The dos and don’ts of buying a dog

◦ Was the pup or dog a planned birth or an accident? Sometimes accidents turn out well, but I'd rather see litters conceived after much thought has been given to parents, grandparents and the resulting offspring.

Ask about the parents, grandparents and related siblings: were they good working dogs?

◦ How long have you had the dog? Is the person a dog dealer making a living from trading or someone with a surplus dog?

◦ Why are they selling it; are they giving up farming, too many dogs, etc?

◦ Does the dog work stock alone? Beware of dogs that will only work alongside another.

◦ How does it get on with other dogs? You don't want to introduce an aggressive dog into your team.

◦ How is it with people? There is a difference between wary and scared.

◦ Ask about its nature: is it hard, soft, timid, boisterous; does it take work seriously?

◦ How is it with other animals? Do you want horses chased, chickens plucked, etc?

◦ Did you train it? It is often handy to know how a dog was trained; I'm never afraid to give a dog a refresher lesson if it gets a bit slack on something.

◦ What sort of stock is the dog used to working? Some dogs will work anything well, others are a bit more particular: perhaps they have only ever worked one type of stock; maybe they've had a bad experience with something.

◦ Does it work for voice or whistle? Anyone can speak to a dog but a lot of people can't whistle.

◦ What sort of terrain is it suited to? Some dogs need hills to let off steam; others are more suited to easy country.

◦ How is he after a week or two off? Some dogs don't change and others will have you ripping your hair out.

◦ Has the dog had any injuries or illness? Some things can restrict a dogs working ability.

◦ Are its vaccinations up to date? Don't take home an unvaccinated dog; Parvo is invisible and lives in the ground for years – it can be deadly.

◦ How much distance does the dog have? Some dogs are happy close at hand but won't venture further afield.

◦ How well does it take its commands? If it is learning don't expect much, if they claim it is a mainstay it shouldn't need commands continually repeated.

Ask to view a clear close-up photo showing the complete dog side on. Look how the dog stands and its conformation: does it look strong, well built with no apparent weakness – working dogs lead a hard physical life.

Ask other questions relevant to what you are looking for. Vital: "what are its bad or annoying habits"? Be wary if you are told of none, it is a rare dog that is perfect.

Weigh everything up. Does the person sound genuine, does the dog sound genuine? Beware if the seller sounds vague. Will it suit you and what you do? If everything sounds good view it promptly; good dogs are snapped up quickly.

Important: make sure you get a good demonstration with the dog doing everything you have been told it does; note the relationship between the seller and dog.

Lastly, don't expect a guarantee (I've covered this in a previous column) but do expect to be able to phone the seller if you are having problems.

• Anna Holland is teaching people dog training. For more information www.annaholland.co.nz or Ph. 06) 212 4848 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.