“Adopt or shop responsibly.” Very well said! Thank you for standing up for responsible breeders, while also showing an example of the treasures you can find at shelters, like Tommy! Love this channel. ❤️
agreed! There's so much prejudice against buying your pet from a breeder, but there's people like my mom who can't take care of an animal with behavioral issues, due her to her chronic health conditions. So, being the *responsible* person she is, she chooses a reputable, responsible breeder to get her dogs from, supporting that breeder in their endeavors, and getting the appropriate dog for her. If she got a rescued animal, there's a 50/50 chance things can go south, and it's really just in the best interest of both her and the animal if she chooses the correct one for her, and allows someone more able bodied to adopt the shelter animal instead (like me). That's the most important thing when getting a pet!! You have to pick the right one, not just anything you happen to find.
ABSOLUTELY!!! Dogs from breeders need homes too!!! And if you’re looking for a specific breed that fits with your lifestyle and that you can give the best life too, there’s nothing wrong with going through a breeder
Pure bred dogs are important historically and genetically, it’s good to support responsible and ethical breeders! I always tell people, every dog deserves a loving home, whether bought or adopted, just make sure you’re supporting the right people.
Neutering dogs and only allowing breeding only to be done by certain parties selectively sound very much like eugenics. A very strong control over the dog population.
@@laurac86 And cats....I ranched for many years, cats are part of ranching and would show up unannounced from people dumping them or your guess is as good as mine. Rule #1 was if they got along with the others, they were welcomed to stay and visited the vet for a health check and fixed if needed. As time went on I was down to one ranch cat, had moved, retired and lived a different life. The 18 year old ranch cat passed and I went a year without that extra heartbeat. Decided that I wanted one cat to enjoy while looking on-line happened across a breeder of Norwegian Forest Cats....omg, that was the end of my journey and knew the path I wanted to take. Started a conversation (was interviewed!) and sent a picture of one that was 4 weeks old. I'd never paid for a cat in my life, but this was so exciting I got a whole new energy injected into my life! She arrived at 12 weeks old and is now 7 years old, we've had a great life together. She is spoiled rotten, runs my life, makes me laugh every day and is my reason for getting up in the morning. She takes me for walks, investigates everything, is brave and has no problem staring down a big dog. I paid my dues to the rescue business, so she is my reward. What a way to go!
Our little girl was a bait dog. She had been in the local shelter for almost two years. The Shelter lied to us. We were told she did great with other dogs, and she was 3 years old. She was highly reactive to other dogs. While bathing her, we discovered bite marks all over her body. The Vet told us that she was at least 5 years old and perhaps older. She had 3 broken ribs that had healed wrong. Our girl was skin and bones. I know the shelter just wanted us to take her. My heart almost broke for her when we first brought her home. She'd just sit and shake. It seemed like her spirit had been broken. After being with us for 10 years, she is much better. We see a lot of backyard breeders in this area. Sadly the Amish seem to have puppy mills here in Kentucky. I commend you for the work you do Vanessa. We can see that you truly love dogs.
For a minute, when you walked him through the door, I wondered when the heck you started grooming koalas! This...didn't really change as the groom went on, actually. Tommy has the best visual aspects of a dog and a koala, which just makes him the most precious little thing in the world. I'm also weirdly in love with how fluffy you left his legs in comparison to his body cut...it's like some kind of fluffy 3D art as you carefully blended down the poof at each shoulder and hip.
Man. I really can’t stress enough how grateful I am that you use your platform to educate the public about spay/neuter,rescue and many other great things. Thank you so much. ❤
One other cause at the moment is housing insecurity. Finding housing that is affordable and allows pets can be very difficult. Homeless shelters often have restrictive policies that you can't have animals with you. In many places there can be local organizations that help foster pets so that their humans can focus on getting a home, and then reuniting with their beloved pet. Offering to be one of those would help that family. Another is to look into laws that support or restrict pet ownership for renters.
I have a friend who volunteers with an org that both spays/neuters houseless people's pets, and fosters/adopts out the animals' offspring. They've neutered hundreds of animals in the past few years and adopted out dozens of kittens!
Yep, I rent, and the landlords don't allow pets, even fish. If they did allow it, I'd gladly adopt an adult cat. So for now, I watch and support animal rescue UA-cam channels. And Vanessa too. 😊
Great points. Economic factors are a large part of why we have so many homeless pets. When pet owners fall on hard times, all the shelters are full, and everyone they know lives in a place where pets aren't allowed, they may have no good options available to them.
There are also people who want a "puppy" but immediately abandon the dog (also applies to cats or whatever pets when they become an an adult). The horrible practice of teaching children that animals are disposable toys results in children that lack the skill of taking responsibility in the bad times as well as the good.
Yes, I have to say the housing situation is a major issue. So that she would not end up in the streets, I took in a puppy from an accidental litter two months before the end of my lease and went through more than 20 "pet friendly" places. Turns out, "pet friendly" just means "cats and toy breed friendly". They all refused dogs bigger than 20 lbs. My puppy is already near 20 lbs at 5 months. Luckily, I found a nice apartment by the end. But I had to let go of many other things (like location and a lower rent) that were really important to me, and pay a pet deposit (which is illegal where I live, btw). I'm worried about what will happen if/when I'll need to find another place...It's crazy how much restrictions people are allowed to make on tenants. What difference does it make whether you have a small or big dog?
My rescue chihuahua was a dumped stud dog in El Paso. Poor guy was 7 years old, intact, and had horrible teeth. He was found wandering the streets. I spent a ton to get him all fixed up. Now he’s happy and loved ❤
Thx u so much for being such an angel for ur sweet boy. I'm sure he knows u saved him and gave him a loving home. People make me so angry and sad at the way they treat animals and discard them with not another thought. Heartbreaking and I would save every one if only I could. Wishing you wonderful days w you're little boy!! 👏👏🐕
Thank you for supporting responsible breeders. My boy's breeder is also a vet tech. I got a huge folder of paperwork, test results, DNA results, parental genetic testing, etc. I am more than happy with Ace and the breeder's policy of 24/7 "phone care" if I have questions or concerns..
Genuine question: In terms of exploiting the bodies of female dogs for money, what makes "responsible breeders" better than the others? Seems like that's an aspect you just can't get around as a breeder. I'm asling because I notice many people care about how the puppies are being treated but their mothers' well-being is often ignored.
@@90sHONEY I can only speak about the breeders that I've dealt with, but they aren't doing it for profit and even lose money. They only have a litter when they themselves want a new puppy for their showing/breed lines. The mother of one of our dogs only ever had two litters of pups. Depending on the breed, it can take years to get a new puppy, being on the wait lists for several breeders across the country.
@@90sHONEYresponsible breeders put a lot of time and money into making sure their females dogs are fully matured and in top health and body condition before they breed them, responsible breeders never breed their females on every heat cycle back to back until they are to old to breed from anymore just to churn out puppies for profit nor do they breed a female on her first heat cycle, responsible breeders make sure that after their females have had pups that a great deal of time is spent on giving her body all the necessary love and attention in replenishing all that is lost after raising her pups and that she is back in top health and condition as she was prior to having puppies. Responsible breeders don’t breed to meet demand, some breeders you might have wait a couple of years for a chance to get puppy from them as they breed for quality not quantity.
@@jenniferdixson860to piggyback on this, i follow a gal who breeds a rare kind of dog (i can't remember the breed), and she wanted to breed her best female but never found a suitable male. She decided not to breed her because she refused to produce something just for the sake of it. I remember that she did import another female that she intends to breed, but i haven't seen an update since. *She hasn't come across my fyp.
Also I want to add that responsible breeders spend most of their time STOPPING their dogs from breeding. Their instinct is to breed every heat. Aka every 6 months. And to the point of breaking through fences, crates, barriers, ect. This would be so hard on a mom dog if we allowed them to breed as their instincts demand and this is what bybs exploit.
Thank you for standing up for responsible dog breeders. I use to breed Golden Retrievers, and did because of my love for the breed. I wanted families who didn't have $1000.00 to $1500.00 to get a stable, healthy wonderful family pet. My puppies stayed with their K9 family unit for 13 weeks, I fully vaccinated every puppy before they went to their forever home that included their rabies vaccination. I sold each puppy for $250.00 and to families that I did background checks. Everyone of my puppies lived their full lives with only one family. I may have lost 1000's of dollars, but gained so much more with updates from the families of how happy my puppies made their families and friends. I tell people that if a breeder isn't willing to keep the puppies and mother together for atleast 8 weeks, run away, and run fast. I so look forward to every video of yours.
As an extension of that tip, do some research and know ahead of time what approximate size and developments a puppy should have at the age the breeder says the puppies are, and keep that in mind when you go to meet the puppy in question. Many backyard breeders and puppy mills will lie about the puppy's age to sell them off faster to minimize resource usage and start another litter as soon as possible (While it wasn't a breeder by any extent, the person who was selling the dog who would eventually become my partner in crime for 12 years insisted he was 8 weeks old. She was trying to sell the pups off to make rent. When my mom brought him home she immediately recognized he did not have any teeth and was definitely weened way too early - couldn't have been any more than 4 weeks old. We had a lot of experience handling underage pups so we were able to recognize that immediately and care for him accordingly, but a lot of owners may not recognize that and give incorrect care based on the assumption they're the age they were told, including giving vaccines and other care regimens that shouldn't be given to a younger pup).
I wish your practice would be contagious! My mother and stepfather got a RedSetter puppy (meant for me but I didn't even know they went to look at a litter), no need for papers as he was to be a pet. He quickly got very sick, so we rang the breeder for advice. I had the presence of mind to ask for his birth date and was horrified to find out that he was all of 2 1/2 weeks old when they sold him as a bargain - obviously they were delighted to have one less puppy to rear. We managed to keep him alive and while he grew into a real beauty, his health stayed iffy, and he had absolutely no idea how to dog. As he was a first dog, we weren't much help to him in that respect, either. But the breeder was utterly irresponsible to separate a puppy at such a young age from his mom and siblings.
@@angelikalindenau943 RedSette? Assume an Irish Setter, my fave breed.. & I owned, showed several , At 2 half wks, pups have no teeth. only small incisors, Should not be weaned from mom till 4-5 wks. & separated 6- 8 wks. Your pup probly got sick feom not getting proper nutrition,.. from not nursing. This perfect example of back yard breeders, care only abt th $$$.. !!
How did you manage the exploitation of the mother dog part? Did she get long enough breaks? My issue is not necessarily the treatment of the puppies which seems to be the only thing that everyone cares about. There's always a female dog going through uncomfortable pregnancies and painful, life-threateing births over and over again. I just can't see that as very ethical or "responsible" to be honest.
I like that you mentioned that spaying/neutering early can cause health issues, but I think it's also very important to mention health issues caused by not spaying/neutering. In female dogs, the chance of getting mammary cancer is 0.5% if spayed before 1st heat. If spayed after 1st heat, it's 8%. And if spayed after 2nd heat, it's a whopping 26%. Also, thank you for saying that shopping responsibly is not bad and doesn't add to the problem. I rescued four cats before buying two Ragdoll kittens from a responsible breeder, and the amount of hate people get for buying pets from responsible, ethical breeders is insane.
I could not agree more. In April we found out that my unspayed cat Little had mammary cancer. Unfortunately, we caught it too late as the cancer had already spread to her chest and lungs and she was given a few months. On a happier note, as I write this, she’s still here, she’s still herself, and she’s not in any pain, and we’re enjoying the time we have left with her. But please, everyone, spay and neuter you’re furry family members. Talk to you’re vet about the best time to do it, but do it.
That and heats can be very detrimental to cats and dogs, or anyone in the vicinity. We never spayed our dog, Jippy because we never had the money. Unfortunately everytime she goes into heat she gets urinary and yeast infections that leave her frantic, in pain, and miserable. We've tried to stop it with frequent bath and so forth but it's mostly from hormones. Our other dog Munchy, who is male, completely stops eating, playing, or cuddling with us the entire time. Given that he doesn't eat much in the first place he looks skin and bones after her two week heats, even with us force feeding him. We have to constantly keep them apart in different rooms which is not only annoying but unfair for one of them to be locked in a room all day. Heats completely change the personality of your pet too. I love Munchy, but I hate when he Jippy goes into heat around him. He gets so aggressive and bite-y (extremely unsafe for other pets and kids. Unfortunate given his love for them outside of it) We also never spayed our cat Zammy for the same reason, and now that shes 14 it puts a drain on her. She has over cancer now, not in pain but we can tell she's about to go. She used to keep us all up at night for weeks on end. Cats can force themselves into heat, especially when there older and about to get menopause. She's never had kittens before thankfully, but she really wanted some. She spend three months in heat at one point, I hated it with a passion because she cried all night long, and kept marking/spraying the house.
