Controversial Stuff

I am not normally one to get into controversial topics. I don't like debate. I'm an eternal optimist and peacemaker/mediator. However, there are a few things that do get my dander up, so to speak. One is folks who think they're all that and a bag of chips and feel they have the right to impose their opinions onto others.

Case in point: those against dog breeding. Some folks call them "animal rights wackos" (ARW) - perhaps a bit harsh, but none-the-less accurate. These ARW's are often associated with the group PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals). Now, I love my dogs. They are spoiled and much pampered. I'm all for ethical treatment of animals. My definition of ethical being defined as: give them food, water, shelter, love and medical care. PETA perhaps defines ethical differently. I believe some PETA folks would like to see no one even own an animal as a pet! While I do eat meat, and don't plan to give that up, I can see why some folks choose not to. That's their right. But to insist that no one eat meat. No one even own a pet?! That's more than extreme, that's absurd at best and just down right bizzare!

So what does all this have to do with breeding. Plenty. If you frequent any dog related message forums, email groups or web sites, it doesn't take you long to see which camp the folks there are in: breeder friendly - or not. I have seen some pretty heated discussions centered around opinions on breeding. Everything from no one should breed at all, to, if you don't do A, B & C as defined by this group or that, then you should not breed and then others that have their own twist on breeding prerequisites. Some of what is stated has strong basis in good information and truth, others are just spouting their opinion as "gospel" and the only right way. Hog wash!

But the ultimate accusation that I absolutely can not stand is when someone calls a breeder a puppy mill. This is often what commercial breeders are accused of being: puppy mills. That gets my blood to boiling! Why? Because it's a falsehood and horrible accusation to put on anyone, and to do so is slander, if you don't have concrete evidence to back up what you're saying.

What is a puppy mill? Here too, you may find many different definitions, but mine is what I'm using as the basis for my commentary, so here it is:

1. Deplorable conditions: dirty, horried living conditions.
2. Lack of proper food, water, shelter and medical care.
3. No socialization.
4. No physical exercise.
5. Poor breeding stock: as in, not up to breed standard, with many breed faults and health problems

Notice I did not state how many dogs one has, nor how many breeds they have. I also did not mention anything about how much money they made. Personally, I do not see anything wrong with someone in the business of selling puppies. Folks sell cows, goats, pigs, horses, etc.... any number of other types of animals for profit without anyone claiming them as a "mill" or any sort.

Stay with me now, I'm getting to my point: commercial breeders are not puppy mills! As a matter of fact, true puppy mills, purposely stay 'under the radar'. They don't want to be commercial, because commercial breeders have to undergo inspections by the USDA. They have standards they have to live up to, and they are held accountable to those standards!! Puppy millers don't have standards, and certainly aren't going to live up to those imposed by the USDA. Yes, they are in business solely to make money on selling their puppies. Their fault is not in the wanting to make money in selling puppies, it's in the improper care and treatment of the dogs in their care!!! That's a very real, and key difference over commercial breeders.

I know a few commercial breeders - every one of them are fine folks. They are in the business of selling puppies. It's not good business practice to have poor breeding stock and not to take good care of the dogs you have. If you don't take care of them, and don't start out with good quality dogs, then you're going to end up with poor quality puppies and you won't make any money, or not for long.

Hear me: just having a lot of dogs, in a commercial facility, even having a lot of different breeds of dogs, does NOT make someone a puppy mill! Making money by selling puppies does NOT make someone a puppy mill!! It is not the purpose behind their breeding, nor the number of dogs they have that makes someone a puppy mill.

A puppy mill is someone who does not provide adequate food, shelter, water, medical care, socialization, exercise and/or sanitary living conditions for their dogs. Period.

And if you think that only country hick folk, living in the boonies are puppy mills - think again. I've known more than one AKC show person whose dogs live in what I would consider puppy mill-like conditions. While the show dog, being actively shown or planning to be, may be kept clean, fed and watered, many show dogs live in their crates nearly 24/7, to protect the precious show coat. Some even kept in dark rooms, for reasons I can only speculate or only have hear-say on the reasons why. The coat and the shows are often more important than the dogs themselves. The hobby of showing seems to become more of an addiction than a hobby. The dogs often suffer as the result and in almost every case, it's been AKC show people who are the meanest, most opinionated bunch of them all when it comes to who should and should not be breeding. It's as if they think they have all the anwers and should dictate the breeding world. The second group that falls into this category are dog rescue groups.

Now here me, I've volunteered for dog rescue (Golden Retriever rescue, to be specific) and adopted senior rescues for years! So I'm all for rescue, and firmly believe pets should be spayed and neutered. I do not think for a minute that everyone with an intact male and female dog should breed to educate the children, or to have cute puppies or whatever the other usual reasons are for folks who decide to breed. But just because I believe those things, does not mean that I think anyone who chooses to breed is wrong to do so.

So too, I do not think all AKC show folks are bad, horrible puppy-millers wrapped up in an attractive package! There are some wonderful AKC folks out there too. I've met and talked with them. I may very well show my dogs some day, whether in AKC shows, APRI shows or both - I don't know yet. But I know that I would regret not having a run or two around a show ring before I die. If it has to do with dogs, I'm game to give it a go, because I love dogs! Not because I think I must before I breed.

As you all probably know, I intend to breed. We're expecting that we'll have our foundation litter whelping around Valentine's Day 2006. I researched breeding for 2 years before I got my breeding pair. Starting out and trying to do research, and find mentors, was tough. Very tough. First I was criticized for wanting to breed in the first place. Then my web site was picked apart and I was criticized for not already having my policies established for my breeding program, then for changing my mind in what those policies were and a whole host of other things. Remember: I haven't even had my first litter yet, and I'm getting heat!! Good thing I've got thick skin, because I have a feeling it's going to get worse.

So what's my point to this long and rambling post? To make you think. Please don't buy into all the rhetoric touted on many dog web sites. Do your own research on what puppy mills are. What commercial breeders really are. Go to some dog shows yourself and talk with show breeders. There are no always or nevers in this world. You can't lump a group of people into a category and say they "always this" or they "never that". You will find good and bad within any group of folks. Do your own research. Decide for yourself what you think is a puppy mill or an ethical breeder. If you look past the pre-package rhetoric, you might be surprised at what you find. :-)