Kennel
Masque
d’Ébène

Tips for recognizing a good breeder

Ethical breeders become passionate about it and make very little profit, sometimes not even at all. His only goal is to improve the breed, no matter the price and the effort. A breeder who, for example, tells you that he breeds "Show Dogs" or "Champion Lineage" and has not presented his breeding stocks in Conformation is not serious.

A serious breeder will never have more than two breeds at a time. Years are needed to really know a breed, its genetics, its standards, its abilities and weaknesses.

As improving his breed and the prosperity of his puppies is his major concern, a correct breeder will not show up in the classifieds; he will prefer to choose the families where his dogs will go, rather than advertising them as merchandise.

A guarantee in concrete, the requirement to meet you and evaluate you as a future guide for his dogs will be part of his standards. The sales contract will be provided with a non-reproduction clause or a sterilization clause (unless severe special agreements). In addition, be aware that a health certificate is not just a booklet of vaccines and a general veterinary examination. Several tests must be done (hips, eyes, heart, etc.) conscientiously before breeding dogs.

Registering a purebred dog at the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) costs about $ 37? A conscientious and recognized breeder will do it right away, to ensure the quality of his puppies and his reputation. Are you told that the dog is purebred but not registered? Or worse, that it can be “registered”? This is a sign that you are not dealing with a serious breeder.

Tips for recognizing a good shelter

An ethical shelter will ask you to complete a questionnaire or an adoption form, in order to evaluate the family in which it will decide to place a dog.

A non-profit shelter will not put a dog with aggression problems into adoption. Each dog will be vaccinated, examined, treated and sterilized BEFORE being “adoptable”.

A good shelter will guide you in your choice. If you have preferences for a particular dog and your lifestyle does not seem appropriate, they will prefer to redirect you to other dogs rather than risk another abandonment.

A shelter that offers breeding services with its dogs, or that breeds them to sell you puppies, is not serious. A shelter is working hard to save lives and raise awareness of canine overpopulation: doing so is blatant proof of nonsense.

Some shelters also run host family programs, which can allow you to enjoy the company of an animal while helping the cause. This allows you, among other things, to see how you adapt to life with a dog, to set your preferences for the types of dog that would suit you, etc. You can certainly find a puppy, a young dog or even an older dog; these have the advantage of having seen others, of being calmer and of making wonderful life companions.

Puppy mills

When you buy a puppy in a pet shop, a so-called "family breeder", a flea market, a kennel or a pound, you encourage a cruel trade! Do you really want to be associated to this trade?

Thousands of breeders “specialize” in the mass production of dogs: anyone can start breeding puppies. We find these farms in a shed, a garage, an indoor or outdoor shed, a basement house, a courtyard, etc. These breeders acquire several dogs of different breeds and mate them as often as possible. Others stick to a single breed, but with unregistered dogs, without health tests playing the amateurs and believing that the term “family breeder” is enough to attract customers. These people often do not know anything about them in spite of their beautiful speech: making money is their only goal. Whether individuals or stores, where do you think dogs ultimately come from? And where do you think the majority will be in a short time? It's not because the places seem to you to be clean, because their website is very pretty or their speech is full of honey that these people are concerned about dogs: they simply have good business sense.

People who imagine they are saving a small dog by buying it from an improvised breeder, another who calls himself a “family breeder” or in a pet shop, only perpetuate a cruel trade. Each puppy sold is immediately replaced by another. You do not save any animals… The majority of the puppies bought in these places suffer or will suffer from: congenital problems, respiratory, renal insufficiency, hips dysplasia, diarrhea, deafness and many problems of behaviour… The salesman at the pet shop seems to know his business? Think again, no special knowledge is needed to operate such a business or to work there.

If you want to adopt a dog, go to a recognized breeder, serious, reliable and concerned, who does not breed more than 2 breeds, does not breed his bitches more than once a year (ideal is 2 years), never let them go before the age of eight weeks, socialize them and have them treated when they need them. These puppies cost a little more? Not really, especially if you compare with the care you have to give to a puppy of doubtful provenance!

