Bought dog from private seller, inaccurate info supplied now I have to pay to neuter.

krlyr

This is why I would generally advise rescuing through a reputable rescue (you get dodgy rescues, too, so worth doing some homework) rather than a private rehome. With the latter, you especially need to be prepared that the dog isn't going to be as described.

In terms of rights, yes, you may have a case of misrepresentation (though with 'caveat emptor', it could be argued that testicles are fairly visible and you could have checked this at the time of buying). But for the sake of the cost of neutering (if necessary - I also don't agree with neutering a dog just for the sake of neutering a dog) and boosters, which aren't much in the grand scheme of things, I'd personally write it off as a lesson learned and get on with caring for my dog.

Also bear in mind how you'd feel if the seller offered (or was ordered, through court) to take the dog back and offer a refund, rather than paying for the neutering and vaccinations? I'm not completely clued up on the law, but if dogs are sold as property, I'd be worried that 'return & refund' may be considered just as acceptable as 'reimburse to 'make right''

http://www.inbrief.co.uk/animal-law/sale-of-defective-dog.htm

krlyr

Also, may be worth looking at vaccination/neutering clinics as a cheaper way to go about things. Places like Easipetcare and similar, who focus mainly on neutering and vaccinations rather than broad veterinary treatment or specialist ops, can often offer the services a bit cheaper.
I've paid £10 for boosters on special offers through Easipetcare for the past few years, vs. the £80 my main vet charges (that's the going price for all vets in my area), and I know their neutering prices are a lot cheaper too.


Also do some research into whether he actually needs a full restart of vaccinations. Many vets will say this, if boosters have lapsed, but the whole reason for the 2-dose course in puppies is because their maternal antibodies can often affect the vaccination and make it ineffective.
A 3 year old dog won't have any maternal antibodies, so should only need one dose of the vaccination, especially if they received the full course as a pup (sometimes if the dog had no puppy boosters or is a completely unknown entity, 2 doses may be best to ensure protection).
Over vaccination, as well as costing you money unnecessarily, can potentially have a negative effect on health - there's the belief that it can contribute to hypothyroidism in dogs, for example, flaring up auto-immune disorders, and other health issues.

nicki_2

Thanks for all the feedback. I'm going to try and answer the questions you've all asked.

For those of you who said why not go to a rescue instead? I was looking at the 4 local rescues for the past few months. It seemed that every dog that was there was either a small Jack Russell, huge husky/Alsatian types or staffs/bull dogs. I know there's nothing wrong with these breeds but they just aren't for us, we have experience of looking after other family members collie crosses, and I wanted a dog which we new the full history of if possible. There were one or two other dog available, but they were either older, or were not suitable to be housed with a teenager.

I did ask her a whole load of questions (Has he been neutered? Does he have any allergies? How is he with strangers/men? How is he with other dogs? I'm hoping to take him out to work with me sometimes and I encounter a lot of small dogs then. Does he like to chew things he shouldn't? This isn't a problem, I just want to be forewarned so I can move important stuff like paperwork. Where does he sleep at night at the moment? Is he scared of anything? Is he allowed off his lead when out? How is he with cats? How much exercise does he need? I know he's energetic, I'm just thinking of how often he'd need to go for walks. Does he show any aggression towards anyone in particular? Does he 'ask' to go outside when he needs to? How long can he be left home alone? Does he need to be left outside when home alone?) so I did do my best to make sure I had the whole story.

The previous owner got him from a rehoming centre (I have that paperwork) at 12 weeks old. She said she'd had him since 4 weeks, and that he was neutered at birth. I thought this was the truth, but after looking more closely into things, it appears that in the UK they don't neuter until 6 months old to prevent certain illnesses/problems.

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

I would be frantically chasing the chip change of details to ensure your dog appears as yours!

I have the chip paperwork here, and the vet checked it yesterday when we took him in. He's now in my address but still in her name as that has to be done via post apparently. I have also been on the website for the chip company & that information is correct.

