| In the world of dog breeding, the predominant | | | | humane societies? According to the Humane Society |
| mindset is to improve the breed, or breed as close | | | | of the United States ( between 3 and 4 MILLION |
| to the standard as possible. Most breeders that | | | | dogs and cats are euthanized per year. That is an |
| follow this plan will also be very careful about who | | | | estimate, as they cannot get total statistics from |
| they sell puppies to and what happens to those | | | | some places. Imagine, though, 3-4 MILLION per year. |
| puppies in the long run.However, in the world outside | | | | The number one reason they cite? Pet |
| the show ring or working dogs, there is a tendency | | | | overpopulation. It's not because of behavior |
| to breed dogs for "educational" purposes. To teach | | | | problems, not because of diseases, but because |
| the children about life. It does not matter who the | | | | people do not spay or neuter their animals and then |
| parents of the litter are (usually), they simply want | | | | let them either run free or turn them in to |
| their female dog to have a litter of puppies so the | | | | shelters.Oh, another thing you ought to be prepared |
| kids can watch the delivery and see "mother nature" | | | | for, what if the bitch doesn't want the puppies? She |
| at work.Let me make this suggestion to you. Don't | | | | might reject them outright, in which case you get the |
| Do It!!!For one thing, you're not looking beyond the | | | | job, or, she might even kill them. Won't that be |
| "miracle of life" aspect. Once the puppies are born | | | | something for the kids to see?And, by the way, a |
| and weaned, what are you going to do with them? | | | | first litter will be pretty confusing to your dog, so |
| I've seen advertisements by people for puppies four | | | | you'd better be prepared for lots of strange |
| weeks of age and let me tell you, those puppies are | | | | behaviors. Do you know what to do if the uterus |
| NOT ready to be removed from their mother. They | | | | stops pushing puppies out? What about a prolapsed |
| will require a whole lot more work than an eight | | | | uterus (where the uterus comes out of the dog)? Do |
| week puppy would.Think all your friends will be | | | | you know what that is and what to do about it? |
| delighted to have an offspring of your dog? Think | | | | Would you recognize mastitis (infection of the |
| again. When she's pregnant, they might say it, but | | | | mammary glands--deadly to pups and could kill the |
| when it comes to actually taking one, 98% or more | | | | mother) and know what to do about it?Then, there |
| of them will have a reason not to. So, there you are, | | | | is the possibility that with all of you watching her, the |
| stuck with anywhere from one to twelve or more | | | | poor thing won't be able to push those puppies out |
| puppies.And, once they are weaned, think of the | | | | due to anxiety. Have you thought about that?You |
| expense of feeding them until you find them homes. | | | | say dogs and wolves in the wild do it all the time? |
| Not to mention the expense of shots and worming | | | | True and do you have any idea how many of them |
| for each of the little adorable bundles of fur.Did you | | | | do exactly what I've described? Neither do I, but if it |
| know that dogs can have venereal diseases? Well, | | | | happens in the domestic dog, you can bet it happens |
| they can and responsible breeders will have the dog | | | | out there and they don't have vets to take care of |
| and the bitch (female) tested so that they do not | | | | them.So, what I'm saying here is save yourself and |
| pass on such things as brucellosis which can lead to | | | | your bitch a bunch of heartache and get her spayed. |
| infertility in the animals, abortion, and still births. For | | | | Rent videos for the kids if you want to educate |
| breeding programs, this can be disasterous. For the | | | | them, but don't make the dog do it.C. Rogers Upson |
| dog not in a monitored breeding program, it can be | | | | has been training dogs and studying them for nearly |
| deadly.Will you choose instead to take them to your | | | | 40 years. Her website is and she has two dog-related |
| local humane society? Have you read the statistics | | | | stores at (Keeping to the Borders) and (Dog |
| for dogs that are killed annually in pounds and | | | | Potentials). |