Dog Breeders are Nuts!

[Airborneguy]

If the right person dumped BBQ grease on rocks I'd eat them too!

 

[Punity]

If the right person dumped BBQ grease on rocks I'd eat them too!

Haha Dr. Bbq

 

[SharonaZamboni]

My dog basically refused all of the "expensive" foods I tried on him. He's finally settled on literally the cheapest food I could find. I tried it on a whim, the store brand at Stop and Shop. He finishes his entire bowl in one shot now, compared to over the span of two days sometimes when I was feeding him the "better" foods.

The story i heard is that the cheaper foods have "animal digest", which makes the food delicious. Creeps me out.
My dog is also a Lab that eats almost anything, so refusing isn't a problem

 

[BrothOfVigor]

Talk about uncomfortable. Total whack-a-doos... You seem to be doing a good job with him and you should be commended for the amount of research you've done. I would be pretty suspect of "tubed dog meat" as well. I am imagining some sweat covered guy sitting in a dimly lit room surrounded by cats eating WalMart ground beef straight from a tube having a 'eureka' moment on a quick scam to make some money... Like Danny Devito's as the Penguin at that party, but without the girl and not hilarious. Anyways I digress.

I think his weight looks fine. People are used to seeing fat dogs and freak out when the rare healthy one shows up; maybe its just a reflection of our own image.

Anyways, I lucked out and got my dobe from the local shelter. He was pretty stinking fat when we got him. After a year on Taste of the Wild kibbles and lots of running, hes our very own Muscle Marry. Here is a before and after picture. I am sure some would say he looked better before.. "Duuurf he look tuff b4! Put da choke bak on!"

 

[KingBrianI]

Anyways, I lucked out and got my dobe from the local shelter. He was pretty stinking fat when we got him. After a year on Taste of the Wild kibbles and lots of running, hes our very own Muscle Marry. Here is a before and after picture. I am sure some would say he looked better before.. "Duuurf he look tuff b4! Put da choke bak on!"

Great looking dog! That's awesome that you were able to find him at a shelter. How old is he?

 

[BrothOfVigor]

Great looking dog! That's awesome that you were able to find him at a shelter. How old is he?

Thanks! We think he is about three years old but not too sure; the vet said "mm hes probably about two", not sure how you tell that, but we go by it. He's come a long way since we got him. It probably took him about four months for his ears to relax (always held them down in a really submissive look) and probably eight months to crack a smile. Hes a total velcro dog though. I think if he could, he would wish himself into a Pomeranian and be carried around and kissed all day.

 

[Homercidal]

We have a fat, short-legged yellow lab. She is a good dog, but needs more exercise.

after we had her a couple of years be got a mix breed Boxer/Retriever/Dalmatian/Mutt. He went to the vet and the vet said, "Buddy's overweight." He grabbed some skin and showed how the fat sits under there. I thought he was pretty trim! So now I'm afraid to take our lab to see him cause he might be mad at us!

They are both on 2 cups, twice a day diets, which is on the low side for dogs their size according to the feeding schedule on the bag. They are both a little less fat now than the were before, but I think they've leveled off! I should probably buy more healthy food than what they eat...

 

[ChuckO]

My wife and I have been successful dog breeders for over 40 years now, with good success in the show ring and with selecting good purchasers for our pups. I would like to clear up some misconceptions:

If those breeders are AKC and registered please report them to the AKC they need to loose their registration.

The AKC does not register breeders, they register pure bred dogs. A registered dog of a certain breed that is bred to another registered dog of that breed produces puppies that may be registered. The AKC papers only show that the puppy comes from two registered animals of that breed, no indication of how close to the breed standard the puppy is; only that it's parents are of that registered breed. Anybody can breed registered dogs and sell a puppy with papers. There are also other registering bodies, some valid and some not.

Oh dear GOD. Go to a breeder and you adopt a basketcase and dog. Go to a Pet Shop, and you risk adopting a walking carcass.

WTF?

I am considering a Boxer in teh near future.

