Your thoughts on buying trained dogs.

shootingkid

Well lads was just wondering what yous all thought about dogs for sale on the internet (e.g done deal) and what you thought about the dogs fully trained for sale. Did any of yous buy off it? What did you think?

Thanks:)

Savage93

If you're looking to buy a trained dog you're far better off buying from somebody with a good reputation locally where you can see the dog working and make up your own mind. beware of bargains, "there's no such thing as a free lunch"

natdog

very few people sell good dogs this time of year most dogs being sold are dogs with a problem.
beware of the dog with a story;)

homerhop

If you can see the dog working well and good, but when you are out with the trainer it does not necessary mean the dog will work well with you.
Personally I would prefer to get a pup and develop a working relationship where I will get to know the dogs handling and quirky traits and the dog will grow to understand how you want it to work.

endasmail

buy a pup and train him yourself
well worth the effort

charlie10

im in the process of training a young pointer, pick up tips from lads along the way and he is super obiedent and its the most rewarding thing i have ever done. was told i was mad to be buying a pup but i really enjoy it and wouldn trade him for anything:D

brianfrancis45

I looked at a few trained springers from Done Deal during the summer and must say they were a mixed bag irrespective of the price. My advice is to be careful and for any dog you see which you feel may suit you, insist on seeing the dog actually working in the field before you part with any cash !

One dog I saw with a hefty price tag (Euro 1200) really looked the part and was spot on with all commands given by the Seller while he was showing the dog to me in his back garden. Initally I was very impressed but asked that we take the dog to a nearby field where I had seen some decent cover and a few rabbits on my way to his house. He was a bit reluctant and I got the blah blah about the dog being fully trained to field trial standard etc.. but I told him that I must see the dog in the field or I'd be on my way. Glad that I insisted as although the dog was top class in terms of reacting to commands, when we got to the cover , it quickly became apparent to me that the dog was trained like a circus dog but had the prey drive of a pet poodle. The dog wasn't even hitting the cover where I had seen rabbits going in as we approached the field. Suffice to say that I was immediately out the gap and on me way home with me money still in me pocket ....

Finally I saw a dog in Kerry which was for sale from a well known trainer there. Good fella to deal with as not only did he take me out to see the dog working in the field but he also showed me a couple of other dogs he had for sale as he said it was important to try to the match the right dog with the right handler. He was right, as a couple of dogs he showed me were very hard going but I had difficulty handling them.

One of the dogs caught my eye as although a bit on the soft side , I could handle him very well . When I expressed concern on one or two points one of the dogs performance the seller told me that apart from training on the whistle, the dog hadn't seen much game yet and my concerns could be ironed out quite quickly . He offered to let me take the dog away for a few weeks to see how I got on with him and during that time I worked a bit on the dog and showed him a lot of rabbits. All worked out well and the dog is going great now . Even better still I got him for almost Euro 500 cheaper than the other ''circus'' dog.

If I had the time (which I don't) I think I would have bought a well bred pup and trained him myself as the satisfaction/sense of achievement from that is great. So if you have the time in my opinion thats the way to go. Otherwise if it must be an already trained dog for you, ,my advice would be to ensure that you see the dog actually working in a place where there is some cover and game and not just see the dog going through the motions in the sellers back yard. Also as others have said , I think right now is the wrong time to be buying a ''trained'' dog as it is likely that anything for sale during the season has some fault or other. Train a pup yourself if you can and if not only buy from someone with a good reputation for decent working dogs and always see them working or even ask to have the dog on trial for a while to see how you get on.

Double Barrel

Can't say it better than brianfrancis and charlie.

Get a pup from a breeder of gundogs and make sure you see the parents working under field conditions.