Lauren, the small-scale, responsible breeders aren’t “professionals”; they are people with an expensive hobby. Just ask the IRS.:) The word you’re looking for is ethical. “Professional” in this context is normally used to describe people who are making a living at it—and while responsible breeding can be made to sort of pay for itself, if you’re careful, it doesn’t support anyone on its proceeds.

The “designer breeds” are not hybrids. They’re ordinary mixed breeds. Ethical, responsible breeding of mixes is certtainly possible, but rarely to be found upon this earth. Genuine hybrid dogs—dog/wolf mixes, for instance—are a really bad idea, and no, responsible breeding of them is not possible.

Four months is not horrifically early, for a small-breed dog who is intended as a family companion. It’s too young to speuter large breed dogs; it’s too young to speuter a dog who will/may compete in agility, schutzhund, disc dog; it’s under the minimum age for deciding if a dog is suitable for showing, service dog training, police dog training, or for a working farm dog. And if they do mature to be suitable for those things, you want to be able to breed them—or you don’t have your next generation.

In short, four months is not too young for a loving owner to make that choice for a family pet with no job except to be loved. It’s not too young for shelter dogs to be speutered before they go out the door, so that they can’t contribute to another generation of pups who will be at high risk of becoming shelter inmates themselves. It’s far too young for big breed who reach their full growth late, and too young for any dog who will be a real working dog at almost anything.

In this case, however, the term “professional” implies one who is making one’s living from the activity, and I can assure you that it is difficult if not impossible to make a living from the breeding of dogs unless you are cutting corners and treating dogs as livestock en-masse instead of the cherished individuals they deserve to be.

So remember - when you see the term “professional” used in connection with “dog breeder”, it describes someone who makes their living off of the backs of dogs. And no dog deserves that.

There is tons of research on the dangers to dogs when neutering or spaying too early.
Here is a great article, please read it and help educate your friends. Maybe we can hope for a repeal of this ridiculous decision.

So is the city going to reimburse us for vet bills when our dogs get cancer or have hip or knee problems. I think not.
I am so disgusted.

The human control freaks who signed on to this vile and malicious law ought to be sterilized at the same time as the animals in order to eliminate our distress over future breeding of this kind of brain.

Comment by Nadine L. — February 26, 2008 @ 5:44 pm

Actually Nadine, what they are trying to put through is Physician Assisted Suicide, to get rid of people before they cost our medical system too much money. All under the guise of “compassion.”

http://www.prisonersofgreed.org/Broker.html

“It’s the “eliminate the competition” act for puppymillers. Hunte Corporation must LOVE mandatory sterilization laws.”

Million dollar soundbites, kids.