You can still love a small dog without owning one. (Photo courtesy of solar ikon at Flickr.com)

We usually walk our small dogs, Royce and Kelsey, two times per day. The first walk is a long, fast-paced walk for exercise. The second walk, usually after dark, is shorter and at a more relaxed pace. Just before we depart for the second walk, we say to our dogs “Let’s go see ‘Mr. Cookie.’” Mr. Cookie is a friendly and warm-hearted retiree who hangs out in the evening in front of his house. If it is dark, you can sometimes spot the glow of his pipe before you see him standing on his driveway. He keeps a large box of dog treats in his garage. As the nightly parade of dogs passes, he dispenses cookies, belly rubs, and good humor. Although Mr. Cookie loves all the neighborhood dogs, he and his wife currently have no dog of their own, which leads me to the point of this story.

If now is not the right time for you to own a small dog, but you still want to have contact with dogs, there are plenty of ways to do just that. As a side benefit, the options I am about to offer here can also be treated as a test-drive of dog ownership if you are considering a dog for the future. Here are some ideas:

Volunteer at an Animal Shelter or Pet Rescue

Here is an opportunity to work with hundreds of different kinds of dogs without having to keep one at home. The upside is you will have contact with dogs in need. The downside is you will have contact with dogs in need. Working at an animal shelter or rescue operation is similar to working at a hospital. You will be able to help many animals and people. You will also have to deal with the heartbreak of dealing with some lost causes and sad endings. It can be very rewarding, but it is not work for people who are extremely sentimental.

Work at a Dog Care Business

At Kelsey’s Dog House, we have one employee who owned a dog that died at a young age. This employee cannot bring himself to own another dog right now because he still feels the pain of losing his first. Instead, he works at our place to enjoy the company of dogs without getting too attached to any single dog. It works for him and it works well for us.

Pet Sit

Everyone who owns a dogs has need of a pet sitter every now and then. It is one of those win-win situations in which you get to enjoy and care for a dog for a period of time without a long-term commitment. It’s sort of being a grandparent because you get to have fun with the dog, and then the dog goes home. The dog benefits, you benefit, and the dog’s owner benefits as well, knowing their dog is in good hands.

Visit a Pet Park or Pet-Friendly Business

Some folks enjoy people watching. There is a variation on this called dog watching. If you have ever visited an off-leash dog park, you know what I am talking about. Bring along some treats or a bowl of water and you instantly have an appreciative audience. It works for Mr. Cookie, and it will work for you too.

Foster a Dog

Many rescue organizations have a need for short-term dog placement while they work on getting their dogs adopted. Being a foster owner is usually a big responsibility, even though it is short-term. Dogs in foster care range from low-maintenance to extremely needy. When you take a dog into foster care, you may be called upon to socialize a traumatized dog; or tend to a wide range of canine medical conditions. A foster dog may need extensive obedience training, or simply a warm and comfortable place to sleep and eat. Many people who foster dogs enjoy it so much that the temp job becomes a lifetime occupation. Others end up adopting the dogs they foster. We have one employee at Kelsey’s Dog House right now that is about to return her fostered dog to its rescue service. The dog has lately been showing signs of aggression and is turning out to be more than she can handle. This is one job where it really pays to know what you are getting into before you start.

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Perhaps now is not the right time to own a dog. You may travel quite a bit. Or, the apartment complex in which you live does not allow dogs. Or, perhaps your budget would be strained by having to feed and care for a dog. Or, your personal relationship with another person needs your full attention. Or, you simply love dogs but enjoy coming and going as you please without worrying about the needs of a dog. Whatever your personal reason, there are alternatives to ownership. Our neighbor, Mr. Cookie, has it figured out. So can you.

Our hearts go out to shelter dogs.

I have come across another opinion on the risks and rewards of adopting a small dog from an animal shelter. It comes from Dale Stavroff in his book Let the Dog Decide (Marlowe & Company, 2007.) Mr. Stavroff is a highly experienced dog trainer specializing in positive motivational training. He has a rather stark caution on what you may be getting into if you adopt a dog from a shelter.

“As much as our hearts go out to them, shelter dogs are where they are because they have failed to live up to the expectations of at least one owner, and sometimes several owners, before arriving at their destination. I like to think that even the worst owners have tried hard, in their limited way, to give these dogs a home. Many of these dogs have repeatedly bitten, barked, and destroyed their way into the situation in which they now find themselves. Even in cases where the dog is far more sinned against than sinning, and even in the case of very young dogs, an animal’s presence in the shelter likely indicates a traumatic past that will cause problems in the future.”

