Should we be leery of this? What questions should we ask?

If you are wondering what is the right dog for you, this is the place to be. In this introductory forum we talk about topics such as breed vs. mix, size, age, grooming, breeders, shelters, rescues as well as requirements for exercise, space and care. No question is too silly here. This particular forum is for getting and giving helpful, nice advice. It is definitely not a forum for criticizing someone else's opinion, knowledge or advice. This forum is all about tail wagging and learning.

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Member Since
10/15/2012

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 11:53am PST


	Has anyone here gotten an adult dog from a breeder? My BFFs family had two dogs they had gotten as adults from a breeder and they were absolutely wonderful. They came to them fully trained and blended into the family really easily. We love this idea--we would be able to skip the puppy period and we would know about the dog's background. I emailed a labrador breeder near us to inquire about 2 adult dogs that were listed as available for sale. We had considered this breeder if we decided on a puppy. She emailed me that they were slowly retiring from breeding and that they were reducing the size of their kennel. At least one of the dogs has been primarily a kennel dog, I am not sure about the other. The breeder described her as 80% house trained. She is not spayed. Both are 2 years old. My concerns: --The dogs would cost about $100 less than the cost of a puppy from them. That doesn't seem to be standard practice from what research I have done. Should it be much less? --Socialization issues from a more kennel-based environment. --The lab that I am most interested in was not born in their kennel. I am not sure whether either parent was one of their dogs. --They got this dog at 8 weeks old, from another breeder. If you are trying to retire, why get another dog? To me, her answer as to why the dog was available didn't seem to make sense. Are my concerns valid? I am not very knowledgeable about some aspects of breeding. Should we even meet this dog? If we do meet the dog, what should we ask?

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Member Since
01/04/2009

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 12:10pm PST


	I would expect the same types of things for an adult dog that I would for a puppy from a good breeder: I'd want to see health certificates, obedience titles, conformation titles, and I'd want to make sure that they had a good reason for rehoming the older dog. I'd want them to be active in their breed club and someone who was very knowledgable about their lines. In your case, I'd ask specifically why they felt the dog was only 80% potty trained- does she have an incontinence issue that's going to plague you? Why are they downsizing their breeding kennel? How many times was that lab bred before they decided to pet her out? What do they know about her mom and dad? I'd be careful in your shoes.

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Quincy

We don't doodle!

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 12:28pm PST


	My biggest question is what do these breeders do with their dogs, as in breed showing, field work, obedience/performance work?? If they are just breeding these dogs I think you have a legitiment concern about a dog sitting in a kennel for two years. If they do something with the dogs it is most likely the dog has at least been trained and gone to events away from the kennel. As for them placing a dog they didn't breed and just got two years ago, I recently retired from breeding labs myself and two years earlier I had no intention of not continuing to show/breed, etc so it would have been likely that I could have had a younger dog for placement, HOWEVER, any time I ever got a dog from another breeder we co-owned and the understanding was that the dog would be returned to that breeder if I couldn't/didn't want to keep it. A concern I might have would be a two year old dog being up for placement if because it failed its two year old hip exam and not because I didn't want to breed it??? Do you know these people well enough to know if they might just omit that information when placing the dog? If you were limiting the breeding you were doing it would seem more logical to place OLDER dogs, not young ones. I guess I would want to see copies of the hip, elbow, heart and eye clearances on ANY dog two years old or older before I took the dog. As for price, I sell my older dogs for the same price as my puppies. Let's face it, they have cost me MUCH more to raise them to that age and it is much easier to determine the temperament, health, etc., of an already mature dog, plus they are covered with my same guarantee.

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Member Since
10/15/2012

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 1:11pm PST


	Hi Quincy, The lab had her hips and elbows cleared at 18 months. She also has had her eyes checked and was cleared. Does that sound appropriate? She was shown this past summer according to the breeder and lived with the handler during that time. She says that she describes her as 80% housebroken because she thinks she will need to be supervised at first in a new home. I feel like a newbie right now, even though we have been really doing a lot of research.

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Quincy

We don't doodle!

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 1:39pm PST


	Well, hips and elbows cannot be cleared until the dog is two years of age. She could possibly have done preliminary checks but those are pretty meaningless and not to be considered final by any means. Eyes need to be done yearly, except for the PRA and Retinal Dysplasia which are DNA tests. EIC is also a DNA test. Most of my dogs were "kennel dogs" as well, but they were all raised in my house until they became kennel dogs, usually around age two so they WERE housebroken, leash trained and had basic CD level obedience. Depending on how their kennel is set up, most labs who have grown up with the option of going outside for elimination will not have any problem when brought into a house situation, however.

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"Selli"

The Muddy- Princess

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 4:22pm PST


	Could this breeder be outside of the US and that is why the hips were done at 18 months?

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Member Since
10/15/2012

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 5:01pm PST


	We are in Canada, I am not sure what the standard is here for hip and elbow testing. The breeder has lengthy information on her website about what testing is done. I will take a look and see what I can find out about what is standard for Canada. Is there a way for us to get any realistic idea of the dog's temperament? We have young children and I don't want to find out that the dog is say, a severe resource guarder, once she starts living with us. We consider ourselves novices and don't want to get in over our heads. Thank you for your insight. I am trying to get as much info as a can at a distance so we can make a rational decision. It's hard to be rational when a yellow lab is licking your hand...

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"Selli"

The Muddy- Princess

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 5:09pm PST


	In Canada, final hip clearances can be done at 18 months through OVC. I don't know how their rating system compares to the OFA in terms of predictive value, but the Canadians are happy with it. I can see the point of placing your younger dogs first since they are likely to be easier to place than the older dogs plus they are probably much more attached to their older dogs.

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Quincy

We don't doodle!

Barked: Thu Nov 1, '12 5:09pm PST


	Can you give us her website (OR, email it to me if you rather not publish it, email is nyleveiam@aol.com), maybe I know them or at least know the lines. I have connections with lots of lab breeders in Canada as well and can perhaps give you some insight into the general temperaments in those lines if I know them.