Topic Numero Uno....Hey dog lovers, what do you think?

I believe that if you are going to steal ideas, you should steal from the best, thus I steal my first blog topic from the indisputable goddess of our times, "The Oprah".



Watching her show a few days ago (seriously not a habit...I do engage in gainful employment during the day), I saw that she was attempting to help educate the public about the serious and sad problem of puppy mills and other issues surrounding dog ownership in our country.



As I am a dog enthusiast, and an animal lover in general, this seemed like a noble cause to me.



My personal opinion is that it would be great if people either adopted a mixed breed dog from a shelter or did some serious homework before they purchased a purebred dog. It is heartbreaking to think about all the unwanted animals euthanized in this country. Perhaps not quite as heartbreaking, but certainly sad, are the stories I hear about people who bring home a "cute puppy" but don't understand the 10-15 year committment to caring for a dog properly throughout its lifetime. Far too often formerly "cute puppies" end up as neglected (or worse) dogs.



So, to open up the topic to anybody else who wants to weigh in:
What kind of things should you or your family consider before deciding to bring a dog into your life?
Have you ever heard of a "puppy mill"? (In not, maybe you should watch Oprah more often.) What would be your definition of a puppy mill?

If you were going to buy a purebred dog, how would you go about finding one? What are the advantages and disadvantages of a purchasing a purebred dog as a pet? If you could buy an AKC registered dog from the newspaper, why would it be worth paying more money to buy from a reputable breeder? What should you expect from a reputable breeder?

With all the unwanted dogs in this country, do you think everybody should be allowed to breed dogs and sell them? Should neutering be required for pet quality and mixed breed dogs?

What kind of laws, if any, do you think ought to be put in place to protect dogs, and other animals from neglect and abuse?

For the many quality breeders who might read this, please chime in with your opinions. Ditto for all of you wonderful volunteers and others engaged in helping rescue unwanted dogs. You have an opportunity here to advocate and educate. I believe that the vast majority of people want to make the best decision for themselves and their potential new family members. Just think, even the incoming president is grappling with the issue of what kind of dog he should get for his family. (Hopefully that issue is not at the top of his priority list....)


One of the things that really got me going today is that I am considering getting another dog in the foreseeable future. I currently have two dogs and the 12 1/2 year old has terminal cancer. Though no dog could ever replace Lucy, we would probably want to get another dog shortly after we lose her to help keep Emma company and give us a new puppy to love. I am in touch with a good breeder and may be fortunate enough to get one of their puppies sometime in the next year. While on line, I saw an advertisement for Labrador Retriever puppies in the area where I live. I went to the site and it is what I would call a puppy mill for Labs. I am not saying this particular person is abusive to animals and I don't believe that he is. I am saying this person is breeding a popular family dog for profit and has made a business out of selling poorly bred animals for an exorbitant price. As a person that is in marketing herself, I have to hand it to him because he has created a great marketing campaign by claiming he has perfected a "non-hyper" Labrador. (Anybody who has ever owned a Lab or read Marley and Me knows that Labs have a lot of energy, particularly when they are young.) This guy is asking a jaw-dropping $1600 for these poorly bred puppies. He doesn't publish the parents pedigrees or mention whether his breeding stock have been tested for sound hips and eyes. Hip and eye problems are genetic issues common to the breed. I guess his breeding program is to mate his most comotose female to his most comotose male dog and hope for "non-hyper" puppies. Some really bright folks have been taken in by the b.s. this guy puts out about his operation. He is in business to sell dogs and dog food and he is not interested in the betterment or preservation of the breed. (Yeah, and if by some miracle you ever read this T.W., you know who you are!)

Let me know what the rest of you think of my rant, or start a new topic, or both....

LD