Crossbreds

Studies show that sometime in the next 10-50 years, if selective breeding continues, the bulldogs will have their noses touching their foreheads. 100 years ago, the english bulldog was able to reproduce and give birth to their puppies without question, but now they need to be artificially inseminated and have to have a cesarean section birth because of how their bodies are now shaped. This is a disadvantage to the bulldog because now breeders can inseminate dogs and can continue to breed them. These dogs also lost the ability to travel on planes because of overheating and breathing problems when they reach a certain altitude on the plane. Many more abilities and activities have also been taken away, such as being able to play and enjoy themselves because they get tired and need to actually take a break to breathe.

During the decade that I bred, raised, and placed English Bulldogs into their new forever homes, I ran into many issues both with the dogs and the people I encountered along the way. Although I researched the breed thoroughly prior to the purchase of my own English Bulldogs, I still managed encounter health and temperament issues of the dogs, as well as the common greedily natured people wanting to breed them to make a quick buck. There are, however many wonderful owners of English Bulldogs that love their dogs immensely; often treating them as they would a child and spoiling them rotten. These types of people were the very reason I began to raise English Bulldogs. Since I too had experienced the great love of this breed, I decided to

For being man’s supposed best friend, humans too often make choices to benefit themselves instead of dogs. People decide what traits make a dog cute and disregard what traits make them healthy. Dog breeding is a harmful practice for dogs both biologically and culturally due to superficial standards. These dogs are bred to be cute, but that cuteness can inadvertently carry a gene that can lead to disease, or even the cuteness itself could be debilitating, such as with the poster pug’s flat face makes breathing significantly more difficult. Dogs are living, breathing creatures and the standards set for their reproduction should factor their well-being into the standard of the dog.

Today, the United States of America is hardly “United”. Divisions between race, religion and breed has left the country scrambling for answers. The answers themselves, are not always the right ones. Breed Specific Legislation are laws enacted in states and countries across the world that place bans and restrictions on certain breeds including Rottweilers, Boxers, and Pit Bulls. Several of these dogs are euthanized and ripped out of their homes if their owners do not fill out the right paperwork, with no reason other than their the dog's’ bloodline.These laws, are not only discriminatory against the breed, but built in fear of the unknown mind of the dogs themselves. Breed Specific Legislation should not be enacted because

With already set regulations on puppy mills, people say there is no reason to have any additions on the rules. There is a kennel license, which restricts how many dogs someone can have depending on how much square footage of land he or she owns. This regulates the amount of dogs that can be held for breeding and to keep the area clean and safe enough for all the dogs involved. People are required to go through a moderately long process to achieve their license, to ensure that these dogs will be okay. Puppy mills are also known for keeping pure breed numbers up, such as beloved German shepherds, poodles, Welsh Pembroke corgis, and Labradors. Having mixed breeds can be healthier of course but as Sofia Jeppsson had said in her article Purebred Dogs and Canine Wellbeing, “However, in the long run such a strategy would severely deplete the

According to The Department of Justice estimates that nearly 25 dogs are killed by law enforcement every day in the United States. That equals 10,000 per year. Every circumstance and breed of animal is represented in these groups of murdered animals. Everything from German

The Great Pyrenees dog, which has an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years, may suffer from minor health problems like entropion, osteosarcoma, Osteochondrosis Dissecans , skin problems, cataract, chondrodysplasia, and panosteitis; it is also prone to serious problems like canine hip dysplasia just like bulldogs and patellar.

All around the world, dogs suffer daily from not just their owners, but from their own bodies. Inbreeding and extreme breed standards lower the quality of life for purebred dogs (Rooney and Sargan). Puppy mills, despite government crackdown, continue to operate and sell ill, disfigured dogs (Solotaroff). Breeding purebred dogs only for profit and not for the wellbeing of the dog, is unethical, because of puppy mills, dog defects due to this kind of breeding, and dog quality of life.

