Designer Hybrids

You might think this post is about some sort of fancy new car, but the title is actually a reference to the latest trend in dog breeding. Designer dogs are purposeful cross-breeds of two purebred dogs, often also called hybrid dogs. These types of dogs have exploded in popularity, often because many of them are low-shed, low-dander dogs (all of the Bichon and Poodle mixes), and sometimes because people believe them to be healthier than purebreds. Unfortunately one of the biggest reasons they've become so popular is because they're trendy and cute.

I know several people who have purchased designer puppies recently, and I have to say it saddens me for a number of reasons. First, it saddens me because whoever they are paying to "breed" what is essentially a mutt with a silly name (like Cavachon or Yorkipoo or Puggle) clearly is breeding just for the money. Responsible breeders do not breed mutts--they breed purebred dogs for the love of the breed and with the intention of keeping the bloodlines pure.

It also saddens me that most people are picking out these designer dogs based on one trait only: their appearance. Since there is no breed standard for hybrid dogs, that means that there's no consistently known temperament or common behaviors. One can guess what these dogs will be like based on the traits of their parental breeds, but they aren't picked because of their tried-and-true temperaments. They're purchased because they make adorable looking dogs and not because of the love of their character.

I'm obviously also saddened because people are paying hundreds of dollars for designer dogs when there are thousands of dogs of similar heritage living and dying in shelters all over the country. They might not have the fancy, funny names, but they're there. They might not have the pedigreed parents, but they're there. They might not still be in their earliest stages of puppyhood, but they're there. They are there, but only those people who truly care about the welfare of animals are trying to rescue them!

Heroic Puppies

This blog is usually focuses on ways that people can save dogs, but sometimes dogs can save people as well. This wonderful story all over the news this week is a perfect example. Here is the story from Fox News.

Puppies Credited With Keeping Lost Toddler Warm Overnight in Woods

Monday, December 08, 2008

A 3-year-old Virginia boy was rescued Saturday after spending the night in the woods with only his puppies to keep him warm.

Jaylynn Thorpe, 3, of Halifax County, Va., was found at around 1 p.m. Saturday about a half-mile from where he disappeared on Friday afternoon after wandering away from his baby sitter's house, FOX affiliate WRAL-TV reported.

They found him standing; he was wet, but the dogs were with him," Jaylynn's mother, Sarah Ingram, told FOX News on Monday. "I was told that the dogs slept with him. They could tell where they slept in the woods."

Ingram said her son slept sandwiched between the two 12-week-old puppies, which officials say helped keep him warm through the 21-hour ordeal.

Jaylynn wandered away late Friday afternoon from his baby sitter, who is Ingram's niece.

"The dogs went with him," Ingram said. "He told me he left that yard going hunting and fishing."

Around 300 people helped search for the missing child, and a command center was set up at the local Baptist church, the station said.

“God really protected the boy," Grace Baptist Church Pastor Dave Kline said. "We are happy that we were able to help.”

Ingram told FOX News that once he was found, her son ate two double cheeseburgers, a hot dog and strawberry ice cream polished off with three Pepsi-Colas.

"He was safely returned," she told FOX News. "And thank Jesus, without a scratch.

You can see the cute little puppies and the little boy they rescued in the news video as well!

Shelter Sheltie

In my last post I talked about people I know personally who've recently purchased dogs from breeders instead of rescuing dogs from shelters. My own cousin was one of those people. When his step-father recently expressed interest in a Sheltie after his mom's Cocker Spaniel passed away, he went out and bought them one, despite the fact that they didn't know much about the breed. Now they have a very young, very active, slightly crazy Sheltie that they're not sure how to deal with.

Had my cousin consulted me, I could would have found him the perfect dog, because she showed up at the shelter just a few weeks later. Her name is Laila, and she just couldn't be more precious! She's about four years old, but she's active and playful and goofy just like a puppy. She is incredibly friendly and affectionate and would make an incredible agility or freestyle dog. This precious girl was rescued from a puppy mill by the Kansas Animal Health Department, where she was clearly being used for breeding. She would have been the perfect dog for my aunt and uncle, and I'm so sad that my cousin never asked me to find her!

Check out this adorable, goofy girl. Doesn't she look like she's dancing??

Adoption is Always an Option

It's not a big secret to my friends and coworkers that I spend many hours every week volunteering at our local animal shelter shelter, doing everything I can to promote the adoption of homeless dogs. As you can imagine, when those same friends and coworkers decide to purchase puppies from breeders instead of saving a life through rescue, it is incredibly upsetting to me. Honestly, it makes me physically ill. When people tell me about the new puppy they are buying instead of adopting, my gut starts hurting as if someone just punched me in it. Really, they might as well have.

It might seem like I'm being overly dramatic, but when you've spent 10 years of your life watching helplessly as wonderful dogs of all shapes, ages, sizes and breeds are euthanized due to lack of suitable homes, it is painful to know that people--even people I know and have talked to about rescue--are still choosing breeders over shelters.

The fact is, with a little patience, a little extra research, and possibly a little travel, it's always possible to find the dog that you want through a shelter or a rescue. Most people just don't want to wait for the type of dog they are looking for to become available. They buy dogs when it's convenient for them. They buy dogs because they have papers. They buy dogs so they can give them as gifts. They buy dogs because they want tiny puppies instead of 4-5 month old puppies. They buy dogs from disreputable breeders without doing any research. They buy dogs with no concern for overall animal welfare.

It doesn't have to be that way. Adoption is always an option. Check out Petfinder.com!