Impulse buying.

[DogsAndTheMob]

I’d rather impulse buy a puppy than a pair of shoes.

 

But, seriously, although some people certainly have more money than sense, lack of knowledge is a bigger problem. You might say I’ve impulse bought several of my dogs. The time has been right, there’s been a puppy available and I’ve purchased it. I’ve had the advantage of knowledge from a lifetime interest in dogs and participation in dog sports and from a university education which included subjects such as genetics. I know how to interpret pedigrees and I’ve seen how behavioural quirks can differ between and within bloodlines. I have a long list of breeds that I would never want to own for health and/or temperament reasons and a shorter list of breeds that I would love to own but will not, because I can’t meet their needs. With the exception of one puppy that had unforeseeable health problems, I’ve been happy with all my dogs.

 

Like me, I think many pet purchasers make what seems like an impulse purchase when the time is right. They’ve moved into their own home; their youngest child has started school or left home, or they have retired but are still fit enough to raise a puppy. (Considering the benefits of raising a puppy when working from home, even COVID purchases might have seemed logical.) Like me, they may have had disappointing experiences with breeders’ waiting lists so they see no benefit from waiting.

 

But dogs (with the exception of their own dog) aren’t a central interest in their lives, so they lack knowledge and relevant knowledge is not always easily available to them. Most breed specific books and websites are generic, with just the pictures and a few key facts changed to suit the breed. When I was growing up, there were excellent books about individual breeds, written by breed experts, but those are long gone. I’d love to see more books published about specific breeds, by people who are knowledgeable about all aspects of the breed, not just niche interests such as conformation showing or specific dog sports, and whose dogs’ lives are similar in fundamental ways to those of pet purchasers. (It has long baffled me that breeders whose dogs live in kennels feel able to say that their dogs are suitable for pet homes.)

 

Some ethical breeders provide information on the pros and cons of their breed. That’s wonderful and kudos is due to those breeders but the downside is that people may turn to less ethical breeders with glossy websites. They don’t know that puppy mills and scammers often invest in the most convincing websites. 
 

In summary, I don’t think we should be so quick to castigate pet owners for “impulse purchases.”  They face worse problems when buying a puppy than I face when buying a car.

 

@tdierikx I thought this was worthy of a separate discussion.

Edited March 22 by DogsAndTheMob

[tdierikx]

19 hours ago, DogsAndTheMob said:

Like me, I think many pet purchasers make what seems like an impulse purchase when the time is right. They’ve moved into their own home; their youngest child has started school or left home, or they have retired but are still fit enough to raise a puppy. (Considering the benefits of raising a puppy when working from home, even COVID purchases might have seemed logical.) Like me, they may have had disappointing experiences with breeders’ waiting lists so they see no benefit from waiting.

 

I think you've summed the issue up well here. The time is right for the buyer, therefore they would like their "need" met asap. But have they also considered the lifetime requirements of the dog they are purchasing? Things like the cost of basic veterinary care (and/or medical emergencies), grooming needs, training needs, exercise needs, feeding and housing needs - for the next 10-15 years? I would counter that a large number of puppy buyers have not looked much further than what is available to buy when they want to buy it.

 

T.

[DogsAndTheMob]

1 hour ago, tdierikx said:

 

I think you've summed the issue up well here. The time is right for the buyer, therefore they would like their "need" met asap. But have they also considered the lifetime requirements of the dog they are purchasing? Things like the cost of basic veterinary care (and/or medical emergencies), grooming needs, training needs, exercise needs, feeding and housing needs - for the next 10-15 years? I would counter that a large number of puppy buyers have not looked much further than what is available to buy when they want to buy it.

 

T.

You’re probably right. I’ve never volunteered in rescue, so I haven’t seen the worst results of this. I’ve volunteered in dog training clubs, where the biggest problem is people who have bought or rescued big, strong energetic dogs that need more exercise, better training and a “job” to exercise their minds. Some of them will have bought on impulse but many don’t have the knowledge to choose a puppy whose needs they can meet.

Edited March 23 by DogsAndTheMob

[_PL_]

3 hours ago, DogsAndTheMob said:

You’re probably right. I’ve never volunteered in rescue, so I haven’t seen the worst results of this. I’ve volunteered in dog training clubs, where the biggest problem is people who have bought or rescued big, strong energetic dogs that need more exercise, better training and a “job” to exercise their minds. Some of them will have bought on impulse but many don’t have the knowledge to choose a puppy whose needs they can meet.

 

That's where rescue assessment, carer notes, applications and trial periods come in. They force people to ponder relevant factors and calm the hurry for those that want a dog yesterday. Yes, some criticise the process. But I feel it's in the best interest of both the humans and the dog.  

Unfortunately there are places to find a dog (or cat), that do first in best dressed with no trial and no returns. It's pretty easy to make a mistake if you aren't guided.