2) Owning a car especially because it's great for dogs. On top of loving the new stickers, I also love my car. It's a 2003 Pontiac Vibe and it is an awesome dog car, especially after my Honda Civic sedan. With the seats folded down the back is completely flat and quite big, and it is plastic for easy cleaning. I put crates in for safety and in preparation for the muddy wet winter and there is still plenty of space.3) Feeding the dogs better food than I feed myself. They eat raw, often organic and grass fed....and I eat whatever is available. I definitely don't eat horribly but I don't put as much effort into my own food as I do into theirs.
4) Dog bling. I make collars and agility leashes for my dogs and for my friends' dogs and I buy cute tags for to put on my dogs' collars. These are Abby and Ryan's new collars with the ying yang tag and the Superman tag :) The tags are from http://www.pawprintpettags.com
5) Owning a ton of dog toys. I love buying them new toys! I buy a lot of frisbees and a lot of tug toys for agility. Toys that they are allowed to have all the time mostly get destroyed so those have to be cheap - Abby's favourite is a little rat toy from Ikea that costs under a dollar.6) Buying a camera mostly to photograph dogs.
7) Having a training challenge blog with friends. I love teaching new and interesting things to my dogs and I like working on things that they already know. Shaping new behaviours is fun!
8) Feeling passionate about where people should get dogs. This isn't necessarily a sign of Dog Nerdom but it is something I feel very strongly about. I believe that dogs should only be adopted or bought from rescues/shelters (or private adoptions when people get in over their head) or responsible breeders. A responsible breeder is not someone who breeds their dogs just because.
NOT
"Just because" they are good at agility or flyball
"Just because" they are wonderful dogs or the best dogs that have ever existed
"Just because" thousands of dollars could be made
"Just because" there is no one else breeding "good" ____(insert breed here)____
"Just because" the dogs seem healthy, and their parents were healthy, so the pups must be healthy
"Just because" they are gorgeous and would you look at that head/face/coat
Can you tell I'm a little bitter? Long story. I know I can't change everybody but I thought more of a friend.
Anyway, responsible breeders are those who have homes lined up for their dogs. The parents have been fully health tested for all the basics (hips, elbows, eyes, etc) plus any genetic diseases that plague that breed in particular. Good breeders take responsibility for the pups for their *entire* lives and will take them back at any point. They have spay/neuter contracts for the pups unless there are breeding contracts established. The parents have demonstrated themselves to be worthy of being bred based on the breed's purpose. For Border Collies, they have proven themselves through work. For many breeds, who don't or can't do their original work (sad) they need to have kennel club championships. I don't believe that dogs should be bred for flyball or agility. Any dog who is well put together and wants to work will excel in dog sports and there are more than enough dogs already out there who would be great at dog sports. Good breeders know that breeding doesn't make money once you take into account the money put towards titling, entering competitions, health testing and taking care of the pups properly. Good breeders socialize their pups intensely. Phew...
I plug rescue shamelessly. My dogs aren't exactly calm family dogs so I can't advertise that...but they are awesome sport dogs and companions. I want people to see Abby running faster than any dog at the park and leaping 6 feet to grab her frisbee and know that she isn't some special breed...she is just a shelter mutt. I want them to see Ryan running out an around a tree 20 feet away on a "get out" and know that he is a rescue dog.
I haven't always known what I know now - our first cat was from a pet store! I started forming my opinions about rescue and responsible breeding when I first started volunteering at a shelter 10 years ago. Do more people need to see all the dogs in need of homes to change their opinions? Or do most people just not care? Is that why they keep buying backyard bred dogs? I don't know the answers.
2 comments:
Amen!
I also like kicking some ass in the obedience ring with my shelter dog (we try to do the same in agility, but, well, you can't be good at everything!)
I also like showing off my dogs training and I always, always tell people they are rescue dogs.
I will always be going to a shelter or rescue for my dogs; until we stop euthanizing dogs in shelters simply do to lack of space, I won't go to a breeder.
Some people also say that they want a puppy in order to train it - my two dogs were adults when I got them and are much better trained than some dogs I know that people got as puppies! And, you can get puppies in rescue, all the time.
End rant :)
Erika
Here here sister!
While I love my "bought" dog (as you know) rescues are just so much more rewarding to work with. If only every person breeding their dogs had to personally put to sleep a dog in the shelter system. I don't think we'd have this problem.
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