I have seen a fair amount of web sites offering fully trained imported dogs for sale. What I don't understand is how they are getting away with advertising these dogs as being fully trained DUAL PURPOSE or SINGLE PURPOSE dogs. These dogs average 1 to 1 1/2 years of age. This seems awfully young and in most cases I would suspect that most of these dogs have not reached maturity. Correct me if I'm wrong but the only way I see these dogs becomming trained for what they claim to be able to do is through severe dicipline and major compulsion techniques. Both of which in my opinion does not equate with having the best dog for the job. This to me seems like a practice and reminds me that it's really all about the money and nothing else. In my opinion this will hurt all breeds of dogs in the long run when people start realizing that the dog they spent thousands of dollars on does not produce when called upon. It is unbelieveable to me that dogs like this continue to be massed produced as you would mass produce anything that comes off of an assembly line. Any opinions out here?

Glenn,
I think the vast majority of the dogs(that young)which your describing are still "green dogs" that have been well started but have not proven themselves in any measurable way. As to their true readiness, well that will change from dog to dog and from trainer to trainer.

Jason I guess I forgot to say in my origional post that unless you are real experienced in this sort of thing you as a buyer really have no idea what you are getting. You're in my opinion being misled by either the breeder, owner, or trainer. In no way do these dogs obey or do what they simply for the pure joy of doing it. In my opinion the people who offer these dogs for outrageous prices are more concerned about the money and really could care less about bettering the breed's reputation. They do not nor do they want to take the time to use motivation, etc. as their primary training technique. Time is money and this is why I call it an assembly line of dogs. To me this is pretty sad and that is why I think and hope anyone who is looking to own a dog like this does his or her homework. That is the only way they will understand what they are really buying.

Glenn,
I don't really want to get into training techniques as they too change from trainer to trainer and from dog to dog. If one can't determine what they're getting, then they certainly should not just go out and spend as much money on a dog as they can. But there's one born every minute!!

Okie Dokie Jason.