4 ms·

Shame most people are so obsessed with what breed their dog is. Would lead to less dogs (and cats) in shelters and having to be euthanized if they weren't.

by uhtred 8y ago

bgeeek 8y ago
Maybe if people acted responsibly in the first place there would be less dogs in shelters.
Shivetya 8y ago
the number of dogs in shelters has very little if no correlation to their obsession with particular breeds but instead their lack of understanding what pet ownership is about. Far too many expect animals to adapt fully to their needs and scheduled without regard for the animal's needs. Many also pick up pets because of child pressure or simply fads. 101 Dalmatians was a shit show because of the number which ended up abandoned as people didn't realize that a large dog was an impact. Rescue groups are full of dogs that are abandoned because they are too old, required expensive medication, developed eye issues, or worse. As in, far too many people are not mature enough to own pets. Sadly the same could be said for many having children as well.
- kawsper 8y ago
  Breed specific health issues could indeed be linked to wanting pure breeds instead of a mixed breed. In the UK we have so many staffordshire bull terriers in kennels, or abandoned, they get 24 hours when caught, and then euthanised if not claimed by owners or a rescue, in my opinion it is a product of both irresponsible breeders and irresponsible owners. We are currently fostering a staffie, he is the sweetest thing, a little snugglemonster, but he is one of the lucky ones, most don't survive the 24 hours.
  - bluedino 8y ago
    The USA also has a 'pit bull' problem, everyone wants to breed them in their backyard for some reason. They think they can sell them for a ouple hundred dollars each, end up giving most of them away and turning the rest loose on shelters. And most people who buy one can't take care of it so they put it up for donation. And nobody wants to spay or neuter their damn dogs.
  - slantyyz 8y ago
    >> Breed specific health issues could indeed be linked to wanting pure breeds instead of a mixed breed. Demand definitely has something to do with it. I would also argue that quality of supply has something to do with it too. There are good breeders and bad breeders. I tend to think that the good breeders make every effort to avoid allowing health issues to get bred to the next generation. My breeders would take a dog with health issues out of their breeding program the moment they found out. It also helps that a large number of the people who got their dogs from my breeder have gotten to know each other on social media, so if there's an issue, we're much more likely to hear about it. I have a suspicion that bad breeders likely outnumber good breeders, and produce much more of the supply of purebreds, which increases the incidence of purebreds with health issues.
- sandworm101 8y ago
  And the "Air Bud" movies. And all those Puppies-that-talk cartoon movies. And puppy yoga. And all the "surprise puppy" youtube vids. Pretty much every media event involving puppies has encouraged people to buy dogs who shouldn't own them. Puppies are only puppies for a day or two before they aren't puppies anymore. If I were king of Disney or Youtube I would ban all cute puppy footage. I'd also discourage anyone who has never owned a dog from purchasing a particular breed. If you have no experience with dogs, get a mutt. If you want a larger dog, get a lab-Shepard cross. If smaller, any of the bichon-havanese crosses.
  - jacobush 8y ago
    Disney should have bought this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog%27s_Purpose_(film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog%27s_Purpose_(film) (spoilers, of course)
    - sandworm101 8y ago
      A horrible movie based on an old hollywood trope: The traditional purpose of a dog in a movie is to suffer and die. They are the vehicle for teaching kids about death, a metaphor for human suffering, or to enforce class distinctions as the dog heroically dies defending its betters. This movie just rolls that all together into a series of horrible dog deaths. We see this flipped in pg-13 movies these days where writers, who grew up watching dogs suffer under the old rule, wouldn't dare kill off a dog (independence day, 1 and 2). So the presence of a dog in a scene now reassures the audience that all will be well. But in an R-rated movie... if I see a dog on screen I'm tempted to walk out of the theater because I know it won't end well.
      - chlvsl 8y ago
        its just a dog.
- uhtred 8y ago
  So what happens to all the cats and dogs that are bred that no one buys? Some selfish person says "I want a xxx because they look cute! (And of course I'll get their nasty claws ripped out duh)" And so the breeder produces a whole litter just to supply demand for a single dog or cat. Where do the others go? Best case scenario, a shelter and then a loving home. Let's not talk about worst case scenario.
