Help finding quality owners

[Sundog]

Hi! I touched on this briefly in my intro thread, but I thought I'd come here for some good advice. My brother has an accidental litter that was born last night. They're Boerboel/Corso cross, and he wants my help finding excellent owners for them. I have some experience on the buying side, especially from quality breeders (my Ridgeback is beautifully bred and is a finished Champion, and I've owned several other reputably bred dogs in my life)...however, I've never actually tried to place pups. Mostly I'm looking for tips on screening buyers, and how to find them. We are particularly interested in experienced owners who have owned either of these breeds before...you know, owners who will do right by the dog, get it trained, feed it well, the whole nine yards.

Any advice? We plan to do applications and contracts as well. Any help composing either of these? Thanks!!

 

[DennasMom]

Hmmm...
I've never been on that side either - except when we re-homed one of our rescue dogs (he didn't get along with our first dog, and after 3 years, we figured they'd both be happier living apart... which turned out to be true).

We had to go back through the original rescue group (by contract) - but it was pretty much "on consignment" - as we were in control of home visits and getting all the paper work done. I have a copy of our adoption agreement, if you think seeing that would help. (PM me an email address and I can send it over.)

You could try contacting local large breed & mastiff rescue groups (or any rescue group, really), see if they'll do a "courtesy listing" for you. I know a number of groups do that around here.

But... these are PUPPIES!!!

PUPPIES are big business and big $$ for rescue groups... so they may want to just take over the litter... because "they know better" (not always true)... so, be careful what you agree to. Maybe you could negotiate a "referral fee" for anyone that contacts you through the rescue listing? make it a win-win proposition? The rescue/rehome groups might have waiting lists for puppies, so that might be great place for 'qualified' owners - if you can work through the politics of it all. Hopefully I'm overly cautious from our experience, and you'll have no trouble... but better to go in cautious, I think, and be pleasantly surprised, versus the opposite.

If you do craigslist, be ready for lots of gamers and naysayers and potentially criminals.
eBay also has free classifieds - without the "no sales" rules of craigslist... i.e. same issues as craigslist, but with fewer protections for you, too.
FaceBook might help, but if your friends are like mine when it comes to animals... not much.

Wish we were in a spot to take in a puppy... but one big dog is all we're good for, right now. We know our limits!

There is a sub-forum here for "rescue & adoptions"... definitely post there! might find someone looking...

 

[Sundog]

oh, Craigslist is totally out of the question. He has a lot of "friends and family" that are interested, but I told him to not place pups just because he's found someone willing to take them. I told him he needs to be a good steward of his dogs (both breeds) and make sure that he's really vetting people before he gives them a pup. I'm leery of advertising at all (comes from my background as a puppy buyer, lol...I would never respond to an ad as a buyer, and I'm not sure I'd want him to give a pup to a person who WOULD...does that make sense?)

An ideal situation would be people who have experience with mastiffs, or at least with dominant large breeds. Easier said than done, I know. I don't know about the rescue route. They don't really "need" rescuing, you know? They have a home that loves them. I don't have anything against rescues as a general rule, but I also don't want my brother to be judged and looked down on because he had an oops litter.

 

[DDSK]

Curious to see what those pups look like.

 

[cayeesmom]

Ask at your vets office if anyone is interested in a pup. That is how I got my Newfie, a clients cousin had a oops litter [purebred, but "mother and son oops"] not on the ground yet, but they lined up people interested ahead of time. Guess they figured anyone working in a vets office would be a good owner.

 

[jpw0025]

Oh man, if only there were room I think I'd die for a BB/Corso! Obviously nothing is foolproof, but I'd always recommend home checks, multiple personal AND professional references, and cover yourself for the potential need to reclaim the puppy. I have a friend in rescue who didn't dot her i's and ended up having to search for a placed dog for a welfare check for weeks, only to find it twenty four hours from euthanasia in the local animal control facility.

 

[DDSK]

If my wife wouldn't hurt me badly I would take one, maybe when she goes to Hawaii in April one will mysteriously appear and I can make up some B,S, story how I rescued it from a burning car and saved a group of Nuns who begged me to take the pup because he was the chosen one and needed to be protected, or is that story over the top?

 

[musicdeb]

hahahahahaha @ DDSK.

I agree with one to be sure the new owners are qualified owners for a BB/CC mix. So many people fall in love with the puppy when it's little, not realizing what work has to go into a BB/CC.

Good luck on your journey...

 

[Sadies Mom]

If my wife wouldn't hurt me badly I would take one, maybe when she goes to Hawaii in April one will mysteriously appear and I can make up some B,S, story how I rescued it from a burning car and saved a group of Nuns who begged me to take the pup because he was the chosen one and needed to be protected, or is that story over the top?

I think that story would work. I mean, how can you refuse to raise the chosen one? That would mean that you are the chosen one to raise the chosen one. Go with it......

 

[Sundog]

Their vet is actually taking one Her husband's mastiff died last year (I don't know which breed) and she wants one to surprise him with, haha. I'm taking one too. I've never owned a Mastiff of any breed, the closest I've gotten is my RR, but I think I'm prepared. I already have a trainer and everything, haha. The pups are in Buckeye Arizona, so if you guys know anyone in the area who fits the bill and wants one, let me know! They're only asking for enough money to cover the vet bills (shots and tails and dews)...there's been some debate about that, lol.

 

[Sundog]

If my wife wouldn't hurt me badly I would take one, maybe when she goes to Hawaii in April one will mysteriously appear and I can make up some B,S, story how I rescued it from a burning car and saved a group of Nuns who begged me to take the pup because he was the chosen one and needed to be protected, or is that story over the top?

hahaha!! I think that's a plausible story! Go for it!

 

[Sundog]

Oh man, if only there were room I think I'd die for a BB/Corso! Obviously nothing is foolproof, but I'd always recommend home checks, multiple personal AND professional references, and cover yourself for the potential need to reclaim the puppy. I have a friend in rescue who didn't dot her i's and ended up having to search for a placed dog for a welfare check for weeks, only to find it twenty four hours from euthanasia in the local animal control facility.

Gosh, that is so scary My RR's breeder had to go all the way to Texas for one of her pups. That situation got a little dangerous, I think. The owner was NOT a nice guy. It's so scary how easily they can talk the talk.

 

[Sundog]

Curious to see what those pups look like.

I have pics but they look like blobs, LOL! There's a few with white collars. They're almost all brindle and there's a couple that look like they may be blue.

 

[Sundog]

The black one with her tongue sticking out is most likely the pup we're getting. It's a toss up between her and the brindle.

 

[DDSK]

Even at this age they are adorable.
I forsee a burning car full of Nuns and puppies coming up lol.

 

[Caztratt]

If my wife wouldn't hurt me badly I would take one, maybe when she goes to Hawaii in April one will mysteriously appear and I can make up some B,S, story how I rescued it from a burning car and saved a group of Nuns who begged me to take the pup because he was the chosen one and needed to be protected, or is that story over the top?

You are sooo funny. If I didn't live in UK I would have one. Probably would cost a fortune to ship over here. They are sooo cute!!! DDSK..... I can see the nuns from here lol


Carol

 

[Dreadz]

Even at this age they are adorable.
I forsee a burning car full of Nuns and puppies coming up lol.

Wasn't it a mini bus and weren't there some orphans in there too