# Another reminder to choose your breeder carefully:



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Retired (retiring) female from a good responsible breeder:

















Retired breeding female from a very irresponsible breeder:

















It's hard to see in the photos, but you could hang your hat on this girl's hip bones and her spine sticks up a good 2 inches. She came into Good Shepherd Rescue yesterday as part of a group of 5 GSDs and some other dogs that were seized in a puppy mill case. The owners were convicted of animal cruelty.


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

That's just depressing. Second girl's fur looks matted, and I didn't think that was possible with stock coat dogs.


----------



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

That poor girl.  Are you going to be fostering any of them?


----------



## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

Konotashi said:


> That's just depressing. Second girl's fur looks matted, and I didn't think that was possible with stock coat dogs.


Not common, but likely if the dog is sitting in it's own feces all day .

Just breaks my heart.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Jax08 said:


> That poor girl.  Are you going to be fostering any of them?


No, I've had to reach the difficult conclusion that Kopper really doesn't like other dogs. He's not aggressive or reactive so long as they stay out of his personal space, but if a dog he doesn't know gets too close to him (6 or 8 inches), he can get aggressive in a heartbeat. I have to work on that before I can consider fostering again.


----------



## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

That is heartbreaking. I'm glad they were rescued. The pics are a good visual of your point, it's so unfortunate that's the real word.


----------



## Samba (Apr 23, 2001)

I have a foster who I think looks even worse. She had recently been bred also. Terrible. I can only take so much and then need a break. Don't know how my rescue friends deal day in and day out!

My dogs do not necessarily like the fosters who come through our home for a sojourn. I don't ever mix them with my personal dogs.


----------



## Heidigsd (Sep 4, 2004)

OMG...


----------



## DanielleOttoMom (May 11, 2010)

Wow Emily!! That's so sad!  Poor momma dog!


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Yeah, I have one dog that is a no-no with fosters. Hopefully someday he will be able to interact with them. 

Was mom 1 shaved? Or thyroid? 

Thanks for sharing this. Every choice has a consequence. Unfortunately our choices in where we get our dogs impact more than just the dog we get.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> Yeah, I have one dog that is a no-no with fosters. Hopefully someday he will be able to interact with them.
> 
> Was mom 1 shaved? Or thyroid?


Not that I know of?  She has a really close coat. Not quite a mole coat, but it's a tight coat. I think in that one picture it looks tighter than it is though.


----------



## BlackthornGSD (Feb 25, 2010)

Emoore said:


> Not that I know of?  She has a really close coat. Not quite a mole coat, but it's a tight coat. I think in that one picture it looks tighter than it is though.


This was the "well cared for" dam... So, if she's recently weaned puppies, she is probably also very out of coat--the hormones drop when the puppies are born and momma dogs go through a big shed right about the time for puppies to go home.


----------



## KSdogowner (Jun 22, 2011)

Oh my gosh Emoore, that is heartbreaking. That poor baby. I am glad she finally has a chance of a happy life with the Rescue group taking care of her. So very sad.


----------



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> Thanks for sharing this. Every choice has a consequence. Unfortunately our choices in where we get our dogs impact more than just the dog we get.



THIS! That is what ticks me off when people buy a puppy from a puppy mill knowing full well and then saying they "rescued" or "adopted" that dog because it was in a bad situation. You're just giving them money and the cycle continues! If you really want to make a change, offer to buy or "rescue" the brood bitch like the one in these photos.


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Liesje said:


> THIS! That is what ticks me off when people buy a puppy from a puppy mill knowing full well and then saying they "rescued" or "adopted" that dog because it was in a bad situation. You're just giving them money and the cycle continues! If you really want to make a change, offer to buy or "rescue" the brood bitch like the one in these photos.


Amen Amen Amen


----------



## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

Oh my gosh.....so sad. The first bitch sure looks lovely, but the second one...


----------



## PupperLove (Apr 10, 2010)

Liesje said:


> THIS! That is what ticks me off when people buy a puppy from a puppy mill knowing full well and then saying they "rescued" or "adopted" that dog because it was in a bad situation. You're just giving them money and the cycle continues! If you really want to make a change, offer to buy or "rescue" the brood bitch like the one in these photos.


I have to completley agree!!!! There are going to be tons and tons and tons of puppy mill dogs in bad situations in the future too if people continue to buy them! It will never, ever, end.....


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

BlackthornGSD said:


> This was the "well cared for" dam... So, if she's recently weaned puppies, she is probably also very out of coat--the hormones drop when the puppies are born and momma dogs go through a big shed right about the time for puppies to go home.


I am looking at the second photo, and what I believe is her tail. I did not realize that the coat blow would make their tails look like a bad thyroid tail. I haven't seen that before!

Update on the puppy mill girl I posted earlier
Emoore updated puppy mill mom.


----------



## Gwenhwyfair (Jul 27, 2010)

With all the press about puppy mills and how bad they are it just boggles my mind that people just can't say no.

There are a few small mom/pop pet shops around here that I would patronize but I don't because they always have that 'puppy in the window', advertised as "AKC registered" to make it seem they are somehow more legit.

I won't spend not even a penny at a business that sells puppies.

I also don't refer business to them for that reason.


----------



## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

JeanKBBMMMAAN said:


> I am looking at the second photo, and what I believe is her tail. I did not realize that the coat blow would make their tails look like a bad thyroid tail. I haven't seen that before!
> .


Huh. Good question. I honestly have no idea. I didn't notice it in the photo. Every time I saw her she was bright-eyed and in good condition and dropping the ball in my lap every 2 seconds LOL. I didn't specifically notice her tail, but I didn't specifically *not* notice it, if you know what I mean. :shrug:


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Well, I have a little OCD/Dog Hypochondria mix, so when I look at a dog...I look at it differently! I would rather just enjoy them! 

http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/health-issues/91459-thyroid-testing.html
Nina's tail - after the meds - got to ridiculously huge proportions! But you can see it was just a twist there. 

Sorry to threadjack - even if that is thyroid, there is an obvious difference in the care the girls have gotten - and the puppy mill girl looks like she either has some kind of skin/coat condition like mange (either), pyoderma, worm-related poor coat, allergies - to my neurotic eye, something is not right there, in addition to the lack of brushing care. that is seen here. Even in the photo after bath...on the other thread. 

Glad she is now getting some TLC.


----------

