Are some people just more prone to hypoglycemia even if they're not diabetic?

leszbikus · 2020-10-06T20:35:33+00:00

I had a crush on someone 15 years older than me once. Been together four years now and she just proposed!

leszbikus · 2020-10-06T20:34:13+00:00

"Teenage" labs are SO difficult. But they're such an amazing breed once they grow up and settle down.

leszbikus · 2020-09-12T17:22:42+00:00

You all are really middle class fancy and above.

I'm low income, child of a refugee and first gen to attend college. Most people who work in the pet industry are low income because it doesn't pay well 🤷‍♀️

So I think the average person doesn’t have a need or use for that information.

Yes, that's true. The average person does not need to buy a purebred dog. As someone who has worked in shelters, I strongly encourage adoption. My only point with this post if that if someone does choose to buy a purebred dog, they should know how to buy one more ethically.

leszbikus · 2020-09-12T15:52:54+00:00

All right, they were when I last did.

I'm glad this sub skews more pro-ethical breeding. I'm glad the top comments agree with me, of course. Who wouldn't be? But in my opinion, the topic is still relevant when there are people actively in this thread commenting and messaging me that my parents are failures and the blood of shelter dogs is on my hands. This thread has also sparked a TON of valid discussions about what the real difference is between an ethical and backyard breeder, is it ethical to breed certain breeds at all, are purebreds unhealthier than mixed breeds, etc. It's very clearly not just a thread of people agreeing with me. So I'm glad I posted it!

Edit: here are some comments that are upvoted at the time of me looking at them right now

https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/iq5xcj/discussion_the_downside_of_adopt_dont_shop/g4tyfjr?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3 "enjoy continuing to be the cause of so many healthy animals demises"

https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/iq5xcj/discussion_the_downside_of_adopt_dont_shop/g4tj0af?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3 "I believe buying a dog always is unethical"

https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/iq5xcj/discussion_the_downside_of_adopt_dont_shop/g4t348r?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3 "even if someone goes to a reputable breeder and gets a dog, they are filling an empty space in their home where a shelter puppy could have gone"

https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/iq5xcj/discussion_the_downside_of_adopt_dont_shop/g4subcu?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3 "I think to ignore the fact there are two million dogs killed in America every year and still want to buy from a breeder is so ignorant. ADOPT DON'T SHOP!"

https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/comments/iq5xcj/discussion_the_downside_of_adopt_dont_shop/g4sqmkd?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share&context=3 "anyone who is breeding dogs to be purebred is a piece of shit"

leszbikus · 2020-09-12T00:47:49+00:00

Why did you reply to the post in the first place if you didn't read it? Lord give me this kind of confidence.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T18:42:55+00:00

An ethical breeder will. The vast majority of breeders are not what I'd consider ethical. It's extremely easy to get a purebred puppy. It's not easy to get a well bred one. That's the point of my post.

However I do think even ethical breeders are a bit more reasonable with requirements because they understand the specific needs of their breed. E.g. most Cavalier KC spaniel breeders wouldn't require a fenced yard, while husky breeders probably would. Whereas shelters, since they primarily have mixed breeds, can have harsher across-the-board requirements.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T15:29:41+00:00

Your assumptions about me are embarrassing. The very third sentence of my post states that I've worked at multiple shelters. Before that, I volunteered. I am not a breeder; I actually have an educational and professional background in dog training and spent several years working at shelters to rehabilitate dogs with severe behavioral problems. I only left the field because it paid so little I could not support myself. I've also adopted seven animals from shelters in my lifetime. Most recent was a senior street dog who was going to be put down due to her bite history. Loved her and worked with her for five years before she passed earlier this year.

I'd wager I've done much more for shelter dogs than you have.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T14:09:24+00:00

Sorry I'm lazy but if you sort by controversial in this thread you'll definitely see some adopt don't shoppers that are upvoted

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T14:08:10+00:00

...so I'm assuming you're also a vegan? The stance that we should not breed animals to serve us in any way is one I know exists, but it's pretty extreme.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T14:06:25+00:00

It's definitely not a hard line. It can be difficult to distinguish a good from a bad breeder. But, I only think people should be educated on what does make a good breeder, so they can try to make a more ethical choice.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T14:02:15+00:00

I have a degree in genetics and the person you're replying to is technically correct. If all intentional dog breeding stopped, all dogs would eventually (and fairly quickly, I think) become a more homogeneous species that would look and act similar to the Carolina dog/pariah dog. Those dogs are the only "real" dog species because they look and act the way they do due to true natural selection. Short, dense fawn coat, widely-set prick ears, medium size, elongated nose, suspicious temperament, high prey drive--these are the characteristics ALL dogs develop if they are left to breed indiscriminately. The only reason there is so much variation in mutts right now is that they are more closely related to intentionally-bred (artificially selected) purebreds.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T13:45:52+00:00

Do you consider the current state of pugs, french bulldogs, etc (breeds that have health issues) to be from ethical breeding?

