How To Approach Breeders Listing Mature Dogs

[McMiffy]

Hi everyone

I don't have a dog - yet - but we are at the 'seriously planning' stage. I am wondering if anyone can give me some insight.

Our youngest child is 3. We also have cats. We think that it might be folly to get a puppy, so we are thinking about a mature dog.

Based on information I have read, I have sent a couple of emails to breeders advertising dogs we are interested in with information about us and our intentions for the dog and have asked in turn about the dog (health screening and the results, if it is desexed, if it is cat/kid friendly, if it has had any training, if it has lived as a member of the family or in a kennel etc) so I know what sort of previous life the dog has had so I can decide if it will be the right dog for us.

I am curious as to why my questions aren't actually answered. As in health checks are stated as done, but no indication if they were good or bad, hip scores not provided even thought they state the dogs have hip scores or they say they 'think' the dog will be OK with cats but they don't know, or will be OK with kids if they don't make sudden movements/shout/act like kids. I am left wondering if I am oversharing about our doggy plans, or asking too many questions - except I really don't think I am. Am I expecting too much information from the breeders? Except, again, I don't think I am. If I am looking to buy a dog that is not a puppy, am I correct to think that the seller would want to answer my questions about its health and life to date? I think that given I expect the dog to be with us until my kids are grown, it isn't too much to ask about health and individual temperament so as to make sure we are all a good match. But then I second guess myself and think "well if I get a rescue dog I won't necessarily have all this information" but to be honest, I feel that the rescue dogs often seem to have far more information offered about them and their temperament than the mature dogs offered by the breeders.

So, my questions is - to those of you who sell your mature dogs - how do you like people to ask about your dog? Am I doing the right thing and just got a couple of odd replies? Is it OK to ask about health and temperament of a dog in the first email? Is it appropriate to discuss the dogs potential new life, or should I wait for you to ask me? If I ask about health tests, when should I expect to be told the results? Is that a follow on correspondence type question? Also, is it OK to ask why the dog is being sold? Or is that considered a bit rude?

Oh, and one more, if a dog has been used for stud and the breeder says he is still intact, does that mean the dog will be sold without being desexed? I thought dogs had to be desexed if not being sold to a breeder with a licence? Who is responsible for desexing the dog?

Thanks, I thought I had better check with you all because I feel like I might be doing this wrong!

[persephone]

Welcome :)

Not a breeder - but A first email with all those questions would make me dizzy ;)

perhaps email , saying how much you like the looks of their dogs , and appreciate the hard work put in, the show success/breeding success ..(and you MUST , otherwise, why ask )..and how much you would like a dog of theirs - and WHY - temperament /size/markings ...

explain BRIEFLY your situation - family - young kids , cats - working or not .

Ask if they think they may have a dog suitable?

then it is up the breeder , I guess.

never done it , myself - so the above is just a suggestion :)

make sure, before you ask anything that you have done your homework . Do an internet search of the breeders name/prefix - get any/all info you can , so you know what they are breeding, and get an idea of how dogs are raised/housed.

be polite, and remember, some breeders are VERY busy .

Breeders are human too ;)

[Rebanne]

I don't rehome my adult dogs but I think you are wanting a bit much in a first email. Most of what you are wanting to know will come out as you progress in your talks.

I see nothing wrong with a breeder saying a dog might be ok with cats. It would have to be an educated guess if the breeder didn't have cats themselves. Same with the kid thing. Only health test for my breed is only relevant if you were to breed from them so a bit of a non issue for a pet owner.

Pers has good advice

[Christina]

Hi everyone

Our youngest child is 3. We also have cats. We think that it might be folly to get a puppy, so we are thinking about a mature dog.

Based on information I have read, I have sent a couple of emails to breeders advertising dogs we are interested in with information about us and our intentions for the dog and have asked in turn about the dog (health screening and the results, if it is desexed, if it is cat/kid friendly, if it has had any training, if it has lived as a member of the family or in a kennel etc) so I know what sort of previous life the dog has had so I can decide if it will be the right dog for us.

I am curious as to why my questions aren't actually answered. I feel that the rescue dogs often seem to have far more information offered about them and their temperament than the mature dogs offered by the breeders.

Also, is it OK to ask why the dog is being sold? Or is that considered a bit rude?

Oh, and one more, if a dog has been used for stud and the breeder says he is still intact, does that mean the dog will be sold without being desexed? I thought dogs had to be desexed if not being sold to a breeder with a licence? Who is responsible for desexing the dog?

Thanks, I thought I had better check with you all because I feel like I might be doing this wrong!

I don't think you are doing a thing wrong. I would want to know these things too.

I have only re homed a couple of older dogs, the eldest being about 18 months. I would like someone who asked these questions & gave info about their home situation & family.