Yes its great if one wishes to adopt, from shelters , rescues, ..but May be getting someone else's problem, why is it in shelter With cats is different, cats are cats, tho are different tempered, friendly, shy, aggressive, .. depending on upbringing. With dogs are so many breeds, bred for different purposes... Especially be careful adopting adult pitbull types, unpredictable I rather raise a puppy, kitten, right way. I adopted a few , as kittens, from shelters, but most appeared be strays, or left behind ppl moving, probly HD some 20, in lifetime, ALL got spayed/ neutered..
My first dog got mammary cancer and I was always 100% sure that I would spay my next dog. Honestly couldn't really believe that a lot of people in my country are against spaying. I now have a puppy and I'm not going to spay her. The benefits and risks of spaying your dog early are really complex and differ from breed to breed. Especially larger dogs (and I do have a large one) are not fully grown and developed by the time they have their first heat, and spaying them can really mess with their development. My breed is already at risk for HD, and there are some studies that show an increase for the HD risk in spayed dogs. And at least mammary cancer is fairly easy to notice and treatable (+ around 50% aren't even maligne). Depending on the breed, spaying them will increase the risk of other cancers, most of which are a lot more deadly and hard to find early as well. So... I'm definitely not advocating against spaying. But I do think it's more of an individual decision instead of a "all dogs should be spayed."
Greetings from Norway! Thank you for providing free educational, entertaining and heartwarming content. I have learnt SO much by watching your videos, and even though I have never owned a dog I feel more confident in how to be a responsible owner after watching your videos.❤
Thank you for using your channel to promote these things! I want to add that it isn't only cats and dogs that are affected by bad breeding practices. It is ALL pets. The ease of access to some of these is horrifying, leading people to get a pet from a pet store in the spur of the moment and "breeders" using that to their advantage to make money. My heart goes out to all the pets and pet owners affected by this ❤
10000% true. As someone who is in the bird fandom and formerly worked at an exotic bird store, its very common that we would get a batch of baby parrots that would suddenly die because they were from mills and plane shipped to us while still needing to be fed by their 'mother'. So us being their 'mother' causes imprinting, which can cause terrible behavioral issues which will lead to the birds having a difficult life. When I got my pigeon, I had to go through the same paperwork as any other pet owner did with a responsible breeder. Even the community that they and I are in, speak openly about encouraging adopting, even posting shelters that offer adopting pigeons so we will always have a choice to do the responsible thing.
My old college friend got a puppy on a spur of the moment walk by a pet store. 8 + years later that old puppy died saving my friend’s little child from a dog attack. Broke my heart but also made me rethink cute puppy purchases - not always bad. But of course please think seriously before buying an animal when there are so many in shelters.
And big pet shops will take advantage of the relative carelessness/apathy when it comes to housing fish and rodents. It's actually downright demonic at times, pet shop workers will demand you buy a tiny tank and fill it with this and that from their store when the fish really just needs a far bigger tank.
@@Jenna_Talia reptiles don’t have it much better. They’re wonderful pets, and much easier to care for than a dog, but people buy them without doing the proper research and so many suffer. It doesn’t help that a lot of big chain pet stores give terrible advice- some don’t even mention supplements (vital to the reptile’s health). And a lot of them keep them in downright inhumane tanks while waiting to be bought. The Petco in my town has probably 10 or more baby leopard geckos in a tank I would use to house _1_ (and I would only house it in that while it’s a juvenile- too small for an adult gecko). I saw one with crusty, dried shed on it, it was in need of immediate care, and I doubt it ever got it. :/ Even PetSense, a store that (in my limited experience with them) takes good care of its animals, still gets its reptiles from a known reptile mill.
I'm so glad you mentioned the controversy of spay/neuter regarding their health and development. And that the choice to keep your dog intact isn't the issue - it's the inability/refusal to CONTAIN your dog and keep it from breeding that's the problem. Thank you for all you do. You're amazing 💛
It's strange that it's controversial, considering that spayed/neutered dogs live 20% longer (40-70% longer for cats), according to a humane society study. It looks like the idea that negative effects on hormone development is limited to only giant breeds of male dogs. I don't think this should be generalized to apply to all dogs.
They may live longer but its also been discovered that certain cancers, heart disease and a host of other problems have been attributed to spay and neutral of animals who are too young! One source to confirm this is a study done by UC Davis! But animal owners must be responsible and ever vigilant as Vanessa states!🇺🇸💜
So true! One of my cats was spayed by the breeder as a young kitten and I've always wondered if that's really a good practice. She's nearly 15 now, and I can't tell if it did anything negative to her. But yes, it is possible to keep your pets intact if you are careful and responsible with them.
THOSE EARS!!! 🥰🥰🥰 Vanessa, I wanted to thank you for your distinction between responsible breeders and backyard breeders. I adopted rescue pups in the past but fell so hard for the shih tzu breed (because of prior ownership) that I knew what I wanted. Sadly, this is a high demand breed so to find them in shelters is difficult. And the shih tzu rescue organizations didn’t have any available in my area. I was blessed to find a VERY good, ethical, responsible breeder a few hours from my home, and they had your basic requirements as well as a few others before they would even take a deposit. I had the honor of first pick of the litter and I adopted two. They’re now three years old, and some of the best pups ever. I’ve had the joy of training them from ten weeks of age, and they’re now a dream for any vet, groomer or pet owner. 🥰
I will always be a proponent of adopting shelter animals. Two of the three cats I've adopted probably wouldn't have been adopted by someone else, since they had issues that made them "less desirable." I say they are (or were, in the case of one - RIP Colby) the best kitties I've ever had. If you're looking to add a furry friend to your life, please check out your local shelters. The pets there can be life changers. They have nothing but love to give you, and you could be saving their life. ❤
The Humane Society in my city has a cat room, and honestly if anyone spends more than five minutes in there, they are leaving with a cat. Best room ever! And the cats are happier too!
Thank you for bringing attention to this issue. As a vet I am happy to talk to people about appropriate times to spay or neuter their pets, but I will continue to recommend it for all my patients until the shelters are empty.
Thank you thank you thank you! We can talk about optimizing health etc when the rescues don't have massive wait lists and animals aren't being euthanized by the millions. Thankfully it has become so much better over the past 10 years thanks to aggressive spay/neuter programs.
THANK YOU for explaining that responsible breeders are in no way the issue, I have gotten so much hate as a breeder in the past because of the "adopt, don't shop" movement. I'm all for adopting rescue/shelter dogs, I even suggest shelter doggos for those not wanting to sit on my (currently 2 year) waiting list for a doberpuppy :)
Doberman are one of my favourite breeds - I love the athleticism and intelligence that they have, and the work done by responsible breeders over the past several decades has really made their temperament more suitable for the life I lead now. I'm glad you have a long waiting list!
Don’t keep a friend waiting! I rescued my first dog in 2012. Rosie is about 14 years old now. She was in San Jose rescue. Many dogs in Seattle come from California and Texas.❤🐶 I had her DNA done through Embark & she’s 37% American Eskimo dog! She looks like a fluffy polar bear.
If it wasn't for ignorant ppl. Not spaying/ neutering, there wouldn't be such a problem w/ homeless , especially cats. !! Here in FLA no longer pick up stray cats, & are many poor things, out in th streets, homeless, in heat, rain, cold.sixk, hungry. We do have a program TNR. trap, neuter, release/ return. & is cutting down on population,. .. don't see stray dogs, are picked up if wandering , w/ no tags
Yep. Many of the responsible breeders I know are also involved in rescue. One of my breeds is the Alaskan Klee Kai, and I frequently see good breeders rescuing and rehoming puppy mill AKK, mixes, and even the occasional pomsky. So not only are these breeders never contributing to the shelter population themselves, but they're also out there cleaning up the bad breeders' messes.
Thank you for being so clear about the problem of irresponsible breeding. I have rescued most of my pets, but the one Airedale that I purchased from a wonderful responsible breeder, I could only purchase after going through a lengthy interview. That's how I knew she was breeding dogs for all the right reasons!! Thank you for all your efforts!
Once again Vanessa has expertly used her channel to inform people of something vital. As I've mentioned before, I lived with my aunt in high school and she bred Great Pyrenees as well as worked with other breeders extensively in their kennels. I spent 3 years around breeders, grooming dogs and cleaning kennels. With that background I cant emphasize enough how accurate her information is here. The one thing I would add is that if you go to a breeder and they DON'T extensively question you or make you sign the contract she described, I consider that a red flag and wouldn't trust that breeder.
That is so true. Our second Golden Retriever came from a responsible breeder. He lived to 15 years and 29 days old …unheard of in the backyard breeding world of Goldens. He had a couple of cancers caught very early and other than that zero health issues other than age related problems …and most of those didn’t start until he was 13.5.
For every pet bought another is killed at a shelter. Every year millions of perfectly adoptable cats and dogs are killed at animal shelters. Adopt don't shop!
Genuine question (I already asked someone else here but since you have first-hand insight, maybe you'll know even better): In terms of exploiting the bodies of female dogs for money, what makes "responsible breeders" better than the others? Seems like that's an aspect you just can't get around as a breeder. I'm asling because I notice many people care about how the puppies are being treated but their mothers' well-being is often ignored.
@@90sHONEYResponsible breeders make sure the mother is at least one-and-a-half to two years old before her first, give the mothers at minimum one year between litters with extra vet care in that year, and only make the mother have 2-4 litters in her lifetime and then fix her afterwards.
Another thing responsible breeders do is make sure the new owner understands the needs and problems of a specific breed. If you live in a small apartment in NYC, and you think Border Collies are adorable and want one, you will get a crash course in how much exercise your dog will need. If you love giving huge parties and you want a breed that tends to bond with just one or two people, there are going to be questions about protecting your dog from being stressed out. Good breeders want both their dogs and the new owners to be happy.
Tommy's expressive and sweet face could win over anyone. I wonder if he'd make a good doggy actor? He's especially handsome and expressive with the cut you gave him. And, he was such a well spoken advocate for responsible breeding and caring ownership. Bravo to you and to Tommy!
Thank you for explaining this! Both of my dogs are rescues and are clearly the result of backyard breeders trying to create their own pure bred. People ask us constantly if we would backyard breed them and it’s infuriating. They both have structural and health concerns. I would never breed either of them-luckily we’ve already had both spayed. Honestly, I’m disgusted by people trying to make a quick buck off animals.
Especially those doodle breeders, now every breed has been " doodled", & misinform , that are hypoallergenic, no such thing, .. & don't shed,, ALL breeds shed in spring, fall. In a litter xan be 10, or more, & charge outrageous prices, for mixed mutts, all can't be sold, & are given away to those know nothing about th high maintenance, & training, & and up in shelters.
What breed are they? Raising awareness on the health concerns of specific breeds can help educate people. For instance German Shapherds with backs that curve down and back legs that are too crouched under their hind end. These dogs end up needing tendon operations while young.
@@wordzmyth it's th show breeders ,.. th Germ. Shep standard has gone too far, roaches backs, rear legs over angulated, & large breeds, get hip dysplasia Also breeding bulldogs, wide low to groundcan hardly walk,. & breathe, & th pushed in faced, short muzzled, Pekes, pugs, Boston ter. Frenchies.. have breathing problems
I could barely take it, how cute he is when you're drying him. He looked like one of those TV weather folks, covering a hurricane. Too cute. Pumpkin pie! A seasonal scent!
Tommy is adorable! I'd also add one other thing to responsible breeders. They are usually happy and willing to let you visit and meet their animals. It's a huge red flag imo if a bereded says no or is apprehensive.
It should only be a red flag if the breeder is unwilling to show pictures and videos of their living and working space. Theft has become a huge problem as of late. There have been puppies stolen from facilities, homes broken into. Depending on age of puppies(if there are puppies at the time) germs can also be a concern. Unless it’s pickup or someone is working with me, no one will ever know the location where I or my puppies are. It’s just too dangerous. However, they will have access to the activities, living area, working area, grooming area and play and lounging in the home. I think it’s a red flag if the breeder is not transparent in their work. I won’t ever see it as a red flag for people to not allow others in their home.
