Ah but Shona - remember, you're careful about where you're dogs go - not everyone is like that!!

Haha - buying a trained pup should have no training issues, lol - the trainer/owner is going to have had a litter to work with so there will be different faults in each one - a pup can never be classed as 'fully' trained. I should be so lucky!!

MY TURN MY TURN i think training is the best part of getting a dog and i cant wait till i get my pup
but when i win the lottery and get my farm and a wee flock of sheep i will need a trained sheepdog or i will be doing alot of running ,lots of people cant be botherd training dogs and thats why they end up in resuces

But would you agree there is always the exception to the rule...

what rule

lol just make one up....

the rule being... some people may make fab owners.. but for whatever reason an already trained dog would be better.
not really talking just about protection dogs..or sheep dogs but just a well trained socilaised dog.

Good post Moobli. I have to say, I also don't see how, depending on the breed and litter size, breeders do not very often make a profit. Your example of a Spinone litter is a good one. Of course, there can be complications with a litter that could eat into that profit, or wipe it out completely too, but that is not the norm.

I also agree that the welfare of an animal does not automatically go out of the window once money (and profit) comes into it. Good breeders select the families their pups go to even though they are often making a profit by selling the pups.

The same is/can be true of responsible sellers of part-trained dogs. Trainers have invested a lot of time and effort with the dog they have trained, and have bonded with that dog during the training process, and therefore are even more likely to want to know that that dog will be well cared for.

Yes the profits for one trained dog may well be greater than for one 8 week old pup, but in many cases are justified. Take the example of a trained sheepdog, gundog or protection dog. Presumably, a fully trained dog will be an adult, say 2 or 3 years old. Say also that that dog is sold for £3,000. During that time, the seller has boarded that dog, fed it, paid for vaccinations and other medical needs. He has invested time and effort in expertly training and exercising that dog on a regular basis, and it is only just that he is remunerated for that. He has perhaps called on other persons to help train that dog, either to act as distractions, or in the case of a protection dog, as a 'criminal'. Unless he has called in favours, these extra hands also need to be paid. He has invested in specialist equipment to train the dogs e.g. dummy launchers or sleeves/bite suites etc. It all adds up, and unless the seller is to make a loss, the cost of the dog goes up.

Look also at the benefits that the buyer of a trained or part-trained dogs gets - he hits the ground running and does not need to shell out for training classes etc. If he requires the trained dog in the course of his work e.g. shepherd or security dog handler, he can earn his living right away on the back of somebody else's hard work with the dog. He should expect to pay for that benefit.

Of course there are breeders/trainers out there who only wish to make a profit and don't care where their pups end up, but that attitude is not limited to those who make a profit. What about those who advertise pets as 'free to a good home' and let the pet to to the first person who answers the ad simply to get rid of the dog? They are not making a penny out of it, but just don't care.

As long as the training is done responsibly and these dogs are only placed in suitable homes, then I don't see a problem with the sale of trained dogs. With a bit of understanding and thought, the vast majority of dogs are able to move on quickly and adjust well to a new home.