AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month on September, 2024: does everyone know what month it is?

September, 2024 is AKC Responsible Dog Ownership Month 2024. September Holidays - Strange, Unusual, & Weird September Observances AKC Responsible Dog Ownership

Who gets to decide these things? I want black history month switched to December.

Co-owning a Dog (For people who have co-owned only, plz!)?

Co-ownership can be a good thing for a novice, especially if you've never owned a show or performance dog. But you need a very clear, concise CONTRACT spelling out all the expectations, understandings (including price) and any possible rebates for titles earned. Co-ownerships can be good or they can be bad, depending on the people involved & the wording of the contract. (There are no rules and AKC nor WCA are not able to help you, if you don't like it, after you agree to it.)

In my co-owner contracts (when I co-owned a dog with my breeder) it was spelled out how many times the dog had to be shown towards its championship, whether we could do it ourselves, or had to hire a handler ($$). In some cases, the breeder has the talent and ability to show & it should be stated (if they will be showing) & what (if any) expenses you have, in that case. Do you pay a handler fee, do you pay gas mileage, do you need to go too? My breeder required we screen the hips (for hip dysplasia) regardless of whether the dog turned out finishable. (She wanted to know what every dog she bred, turned out like, as to hip health). That was at our expense. There could be other health screenings required like thyroid, or CERF for eyes.

We also had to meet certain requirements, if we wanted to change the ownership over to NOT co-own forever (so we did have an OUT). I think at some point, maybe by age two years for the dog, & after the hips are screened and the dog is either finished or has a major (etc.) you ought to be able to own the dog outright, if you want to. You could state that the breeder gets one stud service, free of charge, regardless of your ownership status, if that was part of the co-ownership (so she doesn't loose all rights to the dog's bloodline). Or, you could decide she will have the dog collected & she will store the sperm, to be used as she sees fit.

Breeding control or stud service may be part of the co-ownership. Our breeder was to get one puppy back (if a female and bred) or one stud service, provided 2 live puppies resulted. You also need to indicate who gets first pick, on any resulting puppies (you or the breeder).

In one case, I paid the same price everybody else did for a co-owned "show quality" dog, in another case (after we had a track record of being responsible owners, who did show) I was able to get a show quality puppy for less (than full price) as long as we made a good faith effort to finish the dog.

I also need to think any contract should state what happens if your dog is not finishable & how that will be determined. (Example: the dog will be shown X number of times by the breeder or a professional handler) and what happens if the dog ends up with bad hips (as he can't be or should not be bred) or if he comes down with any other serious health problem. Can you neuter, and under what circumstances?

PS The wording should be the puppy won Reserve Winners, at a Weim specialty. He did not win the specialty, nor did he win a specialty for reserve winners. (The Winner's dog & Winner's bitch won the specialty) he was the runner-up, to the winner. How many dogs did he beat? (Some specialties are very small, others are huge.) Does he have any points towards his championship? How many times has he been shown? Do any of his littermates have points? Have dogs finished out of either of his parents? Do you like the dog's temperament, because you'll have to live with that forever, regardess of whether he gets a CH.

Please help California save their Cats & Dogs?

While PETA and HSUS are supporters of this bill, they are not solely responsible for it. California has a very strong Animal Rights movement, and this bill is just the next step in their agenda of preventing pet ownership. If passed, this bill will effectively put dog shows, cat shows, and all legitimate breeders out of business.

The law would require neuter or spay by 4 months of age. One can receive an "exception" by proving that the dog has competed in a "legitimate show" or is competing to earn a title. Problem is, dogs are not eligible to show at licensed events until they are 6 months old. At 4 months, many dogs are not mature enough to even assess whether they will turn out to be show quality, and have certainly not had sufficient training to compete in any performance event.

This is a bad bill, particularly in its revised form. It is opposed by the American Kennel Club and others who support the responsible ownership, breeding and showing of purebred dogs and cats. Since there is no provision to exempt animals traveling from other states for show purposes the state of California stands to lose MILLIONS of dollars in revenue due to the cancellation of dog shows and other dog and cat events throughout the state. 3 of the 10 largest shows in the country are currently held in California, including the most prestigious AKC/Eukanuba National Championship show held in Long Beach. In 2