sandgrubber

Disregard of health in DDd is bad, but intentionally breeding for traits that are antithetical to health ...as in the bulldogs shown in the OP video...is worse. And the genetic diseases that plague some genetically undiverse breeds are tragic, and relatively uncommon where gene pool aren't restricted, and haven't been further narrowed by historical events and/or the popular sire syndrome.

Btw, it's misleading to call it a purebred crisis. Some breeds have not been bred for extreme traits remain quite healthy.

Beg to differ. Breeding FOR unhealthy traits, such as very very short muzzles or excessive coat length and thickness, is rare outside purebred circles. Also, bottlenecks that have resulted in low genetic diversity, eg in the Doberman or flatcoat retriever, only happens with purebreds.

Guarantee, no. Improve the odds, most certainly. Not smoking doesn't guarantee you will be cancer free, either. The one advantage I could see to a non-pedigree Dobe, is perhaps it is a cross breed, and thus less subject to the serious lack of genetic diversity in Doberman populations. https://www.vgl.ucdavis.edu/services/dog/GeneticDiversityInDoberman.php and thus less susceptible to the breed's health problems. Note in looking for a breeder, particularly with Dobes, steer clear of anyone that practices line breeding.

I disagree. Looks and temperament, maybe, but NOT health. Dobies health problems are most likely to set in at 5+ years. It's important to know what if any testing has been done, and to know the health history of the sire, dam and any other close relatives.

Dobies are lovely dogs, but there are some serious health problems in the breed. If I remember correctly, life expectancy is 8 yrs or so, heart problems are common, as is cancer. https://jalostus.kennelliitto.fi/frmTerveystilastot.aspx?R=143&Lang=en gives 7 yr 3 mo. Apart from the question of 'ok with kids' I think $900 is high for a 3 yr old without pedigree, and presumably from parents who were not health tested.

Pet health is full of cons. I think it's more productive to try to avoid arthritis by looking for lines that are healthy in old age, and have been tested for hip/elbow problems for a few generations. It's worth paying a bit more for a pup who is likely to avoid this problem. Sorry, this doesn't help much with your present problem. I'd say, talk to your vet to work out what is best.

Commemorate https://www.facebook.com/wilhelm.chang.5/posts/10156092974173249

Chinese New Year begins.

I suspect salmonella is a greater risk than APN... especially for young pups and dogs with immunity problems... especially if the source is a little iffy, or whiffy.

What a sad and awful story. So sorry. You might have a legal stance IF you can document that the breeder in question does not test sire and dam for hip problems or uses breeding dogs with bad scores and has sold other pups who developed HD. If the breeder is doing recommend health tests, I think you should cross it off as bad luck. I hope you have contacted the breeder. If they are working to produce healthy dogs they need to know when things go wrong.

I think you might get better results from a local Facebook group... very likely there's a family nearby who wouldn't mind looking after an extra dog. The trick is to find them.

Much better to have an idiot neighbor who accept the blame than one who takes a stand against your dog. Glad it worked out.

Bargain like that and you're going to find it hard to find anyone who will sell you a pup...or, else, you're going to end up buying from people who are less honest about faults. Eg, you'll end up with a healthy puppy that turns into a dog with epilepsy, allergies, or some other malady that doesn't manifest until later in life. Virtually all dogs have, so to speak, a few scratches in their paint

Not a good situation. Is your neighbor upset or filing charges? Or is he understanding? Assuming the vet find no treatable cause, seems to me you should be thinking of ways to keep Kyojin out of situations where he could bite. Muzzle? If it's just old age, it won't be getting better.

JetPets shipped two Labbies from Perth to SFO for me. I was pleased with the service.

Also be aware that 12 mo is still juvenile. Aggression may develop later. Shar pei get a mixed review with respect to getting along with other dogs. I would avoid getting another male, and as in previous posts, watch his reaction to other dogs. I think you have the best chance with breeds that are typically friendly and non-territorial: eg, gun dogs, hounds. Another question you need to ask is puppy vs mature dog. Has he ever been around a puppy? If so, is he gentle/protective?

In my experience, Lab breeders are a decent lot. Breeding Labradors is a lousy way to make money, thought breeders do commonly try to recover their costs. It is quite acceptable to ask for documentation of genetic tests, hip and elbow scores and pedigrees...so you can avoid lies about the big stuff. Not clear what sort of price you objected to, or what sort of lies you're talking about.

I noted the data we're from 2015. The ASPCA source you use notes that good data are lacking and their figures are estimates. As the numbers are being used for fund raising, you might expect them to make it look like rescues are making great progress. As for pitties...pit bull enthusiasts often don't make sense, but lament of the preponderance of Pitties in the euthanasia column is widespread. I don't endorse the blog. Try another source with a different take http://saveabullmn.org/pit-bulls-and-euthanasia-rates/

PR is in the USA. There is already massive transfer of dogs from dog surplus regions to dog deficit regions. I said a large fraction... here are some numbers. "Each year, 1.2 million dogs are euthanized, approximately 40% of whom are Pit Bulls. This means that nearly half a million Pit Bull-type dogs are killed in shelters annually. Of all the common dog types to appear in shelters, Pit Bulls are by far the most likely to be euthanized, while they’re only the third most likely to be adopted. " 2015 US data. From https://barkpost.com/pit-bulls-shelters-question/ euthanasia rates have not dropped as fast for pitties as for other types because not many people want them...they are not the dogs that get cherry picked from high-kill shelters. As to where they come from: Pitties are very common in some places Mostly the South, some Western States). Spay rates are low. They tend to have large litters. Where I lived in Florida, Craigslist (US equivalent of Gumtree) is loaded with people asking $100 for pit pups.

It's not that simple. A large fraction of the rescues PTS in the USA are pit bull types no one wants... often for good reason. The PR dogs are pets from families in extreme distress. Imagine Ash Wednesday Fires. Multiply by five and add a thoroughly dysfunctional government. That's what it's like in PR. I have no enthusiasm for importing dogs for rehoming. Puerto Rico is a US territory and has gotten shabby treatment after an extreme hurricane. People are giving up family pets because they are barely able to care for themselves.

A plane fills with pets devastated by Puerto Rico’s hurricane. Sad and funny all at once. http://wapo.st/2DwRlBP

I've taken the ultimate snake cure: I've moved to New Zealand. I still have that residual gut fear reaction every time I see a snakie-looking branch or bit of hose in the grass.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/100717505/dog-who-sunk-teeth-into-schoolgirls-arm-spared-death

Why do dogs eat poop? New research suggests an ancient answer. http://wapo.st/2mMICA4