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August 7, 2011

What Dog Sellers Need to Know & Do

Everyone needs a companion -- whether it's a friend, family member or lover. As they say, 'no man is an island.'

In my case, I prefer having a dog. Why? It's because they are loyal and do not demand much from you except to feed and give them a loving home. I've always had pets throughout my childhood and have already had some of my own. Every time I watch a movie about a dog, my heart always softens up and makes me tear up. To say, at the very least, the movie Hachiko (A Dog's Story) is my favorite movie of all time.

Hachiko: A Dog's Story
The REAL Hachiko
The REAL Hachiko
The Dog Actor
Even though I've watched it several times, I never fail to cry (no, I do not tear up. I CRY.) I remember the first time I watched that movie, I was alone in our house in Paranaque with my toy poodle named Ponti. When I got to the climax, I kept crying and crying for 30 minutes straight. Then I hugged my dog tightly. Other dog movies that made me cry are Marley and Me, Homeward Bound, Air Bud, Beethoven, and Eight Below. I am a bottle of tears whenever I watch dog movies.

Marley & Me
Homeward Bound
Eight Below
Air Bud
Beethoven
Well, this post isn't about dog movies. It's actually about buying a new pet.

Recently, I've been feeling low and depressed in my condo. Even though I really like being on my own, there are some instances when I just wished I had someone who made me laugh and giddy inside. But yet, I am deathly terrified of committing myself to another relationship that will only end up badly. Instead of having a boyfriend, I prefer getting a dog.

While I am still deciding if I should have Ponti shipped back here (from Bacolod), I am also considering buying a new one, preferably a Yorkshire terrier. So now, I'm frequenting websites like Sulit. There are several sellers who I have found interesting. At the same time, there are so many sellers who I find insulting-- not because of their own personalities, but because they are trying to make money out of the craziest things. There are even some who irritate me so much because they think their potential buyers are so stupid.

One reason why it's so hard for me to find a dog here in Manila is because a) Sellers can claim their dog is a pure breed, b)They can show fake PCCI papers, c) The dog they are selling is abnormal (in the sense that some body parts are missing-- yes, oh yes. My dog Ponti is a one-egg wonder. He can't have kids). I'm really having a difficult time looking for a dog to buy because of these reasons. There's even one seller who offered to swap his female Yorkie with my iPod Touch, iPhone 3GS and +P5,000= CRAZY!


Ponti & I became best friends right away
This photo was taken the first night he arrived in my life!

I do hope I find a real dog breeder though so I can be really sure of the quality of the dog. I am really so appalled by the way these sellers do business that I decided to post some things that they need to know. At the same time, I hope this also helps those who are planning to buy a dog:

1. Mixed Breeds


I was talking to my friend, Angel the other day about looking for a dog when we both agreed on something really crazy: selling mixed breed puppies at an expensive price. In the first place, they should never be sold at a price! These dogs are considered abnormal because they won't have the same features and attitudes as their parents. I know there are some that look good but still... a mixed breed does not have its own heritage. If you buy a mixed breed dog, you won't know what his normal attitude will be like. If you must sell it, then at least sell it at a price that's just enough to cover the expenses you spent on him (vaccination, birthing and food).

a Blue Heeler x Australian Shepherd
Owners of this dog are worried about their pet showing signs of aggression
Credit: Pawfun
a Puggle
Pug x Poodle
Credit: TheJungleStore

a Chi-Poo
Chihuahua x Poodle
Credit: TheJungleStore

a Bullhound
Pitbull x Hound
Credit: UpsideDownDogs

For sellers, don't sell your mixed breed dogs for what the pure ones are worth.

2. Photos


I came across a dog seller a few months ago who was getting a lot of bad feedback on his comments list. It was because the picture he posted was really dark-- the only thing you could see were the eyes of his dog. He even said "please respect my pictures." In the first place, please post a better quality of the photo of the dog you are selling. As buyers, we are not requesting you to provide a photo of your dog that has been captured by the best photographer in the world. Even if you took the photo of your dog using your phone's camera, we won't criticize it. Just make sure that your dog is clearly visible in it.


3. Papers


If you're selling a mixed breed dog and you're saying he has PCCI papers, then that's BULLSH*T. If you're a real breeder, you know that mixed breed dogs can't have papers! 'Nuff said.

Oh! And when we ask if your dog has papers, don't tell us that you lost it or you don't have it yet. The reply we're looking for is either yes or no.

PCCI Logo

4. Vaccination Shots


I came across a seller who was selling me his 2 year old shih tzu for P7,000. When I asked if she had complete shots and papers, she told me that her dog only had 2 out of 5 shots and that the papers are missing. To all dog sellers: if you're going to sell your dog, make sure that you complete his vaccination and deworming shots before you give them away. As a rule, puppies can only be given to their new owner when they have reached 3 months and above.


5. Price


For price, it's the same as the rule for selling mixed breeds with the same price as pure breeds. Also, your adult dog is not the same as a puppy. Do not sell them with the same price unless your dog has been trained or has achieved awards.


6. Quality

To be honest, when I am looking for a dog, I don't take time to read the names of his ancestors. For one, I am never sure if they are real or if the seller just copied them from another source. Also, I don't know who the "big shot/ champion" lines are so this is not really a priority for me. As long as I'm sure that the dog is a pure breed and is healthy, I am perfectly fine with it.

Because of my fascination for dogs when I was young, I kept looking at the encyclopedia and reading about the different breeds of dogs. To some extent, I can still look at a dog and determine if he or she is a pure breed or not. 

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