[megansmomma]

Originally Posted by TammyJM

I have read through this whole thread and I am still sitting here with the same feelings that I began with. Quite honestly, I don't care what ribbon and/or status a dog achieves...I care about their spirit....their happiness that they will experience in their short lives. I don't care how "nice", "clean", "high-tech" a kennel is or how many "nannies" they have hired. Do you think that these dogs would chose this life for themselves....if that had a choice, that is. My local homeless animal shelter is all of this mentioned (new, nice, clean, high-tech, good vet care) but these dogs beg to get out of there and do you think that the "show Yorkies" think that their situation is any better? Difference between the two is that at least the shelter dogs are not being bred.

I know that I wouldn't like it if I were them and if you say that you feel they are happy, then try trading places with them for awhile....you in the kennel, them on a comfy couch.

There might have been a point in time that I too thought that your local dog shelter was considered what a show breeder calls a kennel. But now that I have become more educated on the subject I know this is not true. How could you possibly expect to have well trained show dogs working to earn championships in a ring if they were kept like in those kinds of conditions. That's like saying you could walk into the local shelter and pick up a dog on your way to show.