Mr. Stavroff goes on to say the overworked and under-equipped staff at a shelter is often incapable of properly assessing or solving some of the behavior problems dogs at the shelter present. He says some shelter dogs have hidden behaviors, including aggressive behaviors, that may only appear when the proper trigger arises. The trigger, and the behavior may never arise at a shelter. He says, “The result is that time and time again, the wrong dogs are inadvertently placed with the wrong people. And dogs that no average person should be expected to handle are placed in improper homes.”

“Because good dogs can be adopted from shelters, but because this will inevitably be much riskier than obtaining a dog from a good breeder, I recommend that only experienced dog people look for a dog at a shelter. Single people, couples without children, semiretired and retired people, and those who work at home—can all benefit from, and bring benefit to unwanted dogs in need of a home.

However, I strongly advise families with children to find a reputable breeder and buy a purebred puppy. You are going to own this animal for at least ten years. You and your kids deserve the best chance you can at success. Taking someone else’s mistakes into your home represents a poor way to start.”

Here is a passage that flies in the face of something I previously believed to be true—when you adopt an adult dog, what you see is what you get. Mr. Stavroff says, “Dogs are perfectly capable of hiding behaviors when it suits them to do so, or again, the shelter environment may simply not trigger any problematical behavior. The shelter environment can also intimidate dogs and suppress their problematical behaviors, until the environment changes and allows the behavior to reemerge as the dog regains confidence.

“Because of this reality, I can only offer the following advice for choosing a dog at a shelter. You must let reason be your guide and not bite off more than you can chew. Your well-being and the safety of others around you depend on the decision you make when getting a dog. Rescuing a dog is no good if it ends tragically.

For those with the time, patience, energy, and experience with dogs to try owning a shelter dog, there are some important issues to consider. First, let’s acknowledge once more that shelters contain perfectly good dogs that are there for no fault of their own. These exceptions do not invalidate the rule or represent a sound reason for adopting.

Remember that a dog imprints between seven and eleven weeks of age, which means that its character and habits are permanently formed at the end of this period. Even in the best circumstances, shelter dogs will usually require a greater effort to accomplish less in every aspect and stage of training, both because they are almost always a good deal older than eleven weeks of age and because of their prior experiences.” (Excerpts from pages 49-51, Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog – Gently and Reliably Stavroff, 2007.)

For those of you who may be thinking, “How much damage can a small dog do? Even if I get a small dog from the shelter with behavior problems, its small size should make it easy to overpower,” consider this. An untrained and aggressive small dog can do serious property damage and cause severe personal injury to its owner. I own a 10-pound Miniature Pinscher that is so sweet and docile that his veterinarian never fails to remark on his gentle behavior. He told me he recently had to put another Min Pin down after the dog so savagely attacked his owner, the woman had to be hospitalized with severe facial injuries. Again, this a breed that rarely tops 13 pounds.

I hope this new bit of information does not scare you away from considering a shelter dog. My intention is to make sure you take the time to assess your own situation and your own capabilities before you go to the shelter to look at a small dog.

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I want to conclude this piece with a nod towards Dale Stavroff’s book Let the Dog Decide. While I am still in the process of evaluating the training methods he describes in his book, I am very excited about what I have read and tried so far. I read a lot of dog training and dog care books and only recommend those that have good advice that works well in practice at Kelsey’s Dog House. This one looks very promising. There will be more on Let the Dog Decide once the evaluation is complete. Stay tuned.

Breeding refers the practice and the results of mating two animals to produce offspring with particular characteristics. Those characteristics can be anything from a dog’s fur color to a dog’s desire to hunt rodents. Breeding has been going on for centuries and its practice has ranged from scientific and precise, to accidental and irresponsible.

We could spend a lot of time talking about the science of breeding, referring to alleles, genotypes, dominant and recessive genes, and hybrid vigor. Unless you are a breeder or a scientist, it makes for pretty boring reading. What may be more interesting and relevant to you is the motivation and practices of various kinds of breeders.

Who is out there breeding the dogs we buy? There are professional breeders, usually allied with the American Kennel Club, who take great care in striving for the most healthy and true-to-breed dogs they can produce. Generally, professional breeders are motivated by results. Producing a top quality dog is the reward.

