Backyard Breeders Versus 'Spay And Neuter'

By PJJ

It is raining Boxers and other popular breeds. The shelters are full of relatively young dogs and puppies. It almost does not matter what shelter you go to -urban, suburban or rural. They all have plenty of young dogs. What is the reason for this flood of young dogs, I asked myself.

A chance conversation with shelter staff gave me a possible answer. When asked about the many young Boxers in his shelter, he said that this influx of puppies and very young animals happens regularly at least once a year. It is timed to the mating season in spring and fall.

The culprits are backyard breeders. They own a male or a female, sometimes both, find a suitable partner and mate the dogs. When the litter arrives, they wait till the puppies are big enough to evaluate their personalities and looks. Then they take the pick of the litter for themselves either to breed them later or to sell them.

Any dog that does not make the cut is given away, often to people who do not have honorable motives. That is how many of the 'bait dogs', used to train fighting dogs, come to dog fighters. If a dog is lucky, he is just given away to a friend. Let us hope that she ends up in a good home.

If not, she will eventually land either on the streets as a stray or have a short stint as 'bait'. In any case, the end is almost always either death or the local shelter.

Some of the less desirable puppies go directly to the shelter. Those are the lucky ones. At least they are spared life on the streets, disease and torture. They have a chance of finding a good home. And if they don't? Then they will die in the shelter.
You may not want to hear it because it is unsettling, but you must face the truth. Only when enough people get upset with this sorry state of affairs and push for change will backyard breeding eventually stop.

The best and most effective solution in my opinion is to make 'spay and neuter' a law and to enforce it vigorously. Legitimate breeders can of course continue to breed provided they register their operation, get licensed and are subject to vigorous quality control. No more mating dogs because two unaltered animals happen to be around.

Spay and neuter is the only method to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats. If we do not have the courage to commit to this program, enforce it and reduce, if not eliminate, uncontrolled breeding in backyards, our animal shelters will continue to be overcrowded. Countless dogs and cats will die in shelters every day.
Not because shelter staff is blood thirsty, but because irresponsible humans put their ego and greed before animal welfare.

If your heart bleeds when you see a suffering dog or cat at a shelter, quit 'begging on your knees' for her rescue but instead get involved in promoting spay and neuter programs. That is the only reasonable solution to end the suffering of countless animals. Saving one by pushing, shoving and begging, will not have a long lasting effect. You save one and three more take his place.

So, do the reasonable thing: Promote and enforce spay and neuter programs!

The Biters Are Small - And Bark A Lot

The Journal of Applied Animal Behavior Science recently published the results of a study on aggressive dog breeds. Who made the list of most aggressive, based on the number of bites on humans and dogs – Pit bull, Rottweiler, Doberman, German Shepherd, Akita, Chow Chow or even Dogo Argentino?

No!

Small Dogs!

Of course.

Most aggressive:

Dachshund

Chihuahua

Jack Russel

Any owner of a medium to large sized breed could have told you so. Just walk one of those larger dogs through an urban neighborhood at dog walking time. You and your dog will have to put up with these noise machines and their aggressive behavior every other step of the way. They rage from behind closed windows, yap wildly from the safety of the other side of a fence, and screech from balconies, throw tantrums in cars, smearing saliva all over windows and seats. They even snarl at your poor dog from the shoulder bag of young ladies.

Guess who gets disciplined. Not the small dog!

But seriously, many breeds of small dogs are scaled down versions of larger dogs. Made small to serve specific purposes, such as chasing foxes and badgers out of their burrows, hunting and killing rodents or pursuing game during hunts. There are most likely as many reasons for going small as there are breeds of small dogs.

Furthermore, small dogs designed to perform the tasks of hunting specialists, also had to be bred to act and think independently and without cues from their owners. Just imagine a badger dog in a life and death fight with a badger in his burrow two feet underground waiting for instructions and support from the hunter!

The Dachshund is a very typical example for this type of dog. And, tada, Dachshunds are the most aggressive biting breed of all dogs.

It is not surprising to me. We had a miniature Dachshund for many years. He was the Dr. Jekyll of the dog world. Nice and placid one moment and a raging pair of vicious teeth the next.

