Would you buy a 'trained' dog?

monkeys23

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#41
I see no problem with paying for a nice started dog. :)

But i'd prefer an unstarted dog. I really enjoy doing foundation work and I've already had my starter dog to make stupid mistakes with. I mean geeze I went back to square one with her and started over with the clicker. She's so awesome and willing though, its been super fun!

I'm really more a young adult dog person than a puppy person, but they pick up SO much from their previous homes. I'd really enjoy the luxury of just starting from scratch next time. But never say never! :)

I didn't realize how much I'd done with my foster until I listed it all out for new momma. Omg that little dude got a real solid foundation before going to his new home, lol. They are having a lot of fun and have been working on his retrieve I guess. Apparently he likes bunnies more than balls. Funny little guy! LOL
 

*blackrose

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#42
When my parents were looking for a dog, they were looking at young/adult pre-trained German Shepherds. They knew they didn't have time for a puppy (dad working 50+ hours a week, mom at home with a five year old, a seven year old, and two infant twins), but Mom wanted to have a dog at the house for security purposes. (Stay at home mom with four young children recently moved in a large house in the middle of nowhere with no close neighbors. She was a bit uncomfortable.)

They brought home a six month old adolescent, intact, untrained Lab puppy instead. LOL :D Best decision they ever made. (Although stupidest decision they ever made, too. They had no time for a puppy. He turned out perfect in the end, though.)

I definitely wouldn't fault someone who wanted to purchase a well trained, well socialized adult dog and I think there is a "market" for that. The people who would be concerned about properly "bonding" with the dog would be more of the ones that could handle raising a pup they way they wanted vs. not knowing how to handle a puppy.
Of course, you would have to make sure the dog in question accepts taking commands from you. Cynder is a very well behaved, socialized dog. I've only felt comfortable having her off leash here in the past few months and I've been around her for just over a year. She responds to Mike like a dream, but I don't give commands like he does (can't, actually - he whistles and makes very distinct noises that I can't mimic), so it took her awhile to not only respect me enough to listen, but also to learn my version of the commands.
 
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#43
I would not, but I buy dogs because I enjoy training them. Training is the point of my buying a dog. I am not going to buy a dog unless I have something to train it for.

The prices are pretty on par. Raising a dog is expensive, and if it's part of your business the time is money too. It's very common in sport dogs, schutzhund, field, herding. A well trained companion dog has a lot of training time behind it, especially if you are going for off leash reliability.

This is sadly very true. As a breeder, I often keep 2-3 puppies to raise up. Once I decide who to keep, I look for homes for the others. These pups are already house-trained, crate-trained, and have some basic house manners yet people will simply not pay the same price they would have for a completely untrained 8 week old puppy. I don't get it?
Charge more. Market the pup as a started dog.
 

~Tucker&Me~

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#44
I wouldn't ever buy a 'trained' dog, at least I can't see myself doing something like that now.

A note about the horses vs. dogs thing though... Horses live a lot longer than dogs, like into their twenties. While dogs can live a long life too, for a large breed dog you are looking at an average of about 12 years. Time seems to fly with the dogs I have had, so I would want to get as much time with them as possible. Tucker passed away this year at only 8 years of age - looking back I wish I had appreciated every moment more than I had :( So to me, since a dogs life can be such a small blimp in ours, I want to cherish every moment of it I can.
 

Lizmo

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#45
Would I buy an already trained dog for herding? In a heart beat.

Would I buy an already trained in simple obedience dog? Most likely not, at least not at that price. Obedience is something I can train relatively easy, so it's not that big a deal.

However, I do think it is a neat idea. Some might not have the time to devote to thorough training that a dog needs, so I could see where that might be a good option to consider. It's just like sending your dog off for training, IMO.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#46
The time issue makes me sad, I hope its not regarding a lack of interest in adult or senior dogs. So many will miss out on one of the best things ever with that mindset. The senior dog (rescue) is just... Bliss.
 

monkeys23

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#48
Would I buy an already trained dog for herding? In a heart beat.
My parent's dog was actually. First he was a kid's 4H project as a very young dog and then some guy who had intentions of trialing him in herding bought him. And the neighbors who acted as brokers and found him for my parent's did some free refresher training with him and taught my stepdad how to use him. Now does he actually use him properly... not really... but at least they did all the right things I guess. And at least Will gets to be someone's focus instead of being a kennel dog his whole life.
 

yoko

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#49
The time issue makes me sad, I hope its not regarding a lack of interest in adult or senior dogs. So many will miss out on one of the best things ever with that mindset. The senior dog (rescue) is just... Bliss.
I know it might sound horrible but that does keep me from senior adoption. I mean not just that but it is a factor I think about. If one I loved needed adoption I would go for it but when you have me list out qualities I want in my next dog that's not really something I put on my list.

And I'm talking senior senior not just adult
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#51
I adopted Shamoo because time was convinent. I thought I'd have a year or two, we're rounding year five this winter. I'll always have an oldie, they're such rad dogs.
 

