Testing for heritage diseases 

 

What breeders can do?

 

We're on a mission to change the way immoral breeders get away with unjust practices. The way resellers buy puppies in bulk from third world countries as cheap as possible and ask you ''the customer.'' Top tier prices for the same puppy they buy dirt cheap. I'm talking about dealers in animals who see the Pomeranian majestic dog as an accessory. Something they can misuse for their own benefit and luxury lifestyle. 

 

Everything starts with ''The breeder'' A good reputable breeder who loves their animals will in my opinion never work with a reseller. Simply because the nurturing of one single Pomeranian puppy is such a devotion and passion to them. They will never sell in bulk for cheap prices and still be able to make profit. This can only be done by people who simply have cash on their mind and no ethics. Treating puppies like stock and products with little love or devotion noticeable. You can guess that tests, vaccinations and keeping the breed as healthy as possible is by these type of breeders not done accordingly. For one simple reason really? It costs money.

 

Money the seed of all evil and the thing we all can't exist without. Of course everyone needs it but greed is so much stronger than the heart of some people unfortunately. Often breeders who simply are in it for the money make these so called ''mistakes'' for one reason: Profit. 

Not vaccinating accordingly and importing puppies way too young so they create more place for breeding in an even more rapid paste. Also a Pomeranian experiences heat twice a year while it's the best for the health and recovery of the body of the female to have a year of rest in between litters and in most European countries this is required so by law.  

 

In Russia however and third world countries there aren't such animal welfare laws in place. More then 650.000 stray dogs are without a home in Russia and crimes against dogs and cats still go severely unpunished by law. It's no wonder when a relationship between mankind and animals is so deeply disturbed and woven within the culture almost like China that animal cruelty and puppyfarms go hand in hand over there. We see beautiful pictures on instagram of gorgeous dogs with beautiful fur and a healthy look. What happens behind that camera is often of a whole different nature. Something we can't even believe exists without witnessing it ourselves. Yet we stimulate it, buy a dog from an online image and order it like a home delivered meal.

 

We only realize how wrong it is. After we are the victim ourselves. When we don't get that image. That beautiful puppy that we wanted so badly and didn't have the patience to wait for from a reputable breeder. We demand it now and we want it whenever we please it. 

But it turns out the fairytale didn't exist and in the best case you are scammed and never received a puppy. In the worst case a hopeless creature with all kinds of health issues arrives on your doorstep.

 

Exhausted from a 4 day trip in a cramped van with at least 10 other puppies in it. It doesn't look that beautiful when you know all these facts and yet people make the choice to buy and import every single day. 

 

So what can breeders do? Guide potential costumers away from the Russian and third country breeders. Point out the risks and clearly state that a Pomeranian has lots of health issues that should be tested before breeding with breeding animals. Enforce potential buyers to join clubs and get informed accordingly about toy breeds.

 

I know in this modern day and age we live in everyone is responsible for their own choices but if we who love this royal breed so incredibly much make just a little effort to inform those who simply didn't dive into it. It could make a big difference. 

 

Also a good breeder in my opinion tests on the most common diseases that could be inherent from the parent animals. Although this doesn't give a warranty on these illnesses occurring the chances do get slimmer and more calculated.  

 

Which testing should a reputable breeder do: 

 

-Dna testing to proof a puppy is purebred 

-Patellar Luxation report from an orthopedic specialist of the breeding animals

-Chiari malformation and syringomyelia an MRI Scan investigated by a neurological expert to determine breeding animals are free from this neurological condition. *

 

* Mainly in Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxemburg, Germany and UK cm/sm testing is already done by reputable breeders. Some good breeders in different countries still aren't informed correctly by their own spitz clubs or don't have a neurological expert in this field available yet. Therefore I can not say that all breeders who don't test regarding this serious illness are per se ''Bad'' I would still consider buying from a breeder who tests or else I would definitely have to visit the breeder multiple times and see all other testing is done correctly. 

 

Other things that are very important and good breeders will do whatever they can to keep this from occurring in their breeding are: 

-An open fontanel (soft spots in the skull) which makes a fall life threatening.

-Trachea collaps (a form of tracheal obstruction caused by flaccidity and flattening of the cartilaginous rings which support the trachea) Which makes it difficult to breath as it stays untreated and gets more severe over time.