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Shipping puppy vs picking up in person

18K views 62 replies 51 participants last post by  Shaolin 
#1 ·
A recent thread got me thinking how everyone feels on the subject of having a puppy shipped. This can be from anyones perspective... breeder, buyer, whatever.

Since we have a lot of breeders on here, as a breeder, are you comfortable shipping puppies if a potential buyer lived across the country or in another country? Would you prefer the buyer drives 10-20 hours to pick the puppy up vs having the puppy flown to it's new home to cut down on travel time? Are you comfortable selling puppies without meeting the buyer in person?

As a buyer, are you comfortable not meeting the breeder and their dogs in person and having the puppy shipped? Would you trust based on research you've done or "word of mouth" or would you have to go see the dogs in person before committing to a puppy?

Basically, how does everyone feel on the subject?
 
#2 ·
I've always picked my puppies in person. I'm not sure I could completely go word of mouth and reputation, but I'm kind of a control freak. I'd want to see the facility, the parents, and then ultimately have the ability to make a final decision on the puppy, even if it was breeder selected for me.

Of course I know people who have shipped their pups from overseas and been perfectly happy. So I think it goes down to personal preference.
 
#3 · (Edited)
I can't recall getting a puppy when I haven't met the breeder or some of his/her dogs ... but I have gotten puppies from these breeders sight unseen. I've gotten a couple older dogs where I didn't know the breeder personally but knew something about their dogs and knew people who knew them and felt perfectly comfortably with this arrangement.

I've had puppies shipped and I've picked them up. Shipping is easier on me, but I personally prefer to pick them up whenever possible.
 
#15 ·
I've done it unseen. Indra wasn't unseen, I went there, checked her out and then picked her up personally. Since I know the breeder and trust him, I told him what I wanted and he picked Judge and shipped him over for me and I got exactly what I wanted. That he would injure himself is something nobody could have ever foreseen.

I am now getting a bitch that I have not seen. I know her pedigree, I know her picture, however she was checked out by three people. One of my parents best friends, my parents themselves and if they say she's good, she's good and she'll be shipped over to the US soon.
 
#4 ·
In the past 15-20 years my husband and I have bought more dogs than I could count right now (some for us, some for police depts we were working with and some for clients). We have probably bought a dozen from Europe (sight unseen) and another dozen or so in the states. We have been very pleased with all but 2 or 3 of the dogs. When possible I will try to buy where we can go see the parents and the pups. I will say though, that my husband has been active in Schutzhund since the early 80's so has a really long list of people he can call and ask about dogs or breedings we are interested in.
When I was breeding Beaucerons, I would ship more puppies than ever got picked up here. It's just that way with rare breeds. Of all the pups I ever sold to people sight unseen, I only ever had one family I regretted selling the pup to. But I did get the dog back so all was well. Sometimes no matter how many questions you ask, you just can't always be right.
I tend to be very trusting of people in general and luckily it usually works out. I also do my research though, so I'm not just blindly taking everyone's word for it. I think that time spent researching and a bit of faith in human kind has always worked for me.

Annette
 
#5 ·
My puppy was shipped to me, and honestly I wish I could have made the 9-10 hour drive to pick him up. A situation that was beyond mine or the breeder's control occurred and resulted in my boy being "kenneled" somewhere (I had no idea where) over night without my knowledge or permission. I have no idea what he ate, who cleaned his kennel, who took care of him or how safe he was. I don't know if he was cold, hungry and scared... I will think twice about having a pup shipped to me next time, even though I am pretty dead set on going to Hunter's breeder for my next pup in 4-5 years.
 
#6 ·
I had my pup shipped and honestly I'd do it again. It took her longer then I thought to get to me (expected 2 hours like a regular persons flight) but she got to me without any issue at all got off the plane snatched a hot dog out of my husbands hand and acted like she knew us her entire life and just waiting for us. She came to my job completely bold and ready to take on the world met new people went on new surfaces investigated the repair shop etc.. I definitely saw no signs what so ever that traveling took its toll on her other then she had been a number of hours without eating and she was ready to tear a finger off to eat (of course she is still that way hahaha)
 
#7 ·
It's my thread, so I guess I'll give my opinion on the subject.

