1. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    Pedigree Dogs Exposed

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Leaka, Mar 1, 2009.

    You should watch BBC Pedigree Exposed, it's a good documentary. A bit shocking and it had me balling for these poor animals.
    Let me just tell you this, I will never ever ever ever look at dog shows the same ever ever ever again.
    Because some of those breeds are breeds in America and wherever else. And they may be facing those issues too.
    And once you watched the documentary, we can talk about it. Because I need someone to talk about it.
    I think I have been traumatized for life because of this documentary.
    And if you have seen it, what do you think?
     
    1 person likes this.
  2. Dalouise

    Dalouise New Member

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    I'm sorry, but IMO it was the most biased, inflamatory piece of slanted documentary making ever screened, backed by "animal right" extremists. They should start targetting the back yard breeders, not those of us who show and love our dogs as family members. The documentary has caused untold harm over here and has the puppy farmers laughing all the way to the bank, as they now produce cross breeds and sell them as designer dogs at highly inflated prices. No health checks, no veterinary attention, no proper feeding or shelter. The programme has caused the BBC to pull out of Crufts this week and those of us who show and breed ethically are cheering that such a left-wing organisation as the BBC will not be there. They won't be missed.
    There is one shot on the programme of the head of a liver Dalmatian, bursting with health. That one's mine. They also filmed him in the ring, pushing microphones over him as he was gone over by the judge. He freaked, and all the twelve months of training and scrimping and saving to get there were ruined in seconds. I went to complain to the film makers and they asked me some very loaded questions so I got the feeling then that they were loking for trouble, and people to say "the right thing".
    Anyway, people can make their own mind up. There's far more serious things going on in the world.
     
  3. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    I don't see that. I don't see how it's ethical to killing ridgless puppies in the breed Ridgebacks because they think ridgeless means mutation.
    I thought it was very informative and I feel sorry for the dogs. I cried a lot watching that show.
    I also don't see how it's ethical to have granddaughters breeding with their grandfathers, I don't see how it's ethical to put daughters with fathers and brothers and sisters.
    For all I'm concerned I think that this was a good documentary and I agree completely. And if they did show people's dog's in families it would because in the end those dogs they bought were bred to be pedigree dogs. And in the end many people will be buying sick dogs or dogs that may have issues.
     
  4. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

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    Dalhousie wasn't saying that the behaviour they wanted to expose isn't bad. She was saying that it was putting a bad name to all people who breed and show dogs, including the ones that do it ethically, and trying to find that unethical behaviour even where it didn't exist. Certainly there are bad people in every organization, but it is wrong to act as if everyone who is involved in it is bad.

    Dog racing is a good example. Yes, greyhounds that race are generally mistreated, but that doesn't mean racing them is bad. I once saw a program about rescued greyhound. And you know what, they still meet regularly to race the dogs. The difference is that they are not treated as property and if there is any betting going on, it's all friendly and probably no money changing hands. Greyhounds love to run, plain and simple.

    Sure, I doubt many dogs like being poked by the judges, but other than that, when I watch a dog show I can tell the dogs love being in the ring, showing off and being cheered on.
     
  5. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    But I never took it when they showed competitors who did or did not do the wrong thing as them showing them they were wrong.
    They were just using the dogs. I took as them just showing the dogs while they talked about it.
    I never took it as them saying, everyone is bad.
    I was appalled with what the true "bad" people were saying.
     
  6. Speedy

    Speedy Contributor Contributor

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    Man, dogs.....the media is always getting their noses in with so many issues when it comes to dogs and breeders these days.

    My neighbour has 10 greyhounds. They are all cagsd in 1x1 metre cages at night (They get walked a LOT, but spend a LOT of time in those cages....they look and act completly happy, and i've been told this is common with greyhounds so..
     
  7. SonnehLee

    SonnehLee Contributor Contributor

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    Things like this happen in every sort of competition. Puppy Mills, Horse Breeders, Major League Baseball, if it's a competition, someone will break the rules for the sake of a win. That doesn't make it "right," but you can't condemn the entire society for the actions of the few.

    Puppy Mills make more money selling to pet stores than they do to competitions. The uncontrolled breeding usually leaves those pups with "undesirable" traits to competitors. Not to mention, many show dogs are trained from birth, to make sure they will do exactly what they are supposed to. Many puppy mill dogs are very unsocial (bordering on feral), and it takes a lot of work to get one of them to the sweet, cute puppy you see in the pet store.
     
