Buying a second hand dog

[ChrisPBacon]

What signs of the animal's health should you look out for when buying a second hand dog?

[tief]

First make quite sure it's a genuine second hand dog and not just a used dog.

[froggequene]

You could always ask the owner to provide a certificate of health for the dog or ask your own vet what you need to look for. If it's an older dog you may be looking at things like arthritis, joint problems, sight or sound problems.

[andy hughes]

Your proposed new pet should be alert and friendly - he shoulc show willingness to come to you and be handled. he should have bright eyes and a sleek coat - if he seems listless or has dull eyes, it's a sign of bad health. Give his boday an all-over feel to ensure there are no lumps or bump that should not be there, and this wil also ensure that he is used to being handled. If you have a good feeling about him, ask if you can have him cheked by a vet before you part with him - and do that yourself, or accompany the owner, and see that everything is ok. Make sure he has all innoculations, and check any special likes or dislikes, or bad habits (!) before you part with any money.

[bimsey]

Check the mileage is correct!

[moonacre]

Maybe you should think twice about getting any dog. "Second hand"? Its not a Hoover.

[flyingmonkey]

this is an extract from the national office of second hand dog trading: the dog you are planning to buy should not show any signs of rusting in our outside the dog, the dog should also not have any traces of salt and vinegar crisps or cheesy waffles, in its stomach or teeth, finding any of theese food stuffs indicates that the dog might have a fancy for crisps and waffles and therefore would be an untrustworthy thing to have around the house if you are a crisp and waffle addict. also the dogs serial port should be accesible and clean, should you need to update the dogs operating system for any reason, before buying a second hand dog always ask the privious owner where the dogs reset button is and what tools you need to access it (ie heated catle prod, shotgun, mallet, axe, chainsaw, grenade, hacksaw, penil, electric eel etc)

[Cactus]

I bought a dog once that turned out to be two dogs welded together. I should have noticed really, the front was a Boxer and the back end was a Jack Russell. The guy who sold him to me told me the back end had shrunk in the wash, and i fell for it. I only found out the truth whilst out walking him in the park. I threw a stick for him, the front end tore away from the back and ran after the stick, while the rear end proceeded to hump my leg. Most embarassing. Yes, always check for signs of a cut-and-shut.