I think a puppy with solid nerves should be able to handle a cross country airplane ride no problem. Obviously, I'd want the best possible travel conditions in terms of temperature (climate controlled cabin) and an airlines with experience shipping dogs/puppies. Actually, I'd think a 3 or 4 hour plane ride would be less stressful than a 20 hour drive for a puppy.

With that said, personally, I'd be open to having a puppy shipped. If the breeder was comfortable with it and had a good history of shipping their puppies than I'd be for it. Just like Annette mentioned, I'm a pretty trusting person. Solid pedigrees and a breeders proven history means more to me than a one on one meeting even though both are important.

The problem I see with eliminating the shipping option is that it eliminates potential breeders. If I was very fond of a breeder in California when I'm in Connecticut, but was unable to do that drive, should this breeder be eliminated from possible options just because of location? Should I have to settle for a breeder who isn't as good, but is closer and more convenient? I don't think so.
 
#9 ·
If I was very fond of a breeder in California when I'm in Connecticut, but was unable to do that drive, should this breeder be eliminated from possible options just because of location? Should I have to settle for a breeder who isn't as good, but is closer and more convenient? I don't think so.
Ha! I'm the opposite - I'm in California but we had Halo shipped from Connecticut!
 
#10 ·
Wild Wolf , if your dog was shipped and something outside of anyone's control such as flight delays and not making a connection, later arriving when customs (if international) was closed , then the dog would have been kenneled at a licenced approved local kennel , or vets that they have a contract with.
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs
Carmen... how do you feel on the subject? Do you typically ship to customers around the country? Do you even sell puppies as pets or do they all go on to some kind of working field?

Ha! I'm the opposite - I'm in California but we had Halo shipped from Connecticut!
Of course she did... all the best things come from CT! :D

How did she do on the plane? Was she ok when she arrived? Did you meet the breeder before having her shipped?
 
#11 ·
I have shipped and I have received.
I have shipped to Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Turcs and Caicos, Trinidad, Guyana , all over the US including two dogs for SAR to Alaska.
Some destinations in US are more difficult than a flight out of country because of the "milk-run" routing . Alaska from Ontario always was a stay-over for the second leg of the flight .
I have never had a problem . Animal always arrived safe .
I have never had a disappointed party on the other end. Lots of time spent talking with them to really understand what they needed / wanted and lots of time to portray the animal as accurately as possible.

I have also recieved dogs from all over the US , two from Czech , last year two from Germany, DDR stock.
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs
 
#16 ·
I have shipped and I have received.
I have shipped to Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro, Turcs and Caicos, Trinidad, Guyana , all over the US including two dogs for SAR to Alaska.
Some destinations in US are more difficult than a flight out of country because of the "milk-run" routing . Alaska from Ontario always was a stay-over for the second leg of the flight .
I have never had a problem . Animal always arrived safe .
I have never had a disappointed party on the other end. Lots of time spent talking with them to really understand what they needed / wanted and lots of time to portray the animal as accurately as possible.

I have also recieved dogs from all over the US , two from Czech , last year two from Germany, DDR stock.
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs
No kidding. I would need a broker to have the new bitch shipped to Syracuse. They said they could either ship her to NYC or Boston. Hopefully a friend of mine gets some space on her flight. She's going to Washington, where I arrived last year, and I could pick her up from there. It would all in all be cheaper to go that route instead of using Gradlyn.
 
#12 ·
well one problem with shipping which I forgot about is that it is becomming more difficult because of flight embargos due to temperature and planes downsizing , physical size , less cargo space .

