I am sure I am not the only one who gets mad people ring up with strange reasons for someone wanting a puppy and wondered if this was just restricted to dalmatians.

Here are a few examples:

I saw the film and thought it might a good idea to have a dog that could answer the film (this was what one of the dogs did in 102 dalmatians)

I saw one in the magazine and thought it might look nice in front of my hearth.

I wanted a toy for my son.

This one was one my friend got - I have heard they are a good babe magnet (as per a article in the sun)

There are loads more but these are the ones which stick out at the moment.

What do you say to people stating these reasons if I may ask ?
Do you just start laughing? Hang up te phone? Get mad? Start crying? Donate extra money to an organisation that does genetic reseach
in the hope maybe someday there is a way to make sure all people think before they act/speak ;)
Or do you try to talk some sence into these people?
(can imagine you don't even try the last option since people who state reasons like 'I want a toy for my son' are beyond any help)

The woman who said she wanted one as a toy I actually contacted all the people who had litters just to warn them.  I was actually going to sell her a pup myself as she seemed quite normal at first but then when I told her she wasnt getting pick of the litter she turned nasty and that was when she told me the real reason for her wanting one! 

The rest well I try and warn those I know they are on the loose but some people just dont care.  Once I have explained fully what dalmatians are really like some you get through to some you dont.  I think the one with the telephone was from my first litter and I really didnt realise people like that were out there.  What is the dog going to do once it answers the phone?

Oh and another method to put them off is to get them to meet mine then they realise disney dalmatians and real ones are not quite the same (believe or not I actually had one ask me if they are the same kind) :)

It mades me laugh when people call and ask about my ROCKweiler pups, then they say they want a big dog as their mates have one and it looks dead ard! Obviously I did not invite them round to view lol!  But I do not receive many of these calls thank god, I guess breeds involved with T.V in some way are more affected (Dalmations, St Bernards, Yellow Labs etc! :(

In all fairness Enfielrotts are you surprised people like that cant proncounce the dogs name correctly.  People who email asking about dalmations instead of the correct spelling dont get first base with me either. 

It's the ones who want the breed from their dalmatiOn bitch who annoy me - they've obviously read absolutely nothing about the breed!

It's amazing how some people view animals. :(
I myself love certain reptiles and am amazed on how people decide to buy a reptile.
Usually in reptile-world people who buy before thinking end up loosing the animal within 2 to 3 months (dying).
Some learn from this and than investigate before buying another reptile and than either decide not to or actually
do all the research and know what to do or where to get help.
Or they just by another reptile every few months :(
Problem there is that they are fairly cheap (the animals themselves) and the fact that most pet stores and even huge garden stores start selling
them without having a clue about what they are selling or what is involved!! :(

Once had a man come ring the hospital where I was on rotation wondering if anyone there knew where he could get 'one of those miniature dogs like the one in Legally Blonde cos his girlfriend said she would love to have one to put in her handbag and take shopping'.............very scary and sad :(

I dont think people put enough thought into buying any animals.  I also am a great lover of rabbits and guinea pigs and when we discovered that we had been sold a boy and girl rabbit instead of two girls I couldnt let them go as I realised they would probably end up in rescue or neglected in a cage somewhere.  Cost me a fortune to have the boys neutered but at least they had a happy life. So sad.

Chihauhas seem to be becoming the latest designer accessory or is it just me?  Jordan has one. Britney Spears has one not to mention them being in the legally blonde films.

the usual ones we get -
we liked the ridgeback and the vizslas are the same colour.!!!
I saw one in the park and it looked nice!
there quite rare so we just had to have one!!

