What ever happened to the "Good Ol Days"?

My dog picked me.

We were looking at a couple of dogs, but when this scrawny six month old dog, that had been found in a skip, came cowering out from behind the door, his tail in between his legs. We both new. His little tail gave a gentle wag and he came over to me and my family to say hello. After introducing himself he came and sat on my knee. He had decided we were his new family.

He is my best friend and our bond is incredibly strong. 110% Mutt lover.

I love mutts. I have no problems with mutts. I have a mutt. When I got my dog I was unaware of puppy mills until my friend told me I should have adopted. I used to feel guilty knowing that the love my dog gives me is the love a shelter dog would have given me but I can't go back in time.

It's the people who breed the mutts that I don't like. I now know that If you want a mutt or purebred go to the animal rescues. Even if you don't find the perfect breed, you'll find the most perfect, most loyalists friend ever. So the good ole days aren't over. People are raising awarness about puppymills, dog fighting, Backyard breeders and so on. With the good ole days comes the bad.

A bond with a dog develops over time. If the dog respects the humans in its pack whether it is a pedigree of mutt, if the dog thinks the sun rises & sets with its owner & want to please them, it will be a happy dog.

For the forseeable future I will choose to buy a health tested dog from a responsible breeder, that breeds from dogs with stable temperaments, with the oringal traits & breed standard in mind. I do not want to gamble that the dog may be fearful/weak nerved/have a genetic health issue.

If someone is prepared to gamble on the dog being healthy/stable & the traits are not as importnant, then there are some wonderful companion dogs to be purchased at a general or breed rescue.

It is not a sin to want specific traits in a dog, for it to be healthy, with a clear head & bred by a responsible breeder. It is a choice that anyone has the right to exercise. In the "good old days" people had the right to choose the dog that suits them & I hope that continues, as *every* stable dog deserves a good home

I am not against mutts- I am against breeding mutts. I love mutts! However, mixing a poodle, cocker spaniel, and anything else you can get your hands on and calling it a breed is extremely unethical. The "breed" has no purpose other than to line the owner's pockets.

Sometimes though, you need a specific breed to do a job- like a herding dog, a guard dog, or a show dog. For these, breeding is necessary, but it should be a carefully selected art form. A GOOD breeder always produces pups better than the parents by selecting two individual dogs who complement each other well.

Before I answer your.. wait, was there a real question? Either way.

This actually reminds me of before my mum bought Chickoa for me.

So here's *my* [shorter] "story":

We have these field days at school [for FFA, actually], and our old 8th grade Science teacher ended up bringing a Shelter Dog: 10 year old Black Lab x Shepherd mix to the field days. I fell in love with the dog, and spent the entire hour we had with the dog. I walked him, groomed him, fed him, and even talked about him to the children!

So I took my family to the shelter [after visiting him for two weekends] to fill out his adoption papers - but they were already taken and filled out. I was **p*ssed**, to say the least.

I thought I had been betrayed. Not by the dog - but rather by humanity!

It's one of those "life lessons", that kind of ties into your "good ole' days" concept - except my "good ole' days" were "getting my way" days.

I'm glad I grew up!

So, for your "question".

For the "cockapoo" issue -- the breed doesn't exist, the dogs do. The name only cons people into believing they're established, predictable breeds that follow a standard/convention - and they go on google looking for breeders of the dogs after they fall in love with the lies.

For the "no one wants to adopt" issue -- plenty of people are willing to adopt, but some people prefer to have a [guaranteed] healthy, temperament-stable, predictable dog. Some people, like first time owners, won't have good experiences going to shelters. Many dogs from shelters *are* healthy and temperament tested, but some aren't - and those are usually the ones that look the cutest and people are more willing to adopt.

There's no such thing as the "Good Ol Days" as you remember them. Ever since domestic dogs have been in existence, selective breeding has been the single most important factor in determining the role of the dog. Dogs were created to serve humans; not the other way around. They were created to perform tasks and work for humans. Selective breeding was important before dogs competed in conformation shows. That means that priority was always placed on a dog's pedigree; even if it wasn't on paper.

Most people look at dogs as members of the family, however, that doesn't negate the facts that they were created for a reason and they are considered property. Rescuing dogs is noble and venerable, but that doesn't mean buying a dog from a breeder renders the owner snobbish. As far as I'm concerned, a dog is a dog, whether it's a mutt or a purebred. However, I do own purebred dogs and that's what works for me. Predictability is very important to me and it's my choice.

I like the idea of you & your dog choosing each other. I don't know of many shelter dogs who don't want to be loved and properly cared for in a good home, but I also know that not every dog is the right fit for every person. And nooooooobody is against mutts, just the people who consider it their right to bring them into the world as income. My favorite all time dog was a shepherd mix rescue. The best dog in the world, and also the most expensive. $5K in hip surgery by the time he was 2 1/2. Yes, there are mixed breeds that do win the genetic lottery, but so many more that lose. Papers mean nothing, health testing means everything. I will always encourage adoption (have at least one rescue in my home at all times), but don't discourage breeding for working dogs, or those that will be shown. ALL dogs have faults, but the best way of keeping it to a minimum, is by selectively breeding the best dogs available. Most shelter dogs weren't given that good a start in life, but no one denies that they have the right to be well cared for & loved.

The good old days you speak of don't exist. As long as man has been selectively breeding animals in general people have sought out those breeders to get the best of the best. We don't just do it with dogs, we've been doing it with the animals we eat and the horses we ride from day one.

Only the fastest were bred, only the biggest were bred to produce the best meat yield or int he case of horses to produce the best war or draft horse possible.

To Quote Penn and Teller the Good Ol Days Are Bullsh*t

ETA: The only difference is no one is their right mind would spend good money on a mutt. Even when I was younger cocker spaniel/poodle mixes weren't really that popular but you still saw them now and then.

ETA: The Dog exists but the breed "cockapoo" does not. That is what they mean.

Dog people love dogs... they have nothing against mutts but are not fond of breeders who purposefully produce them.

I'm wondering what you propose should be done with all the pet quality dogs any show breeder produces?

Whatever happened to the "Good Ol Days"? They are now. And all of today's teenagers and young adults will look back in 30 or 40 years and say "I remember when..." Hopefully they are not looking back and saying "I remember when it used to be legal to own a dog."

i agree although i dont agree with breeding two completely different dogs,, i to adopted a dog and she is just great, i really dont see how papers are important.

my old dog used to get laughed at as it looked like a wee lamb all curly, but she was my baby and i thought she was beautiful.

breeding of perfact dogs has gone to far and if people accepted 'mutts' and stoped breeding perfect dogs then again there wouldnt be shelters staped full.

its not just 'mutts' in these shelters, iv seen pure breed with papers which cost a fortune , and the owners coldnt cope or have given up ownership due to cost so why is this breeding exeptable?