General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSince the dog show was just on I'd like to bring up something that has been bothering me for awhile.
Years ago I worked for a breeder of Corgis for a short time. (I needed some extra cash). When the dog and cat over population is talked about all that is ever mentioned is backyard breeders, never breeders who take their animals to shows. These people always had a dog going to shows and their dogs sold for about $1,400 way back 10 years ago.
There are a few things. First these dogs went from their dog crates, (regular crates like you would put a dog when you carry them in an airplane) to their runs and back again daily. Rarely did they ever get to play in the grass. Rarely did they ever get to socialize. If they did it was to procreate. They had a treadmill in the area where all the dog crates were so I assume that is where the trainer trained them, (I was not there long enough to see that).
There was always litters of puppies at various stages of growth. Unfortunately I only was there about 3 months so I did not get to see what happened to all of the dogs once they grew up.
When I read about the Red Mastiff that sold for 1.6 million I wondered how many mastiffs had to be born to get that one perfect dog. And what happened to the others?
I am beginning to think that our kennel associations, in the quest for the "perfect" dog and cat are a big part of the problem because they encourage these owners to breed and breed looking to "the one".
And then I think of my dog Paco and how he could have just as easily been bred at one of these places. (He just looks very much like a picture of a Chihuahua and has all the Chihuahua qualities) Peanut on the other hand came from a hoarder and she has green eyes and looks less "Chihuahua". I could care less because my heart belongs to both of them but what if Paco came from some fancy dancy place and just didn't measure up? How do we know they don't sell their dogs to pet stores?
I guess what I am getting at is are we giving these kennel clubs too much of a pass? I hate their emphasis on the "perfect" dog or cat. What the Hell is that anyway? And has there ever been enough investigation into exactly what goes on in "high class breading". I had my own tiny investigation and I don't have good news. I am so sick of seeing animals with no homes. It just breaks my heart. Maybe there is another culprit that has not even been looked at?
Just my two cents for today.
MADem
(135,425 posts)and they get judged on how cute they are, how well they can sit, stay, shake hands, walk on the leash, socialize with other dogs...stuff like that.
I have two "pure bred" dogs, neither are show quality, both have medical issues (non-life-threatening) and one is a rescue that found me. In the past I've had some swell mutts.
Ya never know where a good dog will come from!
southernyankeebelle
(11,304 posts)love me and fellow me in the house where ever I go and am happy. They go you unconditional love. They don't care if am Ms America or a little old lady. They just want our love. To me even though they are pure breds I don't treat them like putts I've had. I made sure that they were spayed. They are different breeds but they don't seem to mind because they are together. One I ended up with because my son had it at his house but didn't like being alone when no one was home. He would destroy the house. When he let him out he would end up at our house so we finally ended up keeping him too. He sure is lovable.
Lisa0825
(14,487 posts)REP
(21,691 posts)Most of them care about some artificial ideal, instead of the health, happiness and intelligence of the animals they say they love. There are probably ethical, humane and loving breeders - I can see the appeal of certain breeds (though for me, the appeal is in personality characteristics more than looks, and prefer older, less human influenced breeds) as well as mixed breeds. As much as I love Abys and Coons and Siamese (etc), I'd much rather there be no breeding programs.
All my animal companions have been strays, throw-aways or rescues, for what it's worth. Yet there's been plenty of Coons and Abys and Siamese in my life; having a pedigree doesn't guarantee an animal will be loved. Mine companions don't have papers and I couldn't love them more
TorchTheWitch
(11,065 posts)Not all breeders are created equal, and there ARE good respectable breeders out there that breed for health and temperament and don't actually profit from it. Finding them isn't easy, and one has to know the right questions to ask, what research to do and what to look for. That's what breeding is supposed to be about. Backyard breeders and bad breeders are just as bad as puppy mills, but there ARE good responsible breeders out there and what dog breeding SHOULD be all about. But without supporting good responsible breeders, there will NEVER be better standards in dog breeding, and irresponsible and backyard breeding will entirely take over.
