Our conformation trainer seems to think Hush maybe about to go into season. No matter what, her hormones are starting to change, and the boys are certainly taking notice to her. This could be why the Dalmatian went after her in class, and why another dog kept eying her and quietly growling. I’ve been keeping an eye on her girly parts, looking for any swelling and changes, and so far haven’t seen any. But, she has been displaying some skittish and uncharacteristic behaviors, which are signs that hormones are changing. Our trainer commented that the issues we are having with gaiting and movement could very well be Hush trying to guard her butt from the audience of male dogs. Another sign that she might be about to have her first heat.
I spoke with Hush’s breeder, and while a bitch CAN go into season any time after 6 months, she thinks this is most likely pre-menstrual changes, where hormones will start to shift for 1-2 months before the actual heat cycle begins. During this time, male dogs will most likely show an interest in her. She told me to keep an eye on her genitals, and if things feel sticky to just clean her with baby wipes. It is very common for a young bitch to get a mild vaginal infection before her first heat cycle, and if that is developing with Hush right now, that could be why the boys are taking an interest in her.
As far as training and showing goes, with a young dog especially, you don’t want to show them or ask them to do much training during their first heat cycle. Just like with teenage humans, there are a lot of changes happening in a bitch’s body leading up to and during her first cycle. These hormonal and physical changes often leave the bitch on edge, as she is confused about what is happening to her body.
My training club has a rule against training bitches in season, many clubs have this rule, but some allow them to train so long as they are wearing “Bitches Britches” (undies, usually with a maxi pad) to prevent any bleeding, and most importantly, prevent and unplanned mating from occurring.
I can’t help but cringe, as I look at my baby, still so much a puppy, and think about the unscrupulous breeders who breed bitches on their very first heat cycle. I see just how undeveloped Hush is, still a baby in so many ways, her body still growing and changing, and want to kill any scum who would force such a young dog to carry a litter of puppies, when she herself is still a puppy.
Hopefully, we’ve got some time before her first heat cycle is here. I don’t know if I’m quite ready, but I’ll keep a bag of Carob Chips on hand for Hush, assuming dogs have chocolate cravings, too.
The below article is from the Humane Watch, and I recommend everyone read it. This article proves that Missouri's Proposition B will weaken animal care laws currently in place in Missouri. The solution should be enforcing current laws, educating judges, educating the public and hiring more inspectors (currently there are 12, to inspect over 3,000 animal breeding facilities each year) - not re-writing the law!
As Election Day draws near, we're hearing a tremendous amount of emotional chatter (both here and on Facebook) about Missouri's "Proposition B" initiative, a ballot question financed almost single-handedly by the Humane Society of the United States and heavily promoted by HSUS CEO Wayne Pacelle.
The question of whether or not to crack down on "puppy mills" is a self-answering one. As with "factory farms," the term itself is designed to be pejorative. But while Prop B has generated a lot of debating "heat," not much light has emerged. And that's because most people (on both sides) are getting emotional instead of using their heads.
Emotional ballot campaigns like the one HSUS is waging seem designed to discourage people from actually reading what they're voting on. And it's unreasonable to expect the average voter to place a ballot initiative in a meaningful context (historical or otherwise).
But that's what is needed most, especially because Prop B isn't really very different from the animal welfare laws and breeding regulations that are already on the books in Missouri.
One section of the MVMA's document caught our eye in particular. "Prop B" would require dog breeders to provide:
Sufficient food and clean water;
Necessary veterinary care;
Sufficient housing, including protection from the elements;
Sufficient space to turn and stretch freely, lie down, and fully extend his or her limbs;
Regular exercise; and
Adequate rest between breeding cycles.
Sounds good, right? But Missouri already requires:
Wholesome food and clean water.
Must have an attending veterinarian; adequate veterinary care, health and husbandry; and provide socialization of animals.
Addresses aspects of housing (primary, temporary, indoor, outdoor and mobile housing) and animal transportation including: type of structure, building materials, surfaces; maintenance, cleaning, pest control; employee training; shelter from extremes in temperature and weather; ventilation, humidity, lighting; water supplies, drainage, electric; and storage areas.
Sufficient space to allow each animal to turn about freely, to stand, sit, and lie in a comfortable, normal position and to walk in a normal manner.
Each animal must be given opportunity for regular exercise with an exercise plan approved and signed by attending veterinarian.
There are really only three major differences between current law and Prop B. The first one is the above-mentioned requirement for “adequate rest between breeding cycles.” (Who defines "adequate," anyway?) Number two is making sure dogs can stretch (as opposed to being able to turn and lie down).
These could easily be implemented by a simple bill (or a much shorter ballot initiative). Instead, HSUS is using things like food-and-water requirements as its main talking points to play hide-the-ball with the real meat of its proposal.
