A Dog Scared to Death of Everyone Just Needed a Hug - The Most Beautiful Video

[Coyote_Bandit]

27. Ummmm......

Every animal I have ever had was in immediate need of a home. None came from a shelter or a traditional rescue organization.

That said, I have already begun researching breeders seeking out a possible source for my next dog. Why? Because my dogs are more than pets. I invest considerable time, effort and expense into their training.

I train them to work as therapy dogs. A dog that has been abused and/or neglected can have behavioral issues that disqualify it from doing therapy work.

I also train them to do competitive obedience and agility work - a training process that can take several years. A dog that has been malnourished as a pup or has been poorly bred and has genetic issues might not have the lifespan or the physical ability to do this kind of work.

There are legitimate reasons to seek out and buy an animal. If you take in a dog without knowing its background you may find that it is completely unsuited for its intended purpose. If I am going to spend years training an animal then I want to know the medical history of its parents, its grandparents and its greatgrandparents. I want to know if it is genetically predisposed to any particular health problems. And I want a breeder that is willing to extend a guarantee against certain medical problems for the life of the animal.

The real problem is finding a responsible breeder. There are very, very few.