Any responsible breeder would desex the dog before letting it go to a new home but it is not mandatory. Registered breeders with the canine associations don't have to have a licence for a small number of dogs they just join the association for their state & agree to abide by the code of ethics.

Keep trying & you will get replies from a breeder who suits you.Good luck.

[hippo]

Any responsible breeder would desex the dog before letting it go to a new home but it is not mandatory.

It's illegal to keep an intact dog in ACT without a permit, so if the breeder isn't from there and not aware, and happy to let the dog go intact, then it would be up to you to desex him/her.

I have found that most breeders prefer a short initial email giving out a bit of information about yourself, and then if they respond favourably then you could call them.

[nyssel]

When we talked to our breeder about getting our older girls, we shot them a brief email showing our interest, about our family and asked a couple of basic questions about the dogs and gave them our number. She rang a day later and we had a lovely conversation, then proceeded to communicate through lengthy emails where I asked a few of my questions and concerns. I think it is a bit much to ask in the very first email, but from what it seems there is absolutely no harm in asking all of that. It's not over the top, just hard to answer in great detail in just one mail :)

[McMiffy]

It's illegal to keep an intact dog in ACT without a permit, so if the breeder isn't from there and not aware, and happy to let the dog go intact, then it would be up to you to desex him/her.

Ahhh! Right, yes, different states different laws. Thanks.

So possibly being a little bit full on then? LOL

I have been researching the breeders as much as I can. I've looked up their show results, read their websites, checked their Facebook pages, etc but whilst with some breeders you can get a very good feel for their breeding program and type of breeder they are, others have very little information available at all. I don't think that lack of information means they aren't good breeders, but it does mean that questions can't be answered any way but by asking directly.

In regards to health testing when it is just a pet purchase; if a breed is prone to issues such as hips, would the puppies have all been tested and scored, or not? I would assume that any responsible breeder would be testing and breeding only with dogs that don't score poorly, but if a breed is still prone to a particular health issue, is testing still done on the resulting litter or not? Obviously you can't completely avoid health problems, but by starting out with at least knowing what the test results show would, in my mind, be sensible. So if testing is stated as done, should the buyer assume the tests were good if the results aren't provided or is it polite to ask what the result actually were?

Thanks for your replies, I am feeling a bit uncertain as I've never done this before.

[Leah82]

I work in rescue and manage all the incoming inquires from Pet rescue. I get the occasional email that goes in depth about their circumstances and they want to know on the outset if the dog is kid/cat friendly etc, to be honest this approach does put me off a little because the impression I get is they want a ready made pet and are not willing to put in any effort (I had one lady that told me she has returned a lab to a rescue because it barked at her cat or as she called it 'was openly aggressive towards her cat'

A couple of things to note regarding the kid/cat thing...

Most dogs do not have a problem with children, the issue is kids can be unpredictable, they can encroach on the dogs personal space easily and generally become annoying. If left unsupervised there is ALWAYS a risk of something happening. If you are aware of this and are prepared to offer plenty of supervision and allow the dog to have it's own space then you shouldn't have any problems, you will also hopefully have the opportunity to meet the dog prior to committing to purchasing it so you'll be able to see the initial interaction with your 3 year old for yourself and make a judgement from there.

The cat thing is very similar, it's hard to know exactly how the dog will react until it meets your cats, it might have lived with cats before but these are not your cats.

If it hasn't lived with cats before there is no reason why they can't learn to get along with training and slow introductions, you may want to focus your breed search around dogs with a lower preydrive but generally it all comes down to how much effort you want to put in.

And as other people have mentioned all other questions around healthchecks and desexing are completely valid although may be worth waiting to see if they think their dog would suit your circumstances first as it can take a lot of time to answer these types of questions over and over again.

My advice would be to ask if the dogs have lived with cats/kids but don't expect them to predict how the dog will behave in a totally new environment.

[Trisven13]

Those questions wouldn't put me off at all. I think that they're perfectly reasonable.

[Podengo]

In regards to health testing when it is just a pet purchase; if a breed is prone to issues such as hips, would the puppies have all been tested and scored, or not? I would assume that any responsible breeder would be testing and breeding only with dogs that don't score poorly, but if a breed is still prone to a particular health issue, is testing still done on the resulting litter or not? Obviously you can't completely avoid health problems, but by starting out with at least knowing what the test results show would, in my mind, be sensible. So if testing is stated as done, should the buyer assume the tests were good if the results aren't provided or is it polite to ask what the result actually were?

Thanks for your replies, I am feeling a bit uncertain as I've never done this before.

The puppies are not tested, the parents are :) Depending on what hip scoring scheme is being used, they are usually X-rayed as full grown adults.

[teekay]

When I emailed Luka's breeder I did send a bit of a novel. I asked lots of questions and told her all about ourselves. She actually told me she loved the fact I asked all the questions. It showed I was seriously thinking about things, ahd done my research, and not just, I want a cute puppy, have you got any available?