It's responsible breeding that has virtually done away with hip dysplasia in most large breed dogs when it used to almost a given that the average large breed dog would suffer from it as they got older. With responsible breeding most large breed dogs are now guaranteed in writing that none of their dogs will suffer from it. Without responsible breeding certain health issues CAN'T be eliminated, and good responsible breeders are always researching with the medical community how to identify suspect genes and eliminate them from their line.
Unfortunately, the OP worked for a typical irresponsible breeder. How much their pups cost are irrelevant. No responsible breeder has too many dogs they can't devote the time to work with nor be having more than a couple litters a year and no more than 2 or MAYBE three litters per female. There's a hell of a lot more to it like having the standard health certificates (hips, eyes, bones, etc.).
REP
(21,691 posts)Not only is the current standard ugly, it calls for such extreme skull deformities that the cats are doomed to a lifetime of sinus and eye problems, and the narrow brain case in the skull of a modern Siamese has been suspected of 'dumbing down' an ordinarily highly intelligent breed. No thank you, I don't want to support that.
My abandoned and thrown-away Siamese companions have been apple heads (probably why they were discarded), and one was found with her tail broken and her whiskers burnt off. She was 3 months old. She lived to be 17, and other than a minor digestive problem, was a happy, healthy, beautiful, loyal, clever and loving friend.
xtraxritical
(3,576 posts)Originally the dogs were full size Spitz (about as big as small German Shepherds) over many years they were bred to miniaturize with many concomitant health issues. They too have sinus and eye problems and often are not as "smart" as they should be. All this is inflicted on the animals by arbitrary "fashion" statements of the Kennel Club. It's really just a money making scam and is very injurious of the poor animals.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)Runny eyes and nose and her face is so squashed she can barely breathe through her nose when it is not caked with snot
She is not sick it is due to the shape of her poor squished face
Not to mention her coat is so long and so fine there is no way on earth her poor little tongue can groom that coat without human assistance
It is awful what breeders have done to Persians
I also have a thrown away Himalayan but he has a round head so fewer issues
Still can't groom himself without human help though
REP
(21,691 posts)Welll, I'm a fan of any and all cats, and knowing what the general personality of Persians is, it's heartbreaking to see beautiful, charming cats bred to the point where they can barely breathe or groom themselves. When I see pictures of old-style Persians (with pointy faces and a reasonable coat), I wonder how anyone could breed them into what they are now and say its because they love the breed.
I hope your friends live long healthy and happy lives, and I'm glad they've found someone to help them with their hair!
(A little off-topic: here we call the grooming comb "the cat magnet" - our rescue/stray/throwaway Maine Coons can groom themselves, but come running as soon as one of their combs is picked up!)
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)Just wants a lap to sit in.
I work with a rescue and she was adopted and returned 5 times (due to her Persian-typical litterbox issues).
Finally I said, "screw it, she's staying at my house". I couldn't bear to see her lose her home one more time. She's been with me for several years now and is well over 10 years old.
I made over one room with vinyl floor and easily cleanable furnishings, and after much experimentation, have discovered a litterbox arrangement she find acceptable 95% of the time (plastic tray with a puppy pee pad and a small box of unscented NON clumping clay litter thank you very much, she can't seem to stand stand clumpy gooey clay between her fluffy toes and who could blame her). The times she "misses" it just goes on the vinyl and is easily cleaned.
I, too, am amazed when I see old pictures of persians, and realize what breeders have done to them.
Both the persian and the himmy do like being brushed, so there's that.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)how there are some breeders working to fix it, but you failed to mention that it was breeders that made it so common in the first place. The Kennel Club (British Kennel Club), and the AKC have ruined more breeds than can be counted. They create "standards" that have nothing to do with the dogs, their health, or their purpose. It's as if some group gets together and picks traits based on their inappropriateness, then declares it desirable. And always there's a legion of breeders willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
The film industry is another major contributor to the suffering of dogs. It started with Rin Tin Tin who's extraordinary popularity in the 20s created more demand for the Alsatian (German Shepherd) than could possibly be met. The result was a horror of inbreeding that the breed has still not, and probably never will recover from. Lassie ruined the Rough Coated Collie. The Doberman Gang, Babe, and so on. The surest way to wreck a breed is to have one be a hit in the movies.
sunwyn
(494 posts)and compare them with what a breed standard looks like today, there are marked differences. They have thoroughly bred out traits in many dogs that kept the dogs healthy and able to also be working dogs. It's a damn shame.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)Terriers' purpose is to kill vermin, the working breeds help herd and protect our other domesticated animals, the retrievers are self-explanatory, the hounds track down dinner, and so on. Before these hobbyists took over, the only measure of the quality of a given dog was how well it did its job.