He was smart, independent and very, very stubborn. He also ate half the skin of my sister's guinea pig. He stole, killed and proudly brought home countless chickens from the chicken coop of the local nunnery. He kept our neighborhood clear of other dogs and bicyclists. And my father paid a fortune to his female patients for torn nylons.

The dog would sit on the steps leading to the entrance of my father's medical practice, happily greeting all ladies – until their legs just had passed him. Then he would whirl around and bite the ankle! Never failed.

He finally went to live with a hunter as a very successful and happy hunting dog.

Chihuahuas are the second most aggressive.

But you most likely knew that already. These little monsters with a Napoleon Complex greater than the original are the bane of many neighborhoods in Southern California and the tyrants of many a family.

“But he is so cute . . .”

Jack Russel, number three, were meant to chase and kill rodents. They are born killers, high strung, independent and accustomed to doing things their way. Could you ask your human for instructions when you are wedged between haystacks and facing a big cornered, angry rat?

Looking at the list of 'biting breeds', it is obvious that they were intended to do specific jobs; guarding house and flock, herding, hunting small pests and big game.

None were meant to spend a lifetime in some shoulder bag or in a small urban apartment. They are active dogs, independent, with lots of energy and smarts. They are not celebrity toys and couch potatoes. They too deserve a decent life.

Free of frustration and fear.

Fear is a major contributor to aggressive biting. How would you feel if your eye level suddenly were shrunk to 6 inches when everyone around you is at a 6 foot level? With huge feet that could trample on you at any given moment?

It would be scary, wouldn't it?

Is that an excuse for aggressive biting? No, it is not.

Pet owner are responsible for socializing and training dogs properly. We need to train our pets to be good canine citizens, give them sufficient physical exercise to keep them tired, healthy and happy. And we must provide daily mental stimulation to keep their minds occupied in positive ways.

Unfortunately, most people become dog owners by accident. Either they are given a puppy, find a sad looking dog in a shelter and feel compelled to rescue it or through some other coincidence. The majority of these new dog guardians, I daresay, do not know much about the breed they just acquired or about dog training in general.

In many cases the end result is an aggressive dog. Since small dogs are 'cute', they get away with much more than a larger dog. Thus, they are also more prone to join the ranks of aggressive dogs. Because in the absence of clear and determined leadership, the family dog will usurp that role. And defend it viciously and vigorously against all comers, including their own human.

Yes, small dogs too.

Especially small dogs!

You can find the most detailed discussion of the research report here: http://petloverstips.com/ForTheLoveoftheDog/news-updates/the-most-aggressive-dog-breeds-dachshund-1

A more general discussion of 'aggressive dog breeds' is found at this site:

http://dogobedienceadvice.com/which_dog_breeds_are_most_aggressive.php

Both web sites give great insight into dog aggression in general, what causes it, how to deal with it and how to avoid it as much as possible.

PJJ

Adopting A Shelter Dog(1) – Informed Adoption Is Better Adoption

by PJJ

Adopting a dog or cat from an animal shelter is giving the gift of new life to an animal in his darkest hours.

Every year in the City of Los Angeles alone tens of thousands of dogs and cats land in shelters. Less than half of them will find a new home and a new life. The remaining animals are humanely euthanized. In the last six months of 2006 the City of Los Angeles took in approximately 25,000 dogs. Over 11,000 of them did not find a new home.

Contrary to popular belief, animal care and control services are not big killing machines run by heartless workers who love to send animals away for good. I have visited many shelters where sick animals or well behaved long term residents are mingling in back offices with their caretakers away from public scrutiny. True, it is not the norm but it happens more often than expected.

In addition to regular shelter employees all shelters have numerous volunteers who walk dogs, give them attention and affection, even train them. Shelter technicians and volunteers are very likely to have one or more favorite dogs. They spend as much time as possible with them. They even accompany them to public adoption events.

They are more than willing to talk to you about their charges. They know the good and the bad about their favorites. Of course, you will have to nudge them on a little if you want to hear about the downside of their favorite dog. But most will tell you when asked about it.

