Pet Peeve

The TV special, Pedigree Dogs Exposed, (which will be on TV in the US, Dec 10, 2009) really seems to have brought change into the way dog breeders are seen in the UK.

Hopefully it will start those same changes here in the US.

As much as I feel puppies are cute, they are also a product, and dog breeders should not be allowed to deliberately produce unhealthy animals with inherited diseases, and then sell these puppies to the public, and then call it art.

When puppies are advertised as quality pets, then they should have been produced to be quality pets, and be capable of being quality pets. Not hyper active, yappy, crazy, mean, or retarded animals who are by-products of show breeding.

What I don't understand is how some of the show breeders who I know, can stand right there and say that they are NOT producing pet puppies, they are producing show puppies - and then advertise those same puppies as "pet quality".

Getting a dog which is naturally geared to be a house dog which can be left in the house during the day, and who is good with children, is very important.

This should not be looked down upon by dog breeders who think of dogs as art, or as the ball in a ball game (you need it to play the game, but it isn't important in itself). And dogs bred to only be good as objects in a 'sport' should not be advertised as "pet quality".

The show dog breeders understand that they can not take a puppy from two dogs who are very good pets, and expect it to win shows -

I expect them to understand that families who want a good house dog, have a right to buy a dog produced to be good with children and good in the house - and that those puppies should come from 2 dogs who are best in the house, and best with children - not left overs from the show ring.