Are you kidding?!?! I wish more vets would do what you are doing...most seem to me to be rather clueless about breeds.
Who would know a breeder's health records better than her vet...and what better incentive than to be recommended by your vet because you have healthy dogs!!!

damn heroic if you ask me.

This is actually a gray area for me. I am always wary to recommend specific breeds, although I am never slow to speak up regarding the pitfalls of the breed in question.

I always preface my recommendations with the caveat that the information is coming from my experience as a pet owner and individual. I will not use any of my credentials towards this purpose because I do not feel that they qualify me for this particular task.

Now, my issue with the conversation you described is that you assumed that the large dog would be left outside, and subsequently suggested a rather medically disastrous breed (of your own admission and experience confirms) over a relatively healthy breed, the American Bulldog. From quality breeders, these bullies are the healthiest breed in the type as far as I am concerned.

I also have a little trick that I employ when dealing with a client that I already know is zoned on a specific breed. I will suggest that I have heard through the doggy grapevine that there was one of those exact breed at the local no-kill shelter a few days ago. It is located quite close to where I work, so it is rarely seen as an inconvenience to swing by and take a quick look-see. If I had to estimate, I would say that this results in an adoption about 30% of the time.

It is amazing to me how many families who are so sure that only this particular breed will satisfy their every desire... only to come face to face with their ideal personality, even if it is in a different package than the one they were looking for. The vast majority later report that they prefer the looks of their rescue find to that of the breed they previously coveted.

If there was one piece of advice I would give you overall on this topic, it would be to never make assumptions. People surprise me on a daily basis. A rude, obnoxious, generally angry client of mine has the most beautifully maintained sheltie I have ever met. The dog is treated like royalty, impeccably well behaved and groomed. I have another client who came in for the first time a few weeks ago - 20 minutes into the conversation she presented as a very knowledgeable dog owner, excited about the prospect of her soon to arrive Labradoodle puppy, chosen from a carefully selected breeder. Had that been the end of the conversation I would have happily recommended her as a capable pet owner. However, the conversation continued as she explained what happened to her last dog - an eight month old Labradoodle that she had euthanized when the dog failed to housebreak fully.

People surprise me every day, and it has taught me to challenge all assumptions.

Dr. Khuly:

As you probably know, there are some exceptions when it comes to breeding out certain health concerns. One happens to be the Boston Terrier. They simply do not breed true to their parents or even grandparents. Sometimes they do, and if that generation is healthy, great, but it is not guarantee that you're going to get healthy Bostons going forward. It's kind of an odd deal. For that reason alone I could never be a breeder. The breeder of my female bred a gorgeous bitch and dog - with all the traits of having show puppies and ended up with four splash marked Bostons. She has NO idea where the splash came from except to say that it was obviously a French Bulldog throwback, but did not show on the 5 generations of pedigree that she examined before breeding. At best, breeding is a crap shoot, specifically for certain breeds.
I would also like to mention that there are quite a few breed specific rescues out there in need of loving homes for purebred dogs. This includes the rather pricey French Bulldog and the Boston Terrier. So when all else fails and before you've referred them to a breeder, you may want to suggest a breed rescue.

I wish more PEOPLE would ask their vet about breeds. We see too many people that get breeds that after they bring them home for a while end up getting rid of the dog. The bulldog seems to be the most popular that people get and after the first yeast infection get rid of the dog. Maybe if more people talked to their vet about breeds they were looking at, more people would get the right fit dog for their home and would be more aware of the potential health problems their breed would have. Sometimes they dont' listen to you though. Case in point a few months ago we had an elderly lady that wanted a lap dog. She told us she just wanted a cute sweet little dog that she could sit around and brush all day, she was trying to choose in between a Yorkie and a Min Pin. We of course told her the Yorkie, but she gets a Min Pin who ends up being so aggressive that she is scared to death of the dog after being bitten numerous times. Of course Yorkies aren't all sweet either sometimes but we still feel like it would have been a better fit.

I did take your comments in stride, the ones about the useless husband and delinquent sixteen year old. That being said, I must say that the observation must be a Miami thing. It sure isn't the case in our area.

If the woman's hubbie is that worthless, perhaps she should get a dog for companionship and just MOVE!

When I took early retirement from teaching I was excited about getting a dog as a companion. I had cats and still do while I was teaching but I could not do justice to a dog as I worked long hours and dogs need more hours than I could give. I had a dog when a child and my Dad was an expert on dogs. But he died so I could not have him mentor me. I thought a good breeder could mentor me especially during puppyhood. So I researched breeds and decided on a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. I liked the size, activity, and easy care natural coat, a coat I could groom myself. As I did some research I noticed some links to veterinary cardiologists and decided to call my vet before I picked a breeder.

He congratulated me on my retirement and told me he was looking forward to retirement as well. He had been my vet for 30 years so we grew old together. Then he went on to tell me that if I bought a Cavalier I could fund his retirement. He said I could expect high vet bills. He clearly described the heart issues and said that was not all of the inherited problems I could look forward to. And if I wanted a dog to accompany me on daily hikes, he didn't think a dog with heart problems would meet my needs and I might look forward to heartbreak. He didn't recommend a breed or breeder but he talked about what I might look for in a breeder if I were to go the purebred route. Best advice I ever got on buying a dog.

