Aggressive Behavior in my female animal

[Giselle]

By the way, Pekemom, I can see that you're putting a lot of thought into your pups and I really do commend you for keeping such an open mind. But the issue of pet overpopulation is just as bad, if not worse, down South/in the boonies. I was reading an article about pilots who fly pets from overpopulated areas into areas with less of the problem. Here's a quote:

The mission-of-mercy relocations are flown by general aviation pilots who have signed on with the recently formed Pilots N Paws, a Web-based message board where pilots can access information about animals in need.

Once the electronic connection is made, dogs plucked by rescuers from death row — mostly in the South where sterilization rates are low and pet overpopulation is rampant — are loaded onto small planes and flown one, two or six at a time to rescue groups and shelters that have available space.

Some food for thought

[Pekemom]

I don't exactly live in the "boonies" at the moment, but the problem is actually less in places like that because there are fewer people in more agricultural areas. The problem comes closer to the small towns where certain laws concerning animals aren't priority-mainly leashing. This allows animals to run around and do as they please. The South historically has higher rates of poverty and lower income households (mainly due to the coal industry and agricultural roots). This higher concentration of lower income families who cannot afford neutering and so forth allows for the animal populations to get out of control. That isn't exactly the problem of overbreeding that has been eluded to since people aren't choosing to breed the animals, the animals just aren't being controlled.

The area I live in now (towards the mountains) has less of a problem with what I just mentioned than the area I came from. You just don't see as many dogs running around wild here-I'm not sure if it's due to the mountains, more species of wildlife, or just stricter enforcement of laws and neutering. Areas like this are areas that house more breeders, but the types of breeds being bred here are mainly limited to a few varieties.

Honestly, I don't understand why shelters charge so much in adoption fees in areas that have problems like this. I have seen people whose animals have a litter simply give the pups away for free. People are much more likely to want free animals than pay for animals from a shelter (at least the lower income families I mentioned). I don't think this is anything bad on their part-they aren't purposefully encouraging certain breeding issues. I also don't think that families should be excluded from enjoying the happiness that animals bring to a home simply because they aren't as affluent or as knowledgeable as other families.

The only reason I'd want to breed my animals is that I enjoy them. I like the breed quite a bit. I've not found any Peke breeders in this area because they aren't a popular breed here. Many members of my family have fallen in love with the breed too, but they've not found any Pekes to adopt. I'm sure when I say I'd possibly like to "breed" my animals one day makes some think that I'd be breeding my animals twice a year and selling off litters of 7, 8, 9 pups...that isn't the case. I'd likely not breed them often....and like I've stated, I've not decided either way yet.

[mruffruff]

Shelters charge the fees they do because of the services they have provided for the animal. In South Carolina, any animal leaving the shelter must, by law, be spayed or neutered. All shots need to be up to date. And some of the animals have been housed and fed for some time, until they are healthy enough to be adopted. Adopters should not need to see a vet for the first year. In the case of very young animals, the adopters are given vouchers for the spay/neutering, to be used at the appropriate time.

Some shelters are willing to work with lower income families so they can have the pet they want. I know ours does. Ours also has 'two-fer"s where the price includes two animals.

"Free" animals aren't really free if you are a responsible owner. An initial vet bill for shots and spay/neutering can run over $150 in most places.

I have to agree that the leash laws aren't enforced enough. In fact, most of the animal laws are considered nuisance laws by the enforcement agencies.

Often in the 'boonies' the litters are disposed of quickly when they are born. Some are food for larger animals and some die of starvation/hypothermia, etc.

I hope that the litter you plan to have is pre-adopted. That is, that you have good homes for each of the pups before you begin the breeding process.