Never heard such an amazing explanation about rescuing, responsible breeding and backyard breeders. Hopefully with your large platform and the insane amount of education and support you provide, we can start to combat the huge issue of backyard breeding.💗
Oh my goodness! Tommy is so sweet. He looks like he has a permanent smile🥹 Thank you for encouraging rescue!! So many dogs and kitties are needing loving and responsible homes❤️
We have always had two dogs in our home. One from a breeder and one from a rescue/shelter. The screening process from the breeders we have worked with was always much more then the rescue/shelter process. It still surprises me.
yeah...i regret now rescuing my dog from where i did because they didn't do a good job asking questions compared to the other shelter i was waiting on. they noted he MIGHT have been exposed to parvo, and a few days after i got my tiny puppy he was fighting for his life and i had to spend 1k not knowing if he would survive. he also was either severely underweight or a full month younger than they said. he survived and is a giant fat sppiled baby now. but needless to say, i will now be patient and wait for the right dog rescue from the right shelter instead of the right dog wrong shelter.
People tell me it is easier to adopt a human baby than it is to adopt one of my doberbabies :P That is probably hyperbole, but if you dont feel you're being interrogated when buying from a breeder, they are probably not a great breeder.
@@epicdogbattleswe lost a puppy who was neutered too young by a shelter and got sick. They did such a shît job. We never went back. The rescue we got our next dog from was much better and let us spend time with the dogs before picking one.
I had a rescue dog that was from a backyard breeder and he suffered terribly before his short life ended. He was the loveliest dog and then within 3 weeks deteriorated in the most horrifying way. His short life with us was full of love but nothing makes up for the suffering of an innocent animal. My friend who breeds dogs puts prospective owners through an exceptionally rigorous application process and he keeps in touch with "his dogs" throughout their lives to keep an eye on them and because he loves them all dearly. Thank you for speaking about this issue.
For anyone who’s wanted to breed their dog just to experience the birth and raising of puppies, I’ve got you covered! There are plenty of rescues, reputable breeders and whelping services that would love to have assistance and teach new people about the process. You’d get to learn a lot about and have fun while experiencing what it’s like to work with a momma, baby messes and the babies themselves. It’s a lot more work than you think it is. There are whelping services which are people who are at birth to assist with the process. You can always ask to shadow one or even shadow a breeder. I will be doing this later in life to get experience on whelping puppies in the future. For the people who want their dog to have puppies because they want a copy of their dog, it doesn’t work that way. Your dog also doesn’t need to have puppies. It’s an unnecessary process that can put strain on the body and it would only be for your enjoyment. There are pregnant animals in rescue that could definitely use a safe and loving place to have their puppies. Fostering would be a great idea if you have the ability.
This is a really helpful comment! The option of fostering is a great way for people to discover what's REALLY involved with caring for newborn animals and their pawrent, which may be an eye opener for those who just think "aw want cute puppy/kitty"? Plus it helps out the shelters, who are often struggling.
Thank you for addressing this! I remember you explaining in a past video why you choose to adopt small dogs in shelters but not large dogs. I've heard people say to adopt not shop thousands of times, but I know not every pet owner is capable of taking care of a shelter animal when so much is unknown. It's our jobs as humans to make sure our pets are being cared for to the best of our ability.
This is a situation I feel like I'm going to be in if I decide to get a pet once I've got permanent housing. If I choose a dog I want to know it's going to be one I can take care of, but the best way to do that is to go for a specific breed that's been responsibly bred for temperament and breed standard. Of course, that means I'd have to find a responsible breeder for whichever breed I choose, hope I pass their requirements, and pay the upfront cost that allows them to break even - and then I'd have a puppy which is much more high maintenance than an adult dog. Luckily I'm not making a decision on this for at least a few months but the choice between an adult shelter dog or a responsibly bred puppy will be a tough one.
@@littlebear274 The breed standard doesn't matter. Temperament, health and structural soundness is what you need, unless you're planning on getting into dog shows which is the only area where the 'breed standard' actually matters.
Thank you so much for speaking up for responsible breeders. I always feel like I have to defend my stepmom when I say she breeds basset hounds. She is one of the most responsible breeders out there, she follows all your 'responsible breeder do's." About five years back a sudden health problem sprung up in a litter, a neurological one, she took back any puppies needed, she tested all her dogs to figure out what it was. She stopped breeding for three years. What she found was lafora disease, and since she's become a huge advocate in the basset hound world for making sure people do not breed two dogs with this genetic possibility because it really is a death sentence for a dog. I only stand up for her because I know she's doing the best, she barely makes any money on her litters and breeds once or twice a year. I will also say I love healthy wonderful purebred dogs but I own a mutt from Oklahoma and he's a great little guy. Thank you for all that you do and keep up the great work~❤
@kaichoukai After reading your post I'm a little confused. If 2 dogs are predisposed to lafora disease don't you mean that breeders should NOT breed them. Your post reads "do breed" because it's a death sentence.
Oh my goodness he comes out so FLUFFYYYYYYY 😍 Thank you once again for such an informative video! Definitely going to keep an eye out to avoid backyard breeders when getting a pet
My earliest and biggest dream I can remember since I was a little kid, is to have enough resources to allow every cat and dog to live a happy life. I remember an excersise in school, writing like a business plan, and I kind of misunderstood it as a "dream business" and wrote down rules for sponsored adoptions for pets and having a safe haven for those who won't be adopted. Therefore, I completely respect, love and understand this woman's work to use her channel for so much good!
Such a sweet, adorable little pupper! I'm happy that Tommy was rescued and has his forever home. I pray that all strays will one day be rescued and loved for the rest of their days.
He is the best boy for sure!!! He's so gentle and so good! We are so thankful every day that he came into our lives and that we are giving him the best life and home possible!❤
getting emotional seeing a schnauzer poodle mix, we had to put my 17yo schnoodle Gracie down last April. We had her since she was 2 months old. she had a stroke at age 13 and developed dementia along with other health issues like heart murmur and lung/skin problems that were worsening within the past year along w losing function in her back legs and control of her bodily functions. but she lived a long and happy life and went peacefully while i held her paw. its the hardest thing ive ever gone/am going thru since she had been my best friend since i was 5 years old. I've never met another schnauzer poodle in my life and i rarely see them online, so seeing this video made me smile. while Tommys coat color and type is different from Gracies, he has such a similar face and eyes as her and its comforting finally getting to see another dog that looks like her, especially from a channel ive been following for a while.
Thank you so much for talking about this! My husband and I recently got an Irish setter puppy from a responsible breeder and couldn't be happier because we adore the breed and our puppy is everything we could have dreamed of. It's been strange feeling people judging us for having got her from a breeder and it's clear that they don't understand the difference between ethical breeding and backyard breeding. It's had me questioning whether we should breed dogs at all (besides for jobs), but I honestly can't imagine a world without Irish Setters. Anyway - really appreciate you educating people on this.
I left a comment a few minutes ago but did not mention the breed I had for 35 years..Irish Setters. Hope you have many joyful years with yours...my heart dog.
My opinion too, nothing like a. well bred Irish,! Most beautiful,... tho they can be hyper, when poorly byb bred, it's all in th early training. I had a show quality male, bred from long line Champions, he was raised w/ my Germ Shep. , & took on th traits of protective guard dog,.. , he was just perfect,. as he was trained early to be " stacked" ( term for posing show dogs) & shown in puppy matches, he knew when was in showring, & let strange judges " examine", as is done. At his home was a guard dog,& couch potato, passed at age 14, abt average age.
@@jeanettelong-i6j that's wht is important to get from well known breeding kennels. My Irisman was from a long line of Chamions, from Trivelda Kennels, in Virginia, a very famous I. S Kennel. He had enough points to qualify to be in Westminster, .. he got a few best of breeds, .. IS very large entries, & hard to finish ( to make Ch) there's nothing more beautiful then a show quality Irish Setter !!
Keep spreading the word. There are 27 puppies and 32 adults in the rescue I work with. No one gets adopted until they are spayed or neutered. Puppies who are too young to be neutered before adoption can find permanent homes, but the formal adoption process isn't completed until after the neuter. Good job, Tommy. You are too cute for words! 🐾
There was a similar rule with the pound I adopted from. My dog was 10 months when I got her from the pound and she was scheduled to be spayed the day after, and then I'd pick her up from the vet. Unfortunately, they found out she had pneumonia so she couldn't have surgery that day. The vet kept trying to "convince" me to adopt her, I'd just have to take her home for two weeks, give her meds (which I had to pay for) and on and on. *I* kept trying to interrupt her to say "When can I come pick her up and can I get the meds when I pick her up or do I need to go to a regular pharmacy" but she just wouldn't let me get a word in. I guess she was so used to trying to talk people into continuing the adoption process when they found out their potential pet was sick that she just didn't hear me. It made me so sad, how grateful she was when I ACTUALLY SHOWED UP to pick up my dog, then GAVE HER THE MEDS she was supposed to have to make her better before SHOWING UP for her spay appt 3 weeks later. I can't even conceive of not doing those things, but I guess there are trash people out there who do.
I would like to know what is the percentage of people who break a spay/neuter contract at your shelter? The rescues I volunteered for in the past would do spay/neuter contracts, especially for kittens, due to the number of people that broke the contract.
@@kdrinnin1 None. We make the appointment, expect the potential adopters to show up, and we pay for the surgery. If it doesn't get done, we take the dog back...though that's a VERY rare occurrence.
I’ve owned four dogs in my adult life. Each one has been given to me by friend or family just before the dog ended up in a shelter. Three of them are gone now, over the figurative rainbow bridge, but they were the best pups and I loved each one dearly. Thank you for helping promote healthy breeding and adopting when possible. ❤
Thank you for bringing light to this topic. We rescued our Australian Cattle dog 4 years ago from a shelter. She is the best dog ever, but she was dropped off at 14 months old because her previous owners had a baby. That is another issue. People get animals, and for the smallest reason, will just drop them at a shelter. There have been 20 year old cats taken to shelters. This is shameful and despicable in my eyes. When you take on responsibility of getting a pet, it is supposed to be for the rest of theirs (or your) life. Keep up the good work! Love your videos ❤
Thank you so much for advocating for responsible breeders! As someone with multiple disabilities I have very specific needs for the dog breeds I choose to keep (including prospective service dogs) that are very unlikely to work out with rescue dogs. The amount of people who vilify breeders of any sort have their hearts in the right place but end up doing more harm than good when they spread misinformation and make assumptions.
Thank you for your excellent explanation of breeders versus backyard breeders. I cringe when people lump them all together as ‘greeders’. I used to show Golden Retrievers. I had four litters of puppies over about thirty years. All our female dogs had all the possible health tests for the breed. They were bred to outstanding, show winning, health tested males. My mum slept on the couch beside the mum and pups for the first week or so to make sure mum didn’t lie on them or they didn’t get stuck in a corner of their purpose built whelping box. They were acclimatised to the noises of the vacuum cleaner and other household sounds so they weren’t nervous of them. They were fed the best of food as was their mother. My mum and I cried when they went off to their carefully vetted new homes. The new owners sent us Christmas cards for many years. So for us to be lumped together with a person who mates any male to any female with no testing, keeps mum and pups in a cage in a shed and sells them to any unsuitable person who comes along really stings. 😢
That’s one thing I want to see when I interview a breeder. Are you currently or do do you have a history of showing. There’s an entire set of ethics and responsibilities that go along with purebred showing. If you currently or previously have shown I know you’re already in the right ethical mindset.
Thank you for your education on this issue! It's something I've tried to get others close to me to understand. I have a rescue dog and I was not prepared for the issues not knowing a dog's past could bring. I love him and he's doing much better, but it was a lot of work and not everyone has the resources for a rescue pet. And as you said, responsible breeders do exist. Thank you!
Aww!! I'm so glad this gorgeous wee guy has a forever home ❤❤ he deserves all the love and treats and cuddles in the world. Thank you for helping to educate people on how to responsibly breed too. It's awful to see so many dogs and cats being churned out for money, who often go on to lead painful, miserable lives and never really know what it is to be loved and cherished. Vanessa, you're doing so mich good in this world my darling. Ooh and if you (or anyond reading this) ever come across a dog or cat in Scotland who needs a home please send them my way. I'm absolutely serious, get in touch with me. I've now rescued one dog and one cat, not at the same time, and want to help any dogs and cats that I can. I seem to have a knack with older animals and can take them through the challenges that can come with old age and end of life care.
