Ways to be thankful with the people that takes care of your dogs
This week we are going to tackle a very controversial but important issue: How to identify responsible & reputable breeders.
There are many red flags when it comes to where puppies come from. Bare in mind, no one is going to tell you if they're a puppy mill or that they purchase from puppy mills. Irresponsible breeders are not going to tell you that they treat animals poorly.
To help provide invaluable expertise this week, we have brought in the big guns. Sandy Weaver is our featured guest and not only has she bred occasional Siberian Huskies, but she is also an AKC judge and a true expert in this field.
While we are huge supporters of adoption and rescue, we also recognize that some people will want to purchase, and therefore, we want to help educate so that they can make a humane and responsible decision.
Tune in to learn about the red flags and also the standards that reputable breeders require and provide.
Tune in for this heart-felt conversation atTalkRadio.nycor watch theFacebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
Opening today’s show, Tommy welcomes us, and mentions the calm feeling he gets when listening to their show’s intro music. Tommy, Val, and their guest Sandy Weaver get into talking about mindfulness and mental health. Val talks about the anti puppy mill, cat mill and rabbit mill that is affecting places like New York. They speak about the importance of knowing whether someone is a reputable breeder and treating their animals with compassion. Tommy switches gears to introduce Sandy. Sandy Weaver, is a dog-lover, dog-sports enthusiast and dog show judge as well. Sandy had always wanted a Siberian husky since she was a child. Val speaks about how she met Sandy through networking and looking for a new guest for the show. Because they also happen to not live far from each other as well, Sandy invited Val to a dog show.
Coming back from the break, Val reads a couple of advice Sandy gave her of what you should look for in reputable breeder. Some points are that a reputable breed will only breed mature animals, pass all of the genetic screening tests recommended for that breed, and will have a written contract outlining mutual expectations like if the purchaser has to give up the dog for any reason, the dog must go back to the breeder. Sandy says that most people that she has spoken to about what they believe is the best feature of a reputable breeder are back to the point that the breeder must have a written contract which makes them responsible and for whatever reason, a dog that was given away can be bought back for whatever reason. Sandy also talks with Val and Tommy about genetic tests done with different breeds and what it means for responsible breeders. Responsible breeders, Sandy says, would keep certain dogs as “show dogs” and others as “pet dogs”.
Val mentions a book called “Designer Dogs” which she recommends for those looking to bring a furry friend in their homes. She reads us an excerpt from the book. Sandy says that one should look for a reputable breeder even when they are looking for a mixed breed dog. She divides breeders into three categories; one is responsible breeders who will feel like they need to give as much advice and to make sure that buyers will be comfortable with a certain breed with their own lifestyle. Second is a backyard breeder who are only looking to sell puppies and don’t exactly know what they are doing and try to breed animals for the sake of getting money.
On this segment, Sandy talks about high volume, mass produced puppy mills which she says is the third kind of breeder. Sandy also explains how because a breeder has a high volume of puppies doesn’t mean that they are bad. She explains the differences. If you're looking at a website with animals with only one name, has no connection to the parents or information about it’s breed, and you have to meet the breeder in isolated locations, then they are most likely an irresponsible breeder. They also discuss how some people see animals as a commodity instead of a family member. Sandy says that responsible breeders don’t have to advertise or breed a ton of litters in a year. She also talks about how she helps within the community of pet owners and shows people how there are many things to do with dogs and have fun with them. As the show closes, Val thanks everyone for tuning in and invites Sandy Weaver to come back as there is so much more insight to listen and talk about!