I'd say keep trying, there will be a breeder out there happy to answer your questions.

[grumpette]

In regards to health testing when it is just a pet purchase; if a breed is prone to issues such as hips, would the puppies have all been tested and scored, or not? I would assume that any responsible breeder would be testing and breeding only with dogs that don't score poorly, but if a breed is still prone to a particular health issue, is testing still done on the resulting litter or not? Obviously you can't completely avoid health problems, but by starting out with at least knowing what the test results show would, in my mind, be sensible. So if testing is stated as done, should the buyer assume the tests were good if the results aren't provided or is it polite to ask what the result actually were?

Thanks for your replies, I am feeling a bit uncertain as I've never done this before.

The puppies are not tested, the parents are :) Depending on what hip scoring scheme is being used, they are usually X-rayed as full grown adults.

As it is an older dog that you are enquiring about, the chances are very good that the dog has already been X-rayed and health tested, so they are perfectly good questions. The breeder would have taken the results into consideration before advertising the mature dog for sale.

[Salukifan]

McMiffy:

So, my questions is - to those of you who sell your mature dogs - how do you like people to ask about your dog?

Send a quick email. Then lets get on the phone and have a chat. :)

[mita]

We've nearly always adopted an adult p/b dog that a breeder wants to place in a good pet home.

My first approach has been to send a summary of who we are & a brief history of owing pets and what kind of life awaits a new pet. Also I've referred to any information that the breeder's already given in an ad or website, pointing out my agreement with it & why I'm interested in the breed.

I've thought the breeder needs to know who's asking the questions ... & can then nominate how they'd like further specific enquiries to be done. Phone at a convenient time? More detailed follow-up email? Or both?

I've always had positive experiences with the breeders & it's led to owning wonderful dogs.

Word of mouth counts, too. I've passed on such breeders' contacts to thoroughly decent pet owners I know .... & provided a reference for why I'm doing that. So friends have gone on to get adult dogs from the same sources

[Sandra777]

Pretty much what mita said :)

Also, as you are responding to an advertisement for a dog which is for sale I don't think it's unreasonable to ask basic questions about the health of the dog in question - it's not like you're asking if they might have a dog sometime in the future, the health of that specific dog is known to them.

It might be a lot quicker and simpler to pick up the phone and talk to them.

[mita]

It might be a lot quicker and simpler to pick up the phone and talk to them.

Yes, after the first 'introduce myself' email, the breeders mostly opt for phone calls because they've then got a handle on who they'll be talking with.

Again emphasizing word of mouth. Right now I'm putting together info on my breed of interest, for a doctor couple in the extended family who'll be looking for a pet dog to grow up with their baby daughter. If they want to go ahead, I'll give them contacts to good breeders we've dealt with .... with a note from us. Again, so the breeders will have some idea about the people they'll be dealing with.

[WeimMe]

If you have a specific breed in mind, maybe you could consider contacting a breeder who is involved in breed rescue and let them know you are looking.

Personally, I think it can be a lot harder to find an adult dog that ticks all the boxes and doesn't come with any issues than it is to find a suitable puppy. It might take a while to find the right match (but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait!).

I wanted an adult dog when my old girl died, but given that we have visiting children, a cat, another dog and chickens it just seemed easier to wait for a pup in order to have the best chance of everyone getting along.

[Mum to Emma]

My tip is to, if possible, attend a breed specialty show and ask around. Got both my 1 year olds that way. Breeder gets to meet you in person and there's a good chance that the dog will be there too.

[mita]

If you have a specific breed in mind, maybe you could consider contacting a breeder who is involved in breed rescue and let them know you are looking.

Personally, I think it can be a lot harder to find an adult dog that ticks all the boxes and doesn't come with any issues than it is to find a suitable puppy. It might take a while to find the right match (but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait!).

I can understand that many people want to start with a pup.... & then form it, thro' training & experience, to their circumstances.

But, even then, by the time they get the pup, a great deal of the foundation has been laid for future behaviour. Evidence is that how the parent dog is socialized by a breeder flows on to early pup development....& later behaviours. Same with the very early socialization with people & environment.

So exactly the same breeder management strategies go into sound development ... of both their pups & their adult dogs. Which means adopting an adult dog from such a breeder is likely to turn up a socially well-developed dog. That certainly has been our experience & why the adopted adult dogs pretty seamlessly slotted into our lifestyle. When people praised them for their sociability & confidence, I'd have to say...'They came that way!'

It's a matter of weighing up options & circumstances... puppy or adult dog & from whom.

Mum to Emma, I agree about visiting shows, for starters, & talking with breeders. And then maybe following up with later enquiries.

Edited May 28, 2015 by mita

[westiemum]

Interesting replies - The people I got Mac from, who have since become great friends, said they picked my email out of hundreds precisely because I did ask questions... (And I joke with them that little did they know what they were starting...)