Today show recommends Christmas puppies

[Redyre_Rottweilers]

PLEASE WRITE!!!

During the 9:30 segment on NBC's Today show they had a segment about how to get "bargains" on Christmas gifts and included PUPPIES!! Though they briefly say "make sure the person actually wants a puppy" but then went on to "endorse" a "designer breed" puppy mill OR you can go to a shelter.

Here is a link to Their "list"

Please write and tell them that we are disappointed that they would include puppies as a viable gift and that they would include a puppymill for "mutts" just makes it that much worse - Mulberry Farm

To email Today, this is the email addy they give: today@nbc.com

PLEASE FORWARD

[rmci]

I'm very disappointed and will drop them an email

[rottielover]

emailing tonight

[Rivsky]

I can't believe they did that - I will email as well.

[bigdoglover]

already did....as soon as I saw the segment, I jumped up, yelling, and went straight to the computer!

[KennelMom]

ARGH! Email sent!!!

[IceyBlueSibes]

I sent one too!

[BrkCollie]

Every dog breed is really a "Designer Breed". New breeds are usually created from mixes. Rough Collies are a cross between a Newfoundland and a Borzoi. The Today Show cannot make everyone happy.

[Cassiepeia]

Originally Posted by BrkCollie

Every breed is a "Designer Breed". New breeds are usually created from mixes. Rough Collies are a cross between a Newfoundland and a Borzoi. The Today Show cannot everyone happy.

Established breeds are the result of many, many years of careful selective breeding for a purpose.
'Designer breeds' are money making tools. They are almost all first generation crosses with the 'breeders' not interested in creating a new breed, let alone in the health or temperaments of the dogs involved. They're bred by backyard breeders and puppymillers.

Not only is it irresponsible for this show to promote puppymills and backyard breeders, it is also extremely irresponsible of them to promote giving animals as gifts for xmas.

This is why everyone here is so angry about it.

Cass.

[rmci]

Originally Posted by BrkCollie

Every breed is a "Designer Breed". New breeds are usually created from mixes. Rough Collies are a cross between a Newfoundland and a Borzoi. The Today Show cannot everyone happy.

I'm not dissappointed about them mentioning designer breeds, but that they would have puppies on their top gift list. Most puppies given as gifts end up at the shelter.

[rmci]

Originally Posted by Cassiepeia

Established breeds are the result of many, many years of careful selective breeding for a purpose.
'Designer breeds' are money making tools. They are almost all first generation crosses with the 'breeders' not interested in creating a new breed, let alone in the health or temperaments of the dogs involved. They're bred by backyard breeders and puppymillers..

Without meeting every single breeder of designer dogs, this is only opinion, not fact. I'm not saying that a large percentage of designer dog breeders are not in it for the money, but there might be some who's intentions are for the good of the dog. Besides, you hear about the same sort of thing with purebreds.

The original golden doodle went through careful selective breeding in Australian, it's the American version that's more of a problem.

Anyway, giving a pet for a gift is not a good idea unless you know that the person is willing to be responsible for the lifetime of the dog.

[BrkCollie]

Originally Posted by rmci

Without meeting every single breeder of designer dogs, this is only opinion, not fact. I'm not saying that a large percentage of designer dog breeders are not in it for the money, but there might be some who's intentions are for the good of the dog. Besides, you hear about the same sort of thing with purebreds.

The original golden doodle went through careful selective breeding in Australian, it's the American version that's more of a problem.

Anyway, giving a pet for a gift is not a good idea unless you know that the person is willing to be responsible for the lifetime of the dog.

I agree. I do not think it is a good idea to give a puppy as a gift unless the person plans on keeping the dog for as long as the dog lives.

[Beryl]

Not only is it irresponsible for this show to promote puppymills and backyard breeders, it is also extremely irresponsible of them to promote giving animals as gifts for xmas.

This is why everyone here is so angry about it.

Cass.

Yes. You'd think that a network of their size would have knowledgeable people who would have done something to change the message. They should have focused more on shelters and responsible breeders. I can forgive a mom & pop station but not NBC.

[BrkCollie]

I do not see anything wrong with breeding mixes to create new breeds as long as they are not doing it for the money.

[Cassiepeia]

Without meeting every single breeder of designer dogs, this is only opinion, not fact. I'm not saying that a large percentage of designer dog breeders are not in it for the money, but there might be some who's intentions are for the good of the dog.

If they believed in doing things to benefit the dogs and not themselves they wouldn't be breeding these mixes. Perhaps they would be spending the massive amount of time and money it takes to create a new breed. But they're not. Breeding the way they are now is to the detriment of all the breeds involved, not to mention the huge numbers of dogs and pups in shelters.

Besides, you hear about the same sort of thing with purebreds.

No one, especially me, denies that puppymills and byb breed pure breed dogs just as irresponsibly as mix breeds.

The original golden doodle went through careful selective breeding in Australian, it's the American version that's more of a problem.

You're thinking of the Labradoodle which was originally created by a man from the Victorian Guide Dog Association to help visually impared people with allergies...These dogs were never refined into a breed by the Association, and they are now farmed by puppymills and byb down here. You'd be extremely hard pressed to find a reputable Labradoodle breeder in Australia. Not saying it's totally impossible (although I'm extremely skeptical) but it's very, very hard.

Although I believe we need to deal with our major over population problem here before adding any new breeds to our already extensive collection, I do not have a problem with responsible, reputable people striving to create healthy, sound dogs of a new breed.

But since this is something that is such an enormous effort, I am always very dubious of anyone claiming to do it.

Cass.