise everyone who is looking for a dog in Germany to buy the disk and check out every dog and the relatives of that dog before they purchase.  It is soooooo well worth the cost, and can trip up a dishonest dog broker.  They know many non-Europeans don't know about the SV genetics disk.

Veronica

We must have been typing at the same time, Mr.DogTrainer :-)

Actually, It's MS. Dogtrainer.  I am a woman.  I wonder if that makes a difference, in the long range scheme of things?  Not trying to be a smart ass(well, maybe just a litte, since it is almost midnight, and I am bright eyed and bushy tailed ), but really and truly curious.

Let's compare dog brokering to buying a new car:

1) You should always research the car first.  Know what you want and what you are looking for in a car.

2)  Research your dealer.  Do they have bad things out there about them?  Are they honest?  Do they stand by their product?

Most of us don't go directly to the manufacturer to purchase a car, tv, computer, etc....so, why would we go directly to the ???(insert whatever here) to purchase an adult/young adult dog that is already trained?

Further, as a matter of record, altho I have raised puppies in the past, I much prefer to get my dogs as young adults.  I do, occassionally breed(last litter was a bitch I "inheirited" when she was 4 weeks pregnant----I would not have bred her---long story, for another post, that was 3 yrs ago in December.)  Before that litter, it had been over 4 yrs since my previous litter.

Again, most of my acquired dogs were destined for a "dirt nap" or the "pound" if I didn't take them.  Some are really good dogs.  I do pick/choose.

I also, have been known to go to the high kill AC here and get a good dog and train it, and sell it to a pet home.  Usually for no more than 300-500.00.  Not much, but I am, I believe, saving a life----the dogs are living with me, getting well fed, crate trained, sent home with training for far less than what I charge the Average Pet Owner for the same thing.....

Just a few thoughts...