It is a shame that we allow these fools to so badly hurt what are literally our best friends.
Spider Jerusalem
(21,786 posts)AKC breed standards lead to inbreeding and health problems (look at breathing problems and hip dysplasia in English bulldogs for instance); specified breed standards for certain breeds are animal cruelty (ear cropping and tail docking).
mopinko
(69,803 posts)i have 2 victorian bulldogges, part of a whole movement, including the mollet bulldogge, the banter bulldogge and a couple others. they are working toward a standard of the dog that retired from the bull ring and became the beloved pet dog. one has allergies, but they are otherwise quite fit. one is more like an english bull, but his head and nasal structure are perfect.
nobody is making any money at this, and most are "backyard" breeders.
personally i think that the development of the different dog breeds (and chicken, cow, pig, horse, etc) for different jobs, etc, is really a crowning achievement for human kind. i would hate to see them all disappear.
Lugnut
(9,791 posts)At the age of five he was diagnosed with Von Willibrands and didn't survive much beyond seven years. Our vet was livid because Max was a great dog. He called it indiscriminate breeding.
LiberalEsto
(22,845 posts)The animals had all been bred into freaks. The Siamese cats looked like elongated, emaciated rats, and shivered constantly. The longhaired breeds had pushed-in faces and huge amounts of puffy hair that looked like it kept them from walking normally. They all looked plain awful. I wouldn't want one of those "purebred" cats on a platter, but I pitied them. Give me a normal cat-type cat with room in its skull for a normal cat brain.
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)boycott all companies that advertise and support the associations would be a great start.
Someone tell me how to start.
Here are the sponsors of the recent show:
http://www.akc.org/meet_the_breeds/sponsors.html
AKC Petinsuranceplan
Auto and Home insurance from Hartford
PetBrands
Purina ProPlan
Motel 6
K9Advantix 11
Felidae cat food
Sturidi Products - Pet Crates
City Bank
Oreck
PAL - Pets add Life (don't know what this is about)
Harry and David - Gourmet Fruits
TimberTech - low maintenance fencing
BowTie - magazine
Showsight - show magazine
Cornell University - College of veterinarian medicine
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)Margaret and James Hamilton were a dog power couple, seemingly the perfect people for raising and selling purebreds. Margaret was a breeder and a dog show judge who owned prizewinning Chihuahuas. Some of her litters were registered with the American Kennel Club, a stamp of approval from an organization charged with maintaining breed standards and registering purebreds around the country. Her husband, James, was a leader in a local A.K.C. Rottweiler club.
But when the local police entered a home in Burien, Wash., in October 2011, they wondered what standard the Hamiltons were being held to. The police said they found 38 dogs that were under Jamess care, mostly Chihuahuas, living in small crates filled with fur and feces, the cages stacked on top of one another in a dark basement, according to court documents. A radio was blaring, drowning out the sound of barking, and many of the dogs were malnourished and had eye diseases and overgrown toenails, according to investigators. Thirteen dogs were euthanized the night of their rescue because of incurable health problems, including severe periodontal disease.
The same day at the Hamiltons residence in Issaquah, Wash., 62 dogs were seized and one was euthanized. The Hamiltons were charged with animal cruelty in the second degree.
It was a Silence of the Lambs scene down there, Kim Koon of Pasados Safe Haven, a local animal shelter that was involved in the investigation, said of the basement. Those animals were in horrible shape.
Hissyspit
(45,788 posts)These people are.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)My husband and I realized it was distemper, in the last stages and nearly unconscious. Being extremely broke, we called the dog pound to come and pick up the cat and put it down (we didn't know what else to do) and the guy came with his truck. We looked in sorrow at all the old and young cats and dogs in the cages.