Catsi

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#52
Well to be honest I think such a service isn't really intended for most of the Chaz folks. Let's face it, many of us are the training-/behavior-/interaction-junkies of the dog world lol.
I agree with this. I think there could be a market out there for this. I'm definitely interested in adult dogs in the future, whether they be from rescues or breeders. But I don't necessarily want a dog 'trained'... I'd just look for the 'right' dog and work with that.
 

Locke

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#53
I think the concept is great, but I think the way the training is done is very important in its success. Having a two week intensive with the trainer prior to bringing the dog home would be a must for me if I were to buy a pre-trained dog.

I LOVE adopting adult dogs. No matter how cute puppies are, nothing will convince me that they are worth the frustration!!
I will adopt a senior dog in the future, but not until I have a good chunk of money away just for them. Old dogs can be very expensive, and I want their last years to be full of comfort.
 

Maxy24

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#54
Yeah I guess I should add, I'm completely for adopting adult dogs. I plan to get all adult dogs, trained by their previous owners/fosters or not. I just wouldn't want to buy a dog from some sort of "we buy/adopt puppies/dogs, train them, and sell them" type program. I just wouldn't trust the methods used. I'm not against that sort of program if it were done in a positive way, I just personally have trouble trusting that sort of thing, so unless I knew the person/people doing the training and all about their methods I'd be skeptical.

I actually think running that sort of program for shelter dogs or something would be a lot of fun. Pull them from the shelter, train them manners and some obedience, adopt them out.
 

Laurelin

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#55
I guess technically Summer was trained when I got her. Housebroken, leash broken, great manners and very friendly. She could do her owner's full TDAA agility course. Lots of tricks. A certified therapy dog...

I still haven't had trouble bonding with her and we've still had a lot of fun training since then. It's still been an amazing journey and I never think of it being cut short or her being less of MY dog than Mia. Of course there are things about her that don't exactly fit me but there's things about Mia that don't either. (Did I admit it out loud? lol)

I do admit that I love raising puppies though.
 

Emily

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#56
I still haven't had trouble bonding with her and we've still had a lot of fun training since then. It's still been an amazing journey and I never think of it being cut short or her being less of MY dog than Mia. Of course there are things about her that don't exactly fit me but there's things about Mia that don't either. (Did I admit it out loud? lol)
Yeah I definitely wouldn't avoid a trained dog because of bonding issues. That's like when people think rescues don't bong with you, etc. Any dog you take good care of will bond with you.

And I ****ing love senior dogs. LOL. When there's room in my life (and house) for a couch-holder I'm so getting an old dog! Love them.
 

monkeys23

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#57
Actually there is a senior Sibe in rescue right now that I would love to adopt. He's 9 and he basically looks exactly like Lily except with more white and blue eyes. I'm so in love with Atticus its not even funny. If it were the right time to get a third I would not mind putting off the working shepherd plan for this awesome guy.

He may or may not have doggie bling because of moi.:p
 

yoko

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#58
I adopted Shamoo because time was convinent. I thought I'd have a year or two, we're rounding year five this winter. I'll always have an oldie, they're such rad dogs.
For me I'm a one person dog and while I did have two for a while I really enjoy having one dog. I have loved all my dogs when they were seniors. But I've loved the journey to get there that I've experienced.


Yeah I definitely wouldn't avoid a trained dog because of bonding issues. That's like when people think rescues don't bong with you, etc. Any dog you take good care of will bond with you.
I don't hear this much but I have heard it a couple times and it always shocks me. They'll comment on how close Yoshi and I are and then comment about how they are worried that rescues won't bond.

Crazy :/
 

Catsi

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#59
I know I wouldn't have issues bonding with an adult dog. My grandmother's whippet... well, I bonded with him pretty much immediately and he was 11 months old when she got him.

Abby, who I have had from an eight week old puppy, took a bit longer to establish a really solid bond. I've always loved her and there was never any doubt that she was mine, but there were behaviourial issues that needed addressing and some emotional baggage on my side that also needed addressing and I needed a crash course in motivational training for the problem child (and owner). :p Ultimately it's made our bond stronger, but some dogs I just connect instantly to (Locke and Grace come to mind).

I love the seniors too, in fact I am enjoying Grace even more (is that even possibly??) now that she's just that slightly more mature lol and the greying faces just make me smile. If I wasn't so interested in obedience and other dog sport activities I'd strongly consider just having seniors. I can definitely see some in my future, other than obviously my young dogs as seniors.
 

elegy

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#60
I know it might sound horrible but that does keep me from senior adoption. I mean not just that but it is a factor I think about. If one I loved needed adoption I would go for it but when you have me list out qualities I want in my next dog that's not really something I put on my list.

And I'm talking senior senior not just adult
The time you do get though? It's so worth it. I had Siren for 18 months (she was 15 1/2 when I got her) and Harv for 14 months. Loved those dogs so much and will do it again when the time is right.
 

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