Dogs and cats are all listed in huge databases. They hold detailed information about the individual animal, breed, age, health status, lost or found, owner surrender, legal status and more. Most important to a potential adopter are notes added to the system by animal technicians. These notes reflect observations regarding the animal's temperament, behavior and idiosyncrasies.

Dogs surrendered by their owners come with a 'surrender report'. The owner of the dog is asked to describe his animal's character, demeanor and list specific cautions. The notes are your most valuable tools for selecting the right dog or cat for you.

The 'official' databases of dogs in public animal shelters are also fed to private animal rescue organizations. Rescue groups concentrate on making adoptable shelter animals available to the public on the Internet in large searchable web sites.

Petfinder.com is best known. Many animal shelters feed their information directly to them. But there are many similar sites. All show pictures of pets, list the animals in searchable categories and publish a brief description of the dog or cat.

After deciding with your family at home what kind of animal to get and defining what you expect from your prospective companion animal, you should go to some of these rescue websites and look at cats and dogs that meet your criteria.

An addition, visit the website of your local animal shelter directly. They list all of their dogs and cats and not just a selection. You can search their data by category, such as age, sex, breed and so on.

Time spent in front of a computer is time well spent and money saved. A well defined search will result in a small list of adoptable dogs that meet your criteria in your local area . Now you are ready to visit shelters and check out the dogs.

But wait, before you do so consider one more search option: Private dog rescue groups! They also maintain up to date websites with their adoptable dogs.

Private animal rescue groups offer advantages not found at animal shelters and pet finder Internet sites.

Private, non - profit animal rescue groups carefully test and select shelter dogs before rescuing them. Some of the larger groups have volunteer trainers who work with the animals to give them a head start at becoming good canine citizens. They also provide routine and specific veterinary care to their rescued animals. Sometimes at great cost to the rescue. In fact, veterinary care is one of the top five budget items for most rescue groups.

Many private rescue groups are breed specific. They are a good source for very adoptable pedigreed dogs and cats.

None of the rescue groups I know will take in aggressive animals.

Animal rescue groups work with volunteers and cover their expenses by adoption fees and donations. These range from $ 150.00 to close to $ 300.00 depending on the rescue group.

Public shelters provide basic veterinary care only. That includes vaccinations, treatment of minor ailments and frequently even spay and neuter. Their adoption fees vary between about $ 40.00 and over $ 100.00. Some public shelters in more remote locations may charge a little more.

While public animal shelters are open six days a week for six to eight hours, private animal rescue groups show their animals on weekends only. These adoption fairs are frequently located at pet food stores or similar businesses.

Armed with your short list of adoptable dogs, you can now go to the shelters or rescue groups and meet the candidates for adoption. In doing so, please do not make a rash decision based on some impulse. Rather keep in mind and apply the hints on selecting a shelter dog I previously explained.

Public shelters do not normally show you the notes on a specific animal or the owner's surrender report. Ask to see them!

It can be enlightening and save you from adopting the wrong dog and returning him to the shelter again!

My next article will explain the steps you need to follow before you actually adopt a dog.

Boxers – The New Pit Bulls?

Animal control officers notice an increase in the number of abandoned or surrendered Boxers. Many of them show clear signs of having been used as bait to train fighting dogs.

During my own frequent visits to animal shelters to evaluate dogs for possible rehabilitation, I also notice more and more Boxers in shelters. Some shelters have more Boxers than others. It is quite apparent that the number of Boxers in shelters is somehow related to either an irresponsible backyard breeder in the area or to criminal activities of cowardly dog fighters.

Pit bulls and other bull breeds still are the most common dogs in shelters. Scars indicate that the dogs were used for fighting. It appears that the proliferation of pit bulls is cutting into the money one can make by either fighting or breeding them. At the height of the pit bull craze, a puppy from “champion parents” could bring $ 1,000 and more. I guess such prices are harder to achieve nowadays. Pit bull fatigue is taking hold.

In addition, numerous communities have tightened laws regarding dangerous and vicious dogs. Many do no longer allow pit bulls.

