Happening upon this page and seeing the list of names made me miss them.

And that, of course, is why some people support it, and decry all attempts at making it more rational.

Some examples of the things I’ve heard objected to include that the qualifying number of dogs is set at the number of dogs on your property over a year - not the number of dogs housed there regularly - at 25 dogs over the course of the whole year.

The regulations needed to protect commercially bred dogs in mass kennels do NOT apply well to small hobby kennels. A small hobby kennel may have 25 dogs over the course of year, when you add up rescues, residents, and puppies - but at the same time it may NEVER having more than 10-15 dogs in residence at any one time.

Does it make sense to you to apply the rules for 1000 dogs, breeding thousands of puppies, to a person with 10 who breeds one or at most two litters per year? It sure doesn’t to me, and the biggest screaming I’ve heard is that the rules for big commercial breeders are a poor fit for hobby breeders and hunters.

Instead of watering down the commercial standards to accommodate hobby breeders, why not draw the dividing line in a more sensible way?

As far as specific requirements, if you cross that dividing line, the requirement I heard the most objections to was to separate male and female dogs, even if not in heat, even if one was spayed or neutered. What on earth is the point of that, other than to deprive our dogs of company and socialization? A similar, and equally stupid, law just passed in a county in NM.

I also heard a ton of objections to the rule that you must exercise your dog daily “in accordance with regulations.”

Being out in the yard not only does not count, it’s forbidden if the dog could get wet or muddy - it has to be on a waterproof surface. Hunting a hunting dog does not count. Working a working dog does not count.

I would love to see a rule that commercially bred dogs were let loose in a yard daily to run, but apparently that doesn’t count. You have to have a waterproof, mud-proof, weatherproof area. Setting up a large cement yard probably makes sense for commercial breeders. It doesn’t make sense to concrete up your back yard when you are not a commercial breeder and if your dogs get wet, you take them inside and DRY THEM.

There are more examples, but these are the most annoying I can recall offhand. Wouldn’t it be better to make the regulations reflect the reality just a teeny bit?

Can’t you understand how non-mill breeders might object to having to isolate their (not in estrus) dogs into gender groups and having to concrete in their back yards for no good purpose?

Those of us who have been deeply involved in dogs can easily forget how easy it is for us to “find the connections” and “locate information” and so on. For folks just getting started, it can be a daunting task.

So I know you disagree with me, and that’s not likely to change. But I happen to believe that a dog show is a great resource for people who are really at a loss as to how to get started. (And “show breeders” are ALWAYS looking for good “pet” homes. Any show breeder who thinks that every dog out of every litter they produce is always going to be a “show dog” is deluding themselves.)

More recently, the Labrador Retrievers and Rottweilers I saw in the show ring were seriously overweight and unfit.

I know what fit and structurally sound German Shepherd Dogs, Labrador Retrievers, and Rottweilers look like, because I work with them on a regular basis in SAR.

These are popular breeds, and breeds that I happen to like. I cannot recommend a dog show for people to learn about them.

Even if they are NOT looking for a “show dog”.

If you want a show dog then by all means go looking for contacts at dog shows.

If you want a performance dog then by all means go looking for contacts at performance events.

If you want a working dog then by all means get one from working stock.

As I said: “In general, your odds of obtaining what you want are highest if the breeder is selecting for the traits that you want as his or her HIGHEST priority.”

So it depends very much on what a person wants in a dog. Not everyone has the same goals. Not all pet dog buyers want the same thing. I’m not going to recommend any “one stop shopping” location for everyone’s pet dog needs, if that’s what you are aiming for.

To those who have no background or connections into the dog world but who want a purebred dog, I suggest that they develop them. Ask trusted contacts for references. Contact breeders. Join breed email lists. Ask questions about the breed. Get educated. Make a commitment.

You don’t want someone looking for a pet to go to dog shows. You don’t advise they go to performance events. You warn them against looking at working stock.

Just where - then - are you advising someone who wants a purebred and who has no background or “connections” in the dog world to start their search?