pennysvn14 Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Hello everyone. I have been lurking here for a while but never posted... I am actually a Vet Nurse, have been doing it for almost 8 years, and love it. I am struggling to find the right words to educate the girlfriend of my husband's brother... She has decided she wants a whippet. This came about after 2 weeks of umming and ahhing over breeds after a friend of hers bought a pet shop puppy. My brother in law has emailed me asking me to help, as they don't know a thing about whippets. Or any health protocols that should be followed. They have found some puppies that are being sold at 6 weeks of age, for $350 only, because by selling them at 6 weeks they don't have to pay for vaccinations. I am distraught. I am struggling to find the words to let them know what potential things can go wrong here. If this was a client, or a person on the street, I would have no qualms about how to explain things, but I guess that the family thing has got me tongue tied. Any suggestions gladly taken. I am also trying to explain to them that this is potentially a 15 year commitment. This girl is 22. She rents. My BIL works on the mines and is never home. She is still at TAFE and works part time. Should I be letting her take a dodgy, back yard bred puppy, because frankly, I do feel sorry for any registered breeder that sells a puppy to her? Unfortunately, my damn ethics won't let me just stand by and let some poor puppy end up being dumped when she realises that she has no time for it anymore. Or when it stops being cute. So I need some words. Thanks in advance. Penny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 What are the laws in WA? In NSW it is illegal to sell any puppy under 8 weeks and they have to be vaccinated and microchipped as well before being sold. So over here you can always use the fact that they are selling illegally as a valid point. The other important thing about puppies being sold at 6 weeks is that they are more likely to be scared or aggressive around other dogs. They need that extra socialisation time with the litter and it is something that can never be fixed later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennysvn14 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 Unfortunately, no such laws currently exist in WA. Much to my disgust. I told her that given how huge a commitment this is, surely she wants to do things right, right from the start. She just argues back about all her friends with their cute pet shop puppies who are all "really healthy". I want to sit down and tell her all the stories about the "not so healthy" puppies that I see... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I would probably avoid the "this is what will happen if you buy this puppy" doom and gloom scenario. She can and will buy the puppy with or without your input, and she'll justify the purchase as she is already doing, with excuses and quite reasonable (to her) examples of healthy dogs. So, I would encourage the purchase but from a more respected and better researched source, then encourage her to be a very responsible, very committed owner and try and get her involved in online forums, Facebook pages dedicated to her chosen breed, clubs and activities suitable for the breed she owns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aussielover Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 All you can do is try- good on you for at least doing that Sadly, some people will get a puppy no matter what you say and no matter how unsuitable their situation, and sadly, in this country it is extremely easy to purchase a puppy, especially if you're willing to get it from less than reputable sources. I don't know what else to say but to try your best to help her to see the best thing to do in her situation, without being too negative and doom and gloom (as it rarely works until people experience the problems for themselves first hand). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennysvn14 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 You may be right Gayle. I don't think that she is going to listen to me. She seems to think that she can get the "breeder" to sign a contract to say that the puppy is healthy, and that she can take it back to them and get a refund if it's not! I guess that I am just distressed that I can't convince her not to do this. And I can see me ending up with a whippet at the end of it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimiss Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 If she's young and impressionable, and feels sorry for 'cute little dogs' perhaps show her some of 'Oscar's Law's youtube videos. Even any videos of backyard breeder interventions where they rescue puppies and show / educate people on the squalor they lived in and the treatment they received. Perhaps if she knew what she'd be inadvertantly supporting she may think twice about going down that particular avenue. I don't think you can convince her not to buy a puppy and pushing her not to may only push her to rebel and get one anyway. Just try and educate her and nudge her gently in the right direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelsquest Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 (edited) Just because she's 22 and rents doesn't mean she will be a bad dog owner. I am 24, rent, until recently studied full time and worked part time and I have a dog and 2 cats who are well loved and cared for. I think they best thing you can do is educate her and try and gently push her towards getting a dog from a registered breeder. Tell her about the issues with getting a 6 week old pup, plus the problems with BYB, talk about the health testing etc tht registered breeders do. ETA, sorry penny I didn't see your second post before I wrote this. Maybe just try and gently educate her, convince her getting a dog from a registered breeder will be better in the long run, she will have a better idea of the pup's genetic background and health etc. Edited November 26, 2011 by rebelsquest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 My daughter, at aged 20, decided she wanted a pet, much to my absolute horror. I've had dogs all my life, and she'd grown up with dogs and cats and had never shown the slightest bit of interest in them. Well, she couldn't get a dog or a cat because she was renting so she got a rabbit. I nearly flipped.....a rabbit! Timid and shy and requiring very, very gentle handling. But to my complete surprise she took to pet ownership like a duck to water and researched the best way to keep a rabbit in a flat, joined online communities of rabbit owners, became very knowledgeable about rabbit ownership and has turned out to be an excellent, caring and committed owner of her little lop eared bunny. