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Adopting a dog privately - not via a rescue.

111 replies

Wellsonsea · 11/09/2025 20:28

A friend of a friend - casual-says that she has to go back to work full time for economic reasons.( was pt )
They have a 4 year old shiz tu
dog and arranged a walker each lunchtime since she has gone back to work.
This is £15 per session and is therefore £ 300 per month .
They apparently feel this is also not good for the dog and want a home for him were he will have more company.
Are people really this selfless- if so struggle to give my dog up due to finances.
I am really tempted to adopt this dog .
The thing is they live in another town some distance from me so Id have to assess the situation on a visiting basis.

I know will have to be careful as this could be a difficult dog etc. as its without the back up of a rescue.
i will get permission to call their vet .
can i insist on returning if he does not settle .? If so how ?
what if he didnt settle .
He is 4 .
I am aware that dogs need time to adjust. Am experienced dog owner , but not of this breed.
Can anyone advise?
Have spoken to
them on phone and they sound genuine and anxious re their dog .
Ive found that they have advertised the dog for sale and i will post the link- but I have first refusal.
Please do not judge the site they have advertised on- they asked me loads of questions and sound worried.
The advise I would really appreciate please is
. what questions to ask
. how to
judge if they are genuine .
. how to assess the dog
. how to safeguard things if it breaks down( and if they say i cant return him if it breakes down- do i walk away)
On the face of it - he really is my type of dog.

OP posts:
Wellsonsea · 13/09/2025 22:13

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon
i discovered i love shitzu!
is ot the norm to have a really flat face ? The nose barley sticks out at all - but he is v small so maybe its in proportion!

OP posts:
OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 13/09/2025 22:33

You can't go testing other people's dogs,

and if you buy him then have him tested what will you gain ? from that knowledge

except something to declare to your insurance company.

you are not buying a puppy from a KC breeder.

but yes from his photos which I can't make larger and from looking at my girls on my knee his nose is sort of ' normal '

Shih tzus are a Brachycephalic breed which means they suffer with little noses squished into their faces, french bull dogs esp suffer. but that is a whole different story.

I had a Japanese Chin, carefully chosen - I researched the breed / breeders and was allowed to buy him from his breeder ( a top show judge ) and my Vet upon seeing him for the first time commented ' he has good pair of nostrils ' well what else could she say as he basically didn't have a nose.
Luckily he never suffered from his breathing coz of his nose, it was heart failure that got him :(

My shih tzu didn't die due to breathing problems, I adopted her from a rescue at the age of 3, having fostered her for a year ( the ' right ' home never came along for her ) she died of a stoke aged 7.

Pugs are a Brachycephalic breed too.

Out of the 3 Brachycephalic dogs I currently have it is only the smaller Shih Tzu / Pug X that sometimes snorts or can suffer a bit in the heat. So clearly I don't walk my dogs during the day in the heat.

PoppySaidYesIKnow · 13/09/2025 23:12

if you like him, just take a chance. Honestly, even if you buy a puppy from an approved breeder things can still go wrong. I bought two of my dogs as slightly older from the same website, did as much background as I could, as you have, they weren’t perfect, but I trusted my instinct. If you have the mindset that maybe something could go wrong, but I’ll risk it, then you’re being honest with yourself. And yes they do have very flat faces.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 14/09/2025 19:31

Well...it's 7.30pm...

is he now at home with you ?

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 15/09/2025 10:56

@Wellsonsea

I am guessing Buddy is not indeed at home with you, as the man informs me he has someone coming today at 4pm as the woman didn't come yesterday due to the weather...
Whereas we both know you were there on Sat.

Unless it is you that couldn't go back yesterday and are going today at 4pm

Wellsonsea · 15/09/2025 20:17

Hi ! So this is what happened
I saw buddy on sat night- he was delightful amd very huggy and great fun .
I planned to have him sunday all day for him to get used to me
he made me laugh so much
On Sunday am my dh said that he was really not his sort of dog- id shown him a video of buddy- and that he was much smaller than the pics- he said he wouldn’t look forward to walking him but wd come with me sometimes- I think that if he had liked him- he would have let go of the idea re all the tests- but because he didn’t adore him he also mentioned that he would be worried in the future - especially as he was small. Buddy was built like a yorkshire terrier.
Id also mentioned that he absolutely smelt v strongly of vape ( i smelt of it too when if picked him up) amd he questioned if that wd be an issue .

the man had said he he needed a decision by 4 on Sunday and id planned to take him after our day. But with dh s feeling - i did not have time to discuss it with buddy about to be delivered to me amd I had to take a quick decision as i did not want buddy with me knowing that i may have to say no after a day with him . I wouldn’t enjoy the day on that basis and also would feel a fraud knowing dh s feeling s.
so sadly I had to tell his owner dh s feelings .it would have been awful having him for the day knowing what i knew.
He is an absolute delight and has awakened a love of shitzu s for sure . He will be loved i am sure - he is so funny

  • thanks so much for yr help.
  • it wasnt the weather that stopped me !
  • i keep thinking of him
OP posts:
OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 15/09/2025 20:28

Oh what a shame, you never mentioned it was you and your husband buying Buddy.

smelling of vape - I fail to see the relevance of that ?

Anyway, your husband and you now need to decide if you are going to buy a puppy from a KC breeder if tests etc are that important to you,

or if you are going to adopt a rescue from a charity ? and it won't cost £700 to do so.

Wellsonsea · 15/09/2025 20:47

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon No I didn’t mention him because I had the impression that It was ok for me to choose- my dh appeared happy for me to do so - but he really did not like the look of buddy as he was so small - i may have been able to
persuade him but the timing was so tight .( he went on about tests and short nosed dogs i think as he didn’t like the look of him - but if he had , he would have probably not gone on again about testing- i think he mentioned it more as a means to not go ahead )

OP posts:
Wellsonsea · 15/09/2025 20:48

Registered with a charity.

OP posts:
OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 15/09/2025 20:55

Ah well I guess the 4 pm lady bought him today, as the advert is now closed. and when I hit the back button I get a message saying the advert has been deleted.

Wellsonsea · 17/09/2025 09:41

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon
yes she did - a lady who had a similar breed.
I really did like him - id not seen dh reaction comming - and I couldn’t buy more time to try to work on him .
sounds like he has a fab new home .

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