You don't adopt a puppy from either a breeder or a pet shop, you BUY it. The word "adopting" and other warm, fuzzy words only tend to promote the goals of the "animal rights" people.

One thought just occurred to me. IF they're AKC registered, and gave you papers with the dog, look carefully at them. There is a place to check whether "registered ownership" of the dog is transferred to the new owners, or if the breeder retains ownership. I think it mainly has to do with breeding rights and such, but might be worth checking on.

AKC papers transfer registration with the AKC from one individual to another. Puppy sellers may transfer co-ownership to someone and themselves in order to maintain some control over the animal, but this is a separate issue. A seller may transfer "limited registration" to a buyer, but this only means that any puppies bred out of that animal can not be AKC registered. Breeders do this if they feel that the puppy sold is not of sufficient quality to be used for breeding.


I have sympathy with the OP, not with the breeders of his Doberman. They sound too controlling and closed minded for my taste. Too bad the OP didn't discover this before buying.

I try to recommend certain products and procedures for raising a puppy, but leave the actual raising of the puppy to it's new owners. However, our health guarantee is specific in becoming void if a few certain things are not done as stated in the contract. We must be doing something correctly as we have people returning to buy a second and third generation puppy from us many years later.

 

[passedpawn]

with good success in the show ring

So how close to reality is that movie Best of Show (have you seen it?).

 

[cricky101]

Adoption programs can be equally as crazy. The group I adopted my dog from had a 2 hour discussion with me about the commitment of dog ownership, asked me about my financial situation and actually sent someone out to see my property before they would allow me to adopt. This was after i told them i lived on 2 acres, entirely fenced, and had a pool for him to cool off in. They still had to come check to make sure he had enough roaming room. He goes outside, pisses on the same bush, barks at the coyotes if they're out there, then comes right back inside. My other dog, a pure breed Newfie, was bought from a breeder. When I showed up to his house he said to me, "She's gonna get huge, eat a ton and will need to be brushed everyday. Can you handle it?" I said no problem and we made a deal.

I got my dog through a rescue too and was blown away by the requirements/house visit/etc... The dog is great (she's a mutt, much like me ) but all of the hoops we had to go through to "rescue" a dog were ridiculous.

If we ever decide to get another dog the whole rescue group experience really turned us off, enough so we'll be going somewhere else.

And, through the rescue, there was no information about exactly what kind of breed she is, how big she'd get, temperament or anything. After we got her and brought her to our first vet visit, we found out she had lyme disease. Not a big deal, but not something we were expecting right away.

 

[BrothOfVigor]

After we got her and brought her to our first vet visit, we found out she had lyme disease. Not a big deal, but not something we were expecting right away.

Nice..
I can see the disclaimer already "Giant Heart Dog Rescue is not liable for checking the quality of health of any of its animals. But YOU must live on 10,000 fully fenced acres free of small children, wild chickens, potholes, and wandering nomads; you are also never allowed to leave the dog alone for any period of time. SUBJECT TO EXTREME PROSECUTION!"

 

[BoomerHarley]

This thread reminds me that I need to send an update about my lab mix to the Oakland, CA Humane Society. I'm sure they will respond quite differently.

 

[ChuckO]

So how close to reality is that movie Best of Show (have you seen it?).

Haven't seen it yet, it's on my queue at Netflix for the next couple of weeks though.

From what I've heard about it some of the characters are very exaggerated stereotypes of some people that I know. Best way to find out would be for you to go to a dog show and see for yourself, they're held most weekends within almost everyone's driving distance.

Going to a dog show and talking to exhibitors is probably the best way to pick a dog breed and a breeder to work with when buying a purebred dog. Contrary to popular opinion, show dogs don't have unstable temperaments. They have to be stable to be handled by judges and to put up with other dogs and handlers in the ring.

 

[passedpawn]

Going to a dog show and talking to exhibitors is probably the best way to pick a dog breed and a breeder to work with when buying a purebred dog. Contrary to popular opinion, show dogs don't have unstable temperaments. They have to be stable to be handled by judges and to put up with other dogs and handlers in the ring.

