The right thing with purebred dogs or cats is not to buy them from pet stores. Pet stores get their puppies from puppy mills, which are horrible places where the dogs are treated badly, and no one cares about the genetic heritage of the puppy. With the restricted gene pool of purebreds, that’s a serious consideration that will impact the personality and health of the dog or cat.
Apparently, PETA was the one who complained. PETA, whose stance is that domestic dogs and cats are slaves, and that no one should have pets. PETA has no place to stand on the subject of animal cruelty.
I’m a big fan of mixes, dogs or cats. But I do understand the most important thing about the appeal of the purebred: knowing what we are getting. Dogs come in such a range of sizes and temperaments that there’s good reasons for having different breeds, and good reasons for people to seek out certain traits.
The people saying that no one should get a dog from a breeder are making two mistakes: they don’t realize that a breeder is the best place to get a certain breed of dog, and they don’t realize that breeds exist for a very good reason.
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Dog breeds came about in the first place because there were specific tasks the dog was expected to do, and breeding that picked the dogs who were best up for that task. Unlike cats, who basically only have two duties, (catching rodents and being companions,) dogs might be called upon to pull carts, guard the house, herd livestock, be companions, and catch game, with or without help. And the list goes on.
Service dogs are usually certain breeds because it ups the odds that all that training will pay off in a working dog. People who need livestock herded will get a livestock herder, because that’s a specialized talent. Mixed breeds could do this. But the odds are far better with a dog with a genetic heritage that was designed to do whatever it is.
Even being pets, dogs have different talents for different families. The elderly person might need a dog who doesn’t need more exercise than their person. The family with three rowdy boys needs a different kind of dog from the family who has one child with special needs. The hiker needs a different kind of dog than the couch potato. There’s nothing wrong with choosing a dog because we know what will make both us and the dog happy.
It’s certainly possible to get a great dog from a shelter. I’ve done it, over and over. But I have flexible needs and a good eye for what breeds might have gone into the dog, and how that might play out in my home. Not everyone can do that. If I guess wrong, it doesn’t matter, because all I want is a nice dog. But if I have certain needs or certain expectations, it would be sad and disappointing for the dog, through no fault of their own, to not live up to them.
Yes, it’s great to adopt animals from the shelter. Of course I think so. But I don’t see anything wrong with someone who has their heart set on certain traits to seek that out from a conscientious and caring breeder who also loves those traits in their favorite breed, and wants to see them continue to flourish.
What I don’t like is fashions in the dog or cat world, which compromise the dog or cat’s purpose and health for appearance’s sake. This leads to neurotic, unhealthy, and unhappy pets. All the more reason to seek out the right breeder, and reward them for their hard work. The last thing we should seek is a bargain.
Over the years of the pet’s lifespan, our bargain seeking will amount to very little in the end. It can be very expensive if our cheap purchase price disappears in the blizzard of vet bills and the storm of heartache when our purebred turns out to be badly bred.
When people have a wonderful dog or cat, they want to repeat that happy experience. Getting the same purebred will up their odds, though there is no guarantee. Getting a mix, on the other hand, makes people feel the pet could never be duplicated.
But then again… that’s true no matter what pet we pick.
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There’s more to choosing a cat with The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See my CHOOSING A CAT.
I hadn’t heard anyone complaining about VP-elect Biden’s decision, but I wasn’t surprised to hear that the complaints are coming from PETA. The term gets tossed around a lot, but PETA is truly an extremist organization. I recall reading an article in their newletter/magazine several years ago about the mass murder of yeast that is committed with every beer drunk. As far as I am concerned they lost long ago any credibility they might once have had.
That’s really whacky.
Wish more people knew about PETA.
Peta, and HSUS would be happy to see all purebreds gone, one generation is their goal. I’m not a fan of foo-foo shows, I’m a huge fan of shows exhibiting dogs doing what they were bred to do, be it herding or lure coursing, etc. Form follows function, not the other way around. Anyway, off my soapbox, the controversy appears that Biden went to a commercial breeder for his pup, not doing a little work and finding a breeder who is more concerened with the health/temperament of their animals rather than the bottom line. And therein lies the problem.
I recently became aware of HSUS’s stand and this taints their otherwise good advice. I appreciate you letting people know. It’s a foolish stance, and one that does not have the best interests of animals, and animal advocates, in mind.