Right Away Tommy get's major points with me because he hails from my Home State of Texas and part of his life philosophy is to try ALL Foods! Yes, as the Late Bob Barker always said "Don't forget to spay or neuter your Pet!" Thank You Vanessa for all you do! ♥🐶👏
That is awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video of our sweet senior boy! He truly is a gem and the best boy. He gets a cute compliment every time we walk him!😁
Thank you so much for the BEST explanation I've heard regarding adopting responsibly, shopping responsibly, spaying/neutering responsibly, AND responsible ownership - with cutie patootie little Tommy! ❤👏🐾❤️
Oh my goodness-Tommy is absolutely adorable and I love the cut that you gave him! Interesting explanation of responsible vs. irresponsible breeders. I fear that most fall into the latter category. (Most-not all) I will still always choose to save a rescue…the need for adoption is overwhelming. So many precious dogs and cats are euthanized every day. It’s heartbreaking. 💕🙏🏻
It always hurts that I can’t save them all but at least you can change the world for that one. Both of my current rescues, one dog and one cat, have been scooped up directly off the street but I have adopted from the pound before and it breaks the heart to see souls that should just get to be their silly bouncy selves, sad or aggressive or anxious.
@@TheBaumcm I agree. Every single fur baby I’ve ever had has been a rescue. I’m like you-it’s all that I can do to stop myself from taking them all home. All they ever want is a safe place and love.😔
I can't bare the thought of homeless unloved furs, folks who abandon them on road sides, leave them in empty houses, the list goes on, I know I'm not the only one but my heart hurts at cruelty of any level, on any living thing. Tommy will be living the life in his forever home 💖👏
Thank you for explaining about the difference of responsible breeders and backyard breeding. So many people that advocates for rescuing SHAME so much other people that choose to buy a pet from a responsible breeder, that sometimes it feels like something illegal. What people don't often understand is that, when you choose to buy from someone that is responsible and care about the breed, you are choosing PREDICTABILITY, whether is a service dog, a guarding dog or a family dog, you know what to expect because you also cares about the breed and the package it comes with it. Instead of shaming people who choose to buy, help them understand HOW can they help reduce the numbers of dogs in shelters, like Vanessa is doing. - Nowadays, in many countries, backyard breeding is forbiden and can be reported. - If you see puppies in petshops being sold, ask them where the dogs come from. If they are reluctant about it, search for NGOs that can help pressure them to tell who's the "supplier", usually a backyard breeder. -If you have family and friends that buy from these places, teach them about the reality of the parents. - Also teach people about neutering/spaying their pets. - If you have the time and space, trhink about fostering. - If you can't foster but can spare some bucks per month, donate to NGOs that help these animals. But don't go telling anyone that bought a pet that THEY ARE the problem and the reason why animals are dumped in shelters. You don't know about everyone's story.
What a heart melting bit of floof Tommy is. Through the years, my one dog and 4 cats have all been rescues and have been the best companions anyone could ask for.
Oh, such a great video and an adorable mascot for the topic. Tommy is beautiful and you made him even more handsome. Thank you for all you do to help our furry family members and those not yet in their forever homes. Excellent work as always! 💗
Amen Sista!!! I have worked with shelters and rescue groups from all over the country and the problem is world wide😥. We have to educate. Some are under the false impression that if you are getting pets spayed and neutered you don't love animals...quite the opposite, I have seen so much suffering because of NOT taking care of fur babies. Thank you for taking the time to explain and for being an advocate to theses amazing fur gifts!😍😻🐶🐾
There are stupid foolish owners, want their kids to " experience birth" Then what? To do w/ bunch of puppies, kittens?? Can't find homes, end up in shelters. !
I for one oppose neutering dogs (and other working animals/pets) that haven't had at least one batch of children, unnecessarily shrinking the genepool because of how widespread the procedure has become, indirectly & directly leading to a lot more health issues entering the population
@@panniguin862 ah , no. Why do u think stallions get gelded? They can be dangerous, can smell a woman on her period. Bulls get castrated. to fatten up for slaughter, a capon is castrated rooster,. all do fine, while Alive. Agressive, anxious male dogs may calm down , & as un neutered age, may develop hormonal problems, if not used for breeding
Thank you for the way you explained the difference of breeders and why there are so many animals in shelters.. if I can add one more. In the area I live, there is a severe shortage of places for people to rent, and those who do find something it's quite often a place that doesn't allow pets or only small pets, leaving many to try and find a "foster" for their pet or bring them to the shelter, some do neither and just abandon the pet, all of which are very sad scenarios.
I'm in FLA.. & thats why th feral cat problem, ppl moved left unstrilized cats behind. Most cats I had , found their way my house, took them in , all got spayed neutered
We almost got a puppy from a backyard breeder. I'm SO glad we backed out at the last minute. I've learned so much since then, thanks to channels like yours! ❤
You're not the only one who thinks he looks like a koala. I was going to make a comment to that effect, but you beat me to it. Great minds think alike.
Thank you for the excellent and much needed remarks about responsible vs. backyard breeders. You are a superb groomer, and a superb educator. And I don't even have a pet! THANK YOU for what you do!!!!
Preach!!! I have always rescued and never been disappointed. There is so much love available for adoption! The past few years, we have committed to bringing in older adult and seniors and it has truly changed our lives for the better.
I love your point about adopting and buying responsibly. Many people sadly don’t know about ethical breeders and just impulsively advocate the “Adopt, don’t shop” term while bashing anyone who buys a puppy, even if it comes from a Kennel Club. It’s unfair to blindly judge people without doing your homework and put yourself on a pedestal, just because you adopted.
Wish more people felt this way. In certain parts of the country if you go to a rescue you're looking at getting a 50+ pound pitbull, choice your color and sex. There aren't a lot of other dogs available. If you're wanting a small dog, or can't provide the energy outlet the inevitably adolescent terrier needs, you're shit out of luck. If you have allergies, too bad for you too. And then if you DON'T adopt that pitbull, no matter what your home is like, you're shamed and dragged and told you are the problem with homeless dogs. No, maybe it's the people churning out more pitbulls when you can't throw a stick without one chasing it already. Pits are fine, but not for my elderly grandmother looking for a quiet companion, or that house with small children, big dogs and little kids often don't mix well by sheer size difference! The grandma example isn't out of nowhere.. mine, at 85, went to look for a small companion to adopt, knowing family could take the dog in if something happened to her, and shelter after shelter ripped her a new one for refusing the wall to wall bored, high energy untrained pitbull teenagers bouncing and screaming in their cages.
@@joeypalkowski531 I liked this episode because she is working on a client she's had since a puppy, the beginning. The difference it makes re behavior, etc., in consistent grooming appointments as pet parents are able and individual pet's needs. Also, he is absolutely adorable! And the boots are my personal fav 🥰
Tommy is adorable, and you are an invaluable resource gateway for accessible pet care knowledge. I immensely appreciate you and all the work you put into your videos.
Thank you for all the words you said. I work in a shelter and it hurts me to speak with people that don't get it. I want to bring them back to our freezer to see what their irresponsible actions do.
Tommy is so adorable 🥰 Rescue dogs can make the best pets and they will love you for life! Old rather spay or neuter than increase the population of unwanted animals, but I see the other side too. I just want to see all these cats and dogs in healthy, happy homes. We have one dog from a very responsible breeder and one rescued from a backyard breeder, both are lovely and loved dogs.
Tommy is so cute! My girly is a rescue and couldn't have found a better companion for myself! She was born to a stray and found in the wild along with her litter mates. Mom got neutered right away, alongside the puppies who were already 6-7 months old. Not ideal, but the stray dog population where I adopted her is out of control. Our shelters have a clause where if you can't keep the animal, you must return it. That's how I got my Zoë- she was returned by the inexperienced owners she had for 2 months and I got to have her forever ❤ wasn't easy to accommodate her to living in an apartment, but 3 years later she's my little couch potato. Love her to bits and pieces.
thank you for explaining the difference of backyard breeding and responsible breeders, i used to think those didn't exist until I met someone who showed dogs and explained everything that went into it including breeding. I hope one day we can regulate this and make breeders become certified and backyard breeders will get fined!
Thank you for showcasing a Texas rescue dog! The rescue I foster with flies animals out of TX to the northeast US and other areas that don't have the overpopulation problem we have. The BYBers here are absolutely out of control.
You preach it girl!! Spay and neuter or be responsible. I have become an unintentional cat sanctuary due to all of the poor unwanted animals in my area. While I love the animals, the cost is enormous, and being a single parent makes every month a struggle to afford the kid and all the cats. I won’t stop helping, but I wish others would be responsible in the first place and stop populating the world with kittens and puppies they have no intention of caring for or loving. Shame on them.
Most cats I've had for about past 20 yrs, appeared on my doorstep, took them in, had spayed neutered, .. at one time, must've been , like 8-9, not only th food, but litter, .. & tho got shots/ vaxes, flea preventative s, wormings, shampoos, ear cleaners.. from Amazon, still were expensive. Are a few ferals left outside, are too wild to take in , I feed them also..
Thank you so much for your dissertation on responsible breeding. Rescue options are great as well. It took me 3 years to find a wonderful responsible breeder. I did this because I had a dog from a backyard breeder with significant health issues. She won my heart but she cost about $10,000 over her lifetime to maintain her due to her serious health issues. 10 years. Very sad. I now have two healthy happy dogs from a remarkable breeding program. It’s not wrong to choose that option. So thank you for mentioning the hand in hand with rescue.
Tommy is illegally cute. He looks like a bear cub mixed with a raccoon. He is the sweetest little floof I have ever seen
A koala bear with those ears.
“Illegally cute” 😂🤣😂🤣😅🤣
Kinda looks like a quokka too.
I was going to say the same thing! He's a koala teddy bear ❤❤
Well, Australian I guess. I know, roundy ears. So cute.@@justanotheryoutubeaccount0
“Adopt or shop responsibly.” Very well said! Thank you for standing up for responsible breeders, while also showing an example of the treasures you can find at shelters, like Tommy! Love this channel. ❤️
agreed! There's so much prejudice against buying your pet from a breeder, but there's people like my mom who can't take care of an animal with behavioral issues, due her to her chronic health conditions. So, being the *responsible* person she is, she chooses a reputable, responsible breeder to get her dogs from, supporting that breeder in their endeavors, and getting the appropriate dog for her. If she got a rescued animal, there's a 50/50 chance things can go south, and it's really just in the best interest of both her and the animal if she chooses the correct one for her, and allows someone more able bodied to adopt the shelter animal instead (like me). That's the most important thing when getting a pet!! You have to pick the right one, not just anything you happen to find.
ABSOLUTELY!!! Dogs from breeders need homes too!!! And if you’re looking for a specific breed that fits with your lifestyle and that you can give the best life too, there’s nothing wrong with going through a breeder
Pure bred dogs are important historically and genetically, it’s good to support responsible and ethical breeders! I always tell people, every dog deserves a loving home, whether bought or adopted, just make sure you’re supporting the right people.
Neutering dogs and only allowing breeding only to be done by certain parties selectively sound very much like eugenics. A very strong control over the dog population.
@@laurac86 And cats....I ranched for many years, cats are part of ranching and would show up unannounced from people dumping them or your guess is as good as mine. Rule #1 was if they got along with the others, they were welcomed to stay and visited the vet for a health check and fixed if needed. As time went on I was down to one ranch cat, had moved, retired and lived a different life. The 18 year old ranch cat passed and I went a year without that extra heartbeat. Decided that I wanted one cat to enjoy while looking on-line happened across a breeder of Norwegian Forest Cats....omg, that was the end of my journey and knew the path I wanted to take. Started a conversation (was interviewed!) and sent a picture of one that was 4 weeks old. I'd never paid for a cat in my life, but this was so exciting I got a whole new energy injected into my life! She arrived at 12 weeks old and is now 7 years old, we've had a great life together. She is spoiled rotten, runs my life, makes me laugh every day and is my reason for getting up in the morning. She takes me for walks, investigates everything, is brave and has no problem staring down a big dog. I paid my dues to the rescue business, so she is my reward. What a way to go!
The way he puffed up after the blow dry 😂 but yes, the treatment of some dogs in this world is enough reason for me to want to be a veterinarian
Yeah, his haircut went from a mullet to a fab afro.
@@namantherockstarLMFAO beg somewhere else
Look at how much he enjoys the wind in his face!
