What Not To Do
When Selling A Pet Puppy
E.
Katie Gammill
TheDogPlace Exhibition Editor /
March 2010
People looking for a
pet puppy are often appalled at price and the strings attached for a simple
pet. Ill-timed comments, especially about contracts, forced spay or neuter,
and breed health can “make or break” a sale.
Time
and again, prospective buyers say “thanks” and turn to less
demanding pet breeders. This “foot and mouth disease” literally
snatches defeat from the jaws of victory.
In all breeds, there are breed
rescues, breeder referrals, and breed reference people for parent
clubs. My experience revealed there are specific circles that
receive referrals and the other breeders can go pound salt!
I sent an e-mail from a friend’s
computer regarding two dogs for sale to be considered for
reference. The response I got was “please send specifics”. It was
obvious the reference person did NOT read the body of the e-mail as
it contained the sex, color, size, quality, certifications,
address, phone number, e-mail and web page. There was no intention
of my request going any further than the immediate circle of the
breeder referral persons involved. Therefore, the buyer interested
in an obedience, agility, or conformation dog is held hostage until
one such dog becomes available at a preset price from the
pre-determined circle.
Through the grapevine, a buyer,
thrilled to have found a puppy available, was going to pick her up.
The next day she called again, asking questions regarding
certifications and other genetic problems. The breeder referral
person insinuated in a round about way that this particular
breeder was perhaps someone NOT to approach. This caused unnecessary
concerns in the mind of the buyer. Lucky for her, she went anyway
and the result was the certifications were on file and the
buyer was thrilled with the new puppy.
Who wants to worry about genetic
problems and additional vet bills? Who wants damaged goods? Let’s
face it, 8 out of 10 puppies sold are healthy, happy, and simply
pets! We have yet to breed the perfect dog, or child. Most problems
are controllable. People and dogs alike handle small infirmities and
live a long and happy life. By cautioning new buyers of all the
“pitfalls” of ANY breed, the buyer can be quickly turned off. In
turn, they seek another avenue.
Add that to breeder contracts,
impending vet bills, exorbitant prices, and genetic possibilities;
is it any wonder a buyer doesn’t want to buy “a pig in a poke?”
All of these demands and unsolicited information overload the pet
buyer. You become YOUR OWN WORST ENEMY!
Many closed circles of breeders will
not let a specific breed be sold as a pet without strings attached.
Being a breeder referral person for two all -breed clubs, I can
assure you from the horror stories I hear, many sellers shoot
themselves in the foot from the get-go! Thus, the buyer goes to
the Internet and promptly finds a local farmer, puppy mill, or
backyard breeder who just wants to sell those puppies NOW!
The Humane Shelter marketing
techniques far exceed those of the breeder. Breeders know a
Rottweiler/German shepherd/Corgi cross shelter dog IS NOT healthier
than a pure bred. This combination allows health problems not from
one breed, but from three breeds but the shelter
people either don’t know or won’t say. They also don’t say this dog
may be a cast off, have behavior problems, or may grow up to be so
big it can be saddled and ridden throughout the apartment. How many
shelter dogs are returned?
Where do dogs go when the college
graduate leaves town? Shelters dogs are considered healthier as
there is no documentation regarding their genetic problems. You
don’t hear the shelter employees talk about that! Shelter dogs are
placed through “sins of omission”. Today, it seems MUTTS
are the breed of choice. If you don’t believe this, observe people
walking their pets in the evening up and down your streets. How many
pure bred dogs do you see?
Shelters concentrate on this: YOU
are responsible for saving this dog’s life! Through empathy and
compassion, they tug at your heart strings. It’s a “feel good”
thing. THIS WORKS! Often a bad experience with a shelter dog
eliminates a home for a pure bred dog forever. Future pet owners pay
exorbitant adoption fees and spay and neuter fees. They have more
invested in their “mutt” than in a pure bred puppy that guarantees
temperament, size, coat, health, and adaptability. It is the pure
bred breeder that offers certifications, pedigrees, socialization
skills, mentoring advice, and stands behind each and every puppy
they sell with a return policy.
As a breed referral person, I
suggest people go to the AKC website so they understand the initial
purpose of the breed. There they can read about size, temperament,
adaptability, coat, and housing requirements. Show catalogs of the
surrounding area are a good reference, as are parent clubs.
I make NO mention of breed problems,
price, certifications, reputations, or kennel situations. That is up
to the breeder the pet buyer seeks out. Word of mouth referring to
another breeder works as well. How can one infer another person’s
kennel may or may not meet what they consider proper requirements of
a good breeder when they don’t know the facts? It’s called “Buyer
Beware”, if someone doesn’t pay close attention, perhaps they
deserve what they get.
The pet buyer’s concerns are NOT
always a breeders concern. They just want the basic facts. They
don’t want a $2500.00 pet. Pedigrees mean nothing, and suggesting
health concerns sets a puppy up to fail. If a buyer wants breeding
stock or a conformation dog, these issues should be taken into
consideration. Otherwise, it should be a “Don’t ask, don’t tell
policy”.
“Live and let
live”. Those to whom you refer, in time, will refer back to you if
they have nothing available. Do refer on and don’t set the next
breeder up to fail. If there is a pure bred puppy available, let’s
get it into a quality home with a responsible pet owner where is
will be a loved and cherished for a lifetime.
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