Since some were not in dire condition, we asked what was going to happen and he said if no one cam to claim them, they'd be put down. He saw the distress on our faces as we pointed to a kitten we couldn't identify by breed, but who looked very healthy. He looked Siamese, but different.
We asked the man what his story was. The dog catcher said he was from a pet store who called them because his points didn't turn out the way they wanted. We thought that was a crummy thing to do to an animal, didn't know about that practice. Then he asked if we'd like to give him a home. We said yes and took him home. He was a lilac point and we loved him all his life.
We also took in a female who looked a lot like Grumpy Cat. She walked up the fire escape into our open door heavy with kittens and just made herself at home. We figured her owner didn't want her because she'd gotten pregnant by the wrong cat. Sure enough, her kittens were not purebred. This was forty years ago.
So, yes, these animals are discarded all the time, and as the horsemeat story revealed on threads a while back, the breeders want slaughtering to make that last dime off the horses. I don't know what to say, but I've always disapproved of what people have been doing to animals for the vanity of the humans who treat them as accessories. I bet all the litters prior to that dog who cost so much money, that didn't meet the standard they wanted to produce, were slaughtered.
it's so stupid and wasteful, like a lot of things humans do, just to entertain themselves, really.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)Yes. True.
I need to cuddle my Shrimpy after reading this thread.
Mr.Bill
(24,103 posts)things are changing. My local kennel club, which is affilliated with the AKC, welcomes mixed breed dogs. The AKC a few years ago started something called the Canine Companions program which allows AKC registration for mixed breed dogs, and requires that they be neutered or spayed. My rescue Mutt is registered and has competed in AKC obedience trials, and is treated the same as purebred dogs. There isn't a class at Wesminister for mutts, but things are changing.
ColumbusLib
(158 posts)Thanks to the poster and for the comments. It all makes me a bit weepy, but we need to think about these things, and how we can move forward as a society on these issues.
tblue37
(64,979 posts)the poor animals suffer terribly, because those standards lead to all sorts of serious health problems. (The extreme slope of the German Shepherd's back is just one example.)
MADem
(135,425 posts)It will take time, but maybe before our younger DUers are very elderly, dogs will start looking like they did in early silent films.
http://www.crufts.org.uk/news/healthy-dogs-and-responsible-breeders-shine-crufts
ChoppinBroccoli
(3,764 posts)That's my main problem with these "dog show" types. They talk about "pure breeds" with such reverence. As if there's really a "pure breed" anymore. They've ALL been interbred over the years to perform whatever tasks they're now best at. So why are "mutts" excluded?
With regard to the breeders, I've always had a healthy distaste for them. It always seemed kind of snobbish to go pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a "pure breed" dog (which is more likely than not inbred anyway), or to go to a pet store, when I can go drop a few bucks at the local pound, save an animal's life, and get a dog every bit as good. My last dog was a beloved half-Doberman (the only thing we knew for sure was that the mother was Doberman, but he looked like he had at least 3-5 other breeds mixed in there somehow), and he was a great dog (and my best friend). He lived for 13 years (which is a long time for a big dog) and died about 5 years ago.
I think your concerns are well-founded. In fact, in my State, our legislature just passed a "Puppy Mill" bill that will severely crack down on the people running puppy mills and then selling off the less-desirables to pet stores. I believe Petmart (or Petland--one of the big chain pet stores) got into trouble a few years ago for selling diseased and/or inbred dogs that came from puppy mills.
ErikJ
(6,335 posts)Do they also breed on behavioral qualities at all? Or ability to hunt or herd or all the things big working dogs are supposed to do?
yewberry
(6,530 posts)This country euthanizes millions (yes, millions) of animals every year.
Breeders, kennel clubs, "fanciers"-- every single animal that is created out of this sick, stupid system means another unhomed animal dies. These beautiful animals are our responsibility, and we fail them and fail them and fail them in favor of some idiotic notion of breed purity. Wonderful animals die while stupid people breed and breed in the hope of producing the "best" color combination or nose shape.
