Beauty beyond pure breed

It is important that our pet lovers know that spaying or neutering their dogs and cats is the humane choice to make,” said Anna Cabrera, program director, Philippine Animal Welfare Society (PAWS). “A fixed pet prevents unwanted pregnancies and is healthier for the pet in the long run.”

I agree with Anna 100 percent.

Matter of fact, in the US, there are breeders that insist that a person buying a dog or cat sign an agreement form that they will have the pet fixed or at least that they will not breed the pet.

If you have ever been to a private breeder — as opposed to buying a pet in pet shop — you will notice that these folks are a little stricter about where their pets end up.

I recall a few years back when I got my Mini Schnauzer from a foreigner-breeder here; I was asked a gazillion questions about how I would raise the dog. For us Pinoys that may seem strange, but for the breeders who truly love their pets, this is standard.

I recall that one of the requirements for me before I got Yuri, my Mini Schnauzer, was that I would inform the breeder if I entered him into the show ring. This is because Yuri was among the dogs that were segregated as show dogs and not the ones that had been labeled by the breeder as pets.

I did show Yuri, and yes, he did win.

* * *

In Australia, I was told by my brother who has lived there for over 20 years that when he got his Mini Schnauzer, the breeder had asked if he planned to keep the dog indoors — if not, he could not get the dog.

* * *

Pet ownership and pet responsibility are synonymous. Without one you can’t have the other.

And, yes, Anna, I know that a fixed pet is a healthier one.

But I couldn’t help buying the book Dogs By Design by Hene Hochberg, being the proud caretaker of two Schnoodles (a mix of Poodle and Schnauzer breeds).

In the introduction, Hochberg says: “Mutts are the rage. Mixed-breed dogs, once dismissed as lowly mongrels, have become our most desirable pets.”

But what I found really interesting in the book, aside from the many wonderful photos and description of temperament for the many designer-breed dogs Hochberg put together, are the many e-mails the author received from pure-breed breeders.

Here are three:  

“I understand that you are a fashion writer and are planning a book on so-called designer dogs. Don’t do it. If you write this book, you will be doing a terrible disservice to every person you encourage to buy into this scam and every parent dog that will suffer in such an irresponsible breeding for bucks program, and every puppy born as a result of such a program.”

“Designer breeders are simply scam artists looking for easy money and foolish customers.”

“I am a pure-breed dog breeder, and hybrids and designer dogs in my opinion are mutts, and their breeders are worse than the scam.”

* * *

I guess it was because I could identify with Hochberg that I picked up the book. I received lots of not-too-flattering comments about designer breed dogs from pure-breed breeders when I tell them that one of my adopted dogs is a Schnoodle.

One pure-breed dog breeder even said to me as I walked one of the Schnoodles: “Ang pangit naman niyan. It looks like an insult to the Schnauzer.”

I took it all in stride, dog breeders can be very finicky about the looks, gait and stance of their dogs.

All I can say though is that when my Poodle gave birth to Schnoodles, I did not sell any of them. I looked for good families that would care for these Schnoodles. And, if there is one thing I discovered along the way, it’s that when people are looking for a pet — pure breed or no breed is not an issue.

A good puppy for a loving home is what they are looking for.