You would also be surprised at the number of puppies or wonderful dogs that can be found in a non-profit shelter. (Warning: a pound is NOT a refuge but a trade!) In addition, these good shelters will take the time to properly select potential families, vaccinate, de-worm, sterilize and assess briefly the behaviour of each animal, in order to recommend the one that suits you best.

So please, before succumbing to the beautiful little face with pleading look at the mall store, think about the consequences of such a purchase.
So, you will REALLY save a dog's life.

The breeds banishment

Some breeds, like the pitbull, are increasingly banned in our communities. Yet, many dog owners still live with these breeds of dogs, and this, in the utmost tranquility and harmony. It is not in all municipalities, provinces or countries that these breeds are banned, despite all the publicity in the media, surrounding these "wicked dogs". "Why do we then keep these dog breeds," will you say? Why not ban them everywhere?

Simply because to banish a breed is of absolutely no use, especially since it can not be said that all the subjects of a breed are dangerous. This is false especially when we know that the dog acts according to the education he has received, or rather, that he has not received.

The prohibition of a breed is ineffective for the following reasons:

• A ban on a breed is expensive for a city and of course inefficient.
  To see the costs generated by such a law.
• The ban on a breed is disputed by canine experts, animal experts, humanitarian societies, veterinary associations. In fact, of all those who have knowledge of dogs and their behavior.
• The prohibition of a breed makes criminals of people, quite innocent.
• The ban does not protect the public from dog bites.
• The ban does nothing to increase the severity of the penalties given to irresponsible owners, of any breed of dog. In a list of dog bites enumerated in Québec, the breed that bites most frequently is… Shi-Tsu! Large dogs or molosses, by the way, start in 7th place, starting with the Golden Retriever!)

According to statistics, some dog breeds are more likely to commit brutal attacks. Some European countries have already banned or prohibited the import and breeding of dog breeds deemed dangerous. A handful of Canadian and Québec municipalities did the same, often following a serious incident.

Leaders should be aware that banning certain breeds may encourage people wanting an aggressive dog to look for other dog breeds and train them to become vicious. Not to mention the few people who like to challenge authority, to feel “apart” and powerful, who are stimulated by the acquisition of such a supposedly aggressive, powerful and illegal dog! The ban on certain breeds is therefore not a solution.

A good solution should include the adoption of effective measures to control animals, reputable breeders, responsible owners, public awareness, and appropriate legislation and enforcement.

The Québec Veterinary Medecine Academy (A.M.V.Q.) is against the prohibition of dog breeds. She wishes to point out that there are significant differences between the by-laws of certain municipalities such as Beauport, Chertsey, Lachine, L'Annonciation, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu and Sainte-Foy, Sherbrooke, which prohibit certain breeds of dogs on their territory, while others such as Québec or Saint-Hyacinthe, who advocate a preventive approach to dogs deemed dangerous, without targeting specific breeds.

For his part, A.M.V.Q. considers that the prohibition of a specific breed such as Pitbull would not have any beneficial effect, since experience shows that in the medium term, the small minority of pet owners seeking to acquire or train a dog for attack, combat or its aggressive potential, will necessarily set their sights on other breeds of dogs.

In addition, the regulation totally prohibiting a breed deemed dangerous is a draconian measure that unduly penalizes owners of dogs that are not dangerous, even if they belong to this breed. Indeed, it has been repeatedly shown that it is the attitude and lack of control exercised by the owner, which are largely related to the danger of an animal, either by training, by the lack of training or by negligence.

In short, the problem lies more in the owner and his responsibilities than in the animal breeditself.

Any breed of dog can be trained to attack or learn to become wicked with the aid of the human or even without any supervision of the human. You will tell me that a rabid poodle, however, is less afraid than a Pitbull? Maybe, but if you saw pictures of children disfigured by poodles every week at the news, would not you feel a little less comfortable in the presence of a little curly?

Of course, do not think that all dogs are cute doggies. Each breed has its specifications, its genetic code and some dogs are not for anyone. This is why, instead of blindly banishing a breed, we should require better legislation, greater prevention and most importantly, responsible owners.