Aja

We have a very small backyard which would not be suitable for a medium sized dog. ..

That would be terrible if the dog was stolen or being sold without consent, I definitely don't want it then... But when I saw him, I kind of fell in love with him, he looked so sad and as one of my friends noted he looked neglected.. Unfortunately there are not small dogs in shelters where I live, I think they are in high demand now and probably being adopted before they are listed. I didn't realise luxating patellas is common in small dogs (just googled it) .. Is it something only a specialist can confirm, or would I be able to pick it up by looking at the dog?

Thank you for your kids words. Will continue my search and hopefully the right dog or puppy will come along soon. I was also offered a completely deaf puppy for $1200, and although ithe price was within our budget and she was super cute, I couldn't take her as we won't be able to provide the required care and training for a deaf dog.. If we finally find a dog, do you have any tips how to keep their teeth clean?

We can't really afford what breeders charge, our budget is up to $1500..

Pure bred puppies are too expensive for us unfortunately.

I just spoke with him, and it turned out he's been lying to me all that time... He was meant to get the dog's health records from vet on Monday, then today, and this evening when I called, he said because he had moved, he couldn't access previous vet records, and that "I told you that before" (!). He said the only thing he could do is transfer microchip into my name and to give my address, but I said no thanks no deal..

Thanks Julesluvscavs. What is happening in the market at the moment is crazy (or has it always been like this?). When someone lists a dog at a lower price, the ad is gone sometimes within the first 15 minutes of being posted. I submitted offers and sent many texts only to never get a response, or in the best case being let known that the puppy has been sold.

Thank you Powerlegs, its a hard decision to make as I thought we finally found the dog for kids. Owner told me he would go to vet on Monday to get some records, and when I asked yesterday whether he had he said he would go tomorrow. So I am waiting to hear back from him, hopefully will soon have something to report back. Yes I realised the dog may not be so kid-friendly, as I automatically assumed that being a small toy breed it should. When I asked the owner, he said he should be gentle with kids but to "watch them until they get to know each other". So not entirely sure now if he is the right match for our family. I wonder which smaller breeds are best suited to living with kids? And what does the dentals that you mentioned include, are they for cleaning tartar buildup, or rather removing/ fixing the rotten teeth?

This is exactly what I am now considering PossumCorner, I realised I cannot really trust this person...

Thank you for your advice. Yes I would have my husband with me if I were too go. But after all the helpful comments I think I might need to reconsider

He told me he has another dog (chow chow) that bullies the little pomeranian. I just googled seller's phone number, and found a post on FB by the Dog Rescue of the town he lives in. In the post Dog Rescue provides his (Seller's) mobile number and name to call for private adoption of a dog (dated 2015).

Thank you all for your replies. I don't have the dog yet, but he spoke with me on the phone and gave his full name and I found him on FB (I could see friends, relatives and posts etc so it looked genuine) and later I messaged him on Messenger and he replied. The dog in located in country NSW 4 hours drive from we we live, so he suggested we meet half way in a country town McDonalds... But I am suspicious that he lost the registration record of the dog. And also insisted that I pay $50 deposit as otherwise he would sell it to someone else, so I did.. The dog is microchipped apparently, should I ask him to give me the microchip number? And what do I do then, where can I check the implantation date (or can it only be done by the owner)? I was also told toy breeds get really bad dental disease once they get older, I guess I won't be able to check his teeth as the dog won't let me? P.S. There is absolutely no dogs in shelters here, only couple of big ones and we can't really have a big dog due to our circumstances. Thank you all for replying!

Hi All! It is very hard to buy a dog where I live, so I posted an ad on Gumtree and someone contacted me from another state and offered to sell his dog. He said his dog is 2 year old (maltese x pomeranian), and sent me the attached photos (initially he wouldn't send the close up photo of the face). After we arranged a pick up, he said he couldn't find his dog's registration papers.. So he said he would go to the vet, and apparently the vet would have some copy of some record.. ? I showed the photos to my couple of my friends and they said the dog looks older than 2 year old, and also looks neglected. The owner also said he's a "placid" dog, so I am not sure if this could be a sign of older age too? Please, any opinion and advice would be appreciated! The dog is not cheap, and I cannot afford to buy an older dog. And it needs to be a good companion for my active kids for many years to come. Thank you