Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Pet Dating Services

I have been seeing the rise of so-called “pet matching services”, where dog owners can find breeding partners for their pet dogs. The latest one is a new internet “dating” service for pets. Makes me sick…

Though I am not against breeding dogs, I have seen way too many people breed dogs for sentimental reasons, instead of breeding great dogs that will be good as pets. Modern breeding is a science. You can wreck a puppy if the parents aren’t free of genetic problems. Do you realize how devastating it is for a pet owner to have to put their dog to death because of a serious health or temperament problem?

I received a letter just the other day from someone who had to put their dog down because it became vicious, most likely from a brain tumor.

If you recall, I mentioned an article, at www.DoggieNews.com concerning the Top 10 dog diseases reported by pet insurers.

How many of these novice breeders will be genetically screening for these issues? Probably none. How many know how to breed for proper temperament? Probably none.

To me, being a breeder is a highly respected hobby or profession. It represents someone special, making exceptionally good pets through scientific breeding principles. It doesn’t represent this kind of backyard breeder who knows nothing and who contributes to the misery of untold numbers of dogs and dog owners. I won't mention the names of these services here because I don't want to increase their popularity.

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