In fact I have a female in season now and have interested parties in the US (repeats) . They were asking if I was breeding her this time , to which I said no . This is mid October , the pups would be born mid-Dec , which I actually like , ready to go then , if calculations are right end of Feb , which is the time for some extreme cold .
That means no live cargo . I wouldn't ask people to drive that distance (Chicago) along a dangerous strip of the 401 which claims a few drivers every winter.
I'll wait till spring for her next season and hope to be able to ship before the temperature soars the other way -- too hot.
They take into consideration the time the dog has to sit on the tarmac before being loaded or off loaded .

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs
 
#14 ·
I had to fly cross country to pick up pup and fly back with him. He was small enough to fly under the seat and I had a companion fare so I used it to fly first class with my husband.(It was a $99.00 ticket in whatever class with a full fare purchase so it worked out to be roughly equal to two coach fares.) I had a sleepless night in Newark thinking of everything that could go wrong but he was a champ.

I've shipped my pit in cargo a couple of times and I hate it. Funny story, I was bringing her home on a cross country trip and had been trying to upgrade my ticket. The airline refused to upgrade me but gave me bulwark seating. I was really sick and stressed and was walking through the 1st class cabin just glaring at the privileged class. The cabin was almost empty except for 4 or 5 people and Stephen King! I wanted to stop and say something but the only thing I could think to say was "You're Stephen King!" and as I was losing my voice--it would have been totally creepy.

The flight attendant did make an announcement that all dogs were safely in cargo. This was in January on a NE to NW flight and I was terrified about the weather restrictions but we were very lucky and arrived home on schedule.

If I were to ship a dog at this time, I'd really have to try to use pet airways and drive to whatever hub is closest.
 
#18 ·
Masi was flown in from KY when she was almost 9 weeks old, long flight, went from louisville to texas , east coast then into Bradley in CT..(where I am). Took almost all day with the stopovers.

Our original direct, was cancelled due to the AC not working, so she was switched to a Continental flight, (would definately use them again! they were great!).

No ill effects, no mess in her crate, she came out ready for action, howling her head off, jumped out when I opened the door, and was like "HEY HERE I AM!!" :)
 
#19 ·
My only issues shipping are the expense and it limits buying from some locales at certain times of the year because of temperature.

I have other hesitations with importing, such as being leery if I (or someone on my behalf) doesn't have a good relationship with the breeder, but that has more to do with the buying process than shipping itself.

I almost bought a dog from Belgium and had no issues with the shipping arrangements.
 
#21 ·
I don't mind shipping, in fact with certain breeds like Rottweilers I have a breeder I would trust since she's so big named in the breed; for Labs I have three I trust to go with sight unseen. I'm have some sort of idea who my GS puppy will come from, but I'm still looking. I know some breeders of other breeds that will fly out with the puppy to the airport and all you have to do is drive to the airport for the puppy to be handed over to you. I like that a lot because you get to meet them.
 
#23 ·
We really did not want to ship. I tried hard to find a breeder close enough to drive too. But all of the breeders around here had something I wasn't too sure of. No OFA, they didn't work the dogs, no guarantee... Stuff like that.

Wolfstraum on here gave the advice "Location should be your LAST consideration!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (see I was listening ;) ), so I opened my search area up to include shipping. I am very glad I did. We found a breeder we are very comfortable with, but it means we'll have to ship.
 
#24 ·
Kato was shipped and in the middle of a heat wave. I think it was via Delta IIRC but they have a heat policy/program that ensures the dog is in an AC controlled area and that they will not sit in freight or on the tarmac for more than 15 minutes without being moved to an AC'ed area. That said, I was definitely nervous about it.

I'd certainly prefer to pick up the pup if it is possible but obviously I would not hesitate to have a pup shipped.
 
#25 ·
I have had puppies shipped to me from breeders I knew personally. Most I have picked up in person so I could meet the breeder, the puppies and at least the dam (obviously many breeders don't own both).

