Since the dog show was just on I'd like to bring up something that has been bothering me for awhile.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

16. All My Best Dogs Have Been Mutts

That's my main problem with these "dog show" types. They talk about "pure breeds" with such reverence. As if there's really a "pure breed" anymore. They've ALL been interbred over the years to perform whatever tasks they're now best at. So why are "mutts" excluded?

With regard to the breeders, I've always had a healthy distaste for them. It always seemed kind of snobbish to go pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for a "pure breed" dog (which is more likely than not inbred anyway), or to go to a pet store, when I can go drop a few bucks at the local pound, save an animal's life, and get a dog every bit as good. My last dog was a beloved half-Doberman (the only thing we knew for sure was that the mother was Doberman, but he looked like he had at least 3-5 other breeds mixed in there somehow), and he was a great dog (and my best friend). He lived for 13 years (which is a long time for a big dog) and died about 5 years ago.

I think your concerns are well-founded. In fact, in my State, our legislature just passed a "Puppy Mill" bill that will severely crack down on the people running puppy mills and then selling off the less-desirables to pet stores. I believe Petmart (or Petland--one of the big chain pet stores) got into trouble a few years ago for selling diseased and/or inbred dogs that came from puppy mills.