Buying that dog  –  Avoiding the Scams and Getting A Best Friend

This guide note should follow your decision making about what kind and type of dog you are going to get. If you have not filled in this checklist, look for “Getting A Dog” in this series. If you have filled in the checklist then you know what you are looking for, using this checklist will avoid heartbreak around the purchase.

Pets Australia members can use the checklist below when you begin your search for the perfect dog. it will guide you through what questions to ask, what to look for, how to detect a scam and avoid breaking your heart, and what questions will make you feel comfortable that you are acting ethically and with proper consideration of pet welfare.

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[private_passionate pet owner]

1.  Where are you going to go looking for your new friend?

Write answer here __________________________________________________________________________

There are basically only a few answers to this question:

a)     the internet

b)     the classifieds

c)     the breeders

d)     the pet store

e)     the animal shelter

f)      gifts from friends and relatives

If you have already worked through the previous checklist, you will already know that (f) has the potential for disaster – you do not have the chance to match the dog and what you need for your family.

Now lets look at the other alternatives:

2. If you are buying from the internet of the classifieds, can you answer the following?

The internet and classifieds are powerful tools for connecting you with a future dog, but it has limited ability to match family TYPE with the dog TYPE unless you can actually meet the dog in its own home. Most internet/classifeds dogs DO NOT come with “papers” so beware – purebreds bought from these sources are not breeding quality. The internet/classifieds can be the source of both puppies and adult dogs. You should be able to answer the following questions:

Is there a real dog? __________________________________________

Many scams involve “selling” pups or heart breaking “free to good home” adult dog stories when there is actually no pet to sell. A picture is NO guarantee. If you are asked to wire money, if you can’t identify the owner, if you can’t phone them on a landline or look them up on the net (and you must PHONE the landline to check!), or if they insist on shipping the pet to you before you have inspected it, chances are they are not real. DO NOT BUY!

If there is a real dog and it is as advertised, can you or a friend inspect it at its own home? _________________________________

The advertisement should include a microchip number, location and you should be able to inspect it at its own premises. BEWARE of “we bring it to you” advertisements, mobile phone the only contact, or “can’t inspect prior to purchase” advertisements. The pet may be stolen, may have been sold to multiple owners etc. if the pet is interstate, get a friend or pay the local veterinarian to inspect the animal for you before you pay for it. If the internet advertisement is for a pet shop or breeder, check to see that it actually exists.

You should examine the dog carefully for type, breed mix as stated, general health (bright, alert, responsive). If you are unsure, bring a friend or pay someone to do the inspection for you.

Is there a health guarantee and suitable return policy? _________________

Now that you know that there is a real dog at real premises and that it is for sale legally, make sure you can return the pet if something goes wrong in the first 7 days. You may get the pet home to find a major genetic problem costing many thousands to fix. If there is no return policy, DON’T BUY!

3. If you are buying from a breeder can you answer the following?

Breeders do not have to be registered – for example, hybrid breeders cannot be registered with the Kennel Control bodies. Equally a breeder being “registered” is not a guarantee of quality. You must assess the breeder and the premises on the basis of your research, what you see and feel.

Breeders don’t only sell puppies – you can often get high quality adult dogs when they have finished their breeding lives, or pups that have been “run on” to see how they turn out (normally between 1 & 2 years of age).

Breeders sell both “show quality” and “pet quality” dogs – only “show quality” dogs come with “papers” that prove their ancestry. Seeing the parents is useful mainly for “show quality dogs. You should go and meet the breeder and quiz them on the following questions:

Does the breeder have a robust health guarantee and returns policy? ____________________

If not, we suggest that you search elsewhere. Reputable breeders take responsibility for the dogs they breed.

What genetic problems has the breeder encountered in their stock and in the breed? ___________________________________________________________________________

Good breeders will “level with you” about the problems in the breed and how they go about avoiding them or testing for them. If they test their pets, you should see the actual tests and make sure the name or microchip matches that on the pet.  Good breeders have a robust returns policy in case a pet returns a positive test.

Can you carefully examine the dog before you buy it? _________________________

If the breeder has an “I’ll deliver to you” policy, if there is only a mobile phone number, if you can’t see the pet in its own surroundings, DON’T BUY. The “breeder” may be or poor quality or the pet may not be owned by the breeder.

Are you clear about whether the dog has “Registered Papers” /”Papers” ? _______________________

“Pet quality” dogs DO NOT have papers and you SHOULD NOT breed from them. “Show Quality” dogs may or may not have papers depending on how the breeder wants to sell them. Hybrid breeds CANNOT have “Papers” as they cannot be registered with the Kennel Control ( which only registers pure breed dogs). If you are not intending to breed you may not need papers – and why breed? It’s messy, can be expensive, is really hard work and not necessarily profit making.

4. If you are buying from a pet store, can you answer the following?

Do they know where their puppies have come from, and can they vouch for the quality of that supplier? __________________

ASK them. If they can’t consider another pet shop.

Do they have retail sales guarantee? ________________________

This is a legal requirement in NSW and “best practice” in other states and territories. ASK for it. If they don’t provide it, go elsewhere.

Do the puppies look fit and healthy and are they microchipped, vaccinated and wormed? _____________

If the puppies look unwell (not just bored!) and the pet shop cannot give you the dates of vaccination, worming and microchip number, go elsewhere. Microchipping is a legal requirement in many states and territories, and “usual practice” in the rest.

Does the store provide you with a “care sheet”? _______________________________________________

This is a legal requirement in NSW and “usual practice” in all other states and territories. If they don’t provide it, consider looking elsewhere.

6.        If you are buying from an animal shelter or pound, can you answer the following?

Are the pets behaviourally tested before they are sold to you?

Sadly, impounded pets may have varied past lives. If the shelter cannot tell you in which behavioural areas the pet “needs understanding” then consdier another shelter – you don’t need a nasty and possibly dangerous surprise.

Is there a retail sales guarantee?

If the shelter is not prepared to offer a “returns” policy, then consider another shelter. Good shelters try to avoid pets “coming back” to the shelter after some time (which stresses the pet even more) by trying to match perfectly first, and dealing with any issues really fast.

Is the shelter clean and hygienic, are the staff well dressed and happy, and paperwork procedures “tight”?

If a shelter will not let you inspect the premises, if the pet is “brought out to you”, if you cannot check the hygiene, consider another shelter.  Good shelters are happy to show you how good they are!

Now you know the questions to ask and the things to look out for. As much as you may feel you are “rescuing” pups from a bad situation, remember that supporting poor organisations with your money only rewards their behaviour. Buying from good operators rewards those businesses , makes them stronger and the less good operators weaker. Be choosy, after all you are looking for your new best friend!

[/private_passionate pet owner]