Puppy transportation????

[ScratchAndGO]

Would like to get some feedback on the method of transportation you feel is best for shipping puppies?

I have normally just used a ground transporter ,of the customers choice, to deliver the pup and never had any issues. Have heard the horror stories of others that have though.
Normal prices for the transporters I have used are 250/300 for adults and 200/250 for pups with deals if they are small enough where 2 can fit in same kennel. That is for basically the mid west and east coast.

What are some of the draw backs for flying pups or grown dogs?

I just flew 2 to California in the same kennel on a Delta flight and it only cost $267.00 (C.O.D.) Everything went as smooth as butter and all I had to do was drop them off. I could of very easily had a friend drop them off and had no record of my shipping them at all. I just had the dude that bought them schedule the flight and have the pups sent cash on delivery. As long as you meet the kenneling requirements and have a good vet certificate it is very simple.

Pick up or self delivery...

Pro's/con's of pick up?

Pro's/cons's of self delivery?

My personal choice right now has been to have the person pay for the pup(in advance) and then pay me to deliver it as well. If it is just one person then they can just pay for gas and I will meet them as long as it is just a day long trip(total) to meet them in the middle. If I have a few going in the same area it works out awesome because I get a free vacation as well as knowing the pups made it to the people just as described. Down side is I have to pay $100 to my kennel dude to care for the dogs for a few days while I'm gone.

What do you think???

[R2L]

i dont understand why someone would deliver a pup. i think if someone has interest in one of your dogs its no more then normal then that he should arrange it all by him self. shipping ok...but delivering???
about air shipment, picking up costs about the same as transporting bij cargo. again, i think if you're serious about a dog you're going to buy you visit the breeder and go see everything for yourself, speaking about pro's... but thats just my vision,

[Officially Retired]

i dont understand why someone would deliver a pup. i think if someone has interest in one of your dogs its no more then normal then that he should arrange it all by him self. shipping ok...but delivering???
about air shipment, picking up costs about the same as transporting bij cargo. again, i think if you're serious about a dog you're going to buy you visit the breeder and go see everything for yourself, speaking about pro's... but thats just my vision,

Ditto that.

85% of the people who buy dogs from me come to pick them up. The rest get them shipped by airline.

I tried the ground transportation thing, but I just don't like it. Their schedules change like the wind, they always go off the beaten path to "pick up a new dog," and the dogs ALWAYS sit in those crates a whole lot longer than they have to ... and consequently they ALWAYS come dehydrated and looking "beat up." So if a man can't come get his dog, then he needs to use an airline. I can have a dog from FL to CA in a few hours by plane, but it would take a week or more by ground transport. And those guys don't stop and walk the dogs ever few hours, they ride them into the ground and walk them only when they stop for the day.

I think if a dog is too chopped up to be sent by a plane, then the guy needs to drive himself out to come get the dog. The dog can be walked-out/tended to more frequently that way. But I for one am not a fan of ground transporters.

Jack

[Officially Retired]

i dont understand why someone would deliver a pup. i think if someone has interest in one of your dogs its no more then normal then that he should arrange it all by him self. shipping ok...but delivering???
about air shipment, picking up costs about the same as transporting bij cargo. again, i think if you're serious about a dog you're going to buy you visit the breeder and go see everything for yourself, speaking about pro's... but thats just my vision,

PS: I also agree there is no way I am going to deliver a dog. In general, I won't do it at all, but (in special circumstances) if I do it, it sure as heck isn't going to be for free.

Generally-speaking, if the guy is too lazy to get his own dog/pup, then I won't even sell it to him. But if it's a guy who lives pretty far away and really can't make the drive, then the airports are the way to go. However, if I have to drive more than 1hr one-way to the airport, then I charge for my time, as that is going above and beyond merely selling an animal.

My dogs cost what they cost, based on the idea of "customer pickup," and I do give a certain amount of "free shipping" time, insofar as going to the airport is concerned. But if the airport is 3 hours away, then that is at least 6-hours of my day shot, roundtrip, and when that happens I am going to charge $30/hr for my time. In one case, I had to drive 7 hours to Atlanta (14-hours roundtrip) because the only airline delivering to that particular country my foreign customer lived in wasn't even in my state, so I charged $450 extra (time plus gas) to make that voyage on his behalf. And that is fair! My time/effort is worth money, anyone's is, and if someone doesn't believe that they are very naive. The customer paid it without one complaint, either, as their other option was to get on a plane and come get their dogs. But I sure as heck am not adding a 14-hour roadtrip free-of-charge.

Jack

[ScratchAndGO]

Ultimately for me it is the customers responsibility in all circumstances to come get their dog. I just enjoy traveling and if they are going to pay for me to bring the dog to them it is just one more avenue of revenue that I can use. It is also a convenient safe option for the person I am selling the dog to. I am completely cool with taking a nice little trip somewhere (as long as expense are covered)so I can get a break once in a while.

[redmistkennel]

I will not let anybody come to my yard for any reason. I have had to many dogs stolen due to people knowing where my old yard was.

[Officially Retired]

Ultimately for me it is the customers responsibility in all circumstances to come get their dog.

Agreed.

I just enjoy traveling and if they are going to pay for me to bring the dog to them it is just one more avenue of revenue that I can use.

Of course, as long as you're getting compensated, and like to drive, that's a personal call. I personally have better things to do than tote dogs from Point A to Point B. I love to travel too, but not with dogs, with a camera

It is also a convenient safe option for the person I am selling the dog to. I am completely cool with taking a nice little trip somewhere (as long as expense are covered)so I can get a break once in a while.

It may be convenient and safe for the customer, but it is inconvenient and unsafe for you. The major factor you're not even thinking about is the fact, if you cross a state line to deliver a dog (and someone does something with his dog that's illegal), you could be charged with a RICO Federal Crime for interstate traffic/breeding dogs for illegal purposes. If the guy comes to you, and is the one crossing the state line, then he's the one who gets the RICO Act ... if you're the one delivering across state lines, you get charged with interstate traffic.

I only sell my pups for breeding purposes, but even still, no way in hell I would cross a state line to delieve a dog to any dogman, but that is just me. That is another reason I don't like using planes, but even here I have the customer book the flight. The only time I have ever crossed a state line to send a dog to someone was to another country where our laws don't apply.



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I will not let anybody come to my yard for any reason. I have had to many dogs stolen due to people knowing where my old yard was.

I don't have anyone come to my yard for any reason either. I meet them at a local spot, pocket the balance owed, and deliver the dog.

Jack

[ScratchAndGO]

Monster point on the RICO comment. I had not considered that. I am probably just going to start flying them.

[Officially Retired]

Monster point on the RICO comment. I had not considered that.

I'm here to help

[ScratchAndGO]

As long as I have the customer arrange the flight the responsibility pertaining to interstate trafficking falls back on them?

There is occasionally a hole that pops up that needs plugged. Thanks man.