My human had a dog dilemma the other day
and for a change, it didn’t involve us…
A few weeks ago, her very best friend lost
her Australian Shepherd – he went to the
Rainbow Bridge after almost 13 years.
She was very sad. Very sad. And my human was sad for her.
Yesterday, her friend contacted her about
getting a new puppy. A Doodle. And my human didn’t know what to say. First off, you need to understand that my
human LOVES dogs. All dogs. Although I suppose there ARE moments when she
doesn’t love me. Like when I take off
after rabbits. But that’s different. But as I said, she loves ALL dogs – mixed
breeds, purebreds – in fact her very first dog as an adult was a mixed breed
rescue from a shelter. She loved old
Barney for 17 ½ years. She was VERY sad
when he went to the Bridge.
Anyway – this was a Doodle Dilemma. How do you tell someone that paying a huge
price for a mixed breed dog might not be the best idea? A dog whose parents likely have no health
clearances …. There are PLENTY of mixed breed dogs who are in shelters – who
would make WONDERFUL pets. And they
don’t cost an arm and a leg!
If you are going to pay money, why not get
a purebred? Yes – we know that LOTS of
purebreds also have issues. And yes, there
are many poor purebred breeders.
But think of purebred dogs and breeders like
this. The world is full of restaurants. Some good.
Some not so good. You have to search for a good one. Look at restaurant reviews. See if people were happy. Read the menu. And yes, I must admit, that even when you DO
find a good restaurant, you CAN get a crummy meal. But at least you made an educated choice
about where to eat. And it’s likely the
good restaurant will give you your money back – or at least will give you
another meal!
So what do you say about Doodles? Let’s use another analogy. You want to get a car. There is a guy who makes cars out of a
variety of parts in his garage. Some
old. Some new. No car he makes is ever exactly
the same. The cars can look very nice,
and they run, but they come with no warranty.
And honestly, you really don’t know WHAT you are getting. But because he has called his cars “Special Cars”
– he charges BIG prices for them.
Alternatively, you can buy your car from an established well-known car maker. And it
comes with a warranty. Yes, you CAN get
a lemon – but there is some degree of consistency in the cars from the big name
manufacturers. And the big name
companies WILL stand behind their product.
Doodles have managed to get a good
marketing team. But the guy who actually
started the Doodle craze in Australia, years ago – as a way to “create” a
non-shedding obedient service dog, now regrets his decision to do so.
ANY dog can be a wonderful pet. And there is NO total guarantee with any dog
or any breed. But if you do your
homework and search for a reputable breeder,
it will be worth the money you pay.
To pay the same price for a mixed breed dog just doesn't make sense. And it’s not fair to those other mixed breed
dogs in shelters, who are longing for a good home.
Phew.
That’s my story for today. It’s NOT that I don’t like Doodles. But please humans – don’t pay for one!!! You want a mixed breed -get one at a shelter. And if you want a purebred, do your homework. No
doubt there will be many who disagree.
But what do I know? I’m just a
dog. But then again. I AM a PON….
©
Linda Wozniak
Well said.
ReplyDelete