Why do people... (warning this is a bit of a rant)

[snugglepup]

Put less thought into buying a dog than they do into buying a car, which they won't have for nearly as long?

Buy a dog because the name is cute or trendy or because they puppies looked cute in the pictures (with no other research)? Guess what... all puppies are cute!

I have 3 different clients, that have all purchased the same "designer" breed (this is code for mixed breed). The reasons they purchased these dogs were the following:

1. They heard the name of said "breed" and thought it sounded cute.
2. The puppy pictures they saw online looked cute.
3. The "breeder's" website said that this "breed" never shed, was very quiet, and required very little exercise.

Of the three clients, 2 of the dogs are fear biters... one has sent a child to the emergency room. The third has completely destroyed the owners apartment, and was leaping head high yipping its ugly little head off the entire time I was trying to talk to the owner.

*sigh*

I am frustrated because 2 of the dogs are going to lose their homes, and I'm afraid one may lose his life. It makes my heart hurt.

 

[joanm]

snugglepup,

I can't touch this one - I get to angry. To much of a mutt nut...

 

[texasgirl]

Haha, I'm not going to rant although I have plenty to say about this topic.
But it's not even these expensive mutts that bothers me most...it's dogs in general. THey get puppies and expect them to be cheap, and automatically be perfect angels. Then if they aren't they blame the dog. Dog's aren't inherently smart and obedient, they need to be taught boundaries and they need to be taken care of, they don't belong in a backyard with no interaction, they should NOT be an impulse item, they are living animals and they require a large amount of care, attention and training.
I also get extremely irritated at people who are poor or don't have a lot of money and they get a dog....if you can't afford to take care of yourself, don't bring another life into that situation, dog or child.

I'm gonna force myself to stop right now...I could go on and on and on and on...

 

[rufus]

I agree, if you can't afford to take care of an animal, don't get it. However, we never bought dogs. We just took in strays that showed up. Feed them, love them, vaccinate them, and they are yours.

Mutts have a better temperment and learn faster than fancy, expensive dogs.

In Viet Nam, we used to get dogs from the local people. In a matter of days, they shifted their loyalties to us. We fed them, petted them and took care of them. They were always the first into the vehicle and the first out.

I wish my kids would have learned to behave like the dogs did.

Rufus

 

[siz8003]

there are a lot of POOR people in this world most have pets maybe the VET shouldnt over charge us poor folk and we wouldnt have a problem

 

[Chickending]

I volunteer at a animal shelter and the stories I see. Its so sad. People do not think when they get puppies or dogs. I have spent so much time correcting other peoples mistakes in trying to make these dropped off dogs into rehabilitated animals so they can find a new home. People think getting a dog is so easy and they will take care of themselves....ugh!!! Any animal is a huge responsibility. Now there are low energy dogs out there and low energy breeds but they are not the cutest....the cutest ones are the high energy/high maintenence dogs. Why dont people think, really think before they bring the cute puppy home? I think there should licenses for dog owners not so much dogs.

 

[JenniferJoIN]

Snugglepup, what kind of dogs do you breed? We have a peke-poo, one of the so called 'designer' breeds.

I volunteer at the humane society and seeing the difference between our dog (who has never been without ten toys or had anything done to hurt her) and some of the dogs there (who feel they have to fight for food and aren't sure how to act around humans) is crazy.

I had to fill out a 2 page questionare for my breeder before she would think about letting me buy a puppy. (How long are you gone during the day? Why do you want this dog? What will you do with it when you go on vacation? How much do you expect vet bills to be?, etc) Maybe you could start doing that just to get a feel as to what your customers are looking for.

The reason I chose the breed I did was b/c we have a descendant of my grandma's peke-poo that I would like our dog to have puppies with it one day. Sometimes I still feel bad paying so much for our dog when I could've saved one from the animal shelter!

 

[TransplantedTexan]

Quote:
Maybe it would be good to screen your buyers this way, if they are not responsable enough on thier own.

 

[snugglepup]

I'm not a breeder. I'm a dog trainer. I have never yet bred a litter, although I have rescued and rehabbed many many puppies and dogs.

I think responsible breeders DO screen their potential puppy buyers. I also think that responsible buyers screen the breeders. Not just buying the first cute puppy they see because it will be ready in time for Christmas/Birthday/Mother's Day, etc. Responsible parties on both sides do pedigree research, require health screenings, and temperment testing.

 

[nccatnip]

If you think about it, every dog at the pound is a "designer" dog. It is really sad all around. Responsible breeders do have applications, but truly responsible breeders also have spay/neuter contracts, do health testing and have lifelong commitments to their dogs. To breed a dog because you want a puppy out of the mother because she is so cute, you want your child to see the miracle of birth or you think you can recover the initial purchase price of the dog is just plain wrong.
The problem I see with designer dog breeding is that no one can forsee potential health problems down the road and do appropriate testing to prevent it. The best the breeder can do is do all testing for both breeds and I doubt that is going to happen.
Most of us are aware of the ongoing issues with hip dysplasia on german shepherds, blindness in collies, deafness in dalmations, etc. Lord knows what these "designer"dogs are going to come up with.
As for the vets not charging "poor" people, who is going to pay their bills? I know many vets and none are rich by far, they have the same bills we have plus the added expense of a business. If you can't afford it, don't have it. If you have a dog that inherited a genetic problem, that makes my case. Your costs of care for that dog are going to rise as it ages. I, for one, know that for every trip I make to the vet, I am paying a portion of someone else's bill because the vet "floated" them for the sake of the dog and got burned.
Sorry I if tick some people off, I am very passionate about this issue. I do rescue and see the aftermath. I pull from kill shelters to offer a dog another chance, I have my home disrupted by poorly trained or ill dogs someone bred and didn't properly place in a safe home. These dogs are wrecks but I do it because they deserve a second chance and it is not their fault some moron decided to let their girl get bred.