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Maraya1969

(22,441 posts)
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 10:16 PM Feb 2013

Since 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.

46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Since the dog show was just on I'd like to bring up something that has been bothering me for awhile. (Original Post) Maraya1969 Feb 2013 OP
I like the "dog shows" where kids bring in their pets -- mongrels or "mixed breed" or what-have-you, MADem Feb 2013 #1
Am with you on that. I have 3 little dogs and wouldn't trade them for anything. All three southernyankeebelle Feb 2013 #27
The kennel clubs are a BIG part of the problem. nt Lisa0825 Feb 2013 #2
I include all breeders in my loathing of animal breeders REP Feb 2013 #3
well that's a shame TorchTheWitch Feb 2013 #8
The modern Siamese and Persian are nightmares, to give two examples REP Feb 2013 #15
This is very true of Pomeranian dogs too. xtraxritical Feb 2013 #18
I have a "throwaway" Persian and she is a mess MadrasT Feb 2013 #28
Persians are such nice cats, too REP Feb 2013 #36
The Persian is a doll. MadrasT Feb 2013 #38
There are good breeders, but they are far from typical. You mentioned hip dysplasia and Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #22
If you look at pictures of dog breeds from a hundred years ago sunwyn Feb 2013 #31
Exactly. The breeds were almost all created to perform some specific function. Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #35
Too much of a pass? Yes. Spider Jerusalem Feb 2013 #4
there are a lot of good breeders out there trying to fix the bulldog. mopinko Feb 2013 #11
We had an AKC registered Dobie in the 80s. Lugnut Feb 2013 #19
I'll never forget going to a cat show in NYC many years ago LiberalEsto Feb 2013 #5
After reading all these posts I think its high time we do something about it. I'd say a petition to Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #6
Should have put this one as the top post. Very interesting read. Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #7
Sick in the head. Hissyspit Feb 2013 #9
A good point. I recall an incident walking down a sidewalk and seeing a poor cat near death. freshwest Feb 2013 #10
just for our entertainment BlancheSplanchnik Feb 2013 #44
Although the AKC and kennel clubs have a long way to go, Mr.Bill Feb 2013 #12
Great post and comments ColumbusLib Feb 2013 #13
The breed standards get more extreme all the time, and tblue37 Feb 2013 #14
The Crufts standards are actually getting less extreme in the last few years--and geared to health. MADem Feb 2013 #30
All My Best Dogs Have Been Mutts ChoppinBroccoli Feb 2013 #16
What about breeding the perfect companion dog? ErikJ Feb 2013 #17
This is a subject I get unpleasant about. yewberry Feb 2013 #20
Hear, hear! Well said. n/t Egalitarian Thug Feb 2013 #23
Canada puts down 5 million dogs per year -- the number in the USA is unknown KurtNYC Feb 2013 #33
Yes RudynJack Feb 2013 #21
Just found this out but in 2008 the BBC stopped broadcasting all dog show coverage Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #24
Crufts changed their breed standards in 2009 and More4 TV broadcasts them now. MADem Feb 2013 #29
MORE INFORMATION I FOUND Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #25
Look too at the dogs that have developed major health issues because of breeding. AngryOldDem Feb 2013 #26
Read this NNN0LHI Feb 2013 #32
This year the Westminster show was on CNBC -- that says it all KurtNYC Feb 2013 #34
My son breeds French and English bulldogs RebelOne Feb 2013 #37
Give it time. Those dogs just happen to be very popular right now. What is he going to do Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #41
I doubt that any pet owner who has paid $1500 to $1800 for a dog RebelOne Feb 2013 #43
That woman paid money for her dog yet was willing to have it euthanized. It says Maraya1969 Feb 2013 #46
What happens to the imperfect ones? roody Feb 2013 #45
I would like to see the clubs stand up against puppy mill dogs Marrah_G Feb 2013 #39
Agreed, I met a lot of breeders at my old vet's office just1voice Feb 2013 #40
I agree...these types of breeders always are against legislation to joeybee12 Feb 2013 #42

MADem

(135,425 posts)
1. I like the "dog shows" where kids bring in their pets -- mongrels or "mixed breed" or what-have-you,
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 10:22 PM
Feb 2013

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)
27. Am with you on that. I have 3 little dogs and wouldn't trade them for anything. All three
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 08:28 AM
Feb 2013

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.