Next come the home breeders or, so-called “backyard breeders.” This is a mixed bag of people, and encompasses everyone from those who operate like the pros; to those people who crank out litter after litter simply to generate income. The best backyard breeders maintain high standards of animal husbandry and produce very few litters. The worst of the lot breed their dogs over and over without regard for what or how they are producing. The worst are on a par with puppy mills, the only difference being the damage they do is less widespread because they do not have a retail pipeline/business to sell their dogs.

Puppy mills are the worst of the worst because not only do they generate puppies simply for profit, they do so on a massive scale, often using inhumane processes. Breeding practices at puppy mills concentrate on high-volume output with little to no emphasis on quality.

There is a strong correlation between the motivation and practices of breeders and the fitness of the dogs they produce. You will be able to find the best quality dogs and the most professionally conducted buying experience when you purchase a puppy from a professional breeder. Likewise, there are many wonderful backyard breeders whose knowledge and skill produce fine dogs. Generally the top pro breeders in the country are no secret. You will have to a do a lot more research to find a high quality home breeder. While it may be tempting to buy a puppy from a neighbor because the dog looks like a good one on first inspection, you really need to do your homework to make sure you are working with someone who knows what they are doing. See this article for more information about how to find a good breeder.

Puppy mills sell to retailers, such as mall and outlet stores. I have no hesitation in saying avoid these places at all costs. It does not matter how good the situation looks on the surface, puppies in stores do not come from good places.

Bad breeding practices, aside from being inhumane, can produce dogs with pretty grim problems. Name a body organ or an anatomical system, I will tell you how a careless mix of genetic material can make it diseased or deformed. Name a behavior problem and I will show you how a sire or breeding bitch can spread that problem with its genes. The worst of it is, many of these problems are not apparent in puppies. Bring a puppy home that comes from bad parentage and six to twelve months later, (sometimes longer,) any one of thousands of latent problems will rear its ugly head. The best breeders guard against genetic problems to the best of their ability. The worst breeders think “I got mine. Now its your problem.”

Please be careful and do your homework before you buy a dog from a breeder. If we all insist on good breeding, the business of bad breeding will dry up and blow away.

Dog rescue groups are dedicated to saving adoptable dogs from euthanasia at animal shelters. While the members of a rescue group would like to save every dog in the shelter, they do not have the time, money, or space to do so. Instead, they selectively pull dogs out of animal shelters, usually those closest to extermination at the shelter, and those with reasonable potential for adoption. They share in the burden of keeping the rescued dogs by acting as foster parents until the dogs are adopted. Many times the burden of fostering includes extensive and expensive physical rehabilitation for sick or injured dogs. In any case, by fostering individuals, members of the rescue group become intimately familiar with each dog. When you adopt a dog, you should be able to get a complete rundown on that dog’s temperament, behavior quirks, likes and dislikes, special needs, and physical condition. In other words, when adopting a dog from a rescue group, there should be very few, if any, surprises once you bring the dog home. Additionally, because rescued dogs are maintained in foster homes before being placed for adoption, they generally have had time to recover from the emotional trauma of life at an animal shelter.

Most people who operate rescue groups are a special breed themselves. They do their work for the love of dogs. They take on extraordinary workloads, work long and difficult hours, and spend out-of-pocket when donated money runs dry. Although they sometimes have to operate on a shoestring budget, the dogs always come first. No one in a rescue group ever makes money doing the hard work of saving dogs.

When you go to an adoption event put on a by a rescue group, expect to be interrogated (in a friendly way,) and inspected with more diligence than you would probably prefer. You will have to prove your worthiness to them before they let a dog go, and part of the proof is your willingness to follow their lead. This process is actually a good thing. Remember, these people have given their all to save dogs. They are not about to screw it up by placing a dog with anyone off the street. I don’t mean to make this sound as though adopting a dog from a rescue group is painful or overly cumbersome. The process can actually be fun and exciting, especially if you find a dog that is a good match for you.

That is the bottom, line. The members of a rescue group want to make sure you do find your perfect match. While they will take a dog back if the match turns out to be not right, they really want to get it right the first time. In essence, they will do the heavy lifting for you, guiding you towards the best dog for your personality and situation.