So cute!!!!
I read it as “vegetarian” and that would be awesome too 👍
Our little girl was a bait dog. She had been in the local shelter for almost two years. The Shelter lied to us. We were told she did great with other dogs, and she was 3 years old. She was highly reactive to other dogs. While bathing her, we discovered bite marks all over her body. The Vet told us that she was at least 5 years old and perhaps older. She had 3 broken ribs that had healed wrong. Our girl was skin and bones. I know the shelter just wanted us to take her. My heart almost broke for her when we first brought her home. She'd just sit and shake. It seemed like her spirit had been broken. After being with us for 10 years, she is much better. We see a lot of backyard breeders in this area. Sadly the Amish seem to have puppy mills here in Kentucky. I commend you for the work you do Vanessa. We can see that you truly love dogs.
Yes the Amish are known for that. It’s sad.
For a minute, when you walked him through the door, I wondered when the heck you started grooming koalas! This...didn't really change as the groom went on, actually. Tommy has the best visual aspects of a dog and a koala, which just makes him the most precious little thing in the world. I'm also weirdly in love with how fluffy you left his legs in comparison to his body cut...it's like some kind of fluffy 3D art as you carefully blended down the poof at each shoulder and hip.
Ha koala is right... what a calm pup
Man. I really can’t stress enough how grateful I am that you use your platform to educate the public about spay/neuter,rescue and many other great things. Thank you so much. ❤
One other cause at the moment is housing insecurity. Finding housing that is affordable and allows pets can be very difficult. Homeless shelters often have restrictive policies that you can't have animals with you.
In many places there can be local organizations that help foster pets so that their humans can focus on getting a home, and then reuniting with their beloved pet. Offering to be one of those would help that family. Another is to look into laws that support or restrict pet ownership for renters.
I have a friend who volunteers with an org that both spays/neuters houseless people's pets, and fosters/adopts out the animals' offspring. They've neutered hundreds of animals in the past few years and adopted out dozens of kittens!
Yep, I rent, and the landlords don't allow pets, even fish. If they did allow it, I'd gladly adopt an adult cat. So for now, I watch and support animal rescue UA-cam channels. And Vanessa too. 😊
Great points. Economic factors are a large part of why we have so many homeless pets. When pet owners fall on hard times, all the shelters are full, and everyone they know lives in a place where pets aren't allowed, they may have no good options available to them.
There are also people who want a "puppy" but immediately abandon the dog (also applies to cats or whatever pets when they become an an adult). The horrible practice of teaching children that animals are disposable toys results in children that lack the skill of taking responsibility in the bad times as well as the good.
Yes, I have to say the housing situation is a major issue. So that she would not end up in the streets, I took in a puppy from an accidental litter two months before the end of my lease and went through more than 20 "pet friendly" places. Turns out, "pet friendly" just means "cats and toy breed friendly". They all refused dogs bigger than 20 lbs. My puppy is already near 20 lbs at 5 months. Luckily, I found a nice apartment by the end. But I had to let go of many other things (like location and a lower rent) that were really important to me, and pay a pet deposit (which is illegal where I live, btw). I'm worried about what will happen if/when I'll need to find another place...It's crazy how much restrictions people are allowed to make on tenants. What difference does it make whether you have a small or big dog?
My rescue chihuahua was a dumped stud dog in El Paso. Poor guy was 7 years old, intact, and had horrible teeth. He was found wandering the streets. I spent a ton to get him all fixed up. Now he’s happy and loved ❤
Thx u so much for being such an angel for ur sweet boy. I'm sure he knows u saved him and gave him a loving home. People make me so angry and sad at the way they treat animals and discard them with not another thought. Heartbreaking and I would save every one if only I could. Wishing you wonderful days w you're little boy!! 👏👏🐕
Thank you for supporting responsible breeders. My boy's breeder is also a vet tech. I got a huge folder of paperwork, test results, DNA results, parental genetic testing, etc. I am more than happy with Ace and the breeder's policy of 24/7 "phone care" if I have questions or concerns..
Genuine question: In terms of exploiting the bodies of female dogs for money, what makes "responsible breeders" better than the others? Seems like that's an aspect you just can't get around as a breeder. I'm asling because I notice many people care about how the puppies are being treated but their mothers' well-being is often ignored.
@@90sHONEY I can only speak about the breeders that I've dealt with, but they aren't doing it for profit and even lose money. They only have a litter when they themselves want a new puppy for their showing/breed lines. The mother of one of our dogs only ever had two litters of pups. Depending on the breed, it can take years to get a new puppy, being on the wait lists for several breeders across the country.
@@90sHONEYresponsible breeders put a lot of time and money into making sure their females dogs are fully matured and in top health and body condition before they breed them, responsible breeders never breed their females on every heat cycle back to back until they are to old to breed from anymore just to churn out puppies for profit nor do they breed a female on her first heat cycle, responsible breeders make sure that after their females have had pups that a great deal of time is spent on giving her body all the necessary love and attention in replenishing all that is lost after raising her pups and that she is back in top health and condition as she was prior to having puppies. Responsible breeders don’t breed to meet demand, some breeders you might have wait a couple of years for a chance to get puppy from them as they breed for quality not quantity.
@@jenniferdixson860to piggyback on this, i follow a gal who breeds a rare kind of dog (i can't remember the breed), and she wanted to breed her best female but never found a suitable male. She decided not to breed her because she refused to produce something just for the sake of it. I remember that she did import another female that she intends to breed, but i haven't seen an update since. *She hasn't come across my fyp.
Also I want to add that responsible breeders spend most of their time STOPPING their dogs from breeding. Their instinct is to breed every heat. Aka every 6 months. And to the point of breaking through fences, crates, barriers, ect. This would be so hard on a mom dog if we allowed them to breed as their instincts demand and this is what bybs exploit.
The way he smells the air with his nose at the end is so cute!! 🐾
Thank you for standing up for responsible dog breeders. I use to breed Golden Retrievers, and did because of my love for the breed. I wanted families who didn't have $1000.00 to $1500.00 to get a stable, healthy wonderful family pet. My puppies stayed with their K9 family unit for 13 weeks, I fully vaccinated every puppy before they went to their forever home that included their rabies vaccination. I sold each puppy for $250.00 and to families that I did background checks. Everyone of my puppies lived their full lives with only one family. I may have lost 1000's of dollars, but gained so much more with updates from the families of how happy my puppies made their families and friends. I tell people that if a breeder isn't willing to keep the puppies and mother together for atleast 8 weeks, run away, and run fast. I so look forward to every video of yours.
Wow, that's an incredible price for a golden retriever! You're amazing ♡
As an extension of that tip, do some research and know ahead of time what approximate size and developments a puppy should have at the age the breeder says the puppies are, and keep that in mind when you go to meet the puppy in question. Many backyard breeders and puppy mills will lie about the puppy's age to sell them off faster to minimize resource usage and start another litter as soon as possible (While it wasn't a breeder by any extent, the person who was selling the dog who would eventually become my partner in crime for 12 years insisted he was 8 weeks old. She was trying to sell the pups off to make rent. When my mom brought him home she immediately recognized he did not have any teeth and was definitely weened way too early - couldn't have been any more than 4 weeks old. We had a lot of experience handling underage pups so we were able to recognize that immediately and care for him accordingly, but a lot of owners may not recognize that and give incorrect care based on the assumption they're the age they were told, including giving vaccines and other care regimens that shouldn't be given to a younger pup).
I wish your practice would be contagious! My mother and stepfather got a RedSetter puppy (meant for me but I didn't even know they went to look at a litter), no need for papers as he was to be a pet. He quickly got very sick, so we rang the breeder for advice. I had the presence of mind to ask for his birth date and was horrified to find out that he was all of 2 1/2 weeks old when they sold him as a bargain - obviously they were delighted to have one less puppy to rear. We managed to keep him alive and while he grew into a real beauty, his health stayed iffy, and he had absolutely no idea how to dog. As he was a first dog, we weren't much help to him in that respect, either. But the breeder was utterly irresponsible to separate a puppy at such a young age from his mom and siblings.
@@angelikalindenau943 RedSette? Assume an Irish Setter, my fave breed.. & I owned, showed several ,
At 2 half wks, pups have no teeth. only small incisors,
Should not be weaned from mom till 4-5 wks. & separated 6- 8 wks. Your pup probly got sick feom not getting proper nutrition,.. from not nursing.
This perfect example of back yard breeders, care only abt th $$$.. !!
How did you manage the exploitation of the mother dog part? Did she get long enough breaks? My issue is not necessarily the treatment of the puppies which seems to be the only thing that everyone cares about. There's always a female dog going through uncomfortable pregnancies and painful, life-threateing births over and over again. I just can't see that as very ethical or "responsible" to be honest.
I like that you mentioned that spaying/neutering early can cause health issues, but I think it's also very important to mention health issues caused by not spaying/neutering.
In female dogs, the chance of getting mammary cancer is 0.5% if spayed before 1st heat. If spayed after 1st heat, it's 8%. And if spayed after 2nd heat, it's a whopping 26%.
Also, thank you for saying that shopping responsibly is not bad and doesn't add to the problem. I rescued four cats before buying two Ragdoll kittens from a responsible breeder, and the amount of hate people get for buying pets from responsible, ethical breeders is insane.
I could not agree more. In April we found out that my unspayed cat Little had mammary cancer. Unfortunately, we caught it too late as the cancer had already spread to her chest and lungs and she was given a few months. On a happier note, as I write this, she’s still here, she’s still herself, and she’s not in any pain, and we’re enjoying the time we have left with her.
But please, everyone, spay and neuter you’re furry family members. Talk to you’re vet about the best time to do it, but do it.
That and heats can be very detrimental to cats and dogs, or anyone in the vicinity. We never spayed our dog, Jippy because we never had the money. Unfortunately everytime she goes into heat she gets urinary and yeast infections that leave her frantic, in pain, and miserable. We've tried to stop it with frequent bath and so forth but it's mostly from hormones.
Our other dog Munchy, who is male, completely stops eating, playing, or cuddling with us the entire time. Given that he doesn't eat much in the first place he looks skin and bones after her two week heats, even with us force feeding him. We have to constantly keep them apart in different rooms which is not only annoying but unfair for one of them to be locked in a room all day.
Heats completely change the personality of your pet too. I love Munchy, but I hate when he Jippy goes into heat around him. He gets so aggressive and bite-y (extremely unsafe for other pets and kids. Unfortunate given his love for them outside of it)
We also never spayed our cat Zammy for the same reason, and now that shes 14 it puts a drain on her. She has over cancer now, not in pain but we can tell she's about to go. She used to keep us all up at night for weeks on end. Cats can force themselves into heat, especially when there older and about to get menopause. She's never had kittens before thankfully, but she really wanted some. She spend three months in heat at one point, I hated it with a passion because she cried all night long, and kept marking/spraying the house.
Not just mammary cancer. Pyometra is a deadly uterine infection that’s almost guaranteed after a second heat without breeding.
Yes its great if one wishes to adopt, from shelters , rescues, ..but May be getting someone else's problem, why is it in shelter
With cats is different, cats are cats, tho are different tempered, friendly, shy, aggressive, .. depending on upbringing. With dogs are so many breeds, bred for different purposes... Especially be careful adopting adult pitbull types, unpredictable
I rather raise a puppy, kitten, right way.
I adopted a few , as kittens, from shelters, but most appeared be strays, or left behind ppl moving, probly HD some 20, in lifetime, ALL got spayed/ neutered..
My first dog got mammary cancer and I was always 100% sure that I would spay my next dog. Honestly couldn't really believe that a lot of people in my country are against spaying.
I now have a puppy and I'm not going to spay her. The benefits and risks of spaying your dog early are really complex and differ from breed to breed. Especially larger dogs (and I do have a large one) are not fully grown and developed by the time they have their first heat, and spaying them can really mess with their development. My breed is already at risk for HD, and there are some studies that show an increase for the HD risk in spayed dogs. And at least mammary cancer is fairly easy to notice and treatable (+ around 50% aren't even maligne). Depending on the breed, spaying them will increase the risk of other cancers, most of which are a lot more deadly and hard to find early as well.
So... I'm definitely not advocating against spaying. But I do think it's more of an individual decision instead of a "all dogs should be spayed."
Greetings from Norway!