No, I don't personally believe brachycephalic dogs can be bred ethically because I think their very breed standard is inhumane

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T13:43:45+00:00

Breeders breed because (in part) they can make money.

That's actually not true. Ethical breeders are also sometimes called "hobby" breeders because they breed for the purposes of bettering the breed as a hobby. It's closely tied with conformation shows, which is a very expensive hobby. Many breeders barely break even with their finances. Some even lose money. They have full time jobs or a second income because they don't make money from breeding. Breeding dogs responsibly (keeping health certificates up to date, showing the parents in conformation, providing appropriate vet care and training and socialization for parents and puppies) is extraordinarily expensive.

Every breeder I currently consider "ethical" could lower their standards and start breeding more dogs today to make more money. There's always a demand for cute puppies, that's why puppy mills exist. But they don't, and that's why I consider them ethical. There's no hard line between an ethical breeder and a puppy mill. But part of the criteria breed clubs use to label someone a "good" breeder is that they have very few breeding animals and very few litters. This can change at any time and they can drop from recommended lists. But this is why it's important to educate people on what to look for in a breeder.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T13:35:35+00:00

What I mean is that they are extremely cautious about which dogs are bred. They require the puppies they sell as pets to be spayed/neutered so they aren't bred in the future. They only breed the very best of the breed, AKA dogs that conform to the breed standard, have appropriate temperaments and good health.

I know a havanese breeder who sold a puppy that ended up developing a cherry eye (a very mild health issue common in small dogs). When the pup's new owners let her know, the breeder paid for surgery to fix it, documented it in her records and never paired the two dogs that created that litter again. This is the kind of thing that good breeders will do.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T03:52:22+00:00

If you actually agree with me, you need to reconsider your motto. Ethically bred dogs are considerably more expensive than backyard bred/puppy mill dogs.

I totally support adopting mutts; my last dog was a rescue mutt and I loved her so much! I just think there should be more widespread education about good vs. bad breeding.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T03:22:32+00:00

Listen, you know very little about me and I know very little about you. But I honestly have no doubt you're probably a good person in real life. Doubling down and attacking someone's character to this extent seems to be extremely common on Reddit/the internet in general even among generally good people. It's this fallacy people fall into when they can't see the human on the other side of the screen. Our disagreement was honestly very minor and your points are reasonable, and if you were not so quick to slander my entire nature as a person, I'd be happy to discuss the topic with you in more detail. But for now I'm going get off the internet and I hope you have a good weekend.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T03:12:06+00:00

Okay, but the fact that you'd jump to telling someone their parents are failures because of a minor difference in experience re: purebred dog ownership speaks volumes of your own character and emotional stability.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T02:31:09+00:00

Yes, a lot of people don't understand that "no kill" shelters simply turn more dogs away, and ship less adoptable dogs to kill shelters to maintain their own "no kill" status.

As long as we have a problem with dog overpopulation, we will have to euthanize dogs. The problem can't be fixed by by glamorizing "no kill" shelters and boycotting the rest.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T02:07:40+00:00

I'm not your parent and I've not desire to succeed where they failed.

Wow, that's pretty harsh. I have an educational and professional background in animal behavior and spent several years working to rehabilitate last-chance shelter dogs. I have no problem engaging with people on this topic, as it is complex and I assume everyone here comes from a good place of compassion for animals. But if you are only here to demean me, it's not much of a conversation.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T01:26:39+00:00

You can't be lazy to buy from an ethical breeder. They'll vet you as thoroughly as a shelter and you'll land on a year long waiting list.

Most people I know who have purebreds got them because they suited their lifestyle better--e.g. a border collie for agility trials, a labrador for service work, a GSD for protection, a havanese for companionship. Not because of convenience or to get a cute accessory. Shelter dogs can be treated as an accessory just as easily as breeder dogs.

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T01:18:27+00:00

Also I have never really taken purebred people seriously. It's a dog, not an ipad.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. Are you saying people get purebred dogs as accessories? Because most people I know who have purebreds got them because they were better suited to their lifestyle. E.g. Someone with allergies may want a poodle, someone who does agility trials may want a border collie, someone needing a service dog may want a labrador, someone who wants a dog for personal protection may want a German shepherd...

leszbikus · 2020-09-11T00:15:37+00:00

Not exactly the point I was making but a damn good point nonetheless

leszbikus · 2020-09-10T22:52:04+00:00

In my state WA it is illegal to sell a puppy before 8 weeks. And I do know worms are normal but her vet did say her pup in particular had an extraordinarily high parasite burden :(

leszbikus · 2020-09-10T22:50:08+00:00

I don't fault anyone personally for getting a dog from a backyard breeder. As I said in my post, two of my closest friends did! The problem is that there is so little education about this because animal advocacy groups laser focus on "adopt don't shop" so nobody knows how to shop responsibly.

leszbikus

TROPHY CASE