Here is how to get started:

1. Decide what type or breed of dog you prefer. There are many rescue groups dedicated to saving one breed of dog. Many of these specialty groups receive dogs directly from owners who no longer want their purebred dog. It is possible that the purebred you are considering may have bypassed the animal shelter and come from another home. Some rescue groups specialize in certain types of dogs. For example, the Atlanta Small Dog Rescue and Humane Society, an outstanding organization that is well-run, well-funded, and offers beautiful dogs, works with small dogs exclusively.
2. Go online. Most dog rescue groups have websites; and many have photos and profiles of the adoptable dogs in their care. If you see a dog or organization that interests you, find out when that group is holding a public event.
3. Go to the event and be prepared to answer some tough questions about who you are and why you want a dog.
4. Find the dog you have always wanted and celebrate your good fortune.

For an in-depth look at the emotional roller coaster of running and working in a dog rescue group, check out Jon Katz’s book The New Work of Dogs. While not exclusively about dog rescue groups, this book is an outstanding read about the strange relationships between dogs and people. There is one fascinating chapter about the life of a woman who runs a dog rescue group in New Jersey. Her story is at once joyful and heart-wrenching. There is a link to this book at Amazon.com in the left column of this page.

If you are a small dog lover, and I suppose you are if you are reading this, you probably already know:

“The HSUS [Humane Society of the U.S.] estimates that animal shelters care for between 6-8 million dogs and cats every year in the United States, of whom approximately 3-4 million are euthanized. At this time The HSUS can only estimate these figures because there is no central data reporting agency for animal shelters.” (Extracted from hsus.org/pets/animal_shelters.)

Taking a small dog out of a shelter and giving it a good home is important work on many levels. Obviously, it saves an innocent life. It reduces the shelter’s, (and therefore taxpayer,) costs. It reduces the workload for shelter volunteers for each dog you adopt.

Here are the positives when you adopt a dog from a shelter:

1. You get a dog that will probably appreciate his/her new home and owner even more than a dog that has never known hardship.
2. You get satisfaction from knowing you have done something worthwhile and good, namely, saving an innocent life.
3. Unless you go for a puppy, what you see in the adult dog you have rescued is generally what you get.
   • All of the dog’s physical characteristics will be fully developed and unlikely to change in the future.
   • Any adult-onset diseases or conditions, such as hip dysplasia, will have either manifested or not exist, although there are no guarantees on this issue.
   • The dog’s personality and temperament will be fully developed and easy to assess, although both might be a bit repressed by the noisy, scary (to the dog) environment of the shelter.*
4. You will get a dog that has been fully vaccinated; has had most treatable medical conditions addressed; and, has been spayed or neutered.

Here are negatives when you adopt a dog from a shelter:

1. Although your new dog is trainable at any age, you will almost always have to deal with a dog that has been through a traumatic experience. Many dogs that end up at the shelter have been through some sort of ordeal, not the least of which is abandonment. Life in a shelter is traumatic by itself. The longer a dog has been confined in a shelter, the more traumatized that dog is likely to be. As with humans, trauma almost always affects a dog’s behavior.
2. You will never know the lineage of the dog you get from a shelter. Although there are purebred dogs available at shelters, their origin is unknown.
3. Many dogs end up at the shelter because their owners’ were unwilling or unable to deal with bad dog behavior. It is possible that the dog you choose has some difficult-to-manage behavior quirk that is not readily apparent in the shelter environment. Or it may simply be the owner did not know how to train a dog. Again, every dog is trainable at any age, and some dogs will take more work to re-train than others.
4. Unless you adopt a puppy, you miss out on the opportunity to raise a dog from scratch.

Now, a word about adopting a puppy from a shelter. It turns out, most shelters have no problem adopting out puppies. A puppy’s “cuteness” sells the dog. While I believe all dogs in a shelter should find a good home, I also believe you take a bigger risk adopting a puppy from a shelter than a fully grown dog. Most of the risks should be apparent from my list of positives and negatives about adopting. If I could summarize all of my concerns with a blanket statement, it would be this:
Although you can never be fully certain about what you are getting when you adopt an adult dog from a shelter, you really have no idea at all about what you are getting when you adopt a puppy from a shelter.

True, you can try temperament testing, but several studies have shown that temperament tests are not completely accurate predictors of future behavior. Genetics play a large roll in an adult’s dog’s physical and mental fitness. Although you never know what went into the genetic makeup of any dog in a shelter, with adult dogs, generally, what you see is what you get. When bringing a puppy home from a shelter, you have really have no idea what that puppy is going to turn into when it matures.