Thank you for providing free educational, entertaining and heartwarming content. I have learnt SO much by watching your videos, and even though I have never owned a dog I feel more confident in how to be a responsible owner after watching your videos.❤
-50
Thank you for using your channel to promote these things! I want to add that it isn't only cats and dogs that are affected by bad breeding practices. It is ALL pets. The ease of access to some of these is horrifying, leading people to get a pet from a pet store in the spur of the moment and "breeders" using that to their advantage to make money. My heart goes out to all the pets and pet owners affected by this ❤
10000% true. As someone who is in the bird fandom and formerly worked at an exotic bird store, its very common that we would get a batch of baby parrots that would suddenly die because they were from mills and plane shipped to us while still needing to be fed by their 'mother'. So us being their 'mother' causes imprinting, which can cause terrible behavioral issues which will lead to the birds having a difficult life.
When I got my pigeon, I had to go through the same paperwork as any other pet owner did with a responsible breeder. Even the community that they and I are in, speak openly about encouraging adopting, even posting shelters that offer adopting pigeons so we will always have a choice to do the responsible thing.
My old college friend got a puppy on a spur of the moment walk by a pet store. 8 + years later that old puppy died saving my friend’s little child from a dog attack. Broke my heart but also made me rethink cute puppy purchases - not always bad.
But of course please think seriously before buying an animal when there are so many in shelters.
And big pet shops will take advantage of the relative carelessness/apathy when it comes to housing fish and rodents. It's actually downright demonic at times, pet shop workers will demand you buy a tiny tank and fill it with this and that from their store when the fish really just needs a far bigger tank.
@@Jenna_Talia reptiles don’t have it much better. They’re wonderful pets, and much easier to care for than a dog, but people buy them without doing the proper research and so many suffer. It doesn’t help that a lot of big chain pet stores give terrible advice- some don’t even mention supplements (vital to the reptile’s health). And a lot of them keep them in downright inhumane tanks while waiting to be bought. The Petco in my town has probably 10 or more baby leopard geckos in a tank I would use to house _1_ (and I would only house it in that while it’s a juvenile- too small for an adult gecko). I saw one with crusty, dried shed on it, it was in need of immediate care, and I doubt it ever got it. :/
Even PetSense, a store that (in my limited experience with them) takes good care of its animals, still gets its reptiles from a known reptile mill.
I'm so glad you mentioned the controversy of spay/neuter regarding their health and development. And that the choice to keep your dog intact isn't the issue - it's the inability/refusal to CONTAIN your dog and keep it from breeding that's the problem.
Thank you for all you do. You're amazing 💛
Awesome comment!
It's strange that it's controversial, considering that spayed/neutered dogs live 20% longer (40-70% longer for cats), according to a humane society study.
It looks like the idea that negative effects on hormone development is limited to only giant breeds of male dogs. I don't think this should be generalized to apply to all dogs.
They may live longer but its also been discovered that certain cancers, heart disease and a host of other problems have been attributed to spay and neutral of animals who are too young! One source to confirm this is a study done by UC Davis! But animal owners must be responsible and ever vigilant as Vanessa states!🇺🇸💜
So true! One of my cats was spayed by the breeder as a young kitten and I've always wondered if that's really a good practice. She's nearly 15 now, and I can't tell if it did anything negative to her. But yes, it is possible to keep your pets intact if you are careful and responsible with them.
I think she said it's controversial if you spay/neuter when they are too young.@@jennas3212
Those ears!
look like koala ears ❤, so cute 😊
Yes! Exactly!
Sooo cute! I actually love promenade mix!!🩵💙💜
He’s like a canine chinchilla 😍🥹
THOSE EARS!!! 🥰🥰🥰
Vanessa, I wanted to thank you for your distinction between responsible breeders and backyard breeders. I adopted rescue pups in the past but fell so hard for the shih tzu breed (because of prior ownership) that I knew what I wanted. Sadly, this is a high demand breed so to find them in shelters is difficult. And the shih tzu rescue organizations didn’t have any available in my area. I was blessed to find a VERY good, ethical, responsible breeder a few hours from my home, and they had your basic requirements as well as a few others before they would even take a deposit. I had the honor of first pick of the litter and I adopted two. They’re now three years old, and some of the best pups ever. I’ve had the joy of training them from ten weeks of age, and they’re now a dream for any vet, groomer or pet owner. 🥰
Excellent public service announcement. Thank you for speaking that important informational truth. And Tommy looks amazing!!!
He's so insanely fuzzy!!!
I will always be a proponent of adopting shelter animals. Two of the three cats I've adopted probably wouldn't have been adopted by someone else, since they had issues that made them "less desirable." I say they are (or were, in the case of one - RIP Colby) the best kitties I've ever had.
If you're looking to add a furry friend to your life, please check out your local shelters. The pets there can be life changers. They have nothing but love to give you, and you could be saving their life. ❤
The Humane Society in my city has a cat room, and honestly if anyone spends more than five minutes in there, they are leaving with a cat. Best room ever! And the cats are happier too!
Good taste in youtube channels and webcomic characters
Thank you for bringing attention to this issue. As a vet I am happy to talk to people about appropriate times to spay or neuter their pets, but I will continue to recommend it for all my patients until the shelters are empty.
Thank you thank you thank you! We can talk about optimizing health etc when the rescues don't have massive wait lists and animals aren't being euthanized by the millions. Thankfully it has become so much better over the past 10 years thanks to aggressive spay/neuter programs.
THANK YOU for explaining that responsible breeders are in no way the issue, I have gotten so much hate as a breeder in the past because of the "adopt, don't shop" movement. I'm all for adopting rescue/shelter dogs, I even suggest shelter doggos for those not wanting to sit on my (currently 2 year) waiting list for a doberpuppy :)
Doberman are one of my favourite breeds - I love the athleticism and intelligence that they have, and the work done by responsible breeders over the past several decades has really made their temperament more suitable for the life I lead now. I'm glad you have a long waiting list!
Thank you for continuing the bloodline in a responsible way
Don’t keep a friend waiting! I rescued my first dog in 2012. Rosie is about 14 years old now. She was in San Jose rescue. Many dogs in Seattle come from California and Texas.❤🐶 I had her DNA done through Embark & she’s 37% American Eskimo dog! She looks like a fluffy polar bear.
My parents had previously adopted a cat named Rosie. Lived to be about 25 years old. Some sturdy pets with that name. :)
An adorable and delightful little chap indeed!
I will forever die on the hill of the soap box you just shared! Responsible breeding and adoption are great ways to help homeless animals. ❤
If it wasn't for ignorant ppl. Not spaying/ neutering, there wouldn't be such a problem w/ homeless , especially cats. !!
Here in FLA no longer pick up stray cats, & are many poor things, out in th streets, homeless, in heat, rain, cold.sixk, hungry. We do have a program TNR. trap, neuter, release/ return. & is cutting down on population,. .. don't see stray dogs, are picked up if wandering , w/ no tags
Yep. Many of the responsible breeders I know are also involved in rescue. One of my breeds is the Alaskan Klee Kai, and I frequently see good breeders rescuing and rehoming puppy mill AKK, mixes, and even the occasional pomsky. So not only are these breeders never contributing to the shelter population themselves, but they're also out there cleaning up the bad breeders' messes.
Thank you for being so clear about the problem of irresponsible breeding. I have rescued most of my pets, but the one Airedale that I purchased from a wonderful responsible breeder, I could only purchase after going through a lengthy interview. That's how I knew she was breeding dogs for all the right reasons!! Thank you for all your efforts!
Once again Vanessa has expertly used her channel to inform people of something vital. As I've mentioned before, I lived with my aunt in high school and she bred Great Pyrenees as well as worked with other breeders extensively in their kennels. I spent 3 years around breeders, grooming dogs and cleaning kennels. With that background I cant emphasize enough how accurate her information is here. The one thing I would add is that if you go to a breeder and they DON'T extensively question you or make you sign the contract she described, I consider that a red flag and wouldn't trust that breeder.
That is so true. Our second Golden Retriever came from a responsible breeder. He lived to 15 years and 29 days old …unheard of in the backyard breeding world of Goldens. He had a couple of cancers caught very early and other than that zero health issues other than age related problems …and most of those didn’t start until he was 13.5.
For every pet bought another is killed at a shelter. Every year millions of perfectly adoptable cats and dogs are killed at animal shelters. Adopt don't shop!
Genuine question (I already asked someone else here but since you have first-hand insight, maybe you'll know even better): In terms of exploiting the bodies of female dogs for money, what makes "responsible breeders" better than the others? Seems like that's an aspect you just can't get around as a breeder. I'm asling because I notice many people care about how the puppies are being treated but their mothers' well-being is often ignored.
@@90sHONEYResponsible breeders make sure the mother is at least one-and-a-half to two years old before her first, give the mothers at minimum one year between litters with extra vet care in that year, and only make the mother have 2-4 litters in her lifetime and then fix her afterwards.
Another thing responsible breeders do is make sure the new owner understands the needs and problems of a specific breed. If you live in a small apartment in NYC, and you think Border Collies are adorable and want one, you will get a crash course in how much exercise your dog will need. If you love giving huge parties and you want a breed that tends to bond with just one or two people, there are going to be questions about protecting your dog from being stressed out. Good breeders want both their dogs and the new owners to be happy.
I have a rescue schnauzer/poodle from Tx named Henry and I’ve been eagerly waiting for you to work on on one of his brethren. Yay!
Glad you could see our wonderful sweet senior be groomed by her!!! Henry is a great name!!!
Tommy's expressive and sweet face could win over anyone. I wonder if he'd make a good doggy actor? He's especially handsome and expressive with the cut you gave him. And, he was such a well spoken advocate for responsible breeding and caring ownership. Bravo to you and to Tommy!
Thank you for explaining this! Both of my dogs are rescues and are clearly the result of backyard breeders trying to create their own pure bred. People ask us constantly if we would backyard breed them and it’s infuriating. They both have structural and health concerns. I would never breed either of them-luckily we’ve already had both spayed. Honestly, I’m disgusted by people trying to make a quick buck off animals.
Especially those doodle breeders, now every breed has been " doodled", & misinform , that are hypoallergenic, no such thing, .. & don't shed,, ALL breeds shed in spring, fall. In a litter xan be 10, or more, & charge outrageous prices, for mixed mutts, all can't be sold, & are given away to those know nothing about th high maintenance, & training, & and up in shelters.
What breed are they? Raising awareness on the health concerns of specific breeds can help educate people.
For instance German Shapherds with backs that curve down and back legs that are too crouched under their hind end. These dogs end up needing tendon operations while young.
Tale as old as time - humans using animals to make profit. We don't deserve animals.
@@wordzmyth it's th show breeders ,.. th Germ. Shep standard has gone too far, roaches backs, rear legs over angulated, & large breeds, get hip dysplasia
Also breeding bulldogs, wide low to groundcan hardly walk,. & breathe, & th pushed in faced, short muzzled, Pekes, pugs, Boston ter. Frenchies.. have breathing problems
I could barely take it, how cute he is when you're drying him. He looked like one of those TV weather folks, covering a hurricane. Too cute. Pumpkin pie! A seasonal scent!
Tommy is adorable!
I'd also add one other thing to responsible breeders. They are usually happy and willing to let you visit and meet their animals. It's a huge red flag imo if a bereded says no or is apprehensive.
It should only be a red flag if the breeder is unwilling to show pictures and videos of their living and working space. Theft has become a huge problem as of late. There have been puppies stolen from facilities, homes broken into. Depending on age of puppies(if there are puppies at the time) germs can also be a concern. Unless it’s pickup or someone is working with me, no one will ever know the location where I or my puppies are. It’s just too dangerous. However, they will have access to the activities, living area, working area, grooming area and play and lounging in the home. I think it’s a red flag if the breeder is not transparent in their work. I won’t ever see it as a red flag for people to not allow others in their home.
Never heard such an amazing explanation about rescuing, responsible breeding and backyard breeders. Hopefully with your large platform and the insane amount of education and support you provide, we can start to combat the huge issue of backyard breeding.💗
Oh my goodness! Tommy is so sweet. He looks like he has a permanent smile🥹 Thank you for encouraging rescue!! So many dogs and kitties are needing loving and responsible homes❤️
We have always had two dogs in our home. One from a breeder and one from a rescue/shelter. The screening process from the breeders we have worked with was always much more then the rescue/shelter process. It still surprises me.