Johnny_Dangerously wrote: »

One question though, did you see the dog at the owners house? Can't tell from reading the original post if you only met the dog at the park or not. ... Also, what's your driver for wanting it neutered in the first place? Money aside, have you considered not neutering seeing as he isn't done currently? ... Main thing for me would be to ensure you identify who the dog is registered to on the microchip. My instant thought is ensuring the dog isn't stolen, and that you have him registered as yours right away if you are keeping him.

We only met him at the park. She brought her other dog with her and it was chaotic with the two of them. Apparently the other dog was female and our dog kept sniffing her and trying to mount her. I put it down to his age (going on him being 1 year 8 months) as I'd read adolescent dogs (even those who have had the snip) can behave like this. I'm guessing this is why she wanted to get rid of him. It made trying to examine him properly a little difficult. She didn't seem to be able to control him properly, he was pulling her along, running everywhere and constantly coming back to sniff the other dogs bum which was also playing off lead.

I had a feel of his main body which seemed fine, he had bright clear eyes, good looking coat, highly excited positioning of his tail but his hair is quite long around his bum area and that's why we didn't see his bits, and I couldn't get close enough to him without him getting over excited and trying to knock me over. It doesn't help that they're covered in black hair!

I want him neutered as he's extremely possessive and clingy towards me, and is constantly trying to climb onto my lap to cuddle me. It can't carry on. I can't even go to the toilet without him trying to follow me. I've also heard that this behaviour in un-neutered dogs gets worse around the time of the a females "time of the month", with just me and my teenage DD in the house that means he's going to be like this almost constantly unless he gets the snip.

Having the full whack of needles is the only option around here. There have been cases of paro-virus etc so he needs to be fully up to date.

I can't bring myself to send him back to the previous owner even if she would take him, my daughter would be devastated (she's been asking for a dog for about 10 years!) and despite me discovering I appear to have a dog allergy, I don't think I could get rid of him.

Paradigm

nicki wrote: »

I want him neutered as he's extremely possessive and clingy towards me, and is constantly trying to climb onto my lap to cuddle me. It can't carry on. I can't even go to the toilet without him trying to follow me. I've also heard that this behaviour in un-neutered dogs gets worse around the time of the a females "time of the month", with just me and my teenage DD in the house that means he's going to be like this almost constantly unless he gets the snip.

I'm intrigued. Why do you think having him castrated will stop him noticing that you or your daughter are menstruating?

Dogs can be very sensitive to hormonal changes (neutered or not), it's not unusual for a dog to know it's owner is pregnant before the owner knows.

As for the "clingyness" you've had him for less than a week... everything is strange to him & he's trying to ingratiate himself.

You need to give him time to settle down & feel secure before worrying about issues that may/may not present themselves.

nicki wrote: »

Having the full whack of needles is the only option around here. There have been cases of paro-virus etc so he needs to be fully up to date.

That would depend on which brand of Vaccine he originally had (do you know?), Nobivac for example specify 3 yearly boosters.

As krlyr said, the reason multiple vaccinations are given to a puppy is to make sure the vaccine hasn't been "interfered" with by the inherited maternal antibodies... not a problem in an adult dog.
A single booster is all he needs.

Mojisola

nicki wrote: »

After a few more emails were exchanged we met him on Sunday and although he was very excited, he seemed in good health and a very happy dog. We figured he was excited as he was meeting someone new, in the park with lots of other dogs around and we were playing with him.

I paid cash for him on Wednesday, when she brought him to me, and everything seemed to be fine.