I am not saying adopting a puppy is off limits. Be aware of the risks. The puppy you bring home may have been born to parents who were genetically pre-disposed towards disease, or physical deformity, or anti-social behavior. There are ways to mitigate the risks. First, spend plenty of time with the puppy at the shelter, and by all means, test for temperament. Second, take your newly adopted puppy to a veterinarian for a full physical evaluation. The vet may or may not be able to predict the possibility of health problems when your puppy matures, and he/she can tell whether the puppy is healthy right now. Third, start training your new puppy early and often. You should be able to ward off or reduce any genetic tendency towards anti-social behavior with a good training program.

If you go back and re-read my lists of positive and negatives about adopting a dog from a shelter, you will see that the positives far outweigh the negatives. Almost all of the negatives can be dismissed or addressed if you are a motivated dog lover and you are willing to help reduce the population of abandoned dogs. If the idea of adopting a dog from a shelter is not appealing, you can still adopt a dog by other alternatives. In the next article, I will discuss the rewards of adopting a dog from a rescue group.

*It turns out there is more to a dog’s behavior at the shelter than first meets the eye. Follow this link for an important new information on the behavior of shelter dogs. (Updated: 12-5-08)

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“First, know that good breeders breed not just to make money—they don’t sell their puppies to the first person who shows up with cash in hand. Too often, unsuspecting people buy puppies from breeders (or neighbors) who breed their dog to make a little money or simply because they have a dog “with papers.” Too often, the result is puppies in poor health or with temperament problems that may not be discovered until years later. Unfortunately, these new-pet families often end up heartbroken, with a dog who has genetic health problems or develops significant behavior problems due to a lack of early socialization. In some cases, these problems can cost thousands of dollars to treat.

So to avoid these pitfalls and choose a good breeder, look for one who at a minimum:

• Keeps dogs in the home as part of the family—not outside in kennel runs
• Has dogs who appear happy and healthy, are excited to meet new people, and don’t shy away from visitors
• Shows you where the dogs spend most of their time—in a clean, well maintained area
• Encourages you to spend time with the puppy’s parents—at a minimum, the pup’s mother—when you visit
• Only breeds one or two types of dogs and is knowledgeable about what are called “breed standards” (the desired characteristics of the breed, such as size, proportion, coat, color, and temperament)
• Has a strong relationship with a local veterinarian and shows you records of veterinary visits for the puppies and explains the puppies’ medical history and what vaccinations your new puppy will need
• Explains in detail the potential genetic problems inherent in the breed (every breed has specific genetic predispositions) and provides documentation—through organizations such as the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA)—that the puppy’s parents and grandparents have been tested to ensure that they are free of these genetic problems
• Offers guidance for caring for and training your puppy and is available for assistance after you take your puppy home
• Provides references from other families who have purchased puppies
• Feeds high quality “premium” brand pet food
• Doesn’t always have puppies available but rather will keep a list of interested people for the next available litter
• Is actively involved with local, state, and national clubs that specialize in the specific breed; good breeders may also compete the dogs in conformation trials (which judge how closely dogs match their “breed standard”), obedience trials (which judge how well dogs perform specific sets of tasks on command), or tracking and agility trials
• Encourages multiple visits and wants your entire family to meet the puppy
• Provides you with a written contract and health guarantee and allows plenty of time for you to read it thoroughly; the breeder should not require that you use a specific veterinarian

In addition to those criteria, you’ll want a breeder who requires some things of you, too. The breeder should require you to:

• Explain why you want a dog
• Explain who in your family will be responsible for the pup’s daily care, who will attend training classes, where the dog will spend most of his or her time, and what “rules” have been decided upon for the puppy—for example, whether or not the dog will be allowed on furniture
• Provide a veterinary reference
• Provide proof from your landlord or condominium board (if you rent or live in a condominium complex) that you are allowed to have a dog
• Sign a contract that you will spay or neuter the dog unless you will be actively involved in showing him or her (which applies to show-quality dogs only)
• Sign a contract stating that you will return the dog to the breeder should you be unable to keep the dog at any point in the dog’s life”

In a previous article, I said you should never buy a dog from a retail outlet even though the shopping experience there may be familiar and easy. By contrast, buying a dog from a reputable breeder should be challenging, and perhaps a bit difficult. The breeder will challenge you to prove your worthiness as a potential new dog owner. Similarly, you should challenge the breeder to prove he or she is producing quality dogs in an environment that has the dogs’ best interests at heart. A good breeder will have no problem answering the challenge.