I have shipped puppies to buyers and I have had buyers drive 2000 miles to pick one up. The pups I shipped were sent to people with referrals from people I knew.


Shipping puppies doesn't bother me much though I follow the flight and check to make sure pups are loaded, picked up, etc. I was much more stressed when I shipped Vala to Washington for breeding. I know I drove the flight attendants crazy when we flew to Germany until they confirmed for me that she had been loaded. :)
 
#26 ·
I had Gavin shipped to me from Michigan at 8 weeks, sight unseen other than the website, I loved the breeders dogs and talked to different people with dogs from the Kennel, he shipped into Ontario Airport in Ontario, California in August on an early flight and was as happy and healthy as can be, he literally bounced out of his crate and grabbed his leash I put on him to play tug. :)

I have no problem not seeing or meeting either the dogs or the breeders in person, I talked several times with Julie and told her exactly what I was hoping for, we talked a lot before my puppy was shipped and I couldn't be any happier with my dog, I have become very close with Julie since , I consider her a wonderful friend and I count that decision to buy from her one of the best decisions I have made.
 
#27 ·
My husband was adamant that we have to go and check out the Sire and Dam before committing to a puppy, he wanted to make sure that they have great temperament. So we drove from TX to MI to pick up our puppy. :)

If we do get another puppy, I don't mind it getting shipped to me. After all, I have gotten to know the breeder very well.
 
#28 ·
My girl came from Boston out to Denver, and by pure luck, got to fly out with one of her littermates who just happened to be going to the same city I was. They were covered and poop and seemed pretty bummed to have been in that kennel together all poopy for 6 hours, but the feeling of waiting at the airport and then finally getting my fuzzy poopy baby was amazing. They even let me wash her in the sink at the airport, LOL! I didn't meet the breeder but he is a very close friend of my schutzhund trainer and I had researched Wum online and had seen Waika in some youtube videos, and was very confident that I was going to get a great pup.... and I did! I'd do it again, but I'd like to be able to see the pups in person next time just for the experience.
 
#29 ·
As a buyer.. I drove about 7 hours to get Apache. I didn't see anything put pictures until I went to pick him up, only had given the deposit. I think the 7 hour drive home added to his anxiety about being in the truck.
Kiya was shipped from OH to NY. She was about 14 wks old. The breeder I got Apache from found her for me, I was trusting her judgement about that breeder. Paid almost $1500 when all was said and done without having her in my posession which was a little nerve wracking. I can say that the experience didn't prove to be any worse for the wear when I finally did get to actually touch her. It was during warm weather so if she was in a cargo hold area she wasn't going to freeze. I have to imagine that sweltering heat would also be an issue.
 
#31 ·
For my next dog I want a Mal pup. I could never think of getting a pup shipped. Mainly because it takes the magic of picking your pup. Also I want to meet the breeder talk to them and Meet the parents. With shipping too many things can go wrong. I live in CA and would be willing to drive to another state if I had to. I drove my old dog cross country when I moved. So I would pick a road trip over shipping a pup.

If I where a breeder and wanted an import for my breeding program then yeah I would ship, but it would be a good excuse to go to another country.

I am not a breeder and I am sure I could find a good breeder with in driving distance from me. Like I said I have no problem going on road trips.
 
#42 ·
For my next dog I want a Mal pup. I could never think of getting a pup shipped. Mainly because it takes the magic of picking your pup.
Shouldn't the breeder pick your pup for you? Which, in a sense, takes away the magic?

I'd rather have a puppy picked for me by someone that's experienced in these dogs and knows what to look for and how to match them to buyers based on their wants/needs.
 
#32 ·
I drove 740 miles to pick up my eight year old and 250 miles to pick up my next... I don't like the idea of shipping and can't see myself ever doing it. Sounds like it works out just fine for everyone on this thread, but it just freaks me out for whatever reason. Actually, the Eskimo's breeder refused to ship any puppies, so it wasn't even an option.
 
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