  - slantyyz 8y ago
    That depends on how ethical the breeder is. My breeder has a waiting list, and you are not guaranteed to be accepted as a potential adopter (i.e., there's a detailed questionnaire to fill, and you have to pass their "smell test" when they meet you). They have a fixed number of litters per year (litter size can vary though, so you can wait a long time to get a dog), and they never increase that number no matter how much demand there is. They never have a problem finding a home for their pups, because they have a reputation for being good breeders and for their dogs not having health issues.
- bluedino 8y ago
  The French Bulldog seems to be the biggest trend on social media right now. Those things are not cheap. $3,000 for a pup is not unheard of.
  - canadapups 8y ago
    Not only is $3,000 not unheard of, it's common. $10K for a french bulldog or small pomeranian or chihuahua is not unheard of.
- bloopernova 8y ago
  So many Corgis and, lately, Samoyeds (big fluffy white dogs) are being bred now, it's upsetting. And the huge popularity of French Bulldogs is depressing to me because they have to be born by c-section. People do want specific traits in dogs though, whether for hunting, for companionship, or agility etc. I just wish breeding dogs had better oversight and certification along with better custodianship of the breed's viability. (i.e. none of this more and more extreme visual traits that many "breed experts" judge against) Especially when you understand just how sentient these beings are. Euthanizing them shouldn't be so widespread. We have serious responsibilities to another species that we are not maintaining, we should be doing better for our dogs.
  - uhtred 8y ago
    We should be doing better for all other animals, there's nothing special about dogs.
  - canadapups 8y ago
    What's wrong with Samoyeds? I understand corgis (dwarfism) and bulldogs (breathing problems) and american german shepherds (hip problems). A quick internet search didn't bring anything up regarding samoyeds and even says they have 12 - 14 life span and breed has been around for a long time.
    - bloopernova 8y ago
      Increased demand leads to backyard breeders who may not have any goal except for churning out puppies. Hip dysplasia and various pancreatic/liver/kidney issues should be proactively monitored for and susceptible dogs should not be bred.
motohagiography 8y ago
This is a common opinion (which I don't agree with) that is worth addressing directly, and it has consequences for how we understand and use the sorting capabilities of AI. The binary outcome consequences of misidentifying a dog breed in an app are not really important, but the ability for the breed to be a factor in informing some other aspect of a model is useful to businesses that optimize cash flows. For example, I love stafforshires, and I also recognize that a machine learning scheme that added them as a factor in a credit risk evaluation might disadvantage a number of people, but be more profitable than a model that did not include it. If this is offensive, consider that breed specific legislation already allows you to be denied home insurance (and consequently, mortgages and equity loans) based on having one of these dogs today. The code in this project could be used to mine social media images for breeds correlated with credit risk factors, and offer interest rates for the owners accordingly, and a credit instrument portfolio that incorporated this factor could outperform one that did not. In regions with breed specific legislation, someone with an banned dog has already demonstrated a deviation in their risk behaviour. Shelters are not full of failed show dogs. In fact the majority of them are mixes, particularly mixes preferred by people who were guided by sentiment over more sound reasoning factors when they got the dog in the first place - hence why the dog is in the shelter, and why they probably can't get credit on favourable terms. Is this just or ethical? No, it's predatory, but that's the social media bargain, and projects like this are worth keeping track of if you like dogs, and access to credit.
- pjc50 8y ago
  > breed specific legislation already allows you to be denied home insurance (and consequently, mortgages and equity loans) based on having one of these dogs today. !
Beefin 8y ago
That’s such a silly thought when you consider every breed has a different temperament, size, life expectancy, intelligence, etc. it’s important to identify what kind of breed you want before getting a dog and IMO the lack of due diligence before hand is the reason so many dogs are given back.