Expect a dog from a reputable breeder to be more expensive than a dog sold in retail stores or from backyard breeders. This is not always the case, but it is likely. It is a “get what your pay for” world. The extra money you spend will be worth it, if you know you are dealing with someone who is fair and trustworthy.

Where to start? Check with a veterinarian for references. Visit local dog shows and ask around. Most people who show dogs are extremely knowledgeable about their breed and may also breed their own dogs. Show people may have connections to the top breeders in the country. You may also find a friend or neighbor who owns an outstanding example of the breed in which you are interested. Contact a national dog breed club. There are clubs for almost every breed, and most have a website. Finally, take your time. You are about to embark on a 10 to 20 year commitment to a living, breathing creature that will require enormous amounts of your time, energy, and devotion.

* The source material for this article, (in .pdf format,) comes from the Humane Society of the United States. The original article can be found at this link.

Warning: The following article contains a graphic description of animal abuse. The passage is written in orange. Sensitive readers should skip the orange text.

“Let’s go to the mall, Simone.”

“You going for some reason?”

“Do I ever need a reason to crawl the mall? Actually, I want to pick up a few things. I need a new dress, some shoes, and a new dog.”

My father said “Be very careful about choosing when to use the words ‘never’ and ‘always.’” He said there were very few circumstances in which “never” or “always” applied. Those words are similar in nature to the word “perfect.” They rarely apply.

Here is one case in which the word “never” does apply. Never buy a dog from a shopping mall or outlet store. N-E-V-E-R. I am confident using that word because I have not found one instance, one example, one anecdote, or one scientific study in which buying a dog from a store is a good or ethically sound idea. On the other hand, I can find loads of evidence to support why buying a dog from a store is a horrendously bad idea.

Here are some reasons why buying a dog from a retail outlet is a terrible idea.

1. Dogs displayed in retail cases are isolated from each other. Isolation is never a good thing for adult dogs. Isolation can lead to a range of behaviors, from fearfulness, to neurotic behavior, to overt aggression. Arguably, isolation can be permanently debilitating for a puppy. Many studies have shown that puppies develop their social skills and general behavior patterns through contact with littermates. Other studies have shown that puppies  grow up fearful and unsociable, if they kept in isolation during the critical first 12 weeks of life. Some stores have tried to address this issue by letting puppies socialize in a display case or corral. It is not the same as growing up next to mother and siblings in a home.

2. When you select a dog from a crate in the mall, you have no idea about that dog’s parentage. Genetics determine a dog’s physical soundness. Genetics also help shape a dog’s behavior. You would do better to go to the pound and select a physically and mentally developed adult dog. With no parents in the picture, you are playing dog roulette at the mall. The description card about the breed may tell you the breed in the crate is characteristically gentle and loving, but the dog itself may have been taken from a hostile or indifferent parent. Some inherited physical disabilities, such as hip dysplasia, do not materialize until adulthood. Though a retail outlet may offer a warranty against such ailments, they know you will not be returning your dog a year later when it starts hobbling.

3. Dogs in malls and outlet stores are produced in livestock factories, more commonly called “puppy mills.” The number one priority of all puppy mills is revenue generation. In order to maximize profit and minimize costs, here is what the ASPCA and other organizations have discovered at some puppy mills:

*Skip the orange section if you do not wish to read about graphic descriptions of animal abuse.*

4. Store employees may know something in general about most breeds but they certainly are not experts about all the breeds they sell. They cannot say anything specific about the particular dog you are interested in because they do not know any more about its background than you do. What they do know may not even be true. Puppy mills are notorious for representing mixed breed dogs as purebreds.

My goal is to convince you to never buy a dog from the mall. I know it is tempting to buy a dog off the shelf, because retail stores have made it tempting. They put fluffy puppies in gleaming display cases under bright lighting. They give you an easy-to-read “talker” card on every crate that tells you everything you believe you need to know about each dog. The price and terms of sale are extremely clear. You are used to this environment. It is as though you are selecting a beautiful new shirt from a clothing rack at your favorite retailer. The information I have covered should tell you it is anything but fun and games at the mall. For now, go to the mall for clothes and furnishings. Stay away from the puppy store.

Sources for this article: ASPCA.com, “Fight Animal Cruelty, Puppy Mills”; HSUS.com, “Puppy Mills;” and, stoppuppymills.org.