How would you deal with this puppy-buyer?

[ursula wilby]

Years back I had a young man phoning me asking about a puppy for his mother. The mother was in her late 50's and had never had a dog before but her life-long ambition was to have an irish setter, and a dog as well.
I did not like the sound of this and even less so when I heard that the mother was recovering from serious surgery and unable to phone herself, in fact she had difficulty walking.
They wanted to come and look at my dogs and they did.
I had firmly made my mind up NOT to sell a puppy to this woman.
(I had a pregnant bitch, but no puppies yet)

Yes, she had difficulty walking, but she was recovering from surgery where a braintumor had been removed. She told me that she now realised that there was an end to this life and yes, an irish setter was what she always wanted and feeling there was perhaps not much time left she wanted to get one now.

So how would you react when it came to a request by a dying person?
And does a dogs quality of life count for more than a humans quality of life?

Interesting question.

Yes I agreed to sell her a puppy.
It never came to anything as she had to go in to the hospital and the tumor had reappeared. But my NO turned into a definate YES having been confronted with a persons last wish and having to make a choice.
Ever come across this problem?

[Susan Stone]

What a sad story.

My first reaction was NO, I would not sell her a puppy.

But on second thoughts I think if I were convinced that the person concerned was serious about wanting the best for the dog, then I may agree on selling a puppy. Providing the dog came back to me in the event of health deterioting rapidly and the new owner not being able to cope. My sales contracts have a clause to this effect, even for 'regular' puppy buyers.

I'll admit that I have recommended a different breed to elderly people... and to younger people also for that matter;-))

[ursula wilby]

You see I was totally convinced that I would NOT sell, until I saw the person and visualised myself in the same position.
Having some snotty breeder telling me I am too old or weak or may just not live long enough...

Ursula
(on the elderly side :-)

[Susan Stone]

sorry girls!!!

I remember a 'lady of advanced years' telling me how much trouble she'd had holding their previous setter on the lead - hubby of course wanted another male! I felt something smaller would do... and actually so did she! She just needed someone to tell her husband!!!

[Dee Rance]

As someone who shouldn't have got past 40 due to Cancer I do not think that I am too old at 'early 60's so I would hope someone would sell me a puppy....although I think some might say NO to me, I live by myself, am an O.A.P. and have had a terminal disease my, heck would I sell me a puppy????? Perhaps.....Yes a contract would help, and I think that you should ALWAYS have one of those...... If for some reason the dog is not wanted......then it is to come back to the breeder, not a re-homing place.....we as breeders bring these dogs into the world and we as breeders should be responsible for them.....till the end of their days, they didn't ask to be here we made the decision and we ARE responsible

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

My goodness - I am 53, with 30 dogs of my own, plus running a busy boarding kennel seven days a week! I still like to think I am in my thirties!!!
Yes, I would happily let one of my Irish go to this sort of person, on the condition that the dog was returned to me in the event of the person becoming too ill.
Two of my girls live with a couple who are in their early eighties! The girls are walked daily and run on the beach, which they live directly opposite to. They have had Irish from me over the past 20 years, and have done my dogs proud. We keep in regular contact, but I know the dogs are impeccably looked after and age has never been a barrier.
I envisage myself at the same age with a bundle of Irish - and probably the boarding kennel too!!!!!!!!!!

[Dee Rance]

Its just a shame that there is half a world between, I have been told that 'do I not think that I am getting too old for such large and energetic dogs'
Although I have the dreaded Arthritis I still walk the dogs at least two miles formal walking each day and I play with them all the time, with Saffy you can't get away from play.
Age is just a number, like you I don't THINK I am any older than my 30's until I look in a mirror that is, then I get a kind of a shock, (my mother looks back at me) if the 'new' owner is able to feed and walk and most of all 'love' their new 'offspring' then they are fine to have a puppy, (with the proviso that if they could not take care of them any more, that they come back to you...) This applies to anyone, whatever their age is, who takes a puppy, does it not??????

[ursula wilby]

This age-bit is funny, I had a puppy-buyer in my last litter asking if I thought that she was too old for a puppy.
Turned out she was two years older than I am.
I can not see there being a questionmark when it comes to age at all.
And yes Dee, I have also fallen in to that stupid "I feel like 30"-trap. Until I look in the mirror. Especially staying in hotels with BIG well-lit-up full-lengths-mirrors.
Then I realise I may have passed my sell-by-date a long time ago.
But as for keeping dogs...can you get too old?

The questionmark regarding the puppy-buyer that started the discussion was that she WAS very unfirm. Also she was not expected to live too long...turned out she did not even live long enough to have the puppy.

[Dee Rance]

Ah.....the common sense thing.....I have know so many people that are highly intelligent, but do NOT have any common sense at all. Though I must say that 'talking' to people on this site there seems to be a lot of common sense here and intelligence. There is a great deal of hope for Setters if the people here are in charge of this lovely breed, and NO.... 60 something..... is definitely not too old, well I sincerely hope not......I like you, have many good years ahead of me, (I hope) what is it they say 'you are only as old as you feel' (or something like that).

[Laura Kolbach]

don't forget that we here on the site also possess humor :-)
so i dare to write down the following:
"Women are like good wine. The older, the better." :-)

[Myra Thomas-Rhodes]

Like your style, Laura!
Well I am sorry the puppy buyer didn't live very long. I am sure she was at least looking forward to the possibility of having an Irish, and had something positive in her final days.

[Dee Rance]

Ah thank you for that I will take it in the way it was meant and treat it 'with a big thank you' because I must be really getting to my 'best vintage'