It has taken me 2 years of weekly trips to shows to decide the american cocker is the breed for me......it really shocks me to think some people watch a film with a particular dog breed and go searching for it without any further thought, :(.
Had a horribly matted shih tzu about 6months old in at christmas, owners acted as if they had expected the dog to bathe and groom itself and that they were totally innocent......just awful :(

I have grown up with Briards most of my life (26 years with them!). I now have my own aged 7 months, and he is a handful to say the least!!! I would not be without him though. Briards are not for the fainthearted, and certainly not for the novice dog owner! I have had 4 people in the last week say something like "Isnt IT gorgeous. We are looking for an unusual dog, could you let me know your breeder's number" ! IT is actually a BOY, and they never thought to ask. (He is also ONLY 7 months old and weighs 32kg and 26 1/2" at the shoulder!) A lot of people do not realise how big some dogs can get. They actually never asked anything but that! Luckily, most reputable breeder (of any dog) will thoroughly vet any prospective owners and weed out those just looking for a fashion statement!

i had a lady ring once to ask if my bitch could produce her a white collie with black patches over its eyes as she wanted a collie to call panda...........................

i hope she heard me laugh before i hung up!!!

chel

:D you're kidding !!!

Once went with a friend to do a homecheck for rescue and came away with the distinct impression that what the person wanted was a disembodied tail. All she could talk about was the wonderful tail her last dog had had. She never did get a dog from Rescue

Hi sorry to ask this really stupid question:

The term "vetting" by a breeder. Does this mean that the breeder will check your house, or just ask you lots of questions about your lifestyle and why you want the dog? I don't mean to be like the stupid people you are talking about, just want to know what the term means:)

Not a stupid question at all! (The only stupid question is one you already know the answer to!) Generally it's just the third degree with questions (have you had a <insert breed here> before? Have you had a dog of any sort before? What did it die of? At what age? What's your lifestyle? Is your garden securely fenced? How long are you out of the house? etc). It's not often that you'll get an actual home-check, but it sometimes happens - and always happens if you're getting a pup or adult from rescue.
:)

thanks! LOL i did think that was the answer i just wasn't sure :)

"and always happens if your'e getting a pup or adult from rescue."

Not true - I have had 3 rescues from 3 different rescue centres and never once had a home check. They spoke to me on the phone, decided I knew what I was on about and let me have the dog. The last one came from Battersea. Within a week of spotting him on a rescue dog website, he was at home with me.

No slight intended to you, but I think that's appalling! I remember when our neighbours wanted a dog from our local NCDL (now Dogs Trust) they had a homecheck, and the checkers even asked us questions about them! I myself have done home-checking for my breed rescue. I'm absolutely aghast that people are allowed to have a dog without a check being done on them.

Well im not a breeder but we have a 1 yr old sheltie and i am SO sick of people saying hes gorgeous when are you going to breed him!

Agreed JG it shocks me but then I know Manchester dogs home allowed someone to have a dalmatian who when I went to see her to do a home check my exact words were I wouldnt let her have a hamster along with two pages of other reasons.  All she keeps doing now is ringing up rescue demanding they do something about the dog. The poor dog is getting more and more screwed up by the week and just because they didnt bother to do a home check.

No slight taken JG, I suppose they just accepted what I was saying. All the dogs have been BC's and the last one needed a working home. I do obedience, agility and flyball and after half an hour on the phone, the dogs foster carer decided I knew a lot about collies and their needs and could offer him what he needed. She also asked me to clone myself for the rest of the collies needing homes! I did offer several references but they didn't take them. Maybe I was an exception to the rule, but it seems strange as it's now happened three times.

I remember a few years ago a very posh lady phoned saying that she wanted a Spanish Water Dog.  She lived in a little place not far from me where I believe the most millionaires live per square mile :d  She went on to say how she hoped that it wouldn't wee in the house, how the cleaner would take it for walks, how the cleaner would bath it etc.  I advised her that maybe her cleaner may be suitable but that I thought that she would be better off with a stuffed toy.  I don't know why but I never heard from her again :d

I'm not a breeder,too much work,heartache,blood sweat and tears :p

But when walking my dogs,particularly the mastiff's i regularly get asked "when are you gonna breed them" My responce is" i got them spayed and neutered as soon as i could and i would rather leave the breeding up to the BREEDERS!" Sometimes i get "oh it couldnt be that hard,think of the bucks you could make" Well needless to say i tell them what i think!!