The Bubble: Finding New Recruits & New Energy

The Bubble: Finding New Recruits & New Energy

The weather has been crazy everywhere, and a lot of dogs have been suffering. There is so much good information out there about the warning signs of heat prostration, and an excellent diagram has been posted to Facebook showing the air temperature and the temperature on road surfaces with the warning that if your foot or hand finds it too hot to touch—the same applies to your dog’s pads.

“We” see this because of our friends, groups, and newsfeeds, and because the information comes from knowledgeable dog owners. The problem is that the unknowing pet owners may not know this. I was reminded of this recently while driving home around mid-day. A group of young people were sitting on the grass under a tree at a junction with another country road, also black-top asphalt like mine. They had bicycles with them—and dogs. They had been out cycling, with the dogs running alongside. Both dogs were panting. They were both ultra-mixed breeds and came from no kind of breeder.

“We” know that established breeds have been developed over many generations and in different countries with different climates. All of this is known in the purebred dog world, and this affects how their descendants will tolerate extremes of heat or cold today. Now we see a glut of deliberate crossbreeding, with their producers not concerned about the future consequences.

The recent experience of seeing those mixed breeds on the road made me think how most people in the dog show community know what is right and proper, and will be able to educate their puppy buyers. But where do people like those above go for help? I started thinking about public education and outreach—and that just because people may not own a purebred dog now it does not mean they never would in the future. All-breed clubs could put on some fun events that include mixed breeds. You know the kind; the longest tail, the curliest hair, the biggest eyes—the public loves them! The clubs could run raffles or sell cookies to raise funds. They could have a question-and-answer table where owners can ask questions and learn about performance activities that their dogs could enjoy.

We can all get the word out in our home localities too. Scan and print that chart with road temperatures, and any other item you see that is worth sharing, and post them on local public noticeboards, laundromats, feed stores, and other locations.

Now for a change of topic; something that has been bothering me for some time now. In recent years, there have been so many issues facing the purebred dog world which have caused a lot of chatter but become yesterday’s news when the next hot topic hits.

Last year, the panic button was pushed when there were new regulations in some European countries limiting the eligibility of dogs in specified breeds from being shown or used for breeding. The breeds involved included the brachycephalic breeds, such as the Pug, and hairless breeds like the Chinese Crested and Xoloitzcuintli. These breeds were accused of being the result of “torture breeding” and there was an inevitable outcry. What happened? I am sure a lot has happened, and news has been disseminated, but the news value has disappeared.

This year, the CDC clamped down on the mass importation of puppies and “rescues” from countries which are at high risk for rabies and other serious diseases. Effective August 1, 2024, no puppies under the age of six months may be imported, and all older dogs will need an import permit before they can be imported. Most breeders I know say—and about time! The only problem is that legitimate breeders cannot ship any puppies into the US, with legal and provable documentation, and this includes from our neighbors in Canada. The paperwork and costs involved in cross-border travel for dog shows will make dog showing nearly impossible in both directions. I saw the initial dismay but little else.

We have discussed the sinking dog show entry numbers, with single-digit majors in many breeds, including my own. A three-bitch or four-dog entry for a 3-pt major makes me want to cry. How many breed clubs are trying to change this? I would like to know. We need more puppies to be bred by serious breeders. We need breeders who have been in it long enough and bred enough litters to have enough knowledge that they can educate the next generation of breeders. Will this even be possible? The animal rights and anti-breeder machine is still humming away in the background, and new laws and licensing regulations are creeping across the country. In many places, a single litter qualifies a person as a commercial breeder! In others, the annual license fee to own a single intact female can be as high as $300, whether she is bred from or not! I have learned these facts from comments in social media posts and discussions, and I have to ask: WHERE is the outrage?

Twenty years ago, when the first attempt to introduce a bill requiring mandatory spay/neuter at the age of four months was made across the state of California, there WAS outrage and the bill was defeated. Across the country, AR organizations backed the infamous PAWS bill introduced by the then Senator Rick Santorum to bring all breeders under the AWA. There WAS outrage and voters contacted their Representatives and Senators, urging them to vote it down. The bill was defeated.

What happened? All I see today instead of outrage is apathy. Is it that there are now too few of us? Too few breeders willing to stand up and write letters of objection? Too few that are committed enough to care? We have seen the holier-than-thou breeders who proclaimed that they have been in their breed for 30 years but have ONLY bred three litters. Those people never had a reason to care. Have the newcomers accepted the current way of things as being inevitable? How do we wake them up? Those of us who have fought the good fight in the past are becoming fewer. We need new recruits, new energy!