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr.mister Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 (edited) Some good advice here, but may I please add that just because she is 22 and rents doesn't mean she's not capable of caring for a puppy. (though you know her, of course, and I don't) I'm 21, rent, and own two cats. One was a stray, the other is a purebred from a registered breeder that I show. I was nervous that breeders might discriminate against me because of my age, but thank goodness my breeder didn't bat an eyelid. Age really isn't an indicator. I consider myself a good, responsible owner that a breeder would feel confident sending their precious baby to. If she's irresponsible by nature, that's a different story. My sister's 40 and is an intensely irresponsible pet owner. :rolleyes: eta: Whoops, sorry, didn't see the other post regarding age. Not meaning to be repetitive. I'll bet anything that no BYBer selling 6 week old pups will sign a health contract in their right mind. Wouldn't it be so much easier if she went to a registered breeder, where they did the relevant health tests and she wouldn't be entering into a dodgy deal? That and of course, life time support of a good breeder is priceless. Not to materialise dogs, but ask her if she would buy a car without looking at the service history/repair log etc. Might help her understand. Edited November 26, 2011 by mr.mister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennysvn14 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 She has the maturity of a child in primary school. Don't get me wrong, I am not basing my concerns on her age. I also owned pets at that age. I have just had a long conversation with her which has not ended well unfortunately. She cannot see past the $350 price tag. I have warned her about genetic problems and about diseases such as parvo. I have said that a registered breeder is providing you with a dog that has generations of knowledge behind it. I have even directed her to dogswest and its list of breeders. Her friends all have lovely designer dogs that are healthy (wonder if their vets agree) so she cannot see that spending a bit more now on the puppy may result in saving thousands over its lifetime. Obviously there's nothing I can do now except offer her advice when its here. Sigh. Quite depressing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 yep ..I was 22 and renting , with a dog, and cats and a duck.... BUT I had had years of dog/animal ownership behind me. perhaps point her in the direction of an older rescue whippet or whippet X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelsquest Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 She has the maturity of a child in primary school. Don't get me wrong, I am not basing my concerns on her age. I also owned pets at that age. I have just had a long conversation with her which has not ended well unfortunately. She cannot see past the $350 price tag. I have warned her about genetic problems and about diseases such as parvo. I have said that a registered breeder is providing you with a dog that has generations of knowledge behind it. I have even directed her to dogswest and its list of breeders. Her friends all have lovely designer dogs that are healthy (wonder if their vets agree) so she cannot see that spending a bit more now on the puppy may result in saving thousands over its lifetime. Obviously there's nothing I can do now except offer her advice when its here. Sigh. Quite depressing. How frustrating . Did you mention the dog could end up costig her a LOT more than that in vet fees? Even if it didn't have any health problems, there's still desexing, vaccinations, worming, flea treatments etc etc. Is she wanting a dog just because she thinks it is a bargain? It sounds like you have done what you can, you can't make her buy from a registered breeder . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennysvn14 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 I had written her a list of the things she would need to pay for, just in the first year (ie vaccinations, microchip, sterilisation, hw prevention, etc etc etc) and the actual cost of these. I also said that if the whippet parents of her puppy were so great, why didn't the registered breeder who bred them want to keep them themselves. She said that maybe the breeder didn't mean for the girl dog to get pregnant so she just "gave" the parents to these *enter appropriate expletive* backyard breeders. When someone is really just that naive, then what hope have I, or anyone else, of convincing her otherwise? I use the word naive instead of mind-numbingly stupid, just so I don't sound like a complete b***h! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pennysvn14 Posted November 26, 2011 Author Share Posted November 26, 2011 Ugh, I've just realised my whole weekend will be ruined if I keep dwelling on this. So with that, I wash my hands. Thanks anyway all. Hopefully next time I post it will be with something nicer to talk about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trishm Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Apart from the fact that she is contemplating buying from a byb I think she has chosen the wrong breed for her circumstances. Whippets are not dogs that you can leave shut out in the backyard for hours while she is working or at Tafe. They need the company of their family, and to be a member of the family. They don't like extremes of temperature, they have little body fat so they don't cope well with the cold weather, they need coats etc. They don't like the very hot weather either, I hate to think of a little one left outside on its own in the heat. Good luck with trying to convince her, sounds as though she has made up her mind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 And if they are left in the above manner, they can be real escape artists! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DobieMum Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 I agree with the post about rescue, see if you can point her in that direction, she may even find it's cheaper than $350 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blonde_Phoenix Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 It’s definitely not an easy situation Penny which must be really stressful and especially so when it’s family involved. I too would advise against hitting her to hard with the negatives, I don’t think anyone will ‘win’ if you take a negative approach. It’s unfortunately human nature that if someone tells you no or you can’t do it (even with the best of intentions) you are more than likely to jump in there just to prove them wrong rather than listening to their advise/opinions objectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juddabug Whippets Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Ugh, I've just realised my whole weekend will be ruined if I keep dwelling on this. So with that, I wash my hands. Thanks anyway all. Hopefully next time I post it will be with something nicer to talk about! Hey, How much has she researched Whippets? And what are her reasons for wanting a whippet and not a mix breed 'oodle? We have two whippets, and unless she has some time to dedicate to her pup... They arent like 'oodles! Many aren't affectionate with their owners or loyal like a lab might be. They also usually cannot be let off leash unless in a secure/fenced area due to having a high prey drive and racing off after things and deciding they have absolutely no recall. They are extremely fast which can be scary if they see a bunny, bird, or another dog in the distance... They shoot off with no warning! Whippets aren't particularly fond of playing with other dogs at the park and have such thin skin that doesn't handle the rough and tumble and tears easily. They feel the cold and heat a lot more than other dogs due to such a thin coat and require indoor living. They are not n outdoors dog. Not to mention that whippets can easily clear the average backyard fence if they want to. If she wants a lap dog, maybe she's better looking at a Maltese? Pomeranian? I hear your frustration. Tell her to join the whippet breed thread in the sub forums. Whippets aren't for the faint hearted. Best of luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now