That honest, thorough and careful screening is often the mar of a GOOD breeder.
yeah...i regret now rescuing my dog from where i did because they didn't do a good job asking questions compared to the other shelter i was waiting on. they noted he MIGHT have been exposed to parvo, and a few days after i got my tiny puppy he was fighting for his life and i had to spend 1k not knowing if he would survive. he also was either severely underweight or a full month younger than they said. he survived and is a giant fat sppiled baby now. but needless to say, i will now be patient and wait for the right dog rescue from the right shelter instead of the right dog wrong shelter.
People tell me it is easier to adopt a human baby than it is to adopt one of my doberbabies :P That is probably hyperbole, but if you dont feel you're being interrogated when buying from a breeder, they are probably not a great breeder.
@@epicdogbattleswe lost a puppy who was neutered too young by a shelter and got sick. They did such a shît job. We never went back. The rescue we got our next dog from was much better and let us spend time with the dogs before picking one.
I’m a giant dogs person so I always have one or two giant rescues, mainly Great Danes, and one dog that I buy from a reputable breeder. 😊
I had a rescue dog that was from a backyard breeder and he suffered terribly before his short life ended. He was the loveliest dog and then within 3 weeks deteriorated in the most horrifying way. His short life with us was full of love but nothing makes up for the suffering of an innocent animal. My friend who breeds dogs puts prospective owners through an exceptionally rigorous application process and he keeps in touch with "his dogs" throughout their lives to keep an eye on them and because he loves them all dearly. Thank you for speaking about this issue.
For anyone who’s wanted to breed their dog just to experience the birth and raising of puppies, I’ve got you covered! There are plenty of rescues, reputable breeders and whelping services that would love to have assistance and teach new people about the process. You’d get to learn a lot about and have fun while experiencing what it’s like to work with a momma, baby messes and the babies themselves. It’s a lot more work than you think it is. There are whelping services which are people who are at birth to assist with the process. You can always ask to shadow one or even shadow a breeder. I will be doing this later in life to get experience on whelping puppies in the future.
For the people who want their dog to have puppies because they want a copy of their dog, it doesn’t work that way. Your dog also doesn’t need to have puppies. It’s an unnecessary process that can put strain on the body and it would only be for your enjoyment.
There are pregnant animals in rescue that could definitely use a safe and loving place to have their puppies. Fostering would be a great idea if you have the ability.
This is a really helpful comment! The option of fostering is a great way for people to discover what's REALLY involved with caring for newborn animals and their pawrent, which may be an eye opener for those who just think "aw want cute puppy/kitty"? Plus it helps out the shelters, who are often struggling.
He's so sweet and adorable 🥰
THANK YOU for speaking about responsible and backyard breeders 💖
also i love Tommy’s little ears, he’s like a bear cub!
Thank you for addressing this! I remember you explaining in a past video why you choose to adopt small dogs in shelters but not large dogs. I've heard people say to adopt not shop thousands of times, but I know not every pet owner is capable of taking care of a shelter animal when so much is unknown. It's our jobs as humans to make sure our pets are being cared for to the best of our ability.
This is a situation I feel like I'm going to be in if I decide to get a pet once I've got permanent housing. If I choose a dog I want to know it's going to be one I can take care of, but the best way to do that is to go for a specific breed that's been responsibly bred for temperament and breed standard. Of course, that means I'd have to find a responsible breeder for whichever breed I choose, hope I pass their requirements, and pay the upfront cost that allows them to break even - and then I'd have a puppy which is much more high maintenance than an adult dog. Luckily I'm not making a decision on this for at least a few months but the choice between an adult shelter dog or a responsibly bred puppy will be a tough one.
@@littlebear274 The breed standard doesn't matter. Temperament, health and structural soundness is what you need, unless you're planning on getting into dog shows which is the only area where the 'breed standard' actually matters.
Thank you so much for speaking up for responsible breeders. I always feel like I have to defend my stepmom when I say she breeds basset hounds. She is one of the most responsible breeders out there, she follows all your 'responsible breeder do's." About five years back a sudden health problem sprung up in a litter, a neurological one, she took back any puppies needed, she tested all her dogs to figure out what it was. She stopped breeding for three years. What she found was lafora disease, and since she's become a huge advocate in the basset hound world for making sure people do not breed two dogs with this genetic possibility because it really is a death sentence for a dog. I only stand up for her because I know she's doing the best, she barely makes any money on her litters and breeds once or twice a year.
I will also say I love healthy wonderful purebred dogs but I own a mutt from Oklahoma and he's a great little guy. Thank you for all that you do and keep up the great work~❤
@kaichoukai After reading your post I'm a little confused. If 2 dogs are predisposed to lafora disease don't you mean that breeders should NOT breed them. Your post reads "do breed" because it's a death sentence.
@@barbaramsnyder8659 It's a common typo, especially with autocorrect. The rest of the post makes it clear what they mean
@barbaramsnyder8659 yes, it was a simple misstyping on my part
Oh my goodness he comes out so FLUFFYYYYYYY 😍
Thank you once again for such an informative video! Definitely going to keep an eye out to avoid backyard breeders when getting a pet
This little fella has no business being that adorable. This is too much ❤
Tommy is too damn cute for words. Thank you for getting the good word out! I've had nothing but rescue pets, and nothing but good experiences. ❤
My earliest and biggest dream I can remember since I was a little kid, is to have enough resources to allow every cat and dog to live a happy life.
I remember an excersise in school, writing like a business plan, and I kind of misunderstood it as a "dream business" and wrote down rules for sponsored adoptions for pets and having a safe haven for those who won't be adopted.
Therefore, I completely respect, love and understand this woman's work to use her channel for so much good!
That dog is drop dead gorgeous. What a well behaved boy, a testament to his owners. Absolutely loved him.
Aww thanks so much!❤ We are very lucky to have such a cute, sweet, and gentle senior boy! He's such a good boy for us!!!
Such a sweet, adorable little pupper! I'm happy that Tommy was rescued and has his forever home. I pray that all strays will one day be rescued and loved for the rest of their days.
He is the best boy for sure!!! He's so gentle and so good! We are so thankful every day that he came into our lives and that we are giving him the best life and home possible!❤
Thank you Tender Tommy. Also, thank the Girl for covering some difficult, heartbreaking topics. It might help in the future to remind us.
getting emotional seeing a schnauzer poodle mix, we had to put my 17yo schnoodle Gracie down last April. We had her since she was 2 months old. she had a stroke at age 13 and developed dementia along with other health issues like heart murmur and lung/skin problems that were worsening within the past year along w losing function in her back legs and control of her bodily functions. but she lived a long and happy life and went peacefully while i held her paw. its the hardest thing ive ever gone/am going thru since she had been my best friend since i was 5 years old. I've never met another schnauzer poodle in my life and i rarely see them online, so seeing this video made me smile. while Tommys coat color and type is different from Gracies, he has such a similar face and eyes as her and its comforting finally getting to see another dog that looks like her, especially from a channel ive been following for a while.
This comment about our sweet senior 😭😭😭 So glad his video and his face could help 😊 We love him so much and he's the best! Sorry about your pup.😪
Thank you so much for talking about this! My husband and I recently got an Irish setter puppy from a responsible breeder and couldn't be happier because we adore the breed and our puppy is everything we could have dreamed of. It's been strange feeling people judging us for having got her from a breeder and it's clear that they don't understand the difference between ethical breeding and backyard breeding. It's had me questioning whether we should breed dogs at all (besides for jobs), but I honestly can't imagine a world without Irish Setters. Anyway - really appreciate you educating people on this.
I left a comment a few minutes ago but did not mention the breed I had for 35 years..Irish Setters. Hope you have many joyful years with yours...my heart dog.
My opinion too, nothing like a. well bred Irish,! Most beautiful,... tho they can be hyper, when poorly byb bred, it's all in th early training. I had a show quality male, bred from long line Champions, he was raised w/ my Germ Shep. , & took on th traits of protective guard dog,.. , he was just perfect,. as he was trained early to be " stacked" ( term for posing show dogs) & shown in puppy matches, he knew when was in showring, & let strange judges " examine", as is done.
At his home was a guard dog,& couch potato, passed at age 14, abt average age.
@@jeanettelong-i6j that's wht is important to get from well known breeding kennels. My Irisman was from a long line of Chamions, from Trivelda Kennels, in Virginia, a very famous I. S Kennel. He had enough points to qualify to be in Westminster, .. he got a few best of breeds, .. IS very large entries, & hard to finish ( to make Ch) there's nothing more beautiful then a show quality Irish Setter !!
If Stitch really was a dog, he would be this sweet faced pupper! ❤
Keep spreading the word. There are 27 puppies and 32 adults in the rescue I work with. No one gets adopted until they are spayed or neutered. Puppies who are too young to be neutered before adoption can find permanent homes, but the formal adoption process isn't completed until after the neuter.
Good job, Tommy. You are too cute for words! 🐾
There was a similar rule with the pound I adopted from.
My dog was 10 months when I got her from the pound and she was scheduled to be spayed the day after, and then I'd pick her up from the vet. Unfortunately, they found out she had pneumonia so she couldn't have surgery that day. The vet kept trying to "convince" me to adopt her, I'd just have to take her home for two weeks, give her meds (which I had to pay for) and on and on. *I* kept trying to interrupt her to say "When can I come pick her up and can I get the meds when I pick her up or do I need to go to a regular pharmacy" but she just wouldn't let me get a word in. I guess she was so used to trying to talk people into continuing the adoption process when they found out their potential pet was sick that she just didn't hear me. It made me so sad, how grateful she was when I ACTUALLY SHOWED UP to pick up my dog, then GAVE HER THE MEDS she was supposed to have to make her better before SHOWING UP for her spay appt 3 weeks later. I can't even conceive of not doing those things, but I guess there are trash people out there who do.
I would like to know what is the percentage of people who break a spay/neuter contract at your shelter? The rescues I volunteered for in the past would do spay/neuter contracts, especially for kittens, due to the number of people that broke the contract.
I think cats don't have the same developmental issues that dogs can have, is that right? At least that was what I'd last heard.
@@kdrinnin1 None. We make the appointment, expect the potential adopters to show up, and we pay for the surgery. If it doesn't get done, we take the dog back...though that's a VERY rare occurrence.
I want to kiss him to death
I’ve owned four dogs in my adult life. Each one has been given to me by friend or family just before the dog ended up in a shelter. Three of them are gone now, over the figurative rainbow bridge, but they were the best pups and I loved each one dearly.
Thank you for helping promote healthy breeding and adopting when possible. ❤
Tommy is by far the cutest mutt I've seen in a very long time. Thank you for sharing his video.
Thank you for bringing light to this topic. We rescued our Australian Cattle dog 4 years ago from a shelter. She is the best dog ever, but she was dropped off at 14 months old because her previous owners had a baby. That is another issue. People get animals, and for the smallest reason, will just drop them at a shelter. There have been 20 year old cats taken to shelters. This is shameful and despicable in my eyes. When you take on responsibility of getting a pet, it is supposed to be for the rest of theirs (or your) life. Keep up the good work! Love your videos ❤
Thank you so much for advocating for responsible breeders! As someone with multiple disabilities I have very specific needs for the dog breeds I choose to keep (including prospective service dogs) that are very unlikely to work out with rescue dogs. The amount of people who vilify breeders of any sort have their hearts in the right place but end up doing more harm than good when they spread misinformation and make assumptions.
Thank you for your excellent explanation of breeders versus backyard breeders. I cringe when people lump them all together as ‘greeders’. I used to show Golden Retrievers. I had four litters of puppies over about thirty years. All our female dogs had all the possible health tests for the breed. They were bred to outstanding, show winning, health tested males. My mum slept on the couch beside the mum and pups for the first week or so to make sure mum didn’t lie on them or they didn’t get stuck in a corner of their purpose built whelping box. They were acclimatised to the noises of the vacuum cleaner and other household sounds so they weren’t nervous of them. They were fed the best of food as was their mother. My mum and I cried when they went off to their carefully vetted new homes. The new owners sent us Christmas cards for many years. So for us to be lumped together with a person who mates any male to any female with no testing, keeps mum and pups in a cage in a shed and sells them to any unsuitable person who comes along really stings. 😢
That’s one thing I want to see when I interview a breeder. Are you currently or do do you have a history of showing. There’s an entire set of ethics and responsibilities that go along with purebred showing. If you currently or previously have shown I know you’re already in the right ethical mindset.