Please, peeps, don't bother talking to me about the value of purebreds-- you're wasting your breath. My husband has been a dog trainer for decades and I know the whys and wherefores. I know dogs.
My dogs have all been rescues. I've had purebreds & mutts, I've fished a bag of puppies out of a pond, and I've fostered dogs that were on the destroy list because their supposed "caregiver" beat them and they were deemed unsafe for biting back. I spent years protecting a rescue Rottie girl who really wasn't ready for the real world-- she lived a long, happy life, and everyone who knew her loved her.
All of them deserve better. These are lives that exist because of us, and we owe them better. They should not be judged on worth; they are living beings, not commodities.
Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)but we have about 10 times the population of Canada.
25% of the dogs given to shelters are purebreds. Statistically, the most commonly euthanized dog in the USA is a large black male dog such as a "Lab mix".
IMHO there should be a written test and a license required before anyone can own a dog. People threaten, beat, neglect, abuse, starve, and injure millions of dogs every year. Many people have gross misconceptions about how to train or care for a dog and it is the dogs who suffer.
In the small town I live in, I have seen and heard about at least 5 dogs who died in the last year due to their owners not properly keeping them from harm -- 3 drown in rip tides, 1 hit by boyfriend's car, 1 inadvertently poisoned.
And many who have never owned a dog in a city have no idea how much you are treated like a criminal for owning a dog. People will say ANYTHING to you. My neighbor came running out and screamed at me when he saw my female squat on his gravel driveway -- "You have to pick that up!" She pee'd (?) on gravel just as I had taught her. At the post office I get people saying loudly "I believe there is a sign that says you can't have dogs in here." Not true -- most banks, all post offices, Lowe's and Home Depot permit well behaved dogs.
And renting an apartment with a dog is nearly impossible, in part because there are many irresponsible dog owners who leave a legacy of damage and noise complaints for landlords.
As a society, we can do better. Dogs deserve so much better.
RudynJack
(1,044 posts)The kennel clubs are a huge problem. So many breeds are ruined by ridiculous standards.
Some breeds can't even give birth naturally, requiring c-sections. Some have enormous skin problems because of folds that are "desirable". Hip problems are endemic.
I've had one pure-breed in my life. It was my dream dog, and he was wonderful. But he had health problems and had a relatively short life.
A friend of mine runs the local shelter and she's always offering me a surrendered pure-breed. Part of me wants to take a rescue pure-breed (it's not the dog's fault!) but I've pretty much decided my next dog will be a mutt I fall in love with. The overbreeding has just become insane.
But if you know anyone with a Clumber Spaniel, I wouldn't mind having one of those come live with me
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)because of ethical concerns.
http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2008/12/15/bbc-drops-dog-show-coverage.aspx
The BBC has announcedin a momentous victory for dogs everywherethat it will no longer broadcast coverage of the Kennel Club's Crufts dog show. Crufts is the British equivalent of the American Kennel Club's Westminster Dog Show with all the attendant hype and fuss and dogs in crates.
BBC officials have learned that "purebreds" entered into dog shows are genetically predisposed to debilitating diseases caused by generations of inbreeding. And it's all in an attempt to make sure that the dogs who are bred for money are the best "specimens" in town. Kudos to the BBC for taking a stand for dogs!
Apparently USA Network (which broadcasts Westminster Dog Show every February here in the states) hasn't yet gotten the memo that "breedism" is a thing of the past. Remember last year's winner, Uno? As a beagle, Uno has a significantly higher risk of hypothyroidism, demodectic mange, umbilical hernia, epilepsy, eye and eyelid problems, cryptorchidism, hip dysplasia, intervertebral disk disease, and luxating patella. Now what ribbon does that deserve?
