Breeders? Do me a favor...

I understand you have a job to do, a business to run, and your main business is to produce puppies for the general public. Fine, I get that. I'm not saying I LIKE it, but I understand. I am gracious when you call to dump a retired breeding momma on my rescue, and I always help you out when you ask. We appreciate any donations you may have given rescue when you surrendered that dog, and it was very kind you even signed over the dog's pedigree papers. I don't all that much care, but perhaps her adopter will like to know her background or at least her birthday to celebrate. That's a nice thing. But can you feel me stewing? Of course, you can...

So we get their vet work done, and we thank God, this one (like some before her) doesn't have heartworm! It's hard on the mommas, they are older, the surgery is fairly invasive for them, and sometimes I even have their teeth cleaned, which the breeder would never do. To a breeder, this dog is merely a puppy making machine. And a money making machine. They generally do the bare minimum with regards to vet work for their mommas. But worse yet...

Is getting them socialized. These dogs are afraid of people, afraid of heavy handed handling, they have no idea what a treat is, or a squeeky toy, or a TV, or a mirror, or stairs, or leashes; shall I go on? No fast approaches for these dogs, or you might get bit. Not all of them, but some are so afraid, they have no other choice, but to reach out and bite you. Or other dogs too! See, they are probably kept in their own kennels for their entire breeding life. They get used to perhaps the owner, and their handler (kennel keeper), and nothing else. It's pretty pathetic in my opinion. Oh we learn to go slow with them, and there's always potty training involved. But socializing them at an older age, is always hard. And I always wonder what sort of home will be the best for a dog with little socialization? In general it's a quieter home, similar to their lives in kennels. Too much kid activity will throw them into overload. Too many men (some hate men in hats!) reaching quickly towards the dog, might trip their trigger, somewhat like the heavy handling they experienced in the past, and then the protectiveness they have learned to carry, comes out, when you get bit!

Some come with sores on their body from living a life on concrete, with chemical burns from the cleaning solutions. All require clean up of some sort. Our volunteers put alot of time and love into their charges in order to socialize them so they CAN be adopted into your home. We can't help but develop a very tight bond with these mommas. Our hearts are heavy for the lives they had to live being continually bred, then have their puppies be removed from them and start all over again. We try to make it all better for them. And in most cases, we can. It's hard to say good-bye to those mommas.

And there are some breeders you should NEVER, EVER TRUST! I mean, who in their right mind thought it would be "cute" to breed this poor dog with such a lousy underbite; who wants to adopt something like that? So, breeders? Do me a favor...just quit please. Make my life easier, cut down the dog population; and we might just get lucky enough to place the ones we do have to save!

If you are going to breed, please treat your mommas like queens, because every minute of their lives is a gift to you. That momma is your bread and butter. She deserves better.