I can't believe that you didn't see him at her house and take the time to go through his paperwork before you agreed to buy him.

nicki wrote: »

I did ask her a whole load of questions (Has he been neutered? Does he have any allergies? How is he with strangers/men? How is he with other dogs? I'm hoping to take him out to work with me sometimes and I encounter a lot of small dogs then. Does he like to chew things he shouldn't? This isn't a problem, I just want to be forewarned so I can move important stuff like paperwork. Where does he sleep at night at the moment? Is he scared of anything? Is he allowed off his lead when out? How is he with cats? How much exercise does he need? I know he's energetic, I'm just thinking of how often he'd need to go for walks. Does he show any aggression towards anyone in particular? Does he 'ask' to go outside when he needs to? How long can he be left home alone? Does he need to be left outside when home alone?) so I did do my best to make sure I had the whole story.

She was trying to get you to buy him! What kind of answers did you expect her to give you?

She didn't seem to be able to control him properly, he was pulling her along, running everywhere and constantly coming back to sniff the other dogs bum which was also playing off lead.

It's a shame you didn't check more thoroughly before you handed over the cash but maybe better for the dog that he's now with you rather than her.

Marktheshark

Them dangly bits at the back are a bit of a give away.

Johnny_Dangerously

Well it sounds like you've just got something a bit different than you expected, but all sounds o.k.

But, let's dispel a few myths on this one. It's unlikely that your dog is clingy due to any menstrual cycles, and I strongly doubt neutering will change this behaviour at all. In my opinion, neutering is only needed or two reasons. 1) because he has a medical need for it, 2) because you are concerned about him straying and impregnating females.

Many people are disappointed to find that neutering isn't a magical silver bullet for behaviour issues. He will have learned his behaviour by 3 years of age, so what you have is what you have. Changing behaviour from here on in will require work from you to alter it. That's not nearly as drastic as it sounds, and will mainly consist of setting a few boundaries of how you expect him to behave in your family.

One other thing to note, is that you have a border collie. They are high energy, super intelligent dogs. Fantastic animals, but can be a challenge. I'd highly recommend you do some quite research on classic training basics and behaviour methods. In particular, do some reading on Operant training and get yourself familiar with some practical examples of positive reinforcement, replacement behaviour etc. Also get yourself some activities sorter to keep him stimulated mentally and physically. Easy options for border collies are ball throwers, frisbee etc. as they have a strong visual prey drive so like to chase things.

Keep posting back here for advice, but don't worry too much about the past. If it were my dog, I wouldn't neuter him, would get him up to speed with his jabs, get his chip address changed and go forward from there. Keep posting on here for some advice. Lots of people here happy to help!

Marktheshark

I knew someone with one that could switch the kettle on by asking it.
Thats is what you call a useful dog.

SensibleSarah

On the clingy theory thing - I've had several rescue dogs and every single one of them has been clingy at first - they just get their security from you until they gain some confidence in their new home. Most dogs lose that fairly quickly but it can take weeks or even months - and you can help that along by leaving the dog in one room with a chew or kong whilst you nip into another room for a couple of seconds and come back in. They soon realise they are fine on their own - build up from there. I also use stair gates on doors so that the dog isn't able to follow but can still see me - they soon get bored!

I'm definitely all for neutering all pet dogs unless there is a health reason not to - but I understand that not everyone agrees on that and I do think that timing is important for getting dogs done - which varies from dog to dog. I would personally let him settle in a bit before getting him done though and get his confidence built up a bit first.

pawsies

nicki wrote: »

I want him neutered as he's extremely possessive and clingy towards me, and is constantly trying to climb onto my lap to cuddle me. It can't carry on. I can't even go to the toilet without him trying to follow me. I've also heard that this behaviour in un-neutered dogs gets worse around the time of the a females "time of the month", with just me and my teenage DD in the house that means he's going to be like this almost constantly unless he gets the snip.

Having the full whack of needles is the only option around here. There have been cases of paro-virus etc so he needs to be fully up to date.

I can't bring myself to send him back to the previous owner even if she would take him, my daughter would be devastated (she's been asking for a dog for about 10 years!) and despite me discovering I appear to have a dog allergy, I don't think I could get rid of him.

You need a trainer/behaviourist to come and help. Neutering is not the solution you think it is. In a dog like this it could make it a lot worse.