What do you think about purchasing pets online?

I have no problem with using the net to start a process that may end in ownership. 
 
I have no faith in someone who will sell a dog on line without an extensive interview and "check em out" process. 

I have posted this topic on three other forums and have come up with a pretty split opinion from one site to the next.  I originally was swinging towards the against side but after starting this I have moved more towards the pro side.  I have heard both stories for it as well as against.  The people that have actually purchased a pet online for the most part have had really good experience.  The people that have adopted online have been completely positive.

I guess that the medias display of only negative stories sways public opinion more than we think!![]  

I agree with MRV, I think the internet is a good place to do research on breeds, breeders, and resuces.  However I think that actually buying or adopting any dog sight unseen and having the dog shipped to you would not be a good idea.  Any breeder who would sell a puppy to someone solely based on an online application and a deposit is not looking out for their pups best interest.  If I was a breeder I would want to meet the prospective owners before selling a dog.  The same is true for rescues.  As a buyer I would also like to meet the parents of my puppy, find out how it had been raised up to that point, etc.  The only way to really know is to visit the breeder and see first hand.  So I guess I personally would never actually purchase a dog online, although I would do my research on breeders/rescues, etc online.

Anyway, that my $.02   

Researching is one thing, but if I'm plunking down cash for a pup, I want to MEET the parents, SEE how the pups have been raised, SEE how the other dogs live and TALK in person, face to face where it's harder to lie to me.  It's easy to say whatever someone wants to hear, and it's easy to make a slick looking website, but I want to be "in the flesh" with the breeder who has raised my pup.  I would NOT place one of my fosters with someone I'd never met.

ORIGINAL: dasher
I agree with MRV, I think the internet is a good place to do research on breeds, breeders, and resuces.  However I think that actually buying or adopting any dog sight unseen and having the dog shipped to you would not be a good idea.  Any breeder who would sell a puppy to someone solely based on an online application and a deposit is not looking out for their pups best interest.  If I was a breeder I would want to meet the prospective owners before selling a dog.  The same is true for rescues.  As a buyer I would also like to meet the parents of my puppy, find out how it had been raised up to that point, etc.  The only way to really know is to visit the breeder and see first hand.  So I guess I personally would never actually purchase a dog online, although I would do my research on breeders/rescues, etc online.
Anyway, that my $.02   

 
That's how I feel as well.

It depends on whether you mean actually buying the dog online, without meeting the seller, the dog, etc. first, or if you mean using the internet to facilitate the process. I bought an animal online once, albeit a lizard and not a dog, but I absolutely would not do it again. I bought from a breeder in the west who I had never actually met, and the only thing I had to go on was a picture of the lizard I was to receive. I got a sickly animal, that never grew, and I was shocked that it lived for the time that it did. I purchased from another breeder who is in the same state as me. I originally found them online, but I  went to their house to go buy my animals. Now that I know them, i've seen their facilities and I know they take good care of their animals, if I were to live somewhere too far to drive to their house, and I couldn't find a good breeder near me, I would have something shipped from since I know they are reputable. I think I would feel the same way about a dog. If I knew it was coming from someone I trusted, I would have it shipped if that was the only choice, but i'd rather not put an animal through that stress, as I feel it's more stressful for them to go overnight on a plane than to ride a few hours in a car. 

Good points.

I am the type that likes to have actual meetings with people as well as the puppy to see what both of them as well as their place is like.

On the other hand someone in another forum said people will lie to your face just the same as they lie online, and that is so true!

One positive thing about online adoption / purchasing is that the breeder / adoption agency's information is printed and can be printed / saved for further use down the road if needed.

I am sure that there are many people who have had bad experiences with person to person pet buying / adoption just as they do with online purchases / adoptions.

The one thing that isn't always available in the person to person is full documentation of the deal  written in stone when you save or print it.

To me that has allot of weight!

What do you think?

Two of my friends have bought their pups on-line.  I'm not sure of the entire process they went through, but I know they did a lot of research and had referrals from breeders in our area for this particular breeder.  Their dogs are lovely.
 
I would consider it if it was a rare breed or not available in my area - but I'd want people that I could actually talk to who could speak for these people if I couldn't get out there to meet them.

That's the other option ... make it part of a vacation and pick up the puppy en-route! []

Gosh, even my fosters go with a written adoption agreement.

Glenda,

This may sound daft but please explain.
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I've bought fish and coral on the internet. That's all I'd buy for pets online; well, except for maybe something like a praying mantis.
 
 
 

Explain the having everything in writing?  Which is what you said you liked about the websites?  Both years ago when we were breeding cockers, and now that I foster, no pup leaves my home without a written adoption agreement that has ALL the info regarding me, the rescue, the shots, worming, etc, as well as a Puppy Package that includes goodies for the pup and a mini book about how they've been raised, what they eat, etc.

Thanks,

I am new here and wasn't quite sure what your background pertaining to the dogs was.

I am interested in learning about your foster dogs.

Could you please tell me more?[]

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Both of my dogs are from shelters, and we got everything in writing from the places when we got them as well. It would just be odd if not.  When we got Max we got his health record which was a listing of the vaccines he had received, his estimated age, and his weight at the time he was vaccinated, information about training including puppy issues, changing the dog's name, etc., A copy of the adoption agreement which is basically a listing of policies we agreed to when adopting him (return him to the shelter if we couldn't keep him, must be neutered, etc.) a copy of his intake record from the shelter (basically says he was there, lists his name and the number they used to id him). We returned two weeks later and got his microchip implanted, and at that time we got the information about how to register his chip. With Millie I think we got the adoption agreement, and they put the her rabies, microchip, and shelter id tags on her collar before we could leave with her. If there was anything else we got with her, I really don't remember it, but everything is in a folder, so we do still have it.