Breeder Beware-Red Flags - Page 7

I cried when I saw that face the very first time, maybe two years ago, a few times since, again when I wrote about it today and nearly EVERY time I see an old dog on Petfinder with the word URGENT next to it.
You have permission to cry reading it.

Below is one of just 4 such emails I got this week. In three to four weeks time I will have received between 10-15 emails and phone calls. In 14 years of doing this, I have placed more than 500 GSDS and had I had the ability, could likely have placed 4-5 times as many. Many are people dumping their old dog, like the asshole woman whose husband called me wanting to dump their 10 year old GSD they had had since it was 8 weeks old. How could one do that? I can't bring easily bring myself to euthanize dogs  or take strays to our local shelter. Some say they are moving and won't take the dog. Most have problem dogs who bark, jump fences, or bite. But the people think such dogs would be a great dog for me to place with a police department. WRONG.

A woman " has surrendered her german Sheppard that  is a service dog, and I was able to pay someone to care for it until Friday, after that I may have to call animal control to pick her up and they will surely uthanize her due to her age. She has no behavior problems, she has never been walked, she has been neglected but is so good and will do any thing you ask. Can you please help her?"

Or, try this one I received last night:
" Jack is a German Shepherd/Chow Chow mix who will be 2 in August.  He has been neutered, microchipped and is up to date on all shots.  He has been in our family since he was  6 months old.  I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old and another dog, Jenna (Wheaton Terrier) and he has never shown any aggression or ugliness to them.  He is smart, housetrained and knows how to sit and come.  I am a part time stay at home mom and spend most of the day and night with Jack.  He is obedient and listens when told no or sit.  He will try to grab food off the table or counter, but only after we have finished eating.  He is polite.  I would say that is his only "bad" habit inside the house.

However, he is very territorial.  He dominates any other dogs who come in our home or yard.  He has nipped our neighbor.  He barks at anyone and anything that comes within eye range of the house.  It is the fear that he will do something worse to a passerby or neighbor that leads me to have to put him up for adoption.  He jumps our 4 foot fence.  I am having to put him on a lead during the day and he is able to have free run of the backyard after 8pm.   I don't have the time to work with him and "rehabilitate" him I am going to have to give him up. He has just started this behavior and I have no idea why or how to help him.   I know that with a loving family or person who has the time for him he could overcome these personality problems and be a fantastic dog."
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Bullshit, I say. This kind of email makes me particularly angry. And it likely is only half the story. These kinds of people make me ill.

Sorry, now I have hijacked the thread as well. But it hit a nerve.

Not all service dogs are from an organization. 

I took in a service dog also a 10 yr old that the gal couldn't handle anymore, she wasn't using him for service, then gave him up because he was getting neurotic, well so would I if I had a job my whole life and then suddenly I wasn't needed anymore? I found a wonderful home for him in another service home...doing great! Took in a 12 yr old deaf dog, they were going to put her down because she barked at everyone that came to the business...worried about her biting someone, didn't realize that she was startled from her sleep is all. I took her home and had her another (4) -FOUR wonderful years..she lived till she was 16!!! I have so many stories it would break your heart, go to my website and check out the forum there...I lost(had to put to sleep) 4 seniors this summer...all rescues that no-one wanted!!! It really hurts deep... I am getting in another 9 yr old female,breeding pair!!! they have had as a puppy and come to find out, she was tied on a line all those years. They are keeping their male of 8 yrs, tied on a line..Go figure...I am running out of room... Just got in an 8 month old registered girl, not fixed yet. Beautiful dog, said she was now too much to handle...my foster guy took her around town and doesn't see any issues at all with her... Sorry, maybe we need to start another thread, I could go on and on... www.montanagsdrescue.org STeph

Not all service dogs are from an organization. 

Then how are they getting certified?  Where are they from?  Sorry to hijack but I've noticed lately that people are saying their dog is a service dog when it just means they want to take their dog everywhere with them.  The dog has had no official training, they just call their poopsie a service dog.  There was a woman somewhere who tried to sue because stores and restaurants wouldn't allow her dog and she said she HAD to have it with her or she would get panic attacks.  No certification, no training, no nothing, but SHE said the dog performed a service.  Geez.  They all do in that respect.

The reason this bugs me is because I foresee problems with these untrained dogs because they HAVEN'T been trained, and it's going to cause trouble down the line for the real, trained service dogs.  Also, legitimate service organizations help with retired dogs.  

 ess, 

In the case above, I do not know if the dog really is "certified" by some legit organization or not. I do agree with you however that more and more we are seeing people who get a dog and then call it a "service dog" because they want to. More often than not, the dog has little to no training. This is improper and will indeed eventually cause problems for all the people who really have need of a service dog. With many people doing this, it is about their psychological problems. While I am very sympathetic to anyone having any kind of health problem, to misuse the term "service dog" is not kosher and should be stopped. And yes, legitimate serve organizations do help place retired dogs or dogs who must be given up for some other reason.

According to Federal law, a service dog is by definition any dog that has been trained to help its disabled handler. My dog was trained by me and does a great job. She does a variety of tasks for me which I did not need an organization to teach her to do. It is nobody's business but the disabled person's, and nobody should second-guess a service dog handler just because the disability is not easily apparent. Yes, there are a few freaks who call their itty bitty baby darling purse pooches "service dogs," but that is just the way the cookie crumbles. Do not be suspicious of people who need dogs' help just because of a few liars. The real disabled people don't deserve that suspicion.

The real disabled also don't need people who abuse the concept of having a dog designated as a "service dog". 

It's just something you're stuck with. Jackasses ain't going away for little old me.