There was a programme a couple of years ago \u2018Pedigree Dogs Exposed\u2019 which looked at lots of the things that can be bad in pedigree dog breeding. Lots of people were outraged at what they saw and you\u2019d like to think it had made a difference. I\u2019m not talking about the dog breeding side of it, I\u2019m talking about people\u2019s expectations.<\/p>\n
There are some very good breeders of pedigree dogs. Our breed in this country and across most of Europe and America is looked after to the highest standards to ensure our health and welfare and make sure that we are happy dogs who are well socialised. However, we still have a lot of people who when told they will have a long wait for a puppy say it is \u2018crazy\u2019 and start looking for short cuts. Of course there are possible short cuts, but they are exactly the bad breeding practices that the general public is so quick to want to complain about. They can\u2019t have it both ways. Since our breed was first recognised about 100 years ago, there have only been about 25,000 of us altogether\u2026 ever. Compare that with Labradors of which there are about 200,000 puppies registered in this country alone every year.<\/p>\n
When you start to think about it, it is no surprise that finding a good puppy takes time. A breeding dog is only allowed to have four litters under the Kennel Club\u2019s rules, to protect the health of the dog, but that means there is a limit to the number of puppies they can produce. Our Mistress is doing everything she can to find puppies from other countries to come to the UK, but there are not many of us breeding anywhere. It is frustrating that people always want a puppy immediately and that they don\u2019t take more time to think of all the important considerations. We really are doing our best, but you have to remember that we are very special and we are not a production line!<\/p>\n
Alfie\u2019s Diary \u2013 the Book is available at Amazon UK –https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/dp\/B00583ZGSA<\/a><\/p>\n You can find short stories to read at www.alfiedog.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"