Thank you for your education on this issue! It's something I've tried to get others close to me to understand. I have a rescue dog and I was not prepared for the issues not knowing a dog's past could bring.
I love him and he's doing much better, but it was a lot of work and not everyone has the resources for a rescue pet. And as you said, responsible breeders do exist. Thank you!
That imploring look of sincerity at the end. What a precious boy
Aww!! I'm so glad this gorgeous wee guy has a forever home ❤❤ he deserves all the love and treats and cuddles in the world.
Thank you for helping to educate people on how to responsibly breed too. It's awful to see so many dogs and cats being churned out for money, who often go on to lead painful, miserable lives and never really know what it is to be loved and cherished. Vanessa, you're doing so mich good in this world my darling. Ooh and if you (or anyond reading this) ever come across a dog or cat in Scotland who needs a home please send them my way. I'm absolutely serious, get in touch with me. I've now rescued one dog and one cat, not at the same time, and want to help any dogs and cats that I can. I seem to have a knack with older animals and can take them through the challenges that can come with old age and end of life care.
He definitely is getting all the love and treats and the best life possible in his forever home with us!!!🐶🥰
@joeypalkowski531 I'm so glad to know that, you're doing a wonderful thing my friend. Give him pets and cuddles from me please! 💙
Right Away Tommy get's major points with me because he hails from my Home State of Texas and part of his life philosophy is to try ALL Foods! Yes, as the Late Bob Barker always said "Don't forget to spay or neuter your Pet!" Thank You Vanessa for all you do! ♥🐶👏
My heart melted! I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a cuter pup.
That is awesome! Glad you enjoyed the video of our sweet senior boy! He truly is a gem and the best boy. He gets a cute compliment every time we walk him!😁
Thank you so much for the BEST explanation I've heard regarding adopting responsibly, shopping responsibly, spaying/neutering responsibly, AND responsible ownership - with cutie patootie little Tommy! ❤👏🐾❤️
Tommy is adorable and did very well while you were grooming him!💜💜💜
Tommy looks as if he was a model for Stieff stuffed animals. Looks huggable and lovable !
He's adorable! Looks like a teddy bear! Thank you for all your hard work! Your videos are fun and educational.
In my mind he looks ridiculous.....
Oh my goodness-Tommy is absolutely adorable and I love the cut that you gave him! Interesting explanation of responsible vs. irresponsible breeders. I fear that most fall into the latter category. (Most-not all)
I will still always choose to save a rescue…the need for adoption is overwhelming. So many precious dogs and cats are euthanized every day. It’s heartbreaking. 💕🙏🏻
It always hurts that I can’t save them all but at least you can change the world for that one. Both of my current rescues, one dog and one cat, have been scooped up directly off the street but I have adopted from the pound before and it breaks the heart to see souls that should just get to be their silly bouncy selves, sad or aggressive or anxious.
@@TheBaumcm I agree. Every single fur baby I’ve ever had has been a rescue. I’m like you-it’s all that I can do to stop myself from taking them all home. All they ever want is a safe place and love.😔
I can't bare the thought of homeless unloved furs, folks who abandon them on road sides, leave them in empty houses, the list goes on, I know I'm not the only one but my heart hurts at cruelty of any level, on any living thing. Tommy will be living the life in his forever home 💖👏
THANK YOU for educating people about Backyard "greeders" !!!
Thank you for explaining about the difference of responsible breeders and backyard breeding. So many people that advocates for rescuing SHAME so much other people that choose to buy a pet from a responsible breeder, that sometimes it feels like something illegal. What people don't often understand is that, when you choose to buy from someone that is responsible and care about the breed, you are choosing PREDICTABILITY, whether is a service dog, a guarding dog or a family dog, you know what to expect because you also cares about the breed and the package it comes with it.
Instead of shaming people who choose to buy, help them understand HOW can they help reduce the numbers of dogs in shelters, like Vanessa is doing.
- Nowadays, in many countries, backyard breeding is forbiden and can be reported.
- If you see puppies in petshops being sold, ask them where the dogs come from. If they are reluctant about it, search for NGOs that can help pressure them to tell who's the "supplier", usually a backyard breeder.
-If you have family and friends that buy from these places, teach them about the reality of the parents.
- Also teach people about neutering/spaying their pets.
- If you have the time and space, trhink about fostering.
- If you can't foster but can spare some bucks per month, donate to NGOs that help these animals.
But don't go telling anyone that bought a pet that THEY ARE the problem and the reason why animals are dumped in shelters. You don't know about everyone's story.
What a heart melting bit of floof Tommy is. Through the years, my one dog and 4 cats have all been rescues and have been the best companions anyone could ask for.
Oh, such a great video and an adorable mascot for the topic. Tommy is beautiful and you made him even more handsome. Thank you for all you do to help our furry family members and those not yet in their forever homes. Excellent work as always! 💗
Oh my! He was a cutie before his spa treatment - but afterward he's like an adorable teddy-bear 😊
He has the cutest little smile.
Oh my gosh, Tommy looks like a fluffy koala once he got done with his trim. What a precious doggo.
Amen Sista!!! I have worked with shelters and rescue groups from all over the country and the problem is world wide😥. We have to educate. Some are under the false impression that if you are getting pets spayed and neutered you don't love animals...quite the opposite, I have seen so much suffering because of NOT taking care of fur babies. Thank you for taking the time to explain and for being an advocate to theses amazing fur gifts!😍😻🐶🐾
There are stupid foolish owners, want their kids to " experience birth" Then what? To do w/ bunch of puppies, kittens?? Can't find homes, end up in shelters. !
I for one oppose neutering dogs (and other working animals/pets) that haven't had at least one batch of children, unnecessarily shrinking the genepool because of how widespread the procedure has become, indirectly & directly leading to a lot more health issues entering the population
@@panniguin862 ah , no. Why do u think stallions get gelded? They can be dangerous, can smell a woman on her period. Bulls get castrated. to fatten up for slaughter, a capon is castrated rooster,. all do fine, while Alive. Agressive, anxious male dogs may calm down , & as un neutered age, may develop hormonal problems, if not used for breeding
Thank you for the way you explained the difference of breeders and why there are so many animals in shelters.. if I can add one more. In the area I live, there is a severe shortage of places for people to rent, and those who do find something it's quite often a place that doesn't allow pets or only small pets, leaving many to try and find a "foster" for their pet or bring them to the shelter, some do neither and just abandon the pet, all of which are very sad scenarios.
I'm in FLA.. & thats why th feral cat problem, ppl moved left unstrilized cats behind.
Most cats I had , found their way my house, took them in , all got spayed neutered
We almost got a puppy from a backyard breeder. I'm SO glad we backed out at the last minute. I've learned so much since then, thanks to channels like yours! ❤
He was such a good boy! 🙏❤
Thanks for this one. Tommy's ears have made my day, and the information you provided is so valuable. 😊
He looks like a fluffy koala bear. Thank you for sharing him with us. 😊
You're not the only one who thinks he looks like a koala. I was going to make a comment to that effect, but you beat me to it. Great minds think alike.
You & Tommy both did a great job. He looks amazing,possibly feels better & can see so much more better. A definite handsome rescue 🐕🐶🐾🐾❣
Thank you for the excellent and much needed remarks about responsible vs. backyard breeders. You are a superb groomer, and a superb educator. And I don't even have a pet! THANK YOU for what you do!!!!
Gorgeous groom on this pup!
Those are two of the cutest ears I've ever seen. What a pumpkin.
Learning about these issues while watching you work with this adorable dog was great.
Preach!!! I have always rescued and never been disappointed. There is so much love available for adoption! The past few years, we have committed to bringing in older adult and seniors and it has truly changed our lives for the better.
I love your point about adopting and buying responsibly.
Many people sadly don’t know about ethical breeders and just impulsively advocate the “Adopt, don’t shop” term while bashing anyone who buys a puppy, even if it comes from a Kennel Club.
It’s unfair to blindly judge people without doing your homework and put yourself on a pedestal, just because you adopted.
Wish more people felt this way. In certain parts of the country if you go to a rescue you're looking at getting a 50+ pound pitbull, choice your color and sex. There aren't a lot of other dogs available. If you're wanting a small dog, or can't provide the energy outlet the inevitably adolescent terrier needs, you're shit out of luck. If you have allergies, too bad for you too. And then if you DON'T adopt that pitbull, no matter what your home is like, you're shamed and dragged and told you are the problem with homeless dogs. No, maybe it's the people churning out more pitbulls when you can't throw a stick without one chasing it already. Pits are fine, but not for my elderly grandmother looking for a quiet companion, or that house with small children, big dogs and little kids often don't mix well by sheer size difference! The grandma example isn't out of nowhere.. mine, at 85, went to look for a small companion to adopt, knowing family could take the dog in if something happened to her, and shelter after shelter ripped her a new one for refusing the wall to wall bored, high energy untrained pitbull teenagers bouncing and screaming in their cages.
...and then there's people who put themselves on a pedestal by claiming those with differing opinions 'didn't do their homework'.
Tommy is THE cutest client yet! 🐾💙 And the best advocate for rescue dogs.
I like to think he absolutely is!!! 🥰 🫶 No bias even if he is my sweet senior pup. He gets cute comments every time we walk him 😁
@@joeypalkowski531 I liked this episode because she is working on a client she's had since a puppy, the beginning. The difference it makes re behavior, etc., in consistent grooming appointments as pet parents are able and individual pet's needs. Also, he is absolutely adorable! And the boots are my personal fav 🥰
Well said. Thank you. It cannot be said enough! Love your channel!!!
Tommy is adorable, and you are an invaluable resource gateway for accessible pet care knowledge. I immensely appreciate you and all the work you put into your videos.
Thank you for all the words you said. I work in a shelter and it hurts me to speak with people that don't get it. I want to bring them back to our freezer to see what their irresponsible actions do.
Tommy is so adorable 🥰 Rescue dogs can make the best pets and they will love you for life! Old rather spay or neuter than increase the population of unwanted animals, but I see the other side too. I just want to see all these cats and dogs in healthy, happy homes. We have one dog from a very responsible breeder and one rescued from a backyard breeder, both are lovely and loved dogs.
Tommy is so cute!
My girly is a rescue and couldn't have found a better companion for myself! She was born to a stray and found in the wild along with her litter mates. Mom got neutered right away, alongside the puppies who were already 6-7 months old. Not ideal, but the stray dog population where I adopted her is out of control. Our shelters have a clause where if you can't keep the animal, you must return it. That's how I got my Zoë- she was returned by the inexperienced owners she had for 2 months and I got to have her forever ❤ wasn't easy to accommodate her to living in an apartment, but 3 years later she's my little couch potato. Love her to bits and pieces.
He's lovely. Looks like he's smiling all the time❤
Well said! Thanks for the PSA that will hopefully reach some open ears.
thank you for explaining the difference of backyard breeding and responsible breeders, i used to think those didn't exist until I met someone who showed dogs and explained everything that went into it including breeding. I hope one day we can regulate this and make breeders become certified and backyard breeders will get fined!
Thank you for showcasing a Texas rescue dog! The rescue I foster with flies animals out of TX to the northeast US and other areas that don't have the overpopulation problem we have.
The BYBers here are absolutely out of control.
BYBers means what?
@@CC-xn5xi backyard breeders
You preach it girl!! Spay and neuter or be responsible. I have become an unintentional cat sanctuary due to all of the poor unwanted animals in my area. While I love the animals, the cost is enormous, and being a single parent makes every month a struggle to afford the kid and all the cats. I won’t stop helping, but I wish others would be responsible in the first place and stop populating the world with kittens and puppies they have no intention of caring for or loving. Shame on them.
Most cats I've had for about past 20 yrs, appeared on my doorstep, took them in, had spayed neutered, .. at one time, must've been , like 8-9, not only th food, but litter, .. & tho got shots/ vaxes, flea preventative s, wormings, shampoos, ear cleaners.. from Amazon, still were expensive. Are a few ferals left outside, are too wild to take in , I feed them also..
Thank you so much for your dissertation on responsible breeding. Rescue options are great as well. It took me 3 years to find a wonderful responsible breeder. I did this because I had a dog from a backyard breeder with significant health issues. She won my heart but she cost about $10,000 over her lifetime to maintain her due to her serious health issues. 10 years. Very sad. I now have two healthy happy dogs from a remarkable breeding program. It’s not wrong to choose that option. So thank you for mentioning the hand in hand with rescue.
Handsome and very sweet little guy ! 💙🐾💙🐾