The Dog Whisperer - Inside Puppy Mills

I just finished watching the Cesar Millan Dog Whisperer episode on Puppy Mills. I would like to compliment Cesar and his staff on putting together a very important and well balanced episode.

Over the past week I've been reading a fair bit of dialogue regarding this topic on various trainer lists. Many conscientious breeders are understandably concerned that bad press can hurt their business. This episode had an interview with a legitimate breeder (briefly), and many important points were made. If you want a dog with a pedigree, do some legwork! Visit any potential breeder and meet the parents of the pups, check out the environment, and interview the owner(s). Any person breeding dogs that sincerely cares about the breed will be as interested in learning about you as you should be in learning about them. Good breeders want good families for their pups.

This episode also did a nice job of pointing out the many behavioral and medical problems that can arise from puppy mill environments. But as mentioned, you can't feel sorry for dogs with problems if you expect to help them. Dog's don't feel sorry for themselves, so human regret is wasted and counterproductive energy. If you have a dog with issues, you have a dog with issues. Get over it and help the dog...

Finally, puppy mills are a problem across this country and certainly contribute to the large numbers of animals that are euthanized annually. If you want a dog of pedigree, find a reputable breeder or rescue group that deals with that breed. Otherwise, consider adopting from your local shelter - they have wonderful dogs needing homes today.