Quote:
Originally Posted by Mistoftime
We rise Akc Boston Terriers and Boxers and our vets have told us that Pit bulls or Chows should never be around children, in fact every vet and dog professional we have met have told us the same thing.
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That's funny. My vet, as well as an animal behaviorist we consulted about our aggressive lhasa apso, told me just the opposite.
What "should never be around children" is stupid people.
Breeding is out of control in this country. Any idiot can breed dogs (and cats). In civilized nations, there are very, very strict requirements for becoming a breeder. I had a German friend visit me once, and she was appalled at the numbers of dogs killed in "shelters" in this country. Homeless animals are practically unheard of in Germany, because not just anybody looking to make a quick buck can breed animals.
And for those of you looking to buy an animal from a breeder?
•Please know that "AKC" doesn't mean squat, okay?
•Don't buy an animal off the internet (ignore the pretty pictures of kiddies with "home-raised" puppies--it's a scam).
•Don't buy from a breeder who breeds more than one breed. Chances are, you'd be dealing with either a "backyard breeder" or a miller.
•Don't buy from a pet store. All those puppies are trucked in from Texas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and other infamous "puppy-mill states." Many of them die on the way. Their parents live in horrendous conditions in the mills. The pet store will tell you that all their puppies come from only good breeders. They're lying. No reputable breeder would broker her/his puppies through a pet store. One of my dogs was a mill rescue from Missouri: 4-1/2 years old, bred 8 times, half her teeth were rotted out, had a uterine infection, was emaciated, terrified of human touch, and would eat crap from our other dog (which she eventually stopped doing once she realized that there would never be a lack of food).
Stop Puppy Mills
•Don't buy puppies from people advertising in newspapers: again, they are millers or backyard breeders. When you show up to look at the puppies, everything can look perfectly nice. What you don't see is the mill a mile up the road.
Fact:
No reputable breeder advertises "puppies for sale." In fact, for the breeders of the top lines, their puppies are spoken for before they are even born: their reputation depends on the quality of their pups. And they certainly don't broker their puppies through pet stores. In fact, the best breeders not only don't make a profit from the sale of their puppies, they actually lose money. They do it for the love of the breed and have spent many years--and thousands of dollars--selectively breeding (through genetic testing, for example) for health and temperament. BYBs and Millers couldn't care less: it's all about making a buck.
The best way to get a dog? Adopt one. So that there is one less beautiful animal that must be carried to that back room for his or her final moment.
If you simply must buy, the best way to ensure that you are getting a well-bred puppy is to attend a top dog show (it doesn't have to be Westminster, but it should be a very good quality and well-vetted show), and talk to the handlers of the breed you're interested in. They will tell you who the best breeders are, and then you can contact them and get your name on a list for a litter a year or two down the road. Your chances for getting a healthy and happy puppy, with little fear of serious health issues later on, will then be spectacular.
P.S. I fully expect a BYB or miller to respond to this post with indignance--and to blather on and on about how "not all breeders are bad," and how much they "love" their dogs and how well they treat them--blah, blah, blah. To be expected, I suppose, when one's earnings might be affected. Don't believe it for a second.
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