Here's Wayne Pacelle last week, speaking to KFVS-TV12 in Cape Girardeau:
We're just talking about giving them vet care once a year, giving them a little bit more space, giving them clean water, good food. These are the basics. Any responsible pet owner would think that these are the most elemental obligations of keeping animals.
But what many Missourians might not agree with is the third difference between Prop B and the Missouri "Animal Care Facilities Act." The way we read it, the biggest "new" ground HSUS is trying to cover is the portion of Prop B that says breeders can't own more than 50 dogs. (To be precise, that's dogs over 6 months of age that aren't spayed or neutered.)
A few modest questions:
Who's going to enforce this law? Is the Missouri Department of Agriculture planning to outfit hundreds of inspectors with sonogram machines and train them to determine whether or not a dog is sterile?
What if two breeders decide, in the interest of efficiency and economic common sense, that they want to merge their operations. Will they be permitted to keep all of their animals?
And, for that matter, what's to stop a larger breeder—there are those who do things right, we're told—from splitting into two, three, four, or even more separate legal entities in order to escape the "cap"?
HSUS is fond of calling Missouri the "puppy mill capital of America." If this is true, and that distinction developed while the Missouri Animal Care Facilities Act was in force, why should anyone believe that conditions will improve just by passing another law?
The bottom line is that HSUS is trying to establish the precedent of setting limits on the number of animals a businessman or woman can own. That shouldn’t comfort Missouri farmers and ranchers who are in the business of producing egg, beef, pork, cheese, milk, or chicken.
Meanwhile, the animal rights group is building up its name recognition and political credibility with a mostly redundant ballot initiative. (In at least one case, the new law would be weaker than the existing one.)
This is all a pretty neat trick, like lobbying for a bill that would ban child molestation if the victim is a redhead.
“There ought to be a law!” Oops. There already is.
If this sort of idiocy had more proponents, we might see New York City passing the “Taxi Fare-Jumping Prevention Act” to stop tourists from bailing out on their cabs without paying. Maybe Washington, DC could enact an “Anti-Lock-Picking Referendum” to stop home-invasion robberies. Floridians could vote on a “Magic Kingdom Mascot Protection Act”—you know, to stop Disney visitors from kicking Mickey in the Jimmies.
I made a post yesterday that touched on more controversial topics, which I don’t usually do, but in this case I thought it was necessary. I want to clarify something in my biography, when I mention the “animal industry” I am not referring to the industry of breeding animals or selling animals, but instead to the industry of products for animals. Animal nutrition has really become a major issue for pet owners, and I find that to be incredible. You can search through my previous posts and read about how I have been impacted by the choices available to consumers for animal nutrition. Other parts of the animal industry include products that help us owners give our dogs optimal care. Twenty or thirty years ago there was one style of dog training, and it was not nearly as positive as it is today. Pet owners are now in a place where they can explore all of the products produced by the animal industry like toys, beds, grooming tools, training aids (like the Halti), treats and much more that was not available to dog owners years ago. Today, the animal industry continues to grow, as a multi-billion dollar industry, as pet owners continue to spend more money on quality food and other pet merchandise than ever before.
I do not at all support the breeding of dogs for profit. I have blogged about my distaste of breeders who purposely breed mixed breed dogs for profit, as this goes against every parent breed club’s code of ethics. I in no way am saying that a “designer breed” like a Yorkipoo is a bad pet, or that you should not love your pet, but simply that I do not agree with the practice of breeding mixed breed dogs intentionally – especially when there are many mixed breed dogs and puppies in shelters. I support responsible breeding by hobby breeders. I have blogged numerous times about this. I am appalled at people who breed and sell puppies for outrageous prices – I see it all the time in classified ads, and encountered this numerous times. It is not fair to the consumer, and it does nothing but hurt the breed. Responsible breeding by hobby breeders is far different than people who breed for profit.
