Not surprisingly I have received a number of private messages regarding my post from last night. Many with a common theme of I hope this issue doesnt ruin it for everyone and How do we prevent this from happening? Well, the reality is that if you have ever sent a puppy to a new home (pet home, show home, performance home) without personally stepping foot into the place where that puppy will live, whether it be here or abroad, you have put your dog and your reputation at risk and should take appropriate steps. You researched the home first? Rubbish. As has been proven time and again, you cant trust your research. Those two reference letters from veterinarians? Probably forged. The follow-up pictures of said puppy in little Jimmys bed sound asleep? Photoshopped. The four references from other reputable breeders? Probably puppy mills themselves. We should all be thanking USDA right now for putting in place parameters around which we can sell our puppies. The fact that unless licensed, all puppy buyers will need to come to our home to protect them from falling victim to our unscrupulous practices is a good thing right? Rather than fighting this legislation, we should actually be thinking about addendums, including the requirement that breeders visit the home of that potential puppy! In the spirit of full disclosure we should all be updating our websites to include personal inspection airfare, hotel accommodations, car rental, etc. in the price of a new puppy. Better yet, lets take back the term backyard breeder and just stay local...its safer. For those new to the breed, please do not fear. Take comfort in the fact that the dog world has no shortage of self-proclaimed patron saints that will judge and keep you on the straight and narrow. Disclaimer: Obviously my points above are extremely exaggerated and wrought with sarcasm. For what its worth, here is what my years of having dogs has taught me... 1. There are still in fact many many good people, dont let the few tell you otherwise. 2. Do your research. Do a lot of research. Do the right research. But know you WILL make mistakes and thats what makes you human. Any person who claims they havent, hasnt had dogs long enough, hasnt bred, or is living in a bubble of self illusion. 3. Fix the problems in your own backyard before you take on the task of cleaning up others. 4. Choose your mentors wisely based on your own goals. If I want to be a gold-medal swimmer Im going to contact Michael Phelps, even with his flaws. Im personally not going to put my gold medal aspirations in the hands of someone who has only placed in a few local swim meets. 5. When it comes to issues of hearsay, like questioning a breeders intentions, subscribing to the latest genetic scare rumor mill, and painting every stud dog thats produced an issue as the ruination of our breed, rather than putting your faith in a circle of fear mongers, try picking up the telephone and contacting the breeders or owners involved to get direct knowledge and insight. I hear the new iPhone 6 does a pretty good job at such tasks. Now lets all go hug our dogs and pray for their safety in our mortal hands.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 14:19:22 +0000
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