I did buy two English Cocker Spaniels from a breeder who mentored me. She showed me how to groom the dogs, what products to buy, steps to take in house training, etc. A good breeder wants the new owner and puppy to succeed. One of them later had IBD and that is probably an inherited immune disorder. I am happy with these dogs especially with the temperament, size, and activity level of the dogs. I don't think I would have been as happy as I am now 7 years later if it had not been for my vet.

Why is the column before this one on commercial pet diets gone? Is it because this website has commercial advertisers and you got in trouble for having a column that might conflict with advertising?

Dear Dr. Khuly:

Please make it a point when these clients call with their intention of buying a purebred dog, to strongly suggest, without seeming to be on a soapbox, that they go to see the wonderful dogs that are available at a shelter. They just might fall in love. They might even find a purebred, if not a perfect purebred. Thanks for listening.

I have the same question as P - where did the s/d post go??

If this is a result of the switch to PetMD, I have to say I'm not happy.

I'm looking into it. Not sure what's happening behind the scenes but––so ya know––I'm thinking that, if anything, it's got more to do with some of the comments than with anything I wrote. Stay tuned.

When you put yourself on a "sponsored" website, and the website has very little pull, a thing like what happened to "pet diets" was bound to happen. I don't see anything wrong with it except for maybe you were not clear what you signed up for.

When one blogs on their own blog, out of their own pocket, they are writing for themselves and their audience. But once you are "sponsored", your goal is changed in a fundamental way. For example, a TV news investigative reporter may think their job is to investigate and report, and to be sure, that's true. But the overall goal is to sell advertising by increasing the audience. Because of this, the articles and comments to such will be filtered in such a way as not not offend advertisers.

The investigative reporter may find something that insults an advertiser, exposes them. They submit same, and the producer, in support of the overall goal of increasing viewership and selling advertising, may decide not to run the story.

How you feel and react to such a reality is really up to you, but what I stated above is the reality. You went from a blogger to supporting a website and business. Again, I support you, your blog, and this website, but selling advertising does change the dialog in a fundamental way; it cannot insult the people paying the bills.

EAB you make a fair point. I'm so used to running my mouth, however, that it will take some getting used to. In the meantime, I'll have to learn how to write between the lines more effectively and sanction some comments where they go way astray.

And while many of my Dolittler readers will never agree (nor would I blame them), I think that's a fair compromise for the opportunity to put this out to a wider audience and actually get a paycheck at the end of the month. I really was getting extremely tired of writing for nothing AND dealing with spammers 24/7. Most people probably have no idea what kind of work goes into a daily blog.

btw, I still plan on running my mouth. I'll just have to be more careful about it so none of you miss out on the truth behind my words. It's an art, I'm told. One whose for which I plan to cultivate a talent. ;-)

While you may not agree with the Dolittler readers that may object to your current blogging gig, they have to be balanced in their opinion. I believe regardless of their opinion of sponsorship or getting paid, your personal objective of bringing attention to the health and well being of animals is still being met. I think one could argue that the current situation is more beneficial as you are reaching more people and are more relevant in some ways. While I never considered that you told me what kind of food to purchase, I do believe you provided enough guidance that I know what to buy.

Now, having said all of that, I did say in the comments what I do use. Now if the current PetMD leadership sees fit to edit MY postings, they might want to put a disclaimer that states all commentary will be filtered for clarity with endorsements counter to our sponsors being removed. It's a decision on their part, but I do believe that if they are going to filter commentary based on effect to sponsor's, they must disclaim this.

Dear Dr. Khuly
,
I think you did an amazing job. The other point that was not mentioned is aggressive dogs. Now with the rappers making the pitbulls a cool dog for ganstas; other breeders are breeding aggressive dogs. Many people want that cool guard dog (without ever before experiencing the horror of an aggressive dog).

Anyone remember the picture of Michael Vick with one of his pittbulls next to a Benz?

American bulldogs are one breed that has that allure of tough guy gansta dog. So mentioning a good breeder that tries to breed dogs with a good temperament/good health is just as important and helpful as mentioning a shelter dog. Shelter dogs can get put down due to their breed as well.

More and more breeds are getting a bad rap due to irresponsible breeders. So recommending good responsible breeders is very important.

... recommending people talk to 5 dog trainers and get their opinions as well? We deal with alot of different breeds and can have an inside view. And some of us even know dogs waiting at our local shelters or have rescue group contacts. I LOVE giving people breed advise! And I always recommend they at least look at a breed rescue page to find out the downside of any breed they are considering. Rescue tends to be more truthful than breeders looking to make a sale. (Of course I am speaking of BYB's)


Of course people don't always listen to us either. I once recommended a pug for a family I knew quite well and they went out and got a St Bernard pup instead. Needless to say the dog is now out of control and tied outside most of his waking hours.

You can only lead the horse to water.

http://k-9solutionsdogtraininginc.blogspot.com

I've been to our local shelters many times. I'm a volunteer for a breed rescue of one of the breeds you mentioned. As you said, some people really know what they want, and if you don't educate them and point them towards reputable breeders, they will be at a Petland or its equivalent before you can say "mill dog."

Also, there is always going to be a demand for purebreds, so there is every reason to support the ethical, reputable breeders who strive to breed for health and soundness. Somebody has to explain to these would-be buyers that the couple of hundred dollars you save today will turn into several thousand dollars in vet bills next year, and the year after, and the year after that. Good breeders don't make a profit, especially with breeds that produce small litters.

You sent them in the right direction. They already knew what they wanted. You weren't going to change their mind. But you made it more likely that they didn't support BYBs and puppy mills, and that the dog they got would be a good fit for their family. Good work.