Dogs. We love them. It's hard to walk past a dog without wanting to pet it. Some of us, like me, have even been late to class because we were petting a dog. Society is obsessed with dogs. I mean, we have the Puppy Bowl, numerous books and movies about dogs, even a competition based on the looks and behaviors dogs.
And that's where our problem lies.
See, many people are obsessed with "pure bred" dogs. We always ask a dog owner "Oh, what breed is him/her?" and we get a "Oh, a corgi!" or "He's half-X and half-Y."
The American Kennel Club recognizes 202 dog breeds. But, these dogs are "Purebred" dogs. These are dogs like Great Danes, Bulldogs, Chihuahuas, etc. They do not recognize "mixed-breed" dogs, such as cockapoos.
What a lot of people don't realize is that these purebred dogs are a result of massive inbreeding. This is because kennel clubs refuse to allow dogs to mate outside of their breed. These have led to many physical problems. Bulldogs, for example, must deliver their pups via C-section, as their heads are too big for natural birth. Pugs are prone to breathing problems, due to their squashed faced. Great Danes are known to live short lives, due to their massive height, which can lead to muscle problems.
So why on earth do people care so much about pure bred dogs? Can't they see that these poor creatures are prone to suffering? Why don't we cross-breed dogs, in the hope that some of their medical conditions would go away?
Because they wouldn't be cute.
In the wild, dogs (or, any animal for that matter) wouldn't care about breeding within their breed. Is this dog another dog? Great! Let's make puppies. This is actually pretty beneficial. It allows good genes to be passed down from one generation from the next. Say one breed of dogs has a history of a certain condition. Breeding with a dog from a different breed would allow that condition to potentially become rare/get wiped out. Honestly, we all probably learned about this in high school biology.
So why don't kennel clubs just suck it up and allow dogs to crossbreed? Yes, pugs and bulldogs are cute, but they're suffering. And you know what, mutts are cute too. I have a cockapoo (half-Cocker Spaniel, half-Poodle), and he is the cutest little thing ever.
Just look at his adorable, healthy face!
So, what can we do to help end the breeding of "purebred" dogs? Well, for starters: adopt, don't shop! Not only are purebred dogs prone to more medical conditions, but a lot of the time, puppy mills will use the allure of purebred dogs to get people to buy their dogs. Are these dogs actually purebred? Probably not; the monsters who run puppy mills are more intent on making a profit than making sure their dogs are purebred. Another thing you can do is spread the word. Education always helps!
So get to your local shelter and go rescue a dog... or two... or three... or four... maybe even five...