Shame most people are so obsessed with what breed their dog is. Would lead to less dogs (and cats) in shelters and having to be euthanized if they weren't.

by uhtred 8y ago

Shame most people are so obsessed with what breed their dog is. Would lead to less dogs (and cats) in shelters and having to be euthanized if they weren't.

bgeeek 8y ago

Maybe if people acted responsibly in the first place there would be less dogs in shelters.

Shivetya 8y ago

the number of dogs in shelters has very little if no correlation to their obsession with particular breeds but instead their lack of understanding what pet ownership is about. Far too many expect animals to adapt fully to their needs and scheduled without regard for the animal's needs. Many also pick up pets because of child pressure or simply fads. 101 Dalmatians was a shit show because of the number which ended up abandoned as people didn't realize that a large dog was an impact. Rescue groups are full of dogs that are abandoned because they are too old, required expensive medication, developed eye issues, or worse. As in, far too many people are not mature enough to own pets. Sadly the same could be said for many having children as well.

kawsper 8y ago
Breed specific health issues could indeed be linked to wanting pure breeds instead of a mixed breed. In the UK we have so many staffordshire bull terriers in kennels, or abandoned, they get 24 hours when caught, and then euthanised if not claimed by owners or a rescue, in my opinion it is a product of both irresponsible breeders and irresponsible owners. We are currently fostering a staffie, he is the sweetest thing, a little snugglemonster, but he is one of the lucky ones, most don't survive the 24 hours.
- bluedino 8y ago
  The USA also has a 'pit bull' problem, everyone wants to breed them in their backyard for some reason. They think they can sell them for a ouple hundred dollars each, end up giving most of them away and turning the rest loose on shelters. And most people who buy one can't take care of it so they put it up for donation. And nobody wants to spay or neuter their damn dogs.
- slantyyz 8y ago
  >> Breed specific health issues could indeed be linked to wanting pure breeds instead of a mixed breed. Demand definitely has something to do with it. I would also argue that quality of supply has something to do with it too. There are good breeders and bad breeders. I tend to think that the good breeders make every effort to avoid allowing health issues to get bred to the next generation. My breeders would take a dog with health issues out of their breeding program the moment they found out. It also helps that a large number of the people who got their dogs from my breeder have gotten to know each other on social media, so if there's an issue, we're much more likely to hear about it. I have a suspicion that bad breeders likely outnumber good breeders, and produce much more of the supply of purebreds, which increases the incidence of purebreds with health issues.
sandworm101 8y ago
And the "Air Bud" movies. And all those Puppies-that-talk cartoon movies. And puppy yoga. And all the "surprise puppy" youtube vids. Pretty much every media event involving puppies has encouraged people to buy dogs who shouldn't own them. Puppies are only puppies for a day or two before they aren't puppies anymore. If I were king of Disney or Youtube I would ban all cute puppy footage. I'd also discourage anyone who has never owned a dog from purchasing a particular breed. If you have no experience with dogs, get a mutt. If you want a larger dog, get a lab-Shepard cross. If smaller, any of the bichon-havanese crosses.
- jacobush 8y ago
  Disney should have bought this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog%27s_Purpose_(film) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Dog%27s_Purpose_(film) (spoilers, of course)
  - sandworm101 8y ago
    A horrible movie based on an old hollywood trope: The traditional purpose of a dog in a movie is to suffer and die. They are the vehicle for teaching kids about death, a metaphor for human suffering, or to enforce class distinctions as the dog heroically dies defending its betters. This movie just rolls that all together into a series of horrible dog deaths. We see this flipped in pg-13 movies these days where writers, who grew up watching dogs suffer under the old rule, wouldn't dare kill off a dog (independence day, 1 and 2). So the presence of a dog in a scene now reassures the audience that all will be well. But in an R-rated movie... if I see a dog on screen I'm tempted to walk out of the theater because I know it won't end well.
    - chlvsl 8y ago
      its just a dog.
uhtred 8y ago
So what happens to all the cats and dogs that are bred that no one buys? Some selfish person says "I want a xxx because they look cute! (And of course I'll get their nasty claws ripped out duh)" And so the breeder produces a whole litter just to supply demand for a single dog or cat. Where do the others go? Best case scenario, a shelter and then a loving home. Let's not talk about worst case scenario.
- slantyyz 8y ago
  That depends on how ethical the breeder is. My breeder has a waiting list, and you are not guaranteed to be accepted as a potential adopter (i.e., there's a detailed questionnaire to fill, and you have to pass their "smell test" when they meet you). They have a fixed number of litters per year (litter size can vary though, so you can wait a long time to get a dog), and they never increase that number no matter how much demand there is. They never have a problem finding a home for their pups, because they have a reputation for being good breeders and for their dogs not having health issues.
bluedino 8y ago
The French Bulldog seems to be the biggest trend on social media right now. Those things are not cheap. $3,000 for a pup is not unheard of.
- canadapups 8y ago
  Not only is $3,000 not unheard of, it's common. $10K for a french bulldog or small pomeranian or chihuahua is not unheard of.
bloopernova 8y ago
So many Corgis and, lately, Samoyeds (big fluffy white dogs) are being bred now, it's upsetting. And the huge popularity of French Bulldogs is depressing to me because they have to be born by c-section. People do want specific traits in dogs though, whether for hunting, for companionship, or agility etc. I just wish breeding dogs had better oversight and certification along with better custodianship of the breed's viability. (i.e. none of this more and more extreme visual traits that many "breed experts" judge against) Especially when you understand just how sentient these beings are. Euthanizing them shouldn't be so widespread. We have serious responsibilities to another species that we are not maintaining, we should be doing better for our dogs.
- uhtred 8y ago
  We should be doing better for all other animals, there's nothing special about dogs.
- canadapups 8y ago
  What's wrong with Samoyeds? I understand corgis (dwarfism) and bulldogs (breathing problems) and american german shepherds (hip problems). A quick internet search didn't bring anything up regarding samoyeds and even says they have 12 - 14 life span and breed has been around for a long time.
  - bloopernova 8y ago
    Increased demand leads to backyard breeders who may not have any goal except for churning out puppies. Hip dysplasia and various pancreatic/liver/kidney issues should be proactively monitored for and susceptible dogs should not be bred.