Written by Liz Graffeo
MADem
(135,425 posts)They aren't knocked off the air or anything like that. They also put all the judging and exhibition up on YOUTUBE (it's a four day affair). The next show is in March of this year.
http://www.more4.com/
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)From Peta: The AKC and DOG Breeders
"The births and deaths of millions of homeless animals could be reduced and prevented through spaying and neutering. Yet countless puppies are born every day, thanks to breeders who often breed closely related dogs in order to retain certain breed characteristics. Not only does this contribute to the overpopulation crisis, it has also led to genetic diseases in virtually every breed. Because the gene pool is so limited, there are now more hereditary canine diseases (about 370) than there are dog breeds (about 350).(2)
How the AKC Shares the Blame
The American Kennel Club (AKC) says it registers nearly 1 million dogs annually, some of whom will join the millions of animals who are abandoned in animal shelters each year.(3) The AKCs objective is to study, exhibit, promote, and maintain dog breeds, regardless of the cost to the dogs or to society. Firmly stating that dogs are property, the organization actively and aggressively combats mandatory spay-and-neuter programs, funding its lobbying efforts with the millions of dollars that it receives from breeders who pay AKC registration fees.(4,5)
Breeding is encouraged for appearance characteristics that have nothing to do with the health of the dogs and sometimes affect it adversely. Pugs, for instance, notoriously have difficulty breathing because of their short snouts. One breeder admits that the much-sought-after pug face is derived from a recessive gene: If theyre left to their own devices, or you dont breed carefully, they wont keep their flat faces.(6) Dogs that dont meet the breed standard may be given up, sold to pet stores, or euthanized."
So these dogs do end up in pet stores. And they end up with chronic, painful, life long and life shortening genetic traits all in the name of searching for the perfect looking "specimen" And while I understand some people here saying that they are trying to genetically breed out these traits there are still millions of unwanted dogs and cats euthanized each year because they don't have a home. I think all that new birthing can wait until we find forever homes for all the ones that are stuck in shelters or on death row as I type this. But that is just my opinion.
AngryOldDem
(14,061 posts)English Bulldogs and Rhodesian Ridgebacks are two that come immediately to mind. All because of kennel club "perfection standards" that don't consider what is best for the dog.
What you're describing sounds like a high-end puppy mill.
We have a Dachshund that most likely came from a puppy mill. We saw her at a pet store and there was no way we could leave her there. She is not "show quality" (that's what her papers say) but we could care less. She is the sweetest, most loving little dog there is, and we wouldn't trade her for anything -- who cares what the AKC may say.
NNN0LHI
(67,190 posts)Had a neighbor lady who fell in love with St. Bernards after seeing Beethoven and decided to start breeding them. Didn't take long before she had a houseful of them. They ate her house up too.
KurtNYC
(14,549 posts)Not NatGeo or any animal related networks but on the financial network. The outdated idea that dogs are a status symbol has found it's final home on the world's most money obsessed TV network with Mitt Romney and Paris Hilton as c0-poster child.
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)and sells the puppies for approximately $1500 to $1800 each. You will seldom see those breeds in the pound or homeless.
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)when they are not the "in" dogs?
RebelOne
(30,947 posts)will hardly abandon it or send it to the pound. When bulldogs are not the "in" dogs any more, he will switch to another breed. He has bred Chihuahuas (one that was given to me for Mother's Day), pit bulls (which was a short-time thing) and many other small breeds. Believe me, I do not approve of breeders and have lectured him many times that the dogs would end up in the pound.
I was fortunate that a friend gave me a Rottweiler that she bought as a puppy from a breeder in South Florida. She wanted a watchdog and the dog was not aggressive enough. When the Rottie was 2-1/2 years old, my friend was going to put her down and I took her. She was the best dog I have ever owned. I had to send her to doggie heaven when she was 13 years old because of bone and liver cancer. It broke my heart.
Maraya1969
(22,441 posts)on this ASPCA statistics sheet that 25% of all shelter dogs are purebreds. Maybe you could show him these statistics. Then again I'm sure you have tried.
http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/pet-statistics.aspx
roody
(10,849 posts)Marrah_G
(28,581 posts)Good breeders care about the breed and care about the dogs and to whom they sell them.
just1voice
(1,362 posts)They were greedy aholes to the core, every single one of them. They treated their pets as possessions rather than companions. In fact, some of the nicest dogs I met there were dogs who were rescued from breeders, likely grateful that they weren't being treated like crap anymore.
joeybee12
(56,177 posts)deal with puppy mills...and that tells you a lot...knr