Take an eye into the world

[lizblackdog]

*sigh*

where do you draw lines?

This morning, first dog walk of the day, I run into brindle pibble Kane's owner. They live in a house backing onto our building and I often look out of my kitchen window or Spike's lookout window and see her playing with Kane in her back garden. I like her. She has a good understanding of bully temperaments and is a keen observer of her own dog. Kane is loved and treated well, played with, trained and socialised. He's not being encouraged to be "hard and vicious", he's not being used to prop up someone's shaky masculinity, he's not being left in an outside run to bark his head off all day like the poor Rotties down Woodbury Avenue. There are so very many dogs that are so very much worse off than he is.

But they're breeding him. They have a new red and white bitch puppy that they're going to breed with him when she's old enough. What the hell do I say? I live next door to these people.

What I actually did was have my normal dog-oriented conversation with her. I couldn't help a little wince at the mention of puppies, and later on, when I was telling her about Cassie and her pregnancy, I let drop a comment about the number of pets being euthanised every year. I felt that saying that in reference to her own plans for her dog would have gone too far. I don't believe I could have achieved anything by ranting or lecturing, anyway - I'd just have pissed her off. Besides, Kane is a family dog and although she's the one spending the most time with him I doubt she's the one who's making the breeding decisions.

I do, honestly, believe I handled it the right way. I believe in picking my battles wisely, and what good would it do Kane or anyone to make enemies of my neighbours? I can't stop them breeding Kane now. I might - I pray that I might - have planted a seed of doubt that will make her think it over in the future. I really don't see what more I could have said or done.

...so why do I feel like such a dirty coward?

Comments

[beebarf.livejournal.com]

Drops of water will make a hole in the hardest stone. Softly softly catchee monkey, as they say. There's more than one way to win any battle, and by keeping the lines of communication open, you have more chance of influencing your neighbours than by getting into a stand up row and never speaking again...

A couple more conversations along the lines of "I hope Cassie has an easy birth, otherwise the vet's bill could reach £xxx" and "I hope I can find nice homes for the kitties, there's a lot of people out there who aren't good owners like us" etc etc will keep the doubts going ... more so if you can drop in that caring for kittens is easier/cheaper than puppies (regardless if this is the truth!)

If the bitch does need medical attention during pregancy, that's all the profit wiped out for the litter anyway, so it's not a good proposition from a business point of view - never mind the fact you can't predict how many offspring (and how much proft!) you'll make.

Grrrrr ... but keep campaigning, Liz!

[ex-ramona222.livejournal.com]

Nonono - I believe that you handled it the right way to. A direct confrontation would just get their back up and dig their heels in further. Taking off-topic opportunities to bring up sound reasons why animals shouldn't be bred is the best course of action. If you can it might also help of you phrase these things in ways that force her to agree with you ie: don't you think it's just terrible how many animals are euthanised in shelters every year? Don't you think it's wonderful how this or that organization is raising awareness about spaying and neutering pets, doesn't it break your heart when you hear that x shelter has x many puppies needing homes, etc. Get her subconscious on your side, and hope that it reaches her consciousness before puppers goes into heat!

You're not a coward - you're just not the kind of brave that's synonymous with reckless is all!

[wiccanrocka.livejournal.com]

When she's old enough being when? Hopefully older than old enough to be physically mature. I know a lot of people breed their dogs as soon as possible, especially when they're waiting for them to "be old enough." A year old is NOT old enough to start breeding.

Meh. Now I'm all worked up. :p

[bulletslc.livejournal.com]

I think you handled it the right way....you took into consideration the fact that when people feel they are being lectured they tune you out or get defensive, yet you dropped several subtle hints that will hopefully percolate in her mind. The other hint I usually use is, "Gosh, you're breeding? Do you have 2,000 in the bank in case she needs an emergency c-section? Those happen more often than people realize, you know. Not to mention other complications like mastitis, hypocalcemia and puppy birth defects or, heaven forbid, PARVO virus!" If they are just breeding to make money the thought of having to drop 2,000 + unexpectedly usually makes them think twice.

[myrystyr.livejournal.com]

This may sound weird, but looking back over the years it makes a certain kind of sense: I think you need to be exposed to kittens/puppies/unexpected-births as a youngster, in order to acquire a responsible attitude towards breeding in general (even within your own species*) as a adult.

Yes we had the proverbial one-litter-too-many when I was a teenager. Yes I was intrigued by the possibility of my friend's pedigree hound being 'accidentally-unofficially' bred with another hound, on the understanding that the bitch and litter would be mine... no I did not go through with it.

*: yes I am still being incredibly picky, to the point I haven't mated yet ;)