motohagiography 8y ago

This is a common opinion (which I don't agree with) that is worth addressing directly, and it has consequences for how we understand and use the sorting capabilities of AI. The binary outcome consequences of misidentifying a dog breed in an app are not really important, but the ability for the breed to be a factor in informing some other aspect of a model is useful to businesses that optimize cash flows. For example, I love stafforshires, and I also recognize that a machine learning scheme that added them as a factor in a credit risk evaluation might disadvantage a number of people, but be more profitable than a model that did not include it. If this is offensive, consider that breed specific legislation already allows you to be denied home insurance (and consequently, mortgages and equity loans) based on having one of these dogs today. The code in this project could be used to mine social media images for breeds correlated with credit risk factors, and offer interest rates for the owners accordingly, and a credit instrument portfolio that incorporated this factor could outperform one that did not. In regions with breed specific legislation, someone with an banned dog has already demonstrated a deviation in their risk behaviour. Shelters are not full of failed show dogs. In fact the majority of them are mixes, particularly mixes preferred by people who were guided by sentiment over more sound reasoning factors when they got the dog in the first place - hence why the dog is in the shelter, and why they probably can't get credit on favourable terms. Is this just or ethical? No, it's predatory, but that's the social media bargain, and projects like this are worth keeping track of if you like dogs, and access to credit.

pjc50 8y ago
> breed specific legislation already allows you to be denied home insurance (and consequently, mortgages and equity loans) based on having one of these dogs today. !

Beefin 8y ago

That’s such a silly thought when you consider every breed has a different temperament, size, life expectancy, intelligence, etc. it’s important to identify what kind of breed you want before getting a dog and IMO the lack of due diligence before hand is the reason so many dogs are given back.