GOOD DOG: Beware the unscrupulous dog seller; they're everywhere

The following is a truly disturbing case that occurred just a few days ago:

A woman with a 3½ year-old son wanted to replace a dog that recently died. As she was browsing Craigslist (a free online classified service), she came across a listing for a 10-month-old Shar Pei male, out of champion bloodlines, for only $300. Such a deal!

After doing some online research about the breed, she contacted the couple that owned him. She was told that they had paid a large sum of money for him, that he had an excellent pedigree, and that he had a wonderful temperament. The couple said they wanted to find him a new home because they were deploying, and they felt he needed more room to be a dog (since they live in an apartment). They also assured her they would take him back if things didn’t work out.

Though still slightly skeptical about the asking price for such an expensive dog, she decided to take him.

The first week and a half (the “honeymoon period”) was uneventful. Then the dog began showing signs of dominance and aggression toward her, including mounting, growling when corrected or asked to do something he didn’t want to do, and biting.

These behaviors escalated to where the woman was  afraid of the dog. She could not go near him without him biting and growling at her, unprovoked. Being concerned not only for her safety, but that of her son, she called her vet for advice and was referred to me.

After discussing the details of the situation at length (too many to list here), I concluded that these behaviors were genetically based, and therefore recommended immediate euthanasia. I told her that while it’s possible to control many genetically programmed behaviors, the ones this dog was displaying were too pronounced to be corrected. This fact eliminated the possibility of a rescue taking him.

And returning him to the original owners would most likely result in similar, if not more disastrous, results for another family.

The woman had to arrange for her vet to come to her home, since she couldn’t get the dog into her vehicle to bring him to the clinic.

Before the vet arrived, the woman called the original owners, who were adamant that they’d never had any problems with the dog. They also changed their story about why they wanted to find him a new home, and — surprise! — they didn’t want him back.

Now the woman and her son are emotionally traumatized, and she is out even more money.

This is not meant to deter anyone from using online resources to find their new best friend. Instead, I want to reiterate that there are some unscrupulous people out there, and caution must be exercised when looking for a dog. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, and follow your intuition.  No one deserves to be put through a situation like this, but it happens every day.

Don’t be the next victim!

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Jim Beinlich is the owner of Cool K9’s Dog Training in Colorado Springs and a member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Reach him at www.coolk9s.com.