  8. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

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    If the dogs are having a good time, and are treated well, where is the wrong? When I watch dog shows, I only see happy dogs.
     
  9. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    But it's exposing what is behind closed doors.
    What the dog owners keep from other people. Like that woman in there who found out her dog had the same disease as the others. She continued breeding with him and acted like he was happy.
     
  10. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

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    Did you miss the "if they are treated well" part? I know those you are talking about are wrong. But that's the problem with such documentaries. They ignore all the good people involved, and pay attention to the rare few who are doing those bad things. Like I said, if the dogs are having fun and are being treated well, where is the wrong? Don't condemn all people who show their dogs because of a few. Just like we can't condemn all atheletes because of a few who use drugs.
     
  11. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    As I said I never took it as them taking clips of many owners as, all of these owners are doing bad things.
    I was taking it as they were just showing some scenery. You want it to be blank when they have to talk about a certain breed.
    I wasn't condemning on people.
    And the Exposed showed the good people doing what is right for the animals as well.
    So they didn't just reflect on the bad.
    But sometimes you need to reflect on the bad to get a point in people's heads.
     
  12. SonnehLee

    SonnehLee Contributor Contributor

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    Case and point: When I was younger, I visited an animal shelter on a 4H trip. For years, I swore up and down that the animals were being abused in that facility. My parents just told me that I was focusing on the bad too much, and that I was exaggerating.

    About a month ago, I read an article in the paper about that animal shelter. They shut it down for cruelty. According to the article, animals were being bludgeoned to death and burned alive in that facility. The state shut it down and has now reopened it under brand new management.
     
  13. Mercurial

    Mercurial Contributor Contributor

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    I made a speech last year about puppy mills, and I'm proud to say that I managed to make a few people cry. I was so glad to see the two major pet shops in my city get closed down. The puppy mills are awful. Most breed dogs never see the outside of their cages and when they can no longer reproduce, they are 'disposed' of. They just kill them, throw them into a pile in a corner of the land the mill owns. Giving them to humane societies would draw attention to the illegal practices those mills are notorious for.
    Most of the puppies never see the pet shop window, and many of those who do are extremely antisocial, like Emily said, and have phobias, just like people do, except most of those phobias are very rational. Later in life, many will suffer grotesque diseases later in life that are so common that most pet owners think that it's unfortunate but natural. It should not be 'natural.' It can be prevented with a little time and care.

    Backyard breeders are often (though not always, and not usually in the same magnitude) the same. The best thing to do is to get your friend from the Humane Society. Those animals were likely from puppy mills (most are these days), but the puchase of them will not benefit and encourage the owners of the mills, and these are the pups that need your help. Besides, the Humane Society can only handle a number, and there are so many that need help!

    It's this disgusting treatment of animals (among other things) that makes me have little faith in humans these days.

    Mahatma Gandhi was right. "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

    ...Sorry. Puppy mills always touch a nerve with me. :( I've never seen the documentary which was discussed in the original post, but I felt compelled to say something anyway.
     
  14. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    But if we do not focus on the bad nothing will ever happen, the conditions will not change.
    If we don't make a fuss about the bad, then nothing may never change.
     
  15. The Bard of Wigan

    The Bard of Wigan New Member

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    Agreed Leaka.

    Some people on here would argue black is white just to be "controversial". ;)
     
  16. Leaka

    Leaka Creative Mettle

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    But that is the way people tend to be. :)
     
  17. Rei

    Rei Contributor Contributor

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    There is a difference between making a fuss about the bad and condemning an entire organization. From the way Dalhousie described the behaviour of the film makers, it sounds like that was what they were trying to do. Yes, make a fuss over the ones who are abusing their dogs, but don't go acusing all who participate in events in which some dogs have been abused of doing so. From what Dalhousie said, it sounds like they were acusing her of being abusive to her dogs and it was their actions that upset her dog, not what anyone else was doing. The editing room can easily make it look like their equipment had nothing to do with the dog getting upset.
     
  18. SonnehLee

    SonnehLee Contributor Contributor

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    Yes, I agree. And those dogs were all able to be re-homed because of somebody who made a fuss. (I was about 10 at the time, and couldn't take my fuss much farther than my parents)
     

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