The media, whether it is reporting on a political campaign or a celebrity’s latest fashion choice, has a strong influence on the opinions formed by the American public. Many people do not take the time to research and read studies on what they see in the news. The American Veterinary Association has recommended keeping in mind that “in contrast to what has been reported in the news,” data cannot be used to make conclusions about breed specific threats (Sacks et al., 2000). Breed discrimination is unfounded because studies have shown that Pit Bulls are not the most aggressive dogs. The American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior reported in their Position Statement on Breed-Specific Legislation (2014) that Jack Russell Terriers, Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers were the breeds most commonly referred for aggression. In 1982, Pinckney and Kennedy found that in a study of 73 fatal dog attacks throughout the United States only six of them were attributed to the Bullterrier whereas 16 were accredited to German Shepherds. Interestingly, these other dogs do not get as much mass media attention as the Pit Bull. Following the logic of banning the most dangerous dogs, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherds should also be heavily regulated, however, they are not. This could be due to the larger musculature and general imposing physical presence of Pit Bulls when compared to the fluffier Golden Retrievers. Breed specific bans on Pit Bulls unfairly single out one breed while ignoring data that reveals other dogs to be more likely to display

find out where they first originated and how they came to be. There is a

Once you cross the staffie you are adding other genetic and breed behaviours into the offspring. This can have an effect of watering down or removing the strong anti-aggressive human bond which can result in dogs that are aggressive to adults and children. Many people avoid these dogs on a daily basis as they believe they are a danger to the society and some even shout out rude comments to owners about their dogs. Also some suggest that the blue staffie may not have the same good temperament like the other staffie’s and they are believed to be also known as the Irish Staffies. Some believe that the blue comes from the Pitbull terrier which was genetically bred in many years ago. Staffordshire’s can be aggressive to other animals and that also

They say dogs are a man’s best friend, some agree with this and others not so much. There are those who are dog lovers and those who are not. I happen to be a dog lover a huge one, I can’t walk out of PetSmart without wanting to adopt a cute little dog even though I already have a cute little dog at home named Soda. She is part whippet and part terroir, I have always wondered what type of health problems she could have especially since she is getting older. Soda is also a great family dog she loves to give kisses and is a pro at cuddling. Whippets make great family dogs but they also come with health problems.

One of the most meaningful acts a breeder can do is provide their puppies with the best start in life, but it doesn't stop there. As a responsible breeder, your dedication surrounds helping prospective puppy owners raise happy and healthy dogs. As a dog lover, connecting caring, responsible individuals and families with their forever pet is your passion. By encouraging and endorsing products that promote the wholesome development of dogs, particularly during the first year of life, breeders can be a part of ensuring a long and active life for the pups. Breeders hold themselves and their clients to the highest standards and the goal is improving the life of each puppy.

The German Shepherd is not only one of the world's most popular companion dogs, but also probably the most widely used breed for service work. The development of the German Shepherd Dog, along with a number of existing breeds, helped pioneer the modern use of dogs for service and community work that we can see today. For a breed of dog that has only been officially recognised for just over 100 years, it has made an outstanding contribution to mankind worldwide.

They look at the dog’s pure genes as a guide to knowing the dog’s characteristics and personalities comparable to that specific breed. Something they aren’t remembering is that genes carry health issues as well, and in reality purebreds are more susceptible to genetic diseases than mixed breeds. Veterinarian and blogger, Dr. Patty Khuly, claims that she “generally observe[s] at least one genetic disease in nine out of 10 purebred patients during their first examination (Khuly).” That’s at least one disease in 99% of the purebreds that she is personally examining. The reason mixed-breeds are less likely to face these issues is because they derive from different breeds of dogs and “when you mix two or more separate gene pools, the recessive genes that carry the health problems are buried (“Why Mixed Breeds”).” Simply put by a blogger from Global Animal, “genetic diversity in dogs leads to healthier, stronger individuals (Armentano).” Although I agree that it could be helpful to know how a dog is expected to act and the skills it should have, I feel what is most important and what people really should be concerned with is the health of the dog, rather than knowing the expected characteristics. According to what I have researched mixed-breeds are just healthier than purebred dogs and I think that is something that should definitely be noted.