Silfurskuggar

Buying a dog

The saying goes that “things are not always the way things seem to be”, and nothing can be more true than that phrase when you are buying a dog.

This post will serve to help perspective dog buyers avoid the obstacles and pitfalls which often entrap loving owners to dog’s they didn’t want.

Of course, everybody loves their dog and the feeling is mutual. So, it’s important to remember that your buying decision is the only time you will have to make a decision what dog you own.

Rule 1

What you see is not what you get. That is, the cute puppy you are looking at will not be as cute in as few as 3 months. I know it seems obvious, but, be sure to do some research on what size the dog will be when full grown.

Rule 2

Don’t trust the seller. Ok, Ok – I know that there are very few Cruella DeVilles out there, but still… People selling the dogs are out to make money. If they say it is a 100% true breed, and they don’t have records, it’s probably a lie. It doesn’t mean it’s a bad dog; just means it’s not 100% one breed.

Rule 3

Never bring the kids to the shopping time. It sounds like a good idea, because it would be fun, but it’s not. First of all, the kid may become scared when he sees cages and crying dogs. Second, you might buy a dog you don’t want because you kid thinks it’s funny.

Rule 4

Talk to other dog owners about their buying experience and take their advice.

Our Perspective on Selling a Dog to a Buyer

Selling a dog is not as easy as it might seem – however, everybody wants a puppy, so, the time constraint usually works in your favor. That is, when people see a puppy for sale sign, and they are interested, you have a higher chance of them buying it than if you were selling, say, a life insurance policy.

Dog seller’s often get a bad rep. which is ironic because they bring so much joy into the lives of the new owners. in the first place, the seller is assumed to be heartless in getting rid of the cute animal -although most buyers understand. Second, the seller has assessed the financial gain from the poor little animal and has sought to capitalize. Finally, the new owner experiences two psychological response associated with the seller.

First, the new owner will always seek to establish him/herself as the new boss, as soon as possible. That means taking over for the true Momma, and the former owner. This complex has been alluded to many times though-out psychological studies. It generally presents itself in overt compassion, times-taking devotion, empathy, jealousy, controlling instincts, and protectionary instincts.

Second, the new owner will inevitably experience cognitive dissonance, or, in lamens terms – buyer’s remorse. At this point, the buyer becomes angry with the former owner, likely due to the time constraints presented by the puppy love ideal. Buyer’s remorse is not unhealthy, and is generally thought to result from a lack of research in alternatives and durational realization of the purchase, associated with loss of substitutes. Fortunately, puppies are so cute, that most owners just mentally agree to the sacrifice.

Long story short, we encourage owners to do as much research as possible, and we do a brief financial background check on any owner before making the final sale. There is also an initial interview prior to sale, and we reserve the right to disapprove any buyer, for any reason. That said, it very rarely happens.

Ana Pavlovic

Schnauzer