PetLvr.com - [The Blog]

Sadly, finding a reputable breeder can be quite a chore. You will not find a reputable breeder though a pet store. Pet stores sell puppies that they receive from “backyard breeders,” and “puppy mills.” These terms get thrown around a lot, and not many people actually know what they are.

A “backyard breeder” can be anyone- your neighbor, coworker, anyone. They have a couple pets and decide to breed them- thinking they’ll make a lot of money. Any cretin can breed dogs, but doing it correctly takes quite a bit of time, knowledge, and money. Backyard breeders may adore their pets, but they can’t seem to realize that they are only making things difficult for the dogs. Not only does breeding incorrectly put the health of the dogs in jeopardy, but it creates more pets that are at a high risk of having health and temperament problems. These poorly bred dogs are also more likely to end up in shelters or abused, neglected, and running the streets since most backyard breeders don’t properly screen potential owners.

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The Miniature Schnauzer is derived from the Standard Schnauzer and is said to have come from mixing Affenpinchers and Poodles with small Standards. The Mini’s were exhibited as a distinct breed as early as 1899, and were recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1926.

Miniature Schnauzers should be no less than 12 inches in height, and no more than 14 inches. They are sturdily built, nearly square in proportion of body length to height with plenty of bone. The weight should range between 14 to 18 pounds depending on height.

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We’ve all seen the pet advertisements in the local classified ads. Most of them read the same, and the majority of them are placed by unethical dog breeders. AKC papers simply mean that the dog is most likely purebred. I say most likely because there are some individuals who buy unused registration papers (or state that they had more puppies in previous litters and re-use papers), and claim that the litter produced goes with those fake papers.

Okay, so the dog is presumed purebred. Let’s say it’s a purebred Labrador Retriever. That still does not mean that it’s a quality dog. You can place 10 purebred Labradors together, and some will look like Labs, others will look like a Lab mix.. and they all have papers. Why does this happen? Unethical breeders don’t care about body structure, health, or temperament. What they do care about is money. If a person continues to breed dogs that are not of the proper type, you’re not going to get a true Labrador type from that breeder. You’re most likely going to get a dog that resembles a Labrador, but is much taller, or much smaller than it’s supposed to be. The heads are also different. True Labs have a very distinct head shape.

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Sadly, many breeders you will run across on the internet will offer their puppies to be picked up anytime after 5 weeks of age. These breeders are not looking out for you, not looking out for the puppy, they are just tired of putting time and money into the puppy, and want it “gone”.

After a puppy is born, the mother does most of the “dirty work” with puppies. She feeds them, she cleans them, and she eats their feces. When the puppies are around 5 weeks old, she stops cleaning them as well, but she will keep feeding them. Even though puppies are small, a litter of them can generate a great deal of mess. They don’t care “where” they “go”, who steps in it or who lays in it. It’s the humans job to make sure they are kept cleaned up.

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I went into my local shelter a couple weeks ago because I found a photo of a black and tan hound mix on their website- the dog looked like the dog I had for 10 years (lost him due to massive hip problems). That morning I picked out the name “Oliver” for my new boy. When I got to the shelter, the hound mix was extremely hyper, and there was no way that I could have him in my home (my mother takes care of the dogs during the day and a hyper dog would easily knock her down).

One of the “roomates” of this hound mix was a beautiful purebred Weimaraner. He was laying down with his front paws crossed just staring at me. I looked at the card on his cage, and the name that the shelter had given him was “Oliver”. It was truly meant to be! I’ve had Oliver for a couple weeks now, and he has been a wonderful (and mellow) dog.

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Breed Specific Legislation is hitting the USA and Canada with full force. The breeds being banned are American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, and several other “bully type” dogs.

Those who own these dogs are usually left with only one choice- get rid of the dog, or move out of the area. Can you imagine raising a dog that adores you, and then having the local government telling you that you have to get rid of the dog, move, or it will be put to sleep?

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