My Thoughts On Your Thoughts About Breeding Dogs (Posted From My Myspace Page)

Posted by jennifer on March 04, 2008 in Dog & Wolf News / Issues.

There was such a great feedback about this topic that I had to congratulate all of you for getting involved and voicing your opinion (whichever that may be). As I said before, we can all learn from each other. Truly, this isn't a black and white issue. It should be thought about with great care as we all love dogs so very much. The concept of restrictions being made in regards to breeding is a great concept. 1) Because it will allow responsible breeding preserving the breed integrety. Many breeds have been ruined with health and temperment problems galore thanks to the unfortunate business of puppy mills and people that are breeding their dog to their neighbor's just for the hell of it. 2) It will promote responsible pet ownership and weed out those that want to breed fighting dogs, etc. evan though that is still somewhat of an under ground business. (Hey! Am I the only one on Myspace that can't believe how many Pit Bull fighters are on here that are advertising and show pics. of their dogs fighting?!) 3) Where my family is from in Germany, the breeding restrictions are so high that you may not get a permit if you have had any previous altercations with the law, your facility must be inspected and include all the necessary ingredients to welp pups, your home must be properly fenced in AND someone comes to your house to inspect at any time that you are following the law. Now that's what I call a good program. 4) Suppose the AKC started testing dogs in not only looks but temperament? If you went to the Sieger show in Germany, you would see that looks are only a PORTION of what they judge in the ring. The dogs must perform bite work and complete an endurance test. Is anyone aware of how many dogs are put to sleep on a daily basis in the U.S. because of poor temperaments? Lastly, and my final thought is this: Educating people is the number one way to helping our animals today. Unfortunatly, humans have distorted the wolf all the way to the minature Daschund and beyond. The more we mix and match a lot of these dogs that were never suppose to be developed this way in the first place, the more problems we'll have. Take for example the Bulldog. With it's many physical problems, it's hard to find one that will never have any issues. My mini Daschund just got two teeth pulled and he's only 3! Because little dog's mouths are so cramped for space, their teeth can have horrible problems. There aren't roots long enough to support strong healthy jaws like the wolf or the bigger breeds. Then we have the back problems... Don't get me started on that one. Anyway, I think it's so important for people to rescue dogs and I think if you are wanting a certain breed, you need to go to a responsible and reputable breeder. A good way to find one is to research the top dogs in the show ring these days. Check out who's winning at Madison Square Garden or some other national best in breed shows and contact a few before you make your decission. Fostering a dog first can be a good test run that can also benefit the dog in another home so long as you make an effort to assist in helping that dog through training, socialization, etc. There are so many dogs that need homes out there so if you can do it, head to the animal shelter. My dogs work for me- each one has a specific job. My three shepherds are all working dogs along with Jack the mini Daschund. Jack I actually got to help keep prarie dogs off my property here in Colorado because he can easily fit into their holes and he loves doing it! Even my cat who I rescued has a couple of jobs. She works for me with dogs doing distraction training (yes, she's trained too- lol) and she catches tons of mice around the barn. All and all, I think this is a fantastic issue to talk about and I'm pleased to hear everyone's input. Keep it up and keep those comments coming! All my best, Jennifer :-)

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