Boxers always ranked among the most popular breeds in the US. They appear to be rebounding after almost dropping off the list of ten most popular. With this increase in popularity and a reduced interest in pit bulls comes, of course, increased abuse of these fine dogs. Consequently, they end up in shelters in greater numbers than before.

That is bad for the breed and even worse for the individual dog caught up in the vicious cycle of abuse, abandonment and death in a shelter. Because of their stellar reputation as excellent family dogs, most Boxers get adopted from shelters or are rescued by rescue groups. This may very well change.

As more and more Boxers are used for fighting, more of them will turn vicious. More complaints about aggressive Boxers already prompted some insurance companies to put Boxers on the list of biters. They will not insure Boxers any longer. In the past it was easy to get insurance for your Boxer. That is beginning to change. Not because the breed is changing, but because of the actions of irresponsible dog owners.

Careless breeders and dastardly dog fighters are not the only ones to blame for the Boxer's increasing troubles. Well-meaning dog rescue groups, I hate to say, carry a big, if not the biggest, responsibility for giving Boxers a bad rap.

Bull breeds are hard to place. But Boxers almost place themselves. Thus more and more dog rescue organizations call 'Boxer Mix' any brown dog with a relatively short nose. I have seen 'Boxers Mixes' that had absolutely no resemblance to a Boxer – none whatsoever. Boxers do not have medium long coats and bushy tails! Only a misguided, irresponsible and sentimental dog rescuer can dupe the unsuspecting public into seeing a Boxer in such an animal.

It is much easier to mistake a pit bull with a relatively short nose for a Boxer Mix. The two share at least similar body types. It is also easy and common to mistake an American Bulldog for a white Boxer. Those are honest mistakes. But declaring herding breeds Boxer Mixes is pushing it too far.And it is the trademark of many a rescue group!

As a Boxer lover, I am concerned about the future of the Boxer. Though descendants of a tough little dog that was meant to assist hunters to bay wild European buffalo, Boxer have evolved into kind, friendly family oriented dogs and guardians of children and couches.

Let's leave it that way. We do not need to ruin another breed because of greed and pure cruelty.

It is a most unpopular suggestion but I believe that communities and cities should require licenses for any dog breeder – pedigree kennel or backyard.

More throw-away dogs are the last thing we need.

Gabe

by PJJ

Nature was cruel to Gabe. It dealt him a bad hand.

Gabe was born an American Staffordshire Terrier. He has a red nose. He looks like a pit bull. If you put him in a Santa Claus suit with a big white beard and a Santa Claus cap, he would still look like a pit bull. Like a pit bull in a Santa suit.

That's a bad hand!

But wait! It gets worse.

Gabe came to some people who did not care to take time to train him properly to cope with life in a city. Boundless energy of youth, unbridled by proper training, made Gabe bound happily into traffic. He was run over by a car. He survived – with an injury to his spine.

Under the capable care of good veterinarians Gabe recuperated from his bout with disaster in an emergency hospital. He was not paralyzed, he could move freely, he could jump and run. Only on smooth surfaces his hind legs slip occasionally. Then he falls.

This time Gabe was lucky.

His lucky streak did not last long.

Gabe sat in his cage at the emergency hospital and waited, waited, waited for his family to come and take him home. They never came.

So, Gabe had to move to an animal shelter to wait a little more. He cheerfully did, making friends with kennel attendants along the way. They like him because of his pleasant, friendly nature. And he likes them because some of them let him climb in their lap. He doesn't know that he is a big boy. He doesn't know that people get scared when they see him. He doesn't know that people think he will eat their little Froufrou for breakfast.

He is a big, happy go lucky boy.

He even had his two minutes of fame on TV where he waited around peacefully together with a bunch of other shelter dogs. None turned up missing! Many found a new home. Gabe was not so lucky. After all he looks like a dangerous pit bull and even has a red nose. What about Rudolph? He also has a red nose. Is he dangerous?

And so Gabe went back to sitting in his cage a little longer, waiting for time to run out.

Gabe, the happy, friendly boy who never even harmed a lowly fly, may once again sit in vain.

He doesn't know life dealt him a losing hand.

Life just is not fair!