Advice on shipping a dog - Page 1

Hi everyone,

Just trying to prepare myself as I have never purchased a dog and had him shipped before.  What is the best practice to protect myself?  I truly feel this person is reputable, otherwise I wouldn't bother, but I still want to make smart choices.  Do I send the entire amount to him up front, then he ships the dog?  Should he send paperwork to me before I get to the airport?  What is the normal procedure, if there is one?  

Thanks for your help!

JLB

Where is the dog coming from? Most breeders don't ship until paid in full because of the same trust issues that concern you. It's generally safer to pick a pup up from a reputable breeder in your area so you can examine the pup or go get te dog yourself. It's a big leap of faith to purchase a dog sight unseen just do your home work.

Best to ask the breeder what the protocol is. They should know and if you trust them enough to send you a healthy pup, seems like you should trust them to guide you through the buying procedure. 

Why would any breeder trust a total stranger to send the balance of price AFTER the buyer receives the pup across country or wherever it's being shipped from? Cheating has happened from both ends.

Hope everything works out for all involved.

Dog is being shipped within the US.  Not by a breeder.  I fully expected to pay up front, and already planned that.  Just wasn't sure if there was something I could get from them to protect myself as well.  

If you're planning on buying from an individual who just has a dog for sale, and not a breeder, then it's going to be difficult to vet the person and know if they are what they claim. I would not do it. I would want to  see the dog and put hands on it and the registration papers, if applicable.

see if the shipper breeder will allow you to pay though pay pal , or with a visa, check, . that way you are covered..

When I first began breeding, I opted to allow shipping puppies to buyers that were too far away to pick the puppy up.  At the time, the only thing I was thinking about was that it was a convenience service to the customer.  My protocol was pretty typical for breeders...  You pay the full cost of the dog AND the full cost of shipping (including the crate).  Once payment is received and cleared by the bank, and I get a notorized copy of a signed purchase agreement from you, then I ship the dog.  You also have zero say in the shipping method.  I will decide what is best and safest for the puppy, not your wallet.

As far as trust issues go, it's a lot easier for a lawyer to track down a cashed check than a puppy.  If a breeder screws you, you have the proof of email exchange, purchase agreement, and canceled check in your favor.  The breeder has nothing but your word that you'll send the payment.  If you insist on receiving the dog first THEN making the payment, good luck to you, because there isn't a breeder out there that would agree to that.  You'll be waiting a looooong time for that dog to show up.

All that being said, I've since revised my policy on shipping.  I've read horror stories about how animals are treated in the shipping process, and while that may not happen often, I'm not going to gamble with the life of one of my puppies just to make a sale.  Besides, I like to meet my buyers and get to know them before giving them a puppy.  I need to make sure my puppies go to good homes, and I'd like to be able to refuse a sale based on that.  So I've never shipped a puppy, and I never will....  But this reminds me, I've gotta update my website!  I believe it still says I'll ship.

Anyway, good luck with your dog, and I hope you decide to go visit a breeder in person and let the puppy pick you.  I've found that when people look at the pictures on the website and settle on a dog, then they show up, they almost always end up falling in love with a different one. 

Most want full payment up front before ship did you see vids and pictures of both paperwork and the dog wanting to be purchased,paypal or check gives some protection but still can be a mess to try to recover funds,are they willing to mail you paperwork in advance for a small fee,you might ask on this site if anyones heard of the persons name and if they can be trusted if they sell dogs very often.