Why do people select a dog or puppy just by looking at a picture on the Internet?
This is a phenomenon that we have experienced both as a seller and as a buyer. After all, looking at a cute puppy or dog on the internet can lead you to daydream about how that dog or puppy might fit into their life. In fact, the problem is that the photo can make you create your own fantasy about the characteristics of the puppy or dog. Also, other people (sellers) may have different criteria in mind for the puppy or dog than you do.
One of the problems with modern technology is that it is very impersonal. A person usually contacts a breeder by phone and spends a lot of time establishing the criteria for their purchase. Over time, the breeder or seller would learn the exact expectations of the buyer. The buyer would then appear in person to view the puppies or dog for sale and assess whether or not he was a suitable candidate for their needs.
It’s not like that! Many times, because of the Internet, we now have buyers looking at photos on the Internet. Much to our surprise as breeders, we have callers already attached to a certain puppy or dog. The photos are only meant to give the potential buyer an idea of what the puppies look like. It turns out that many clients become obsessed with a certain puppy or dog without having seen or put it in person. In fact, we’ve had people call and say “if… he’s not available, I don’t want to go out.” This could be the case with a litter of 8 or more puppies and with puppies that we consider inferior to the others in temperament or other characteristics.
An example of this as a breeder was a recent buyer who called and was interested in a litter of German Shepherd puppies we had. He said he wanted the puppy for AKC Obedience and Agility work. He asked us to choose the most outgoing of our remaining puppies (which we informed him were only two), but it was all done via email and he insisted he would make a deposit to keep the most outgoing of the two as he would. I won’t be able to come down and see her or pick her up for two weeks. Given the fact that she was an hour away, it was obviously worth the drive to get out and see the puppies herself, but she claimed to be too busy to do so. Since we were currently advertising the puppies, she wanted to lock the puppy up in plain sight without her seeing it. We received 40 emails from this woman and one phone conversation. Schutzhund’s training or her boyfriend was never mentioned. She then shows up with the boyfriend to pick up the puppy 2 weeks later. They both picked up the pup without any negative comments, questions, or concerns. She not only had she put a deposit on a puppy she never saw. She then took the puppy home without examining if she really wanted it. She later decided that she did not like the temperament of the puppies. This would never have happened without the Internet. When she sent an email complaining about the puppy, she said her boyfriend wanted a Schutzhund candidate. This was something that was not said in the copious emails from her. In the old days this would never have happened. We would have had several telephone conversations that would have clarified things much more. She also would have had to go down and pick out the pup herself instead of relying on email and photos.
Personally, as buyers, we have been sent puppies that were of lower quality than we expected. We have never bought from someone we did not know and it has still happened to us. In one case, we had taken a female Rottweiler across the country to breed in Florida. After she didn’t get pregnant, the stud owner offered us a puppy in her place. We had been to her house and they knew perfectly well that we were looking for a show dog. What we received at the airport looked like a goat! I am not exaggerating! The dog looked like cattle!
Another example is a client of ours who purchased an adult male German Shepherd titled Schutzhund without seeing it online from an out of state breeder/trainer. The site looked good and the guys’ credentials looked good, but they were complete newbies just looking for a family protection dog and thought a Schutzhund I titled a German Shepherd would fit the bill. In fact, they began to wonder why they would spend over $10,000.00 without seeing the dog first and seeing it work. They called the seller that he was 1500 miles away and asked him to come see the dog in advance. To his surprise, the salesman said visiting him would be a total waste of time and money. He stated that they would have no problem working with the dog from the moment he was released from the crate at the airport (although no instructions or videos were sent) and that once the dog got used to the new home, he would act and protect as a field The dog was cute, but from the moment they took him out of the cage they noticed that he didn’t seem to respond in the least. They ruled him out for not being familiar with his surroundings and decided to give him time.
When this did not change after several weeks, they sought us out to see what they could do to improve the situation. They thought it was their fault that they couldn’t get the dog to follow commands. Upon evaluation, it became apparent that the dog was not a Schutzhund I. The dog was actually afraid of the lure and did not even have the most basic obedience skills, much less skills that a practiced Schutzhund I would have had. A former regional director of a Schutzhund Club videotaped the dog for use in court, but the couple said the seller had told them the contract was explicit. Any legal action would be brought in his state 1,500 miles away. The net result was that they had a dog that they paid over $10,000.00 for and was worth about $2000.00 based on age and pedigree.
To be fair, we have also shipped puppies all over the country to buyers who have been very satisfied with their purchase. We are very happy that you are satisfied, but this is also a situation that can be dangerous. Try filtering by phone questions and emails. You try to send photos and discuss temperament, but you can never really know what’s on someone else’s mind regarding expectations for the puppy. It’s a bit like a blind date. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. The downside to this is that a blind date is for one night only.
The puppy is for at least a decade and this is a commitment that must be made in person.
We have personally bought puppies from all over the country, but our general rule of thumb is to see them for ourselves before we buy. If you don’t like the puppy, leave without buying one! Do not buy a puppy on the Internet without seeing it because if you are not happy at the end, guess what? It’s your own fault!
The bottom line here is that your new puppy will be a member of your family for at least a decade. It is your responsibility to choose responsibly and decide whether or not the puppy is a good fit BEFORE you take him home. No matter how busy your schedule is or what your criteria is, the purchase is YOUR responsibility! If you don’t take this seriously, you may get what you deserve. BUYER BEWARE!