REP

(21,691 posts)
3. I include all breeders in my loathing of animal breeders
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 10:31 PM
Feb 2013

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)
8. well that's a shame
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 11:06 PM
Feb 2013

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)
15. The modern Siamese and Persian are nightmares, to give two examples
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 12:19 AM
Feb 2013

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)
18. This is very true of Pomeranian dogs too.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 01:11 AM
Feb 2013

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)
28. I have a "throwaway" Persian and she is a mess
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 08:32 AM
Feb 2013

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)
36. Persians are such nice cats, too
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 01:08 PM
Feb 2013

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)
38. The Persian is a doll.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 04:48 PM
Feb 2013

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)
22. There are good breeders, but they are far from typical. You mentioned hip dysplasia and
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 06:21 AM
Feb 2013

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)
31. If you look at pictures of dog breeds from a hundred years ago
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 10:12 AM
Feb 2013

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)
35. Exactly. The breeds were almost all created to perform some specific function.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 11:57 AM
Feb 2013

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)
4. Too much of a pass? Yes.
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 10:35 PM
Feb 2013

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)
11. there are a lot of good breeders out there trying to fix the bulldog.
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 11:31 PM
Feb 2013

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)
19. We had an AKC registered Dobie in the 80s.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 02:56 AM
Feb 2013

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)
5. I'll never forget going to a cat show in NYC many years ago
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 10:40 PM
Feb 2013

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)
6. After reading all these posts I think its high time we do something about it. I'd say a petition to
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 10:58 PM
Feb 2013

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)
7. Should have put this one as the top post. Very interesting read.
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 11:02 PM
Feb 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/sports/many-animal-lovers-now-see-american-kennel-club-as-an-outlier.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

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 James’s 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 Pasado’s Safe Haven, a local animal shelter that was involved in the investigation, said of the basement. “Those animals were in horrible shape.”

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
10. A good point. I recall an incident walking down a sidewalk and seeing a poor cat near death.
Thu Feb 21, 2013, 11:26 PM
Feb 2013

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.

Mr.Bill

(24,103 posts)
12. Although the AKC and kennel clubs have a long way to go,
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 12:14 AM
Feb 2013

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)
13. Great post and comments
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 12:17 AM
Feb 2013

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)
14. The breed standards get more extreme all the time, and
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 12:18 AM
Feb 2013

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)
30. The Crufts standards are actually getting less extreme in the last few years--and geared to health.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 09:36 AM
Feb 2013

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)
16. All My Best Dogs Have Been Mutts
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 12:35 AM
Feb 2013

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)
17. What about breeding the perfect companion dog?
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 12:54 AM
Feb 2013

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)
20. This is a subject I get unpleasant about.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 04:14 AM
Feb 2013

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.

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
33. Canada puts down 5 million dogs per year -- the number in the USA is unknown
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 11:38 AM
Feb 2013

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)
21. Yes
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 05:17 AM
Feb 2013

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)
24. Just found this out but in 2008 the BBC stopped broadcasting all dog show coverage
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 07:48 AM
Feb 2013

because of ethical concerns.

http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2008/12/15/bbc-drops-dog-show-coverage.aspx

The BBC has announced—in a momentous victory for dogs everywhere—that 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)
29. Crufts changed their breed standards in 2009 and More4 TV broadcasts them now.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 09:24 AM
Feb 2013

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)
25. MORE INFORMATION I FOUND
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 08:17 AM
Feb 2013

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 AKC’s 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 they’re left to their own devices, or you don’t breed carefully, they won’t keep their flat faces.”(6) Dogs that don’t 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)
26. Look too at the dogs that have developed major health issues because of breeding.
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 08:25 AM
Feb 2013

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)
32. Read this
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 10:50 AM
Feb 2013
http://www.dogstardaily.com/blogs/quotmoviequot-dog-effect

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)
34. This year the Westminster show was on CNBC -- that says it all
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 11:45 AM
Feb 2013

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)
37. My son breeds French and English bulldogs
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 01:38 PM
Feb 2013

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)
41. Give it time. Those dogs just happen to be very popular right now. What is he going to do
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 07:31 PM
Feb 2013

when they are not the "in" dogs?

RebelOne

(30,947 posts)
43. I doubt that any pet owner who has paid $1500 to $1800 for a dog
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 07:45 PM
Feb 2013

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)
46. That woman paid money for her dog yet was willing to have it euthanized. It says
Sat Feb 23, 2013, 08:17 AM
Feb 2013

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

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)
39. I would like to see the clubs stand up against puppy mill dogs
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 04:52 PM
Feb 2013

Good breeders care about the breed and care about the dogs and to whom they sell them.

 

just1voice

(1,362 posts)
40. Agreed, I met a lot of breeders at my old vet's office
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 06:35 PM
Feb 2013

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)
42. I agree...these types of breeders always are against legislation to
Fri Feb 22, 2013, 07:38 PM
Feb 2013

deal with puppy mills...and that tells you a lot...knr

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