1. How, specifically, was this dog tested?
‘Tested’ is a claim. ‘Tested how’ is a conversation. A credible seller can describe the protocol, the conditions, and the evaluator. A seller who cannot is selling a label, not an assessment.
2. What support comes after the sale?
A protection dog is not a one-time purchase; it is an ongoing relationship between handler, animal, and seller. What handler training is included? What happens if a problem emerges at month four? The answer reveals whether the seller sees you as a customer or a partner.
3. What are this dog’s limits?
Any seller who describes a dog as having no limits is describing their own, not the dog’s. The honest answer — ‘this dog is strong in X, less suited to Y’ — is the most valuable thing you can hear, and the rarest.
“A seller who can describe the limits is a seller who understands the product.”
4. Can I see the process, not just the result?
A finished dog is a performance. The process that produced it is the evidence. Sellers who can show how they work — selection, development, evaluation — are sellers who have nothing to hide.
5. What happens if it’s not the right fit?
Living assets are not returnable the way products are, but a responsible seller has a plan for the case where the match fails — for the family and for the dog. The existence of that plan tells you the seller is thinking past the transaction.
