Owner wants £1k for rehoming

[Bunionbabe]

Looking for another dog after my lab died this year aged 10. Always loved labs and would like another. Nothing in local rescues but I have seen a lovely dog, aged 2 online. Owner wants £1k for him. New baby forces sale, he says. Is that reasonable? KC pup would cost similar.

There's plenty of Lab specific rescues up and down the country. I'd go to one of those rather than buy online.

No I don’t think so

I’d steer clear of this owner. He should be far more concerned with getting a good home for his poor dog, not getting money for him/her.

I don’t think a new baby necessarily forces sale either.

Stinks imo

I think people are usually advised to ask for payment to ensure that the new owners will be legit and take responsibility for the dog, if that’s the going rate for a puppy then tbh I think that’s fair.

I would be highly suspicious of buying a dog online. This either sounds like a backyard breeder or someone who has poorly behaved dog that they intend to foist on someone else. Probably the latter

mmm no.

is he from a particular bloodline? Had special training (gundog, flyball?) health issues, health record? I wouldn’t pay for, essentially, doing someone a favour.

I think people are usually advised to ask for payment to ensure that the new owners will be legit and take responsibility for the dog, if that’s the going rate for a puppy then tbh I think that’s fair.

Sounds like an irresponsible owner who cares more about getting her money back than the dogs welfare
And shes not rehoming shes selling it

Exactly. The dog could have any number of issues - bite history, serious illness or physical condition etc. The seller is unlikely to be honest about these because if they were a responsible owner they'd be rehoming their 'much loved family dog' through a reputable rescue not selling him online.

Nope. For that money I’d want a perfectly trained dog with no bad habits to undo and I’d bet my house that that’s not this dog.

I think a genuine re-home would ask for a few hundred quid not £1000.
It's plausible that new baby forces sale but I'd want to know more about the dog itself. What's the provenance and also who was the breeder. You could then contact the breeder too to chat about dog

Steer well clear, sounds like a criminal. Go to a reputable rescue.

I think it's sad but not uncommon for new parents to consider giving up a dog when a baby comes along. I personally could never give a dog away but there are plenty of people out there who would.
If you have fallen for the dog, pay the £1k and bring him to the loving, stable home he needs and I'm sure you will give him.

Avoid private rehomes like the plague, they can lie through their teeth about the dog and you have no recourse or support if it all goes wrong

Thanks everyone. I suppose it it were me I'd just give the dog to a reputable rescue organisation. It's a lot of money and unknowns. Will have a think.

I think you've hit the nail on the head there- a responsible owner's biggest concern would be finding a suitable, loving home. I think it speaks volumes that this person is more concerned about the money than the welfare of the dog.

I feel really sorry for this poor dog.

Tbh £1k I think is cheap for a lab. We paid £1k 7 years ago for ours. I think they are advised to take payment so that it doesn’t just go to anyone.

I know people who have bought dogs in this type of scenario. It is normally dodgy to some extent.

They aren't rehoming this dog they are reselling it.

Ask yourself why they are selling and then ask yourself why they haven't returned it to the breeder or rescue they got it from as most prefer to take animals back rather than have them sold on to an uncertain future.

Consider why the dog has been advertised at a hefty price rather than rehomed via personal contacts and word of mouth.

Often these dogs are originally from puppy farms or backstreet breeders, often they haven't got proper papers, and they are likely to have health or behavioural problems. You won't have back up from a reputable breeder or a rescue.

If you want to proceed do so with extreme caution and your eyes open. Don't pay what you would for a well bred puppy from a reputable breeder, a decent seller won't care about getting their money back they will want to make sure their dog is going to a good home.

First point of contact to rehome a dog would be the breeder. Ig from a reputable breeder they would do everything in their power to help find the dog a good home.
Putting it online for sale would not be the advice of a breeder. Someone's more interested in the £££'s.

Is it plausible that a new baby forces sale?

if it’s a 2 year old dog it should be reasonably well trained, so no heavy lifting with toilet training etc.

yes it will need walking, but either someone is at home on mat leave- even if they struggle in the day with the baby it’s light nights for a good few months yet.

if they’re both back at work the baby is irrelevant as presumably they would do whatever they did pre-baby, daycare, dog walker etc.

so my conclusion would be this dog will not be trained, to the point it will be making itself such a nuisance it’s impossible to have it in the house with the baby. Or the baby is a lie and they’re just making up an excuse because they’re bored with it, or the kids have lost interest, or whatever less acceptable reason.

if you do decide to go ahead, I’d be insisting on a vet report- get it’s chip scanned to establish it’s not stolen, and that it doesn’t have serious health issues which is why they’re getting rid.

That’s not rehoming, it’s called selling.

Definitely NO

If the dog had come from a reputable breeder there would be a "rehome back to breeder" clause in the contract.

I've taken on an older dog, 8yrs old, from the breeder in these circumstances - the owner was distraught at having to give him up and the breeder arranged a handover at her house. 1p was exchanged to make it a legal sale, we did all the necessary paperwork re. microchips etc. then and there.

This is dodgy as fuck.

Exactly!

Sounds like they're bored of the dog and want some £££

If they really wanted to rehome they would liaise with rescues.

We adopted our dog for £500 6 years ago. She was just 7 months old. The family seemed really nice, the dog had a pet passport and they gave us details of her vet and chip. They said they just found her too much - she was very lively and their home was small. We thought the charge was reasonable because she had had all her puppy jabs and it was useful not to have to house train her.

Adopting a dog that's two years old would give you similar advantages. If you are tempted, I suggest going to meet the family and the dog. You can ask for their vet details and check what jabs/treatments the dog has had. You will get a feel for how the dog has been treated and if you really want him/her. Although the amount they are charging is double what we paid, I know that since the pandemic dogs have become much more expensive. If they have also paid to have the dog spayed/neutered, that is a big expense you would not have to pay, making the amount more reasonable. If I were you, I would give them a call and arrange a visit.

Read previous threads, OP. And have a look at just how wrong this can go.

Nice dogs are easily found in reputable rescues. And a well bred lab is about £1,500 MAX. Either buy a puppy from a good breeder or go to a rescue. Don't buy a dog online - it's not worth the risk to you or your family.

Plus quite frankly this scumbag doesn't deserve a penny of your money.

Paying £1K for a dog isn't 'rehoming' or 'adopting'. It's buying a dog online.

Most people who truly need to rehome their much-loved dog don't sell it like a used car.

It's perfectly possible the dog is stolen.