The responsible, ethical buyer
We certainly hear and read multitudes of opinions of what makes a responsible papillon or phalene dog breeder (and many times those opinions are biased by the writers’ backgrounds in papillons or phalenes). Rarely do you see any articles on what makes a responsible buyer of papillons or phalenes.
Many buyers complain that they never hear back from a papillon or phalene breeder, when the buyer inquires about buying a papillon or phalene puppy for a pet. Good papillon and phalene breeders spend massive amounts of time learning about their breed, their bloodlines and host of other things in order to breed the best papillons and phalenes.
So what does a quality breeder of papillons and phalenes expect from potential buyers?
A buyer should never write and state do you have papillon or phalene puppies for sale now and how much are they? The breeder will not have a papillon or phalene puppy for this buyer, since the buyer has given no indication of what they are looking for in a papillon or phalene puppy. Most breeders have so many requests, that they really will not waste the time to reply with a list of questions that they need answered in order to properly respond to the buyer’s request—especially when most breeder’s websites already carry a list of those questions the papillon or phalene breeder needs to have answered by the buyer.
Breeders of quality papillons and phalenes will usually avoid a buyer who enthusiastically states that they are eager to learn and have hundreds of questions. If you have that many questions about papillon or phalene dogs and puppies, then you have not done enough research—because there are a host of websites, books and videos available to help answer most of those questions. Some breeders, like here at Pixiedust Papillons and Phalenes, go to a great deal of time and trouble to provide a website to help answer questions new buyers may have.
And responsible buyers will have done this research before asking a breeder for one of their puppies. A papillon or phalene breeder is just that—a breeder. They will be spending time with their dogs, shows, competitions, seminars and even building large website just to answer questions, they will not have the time or even the ability to give a potential buyer all their accumulated knowledge in an email.
If the buyer is too lazy to learn a few things on their own, they will most likely not be a candidate for a well bred puppy. As the breeder will perceive such a buyer as one also too lazy to take proper time and care of a papillon or phalene puppy.
Ethical papillon and phalene puppy breeders are expected to take responsibility for every puppy they produce by providing a lifetime return policy if the buyer cannot keep the puppy for what ever reason. It is time for buyers to be ethical and responsible and to make a lifetime commitment to the papillon or phalene puppy that they buy.
No good breeder wants to sell a puppy to a person who wants to dodge their responsibility as pet owner. It does not matter if you have difficulty training the dog, have to move or get a new job or have a divorce—as a buyer, you have a responsibility to care for the pet you bought. The breeder did not ‘rent’ the puppy to you—you bought the dog! Only under the most extreme circumstances should a buyer ever have to ask the breeder to take back a puppy.
An ethical, responsible buyer will never ask the question is this breed good with kids! Instead, they will ask themselves are my children good with pets?! If your toddler is an out of control brat, no ethical breeder of papillons or phalenes will have the slightest interest in placing one of their puppies with you! No dog of any breed should be expected to tolerate pain and abuse simply because it is abused by a child! And Yes, I have had my own children and they were taught to be kind to animals.
And ethical buyer will be honest and say if they are wanting only a pet that they are willing to spay or neuter, or if they have intentions of breeding. Dishonest buyers try to pay a pet price and get a full registered puppy for the only reason to breed and charge as much as possible for the puppies. Such dishonest buyers want to advertise all the work the breeder did in showing, and health testing, to gain the highest price possible and not have any of the expense involved in that showing and health testing of the dog that they bought to breed.
If you want to become a breeder, you must be prepared to put the same or more time and money into showing and health testing as the breeder of your puppy and not try to get off cheap.
A responsible buyer will not need to ask will a papillon or phalene puppy get along with my current pet? How can breeders of papillons and phalenes know the temperament particulars of your current pet? It is up to you, as a buyer, to figure out if your current pet will tolerate a newcomer. Most puppies will do well with an established pet, but that does not mean the older pet will take to a puppy. And a breeder has no way to know that—only you as the buyer can determine if your pet is ready or willing to accept a new playmate.
An Ethical buyer will understand that breeders are not vets or trainers. While breeders of papillons and phalenes will have some health and training knowledge related to papillons and phalenes, a breeder will not take the place of PAID Professional help when the need arises.
Ethical buyers will not expect a breeder of papillons or phalenes to be available 24-7 for advice or just to talk. Most papillon and phalene breeders love to hear how their puppies are doing in the buyer’s home. A breeder has responsibility for the dogs and puppies they still own and their family and jobs, so expecting them to be at a buyer’s beck-and-call is unrealistic at best.
Ethical, responsible breeders want ethical responsible buyers. When you are looking for your next puppy, take some time and see if you meet the requirements to be an ethical buyer.