A responsible breeder will usually break even on a litter, but often times may even lose money by breeding – and by “break even” it only includes the breeding expenses, and does not include the costs associated with owning the dog until it is old enough to breed. To breed responsibly, you must have a true understanding of not only genetics and the breed which you are breeding, but also a desire to better the breed. First, you will need to prove your bitch or stud in an arena like obedience, conformation, hunting, rally, etc. to display that there are traits which should be passed on to future generations. This costs money in training classes for you and your dog, travel expenses, etc. Of course, there will be the regular dog owning expenses like food and veterinary care. At two years of age, you will need to have clearances done, for Golden Retrievers hips, elbows, heart, eyes and thyroid are standard. These are x-rays performed by an orthopedic vet, eye exams performed annually by a board certified ophthalmologist, and heart clearances performed by a cardiologist. Assuming your dog passes these clearances, you’ll then need to research genetics, and select a mate that has also proven him or herself in breed events, as well as passed all clearances. Also, clearances should be done for multiple generations on both the mother and father’s side before ever breeding. You’ll also need to put in time researching both pedigrees to see what positive aspects could come from the breeding, but most importantly research to try to avoid any negative flaws that might occur in breeding. There are costs associated with the actual mating, then there will be lots of vet bills during the pregnancy, then the puppies will be born. Oh yes, and let’s not forget the costs of things like a whelping box, and heaven forbid something goes wrong, you’ll need to be prepared for an emergency c-section. Then you have eight weeks of veterinary care and food for the puppies. You’ll also want to start socializing and training the puppies at 4-5 weeks of age. At around seven weeks you’ll want to consult with other breeders for temperament testing and evaluations. You’ll also need to invest in puppy packets to make and send home with potential families. Should a family who purchases a puppy from you ever not be able to keep it, you should include in your contract a clause stating you will at any time in the dog’s life take it back, and specify that this dog may never be given away or surrendered to a shelter.
There are risks associated with breeding, which I don’t believe the general pet owner is usually prepared for – like their beloved pet dying during the pregnancy or birth. I believe a bitch should have no more than 3 litters in a life time, and usually just 1 or 2 litters. After she is finished breeding, she absolutely must be spayed.
There are plenty of breeders who have tons and tons of dogs and bitches and breed numerous litters a year, and this is a practice I do not support. A responsible hobby breeder puts so much time into planning and caring for each litter that they only have time to breed one or two litters a year, and many times less than that.
I absolutely in no way support or condone the breeding of dogs for profit. I am very against the idea of making money on the backs, or in this case litters, of dogs. I do however, support completely responsible breeding that is done to better the breed. A responsible breeder will usually have every puppy spoken for long before the litter is born, and often times even before the litter is born. The puppies will be sold on spay and neuter contracts, and are never to be surrendered to a shelter or given away. While a puppy from proven parents with clearances may be more expensive than a puppy from a backyard breeder, they are still often cheaper than puppies from irresponsible high volume breeders and puppy mills, and responsibly bred puppies tend to be much, much, much healthier.
I hope this post has clarified my standing on some issues, and helped you understand how I feel about the animal industry, where it relates to products that help us pet owners care for breeders. I in no way support dog breeding as an industry, because when done responsibly, the breeder will not make any profit. I would love to one day know enough about Golden Retriever breeders to be able to breed, but I know that I don't have that knowledge at this point in time, and it will probably be many, many, many years until I know enough about the breed, genetics, and breeding to produce a litter responsibly.
In an effort to ease the overcrowded population of Chihuahuas in California, Virgin America flew 15 Chihuahuas from San Francisco to New York this week.
West Coast shelters, inundated with Chihuahuas, have been searching for help from shelters on the East Coast, where Chihuahuas are few and far between, and there is a high demand for the pint sized pooches. Cooperation and teamwork between shelters to transport and relocate dogs is a common practice to facilitate more adoptions.
Influenced by red carpet Chihuahua toting celebrities, like Paris Hilton and Hillary Duff, and movies like Beverly HillsChihuahua, irresponsible breeders and puppy mills realized they could profit off of this celebrity trend. The irresponsible breeding and media attention the little dogs received have contributed to the high volume of Chihuahuas in West Coast shelters, and the struggling economy has not helped, dog experts have noted. Chihuahuas and Chihuahua mixes have become the most common dog in California shelters, even outnumbering the Pit Bull.
With a veterinarian escort, the Chihuahuas were scheduled to arrive at JFK airport where they will be picked up by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), which will work to find the dogs foster families and adoptive homes on the East Coast.
To garner more support, and raise awareness to the plight of homeless animals, Virgin America’s Facebook page documented the flight, complete with photos and videos posted mid-air!
It’s not just California shelters that are flooded with Chihuahuas. In Phoenix, Arizona the pocket pet trend has caught on and Maricopa County Animal Care and Control shelters are packed to the gills with Chihuahuas. In December, the shelters were forced to have a $36 weekend Chihuahua special following a two month period where the shelters received 821 Chihuahuas, 230 more than the year before, according to the Associated Press.
Our conformation trainer seems to think Hush maybe about to go into season. No matter what, her hormones are starting to change, and the boys are certainly taking notice to her. This could be why the Dalmatian went after her in class, and why another dog kept eying her and quietly growling. I’ve been keeping an eye on her girly parts, looking for any swelling and changes, and so far haven’t seen any. But, she has been displaying some skittish and uncharacteristic behaviors, which are signs that hormones are changing. Our trainer commented that the issues we are having with gaiting and movement could very well be Hush trying to guard her butt from the audience of male dogs. Another sign that she might be about to have her first heat. 
