Why Is the Decision to Get a Dog Often So Impulsive?

Why are Canadians so impulsive when deciding to get a pup?

Recently, Paction has interviewed several breeders across Canada to understand more about their customers, who Paction refers to as “prospective pup parents”. The majority of breeders have reported on how common it is for an individual or a family to quickly decide that they want a pup. While shopping, they tend to create pressure to speed up the buying process, expressing eagerness to pick up a puppy immediately or within a short timeframe.  Breeders also complain about the massive amount of short-lived inquiries on classified sites like Kijiji and Craigslist. They may receive tens to hundreds of messages, and after taking the time to respond thoughtfully to them all, they generally don’t hear back from the vast majority. These are both indicators of the impulsive nature of the typical consumer’s decision to become a pup parent. 

So, what are the reasons that Canadians tend to be so impulsive when deciding to bring home a puppy? 

Romanticization of dog ownership 

Puppies are adorable and they naturally elicit a strong emotional response. Movies and social media portray puppies as instant best friends and loyal companions. Trends, especially for a particular breed, play a significant role in influencing the desire to bring home a particular dog. These impressions of dog ownership can create unrealistic expectations, leading people to make quick decisions based on fantasy rather than the reality of the work involved in caring for an animal.  Dogs are dependent on their owners not only for survival, but also for their health and happiness. 

When you are surrounded by family and friends who have dogs, it can initiate a desire to get a dog or even create a feeling of missing out. And, during these moments, one often doesn’t see the other side of the experience: the persistent responsibility required to be a pup parent. There’s also social motivation to getting a dog.  Many pup parents are excited to participate in group walks, dog-friendly outings, or simply being a part of the dog-loving culture within their family or friend group. 

Canadians often underestimate the time, effort, and financial commitment required to raise a puppy. Many may not realize the extent of the responsibilities until after the decision is made. On Paction, one of the most important priorities is to support education on pup parenthood and to encourage thoughtful decision making about the commitment.

Lack of regulation coupled with instant gratification culture

Easy Access

Online classified sites like Kijiji and Craigslist make finding a puppy that is available immediately all too easy. Typically, these ads operate by a first-come-first-serve mentality and folks will visit available puppies and take them home that day.

Animal rights groups across Canada are working on banning these sites because they make it far too easy for consumers to make irresponsible decisions about bringing home a pup and that further enables unethical practices to be rewarded and reinforced.  These sites also provide a marketplace for puppy scalpers and scammers to operate.

A responsible breeder will vet their prospective pup parents.  They will ask questions about lifestyle and work with new pup owners to educate them on what’s required to adequately take care of a dog for the next decade or so. This process of an application and educational discussion with thoughtful breeders generally slows down the process and gives both parties time to make a more informed decision.   

Paction is a specialized platform where responsible breeders can list their pups and waitlists for litters. Consumers are assured that the breeders in the Paction community are meeting specific standards for the dogs’ wellbeing, both on individual and population levels. 

Lack of Regulation for Breeding Practices across Canada

Although Ontario just passed Bill 159 in June 2024, the remaining Canadian provinces are lacking any regulation whatsoever when it comes to the sale or treatment of dogs by breeders. 

Puppy mills thrive in unregulated environments, supplying pet stores or selling directly to consumers online. Without regulations to monitor or shut down these operations, they continue to fuel the supply of poorly bred puppies, many of which are sold to unprepared buyers, often in poor health or with behavioral issues.

Beyond these issues, there is no standard across even the best members of the breeding community with each defining “ethical” operations quite differently. On Paction, there is a set minimum standard for which all participating breeders must meet. These standards evaluate a breeding  program in terms of breeding practices, dogs’ health and wellbeing as well as screening standards for customers looking to take home a dog.

Underdeveloped Consumer Awareness Programs for Dog Ownership

While Canada struggles to put in place regulation and the enforcement necessary for existing regulation, there remains a huge gap in efforts to educate the public on these issues.  What makes matters worse is that most folks don’t engage in the transaction of buying a puppy enough times to gain their own experience.  Most people bring home a pup only once or a few times in their life. It’s not a typical repeat transaction where breeders rely on long term impressions with their customer base for repeat transactions or where consumers learn over time from experience.  In addition, potential pup parents can lack critical knowledge about the time, effort, and financial costs of owning a puppy, which makes impulsive decisions even more likely.

Paction has developed in-depth resources for those thinking about bringing home a puppy to help them prepare for the commitment.  For access to these resources, check out Paction’s Expert Hub for tools like The Ultimate Cost Calculator, a Pup Time Estimator and more!