Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
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Before coming to DK I didn't know that puppies in pet stores came from puppy mills. I don't think we have any pet stores left in this town that sell animals so it wasn't anything I really thought about before. I feel bad now that I didn't know, and I feel horrible for the plight of the puppy mill puppies and especially for the poor dogs they use to breed them. With that being said, it may be that this trainer even though he loves dogs, it's just not something he ever thought of or considered? Might be worth talking to him about it.
Karen, please don't regret posting this discussion. Kudos to you for being concerned! I hope they will move the class location or you find another class to send a message.
So many well meaning people look at the clean store and the cute puppies and think: oh, these puppies couldn't possibly have come from a puppy mill. Not these puppies! The caring staff reassures them and tells them about their "guarantee" and they plunk down their money for instant gratification. No research, no seeking out a good breeder, no waiting. And they continue to fuel a multimillion dollar business that sees puppies as a commodity. And what happens to damaged commodities or out of date "goods?" Living breathing puppies are not commodities! This is all wrong and creates a lot of misery from beginning to end. One possible exception in a "mom & pop" store somewhere does not change the facts. It just gives people a false sense that it's ok to buy a puppy from a pet store. And what kind of a breeder has an "accident" and consigns those pups to a pet store where she does not know their fate? She might be a lovely person but IMO she should not be breeding dogs! Better she had given them over to a reputable rescue organization who would screen the homes!
Some of us are very passionate about this -- no personal insult intended. It is not ungracious to have personally seen the misery first hand and want it to end. If you love dogs, a pet shop is no place for them - and the pet and feed shop staff and owners where I do business will agree.
Cheryl, I think you meant to address that first sentence to the OP, Karen, right?
And Amen, BTW.
Yes ;)
Not sure a new member should jump in on this topic! :) but I've never been too smart.
About 25 years ago, I bought my very first dog from a pet store... I was 22 years old, newly married, never owned a dog before. I honestly did not know better... (I am a first generation American whose parents believed all dogs belong on farms and live outside)
In the end, she truly was the nicest pup I ever had. She was perfect with my babies, barked politely to warn me if anyone stepped on the property, was completely housebroken and sweet. Sadly though, she died of cancer at only 4 years old. In my heartbreak, I learned better and all the others in our long line of dogs have been from either a shelter or a reputable breeder.
In the end not everyone who buys from a pet store is a bad owner, maybe naive. I will never regret bringing her home... she was truly special and I loved her. But I cannot help worrying the cancer was from bad breeding... but then again both dogs I recently lost also died from cancers. You cannot control for everything.
There is no shame in not knowing, and nobody here is implying that someone who buys a puppy from a pet store is a "bad" anything. Naive, certainly.
It is also true that you cannot control for everything, and that dogs from reputable breeders get cancer and other illnesses, too.
But when you buy a puppy from a pet store, you support puppy mills. You are essentially rewarding them for what they are doing to animals. It goes far beyond the health of that one dog. That is the issue that makes some of us see red.
I know no one is implying I would be a bad person... just reminding that sometimes we can all be naive. Remember this was before the internet!
That one experience led me to be a better owner in the future. Although I would never again get a pup from a store... I would bring Valkyrie home again if given the chance... I miss her all these years later.
Hi Marie. No one is implying that the person purchasing a puppy from a pet store is a bad person or owner and I'm sorry if I gave that impression. We've all had to learn and as Karen says, it's what we do with the knowledge! Geesh, I used to love stopping by the pet store in the mall ages ago to see all the cute puppies before I knew the facts. We all start out naive. Valkyrie sounds like she was wonderful and you gave her a great life. I'm sorry you lost her so young.
Here is my now 21 year old daughter at 11 months with her baby-sitter!
I know Cheryl, that's not what I meant. Just reminding that we all have our own reasons and mistakes. I must admit here that I am ashamed to admit sometimes that I have a dog from a breeder, not only shelter dogs. I have plenty of friends and acquaintances who do not approve of my choice. Moxie is from a shelter... and she is perfect. But I love doodles too. I prefer puppies from a breeder and adult dogs from a shelter. But that is just my personal preference. I try to just take the best care of them I can and not care what others think.
It's also funny that my Irish family thinks it is a sin that I throw away table scraps and don't give them to my dogs. They have all outdoor farm dogs that eat all the scraps. They have one intact female spaniel who is about 17 years old, has lived outside forever, no health care, etc. She is actually very sweet. Survival of the fittest!
It's funny how different cultures treat their dogs.
Taking this off topic here, sorry, but that's a really special picture Marie:) Was Valkyrie a Norwegian Wolfhound? Your Irish family reminds me of my grandfather. He had a farm in northern Michigan. He died when I was 5 but I remember his outdoor farm dogs. They got to come in the kitchen in the winter. Other times they had the best spots in the barn. Haven't thought about them in a long time though. They weren't cute and they weren't cuddly but they sure were noble :) I think they were happy because they worked alongside my grandfather. I'm positive they never ate dog food either but they were fit, friendly, and the two lived surprisingly long lives.
Exactly!!
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