I bought a Viszla pup from a breeder 4 years ago. Great great dog. Great experience with the breeder. No contact since.

It was our first experience buying a dog from a breeder, so I was surprised when, after I called her, she sent me a bunch of pictures of the parents and other lineage, all posed in front of trophies and ribbons and such. We had no intention of ever showing my dog. Funny.

We've also gotten dogs from SPCA, so we do patronize the whole dog community

 

[ChuckO]

It was our first experience buying a dog from a breeder, so I was surprised when, after I called her, she sent me a bunch of pictures of the parents and other lineage, all posed in front of trophies and ribbons and such. We had no intention of ever showing my dog. Funny.

Even though you had no intention of showing your Viszla, seeing successful show dogs from that kennel at least told you what to expect in a pup. We routinely send win pictures of the parents to people who inquire about one of our pups.

SPCA and breed rescues are great resources for obtaining a puppy as long as you realize that nothing is known about the dog's background. If you have experience working with animals there should be no problem.

 

[broadbill]

SPCA and breed rescues are great resources for obtaining a puppy as long as you realize that nothing is known about the dog's background.

I disagree. Both the SPCA and breed rescues typically test their dogs for personality type as well as test them to see how they do around kids, cats, other dogs etc. All of that information is on their website.

Its in their best interest to do this so that when a dog is adopted there is a smaller chance for that dog is returned to them (or worse).

 

[ChuckO]

I disagree. Both the SPCA and breed rescues typically test their dogs for personality type as well as test them to see how they do around kids, cats, other dogs etc. All of that information is on their website.

Its in their best interest to do this so that when a dog is adopted there is a smaller chance for that dog is returned to them (or worse).

Some breed rescue organizations temperament test the dogs that they place, others place as many dogs as possible without any knowledge of the animal's background. Most national breed clubs and AKC parent clubs that have rescue services do a good job of matching animals to prospective owners, but quite a few have separated the rescue operations into charitable trusts or other vehicles to reduce liability.

I was more referring to local breed rescue organizations that don't invest the resources into anything other than placing animals.

 

[CHefJohnboyardee]

When I got my first Brittany it cost less and was much less of a headache to go through a breeder instead of the rescue group. Pity really. I have rarely been contacted by the breeder for any of my dogs after the first year. They kind of lose interest after that or they have another litter of pups to whelp...

About time for me to get another pup anyways... Its been three years. I have puppy fever again lol.

 

[Beerrific]

They advocate things like not vaccinating because they're worried about the effects it could have on the dog ...

Seems like that is a red flag right there.

I have bought 2 dogs from "breeders." First was a family that had no businesses breeding dogs. They were dirt poor and did it for the money. Long story, but our puppy died before she turned one year old.

Second was from a family that did it on the side. Awesome dog and CKC (not AKC) registered. Really great personality, but they stopped breeding his mom b/c she had a problematic pregnancy. My dog's mom is now a service dog for a older diabetic woman.

I am a big fan of getting dogs from county shelters (typically kill shelters around here). The people at the Humane Society are nuts too (in their own way). Go to the front line. Taking a dog from one of those cages literally saves a life that day/week.

 

[chumpsteak]

My non-AKC full pure bred Dachshund is from a family who owned a wiener and had a family member with another wiener visit. Couple months later there were wiener puppies. This dog is the best and smartest I've ever had and came with zero instructions. They basically even made us take him at 6 weeks old which is probably too young.

Regardless of whether or not you buy from a breeder, sometimes its just the luck of the draw.

And you were completely justified in your response. People who speak to other people like they spoke to you don't deserve any respect at all.

 

[stamandster]

Complete and utter nut jobs! Glad you set matters straight with "their" dog

 

[Dan]

Sounds like some nut jobs the OP had to deal with.

My neighbors spent about 5 grand each for two German Shepards and had them shipped from Germany! I guess it was their Hummer. Status BS. Nice dogs but the first needed hip surgery within 6 months, don't know about the other. Luckily they moved out of the neighborhood.

We have a dog that we adopted from the local shelter. He's a Pommeranian/Chihuahua mix. Beautiful little guy with a heart of gold and dark brown eyes that could pierce through JC himself. He is only around 3-4 years old and very much part of the family. The only regret I have in bringing him into this family is 10-15 years from now when he passes on.

It will be a super sad day. Until then we'll just have many good times together.

 

[bottlebomber]

Regarding ribs showing, my kids all are skinny and their ribs show. They are humming with energy from when they wake up till they finally go to sleep, probably a lot like your dog. It's not unhealthy to be thin, especially in youth. It's metabolism. You wouldn't be able to feed that dog enough to make him fat. This is how much they eat for breakfast - about 800 calories. Does anyone want one of them?

 

[broadbill]

When I got my first Brittany it cost less and was much less of a headache to go through a breeder instead of the rescue group. Pity really. I have rarely been contacted by the breeder for any of my dogs after the first year. They kind of lose interest after that or they have another litter of pups to whelp...

About time for me to get another pup anyways... Its been three years. I have puppy fever again lol.

My rescue dog cost me $400 which included his first year shots, neutering, and transport from Alabama. The total time expenditure was a half-hour to fill out an application, a half-hour on the phone talking with the rescue organization (mostly b/c I had more questions for them than they did for me), and four hours driving to/from Vermont to pick him up (that was where the pick-up location was set up). Being generous, I would say total expenditure was $600. I'll admit this is one of the most expensive ways to rescue a dog.

I'd be surprised if you were able to get purebred/AKC brittany pup for anything close to this price, and I'm pretty sure they don't come neutered/spayed (an additional cost if you decided to do this).

 

[nutty_gnome]

I rescued a Brugg (1/2 pug, half brussels griffon) about 3 years ago. He's a great dog and goes to work with me every day. All the rescue people wanted to know was if I had my own home with a fence and were my kids OK. It cost about $500 to get him transferred from the crazy rescue lady to me, then about $1200 more over the first year in vet visits to straighten out his illnesses and diet. The rescue group covered the neutering, but everything else was on me. So now when people ask me about rescuing dogs, I ask them if they have the 2k up front to put into a rescue because it certainly is possible it will cost that much within a year. I don't think it deters the people who actually think about what they are getting into.

I wouldn't trade him for the 2K I had to put into him at this point. Here is a shot of him around last Christmas contemplating an early gift, and the other was taken 5 minutes ago.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

I wouldn't trade him for the 2K I had to put into him at this point. Here is a shot of him around last Christmas contemplating an early gift, and the other was taken 5 minutes ago.

Dude, future reference, we don't need to see any fresh squeezed gifts from your dog. Mkay?

 

[stamandster]

Bottlebombers response reminded me... We're all conditioned to think being a little overweight is healthy. My kids are considered "underweight" compared to most lard butts that go to their schools. But they eat like crazy and they are active and my doctor says they are extremely healthy! I can't imagine a dog being much different.

 

[milesvdustin]

I feed taste of the wild too. Fish an potato. Pretty much nothing else in it. Stinks like hell but my beagles love it. Science diet gave them rashes and stuff. Stupid food allergies!

 

[CHefJohnboyardee]

My rescue dog cost me $400 which included his first year shots, neutering, and transport from Alabama. The total time expenditure was a half-hour to fill out an application, a half-hour on the phone talking with the rescue organization (mostly b/c I had more questions for them than they did for me), and four hours driving to/from Vermont to pick him up (that was where the pick-up location was set up). Being generous, I would say total expenditure was $600. I'll admit this is one of the most expensive ways to rescue a dog.

I'd be surprised if you were able to get purebred/AKC brittany pup for anything close to this price, and I'm pretty sure they don't come neutered/spayed (an additional cost if you decided to do this).

Got my first one for $250. Second was $450. My dad was with me when I got the first one. He can negotiate a loaf of bread from a starving man.Both are spayed/neutered and I live in the middle of nowhere so vet bills are chump change compared to other places in the US. I loves the breed, if I could have gotten a rescue one for around the same amount I would have but I would have had to travel a lot father than what I had to for my two and it would have cost more...

 

[planetscott]

Rescue