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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
This is why I feel so strongly that purpose-bred pet dogs need to be produced by responsible breeders who select for temperament(!) and health (including relevant health testing) and who raise their puppies in the home with appropriate socialization and developmental programs.

Overpopulation is absolutely still an issue *in some areas of the US.* But there are also dog shortages in many, many other areas (such as here in Minnesota, where we’re having to transport the vast majority of our adoptable dogs in from out of state or out of the country). We’ve spayed and neutered most of the nice pet dogs. The population of dogs that we see as trainers is evolving because we as a society are literally removing the nicest pets from the gene pool. [/quote]

As a trainer, I see it in the people who come to my basic pet obedience classes.  20 years ago, there were a lot less behavioral problems.  Now, every class requires someone behind a barrier because their dog is too reactive to function with other dogs in the room, many that can't take treats because they are too stressed being out in public, almost all shepherds have hip dysplasia, most pugs can barely breathe, etc.  There are still lots and lots of nice dogs, but they are getting rarer.[/quote]

This is absolutely one major part of it, and a strong argument for responsible, limited breeding by people who do it for the love of the dogs, not for profit. Another major component of the problem is the rise of trendy "breeds" (goldendoodle, etc) and people who don't know enough about dogs to differentiate between a reputable breeder and one who is just out for profit and taking advantage of demand. These are the people that dump their trendy dog in a shelter because they selected for size or some made-up thing like "hypoallergenic" and got a dog with a temperament that they couldn't handle. The final major problem is the increasing trendiness of 'rescue dogs', which makes it easier for group two to ditch an animal they had no business getting in the first place ("well, someone will take him and give him a good home"). [/quote]

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