Am I getting the impression that this woman is a TEACHER? maybe she should have a talk with the BIOLOGY teachers in your schools!

I don't remember who volunteered above - but I would be happy to volunteer to e-mail her those links and few others.

i don't know much about the breed, but I am an ADAMANT believer in 'responsible' breeding. I have worked with Rescue and seen the results of irresponsible people. I have suffered the loss of my best friend, the BEST dog in the whole world - because of irresponsible breeding, he died of lymphoma at the young age of FIVE, and had many other genetically related problems.

the gene pools for MANY top dogs are so inbred that genetic problems are a forgone conclusion.

I just spent time researching breeds after our Tristan died, - I'd always thought it might be nice to have a flat-coat retreiver, but they are hard to find. do you know why? at one point, after about wwII - the flat-coat lines were so reduced by inherited disease, that the breed almost died out completely. Now, you can find them, but their gene pool is so small, that they can't get away from inherited risks like osteosarcoma, HD, blindness, and Lymphoma at young ages. so much so, that the AVERAGE LIFE SPAN for a flat coat, is only 7 yrs! (compared to a golden, lab, or similar size sporting dog - who can live to 11 - 14 yrs!)

The responsible breeders have to be very, very careful - because their TRUE intent should be to maintain and improve the breed - NOT to 'make money'. Ask any responsible breeder - they aren't in this to make money, or teach their kids 'life lessons', or 'continue the personality of a favorite pet' or any other stupid selfish reason. They are in it for love of their breed. If any 'make' money, it's usually for showing, and winning, with their dogs and clients dogs in shows. And it takes alot of knowledge and skill to make a winner. and there are hundreds left behind and culled out of the line, humanely, or inhumanely, for the ONE that 'makes it'.

i just adopted a beautiful Golden girl from a responsible breeder. our Fizz has an amazing pedigree and I'm sure her breeding and care has cost her breeders a couple thousand dollars over her two years of life. But they GAVE her to me - under the condition that I spay her and love her as a housepet, because she has a mild heart defect, did not pass her heart clearances. It will not affect her health or longevity - but since she is not 'perfect' they don't want to take the smallest chance that the defect might show up, or be re-inforced, in her offspring.

Some breeders would have had her killed, or 'sold' her, or bred her anyway - but they cared more about the DOG and the breed, than about money.

I would be happy to talk to this woman about responsible breeding. she no business bringing puppies into this world - If she needs money that badly, she can make it more quickly, easily and safely - by putting HERSELF out on that street corner!

I'm sorry if i offend anyone - but I feel VERY strongly about this issue.

Animal Breeding should be left to those who are willing to put a great deal of research and money and effort INTO it - without expecting anything in return but a betterment of their breed.

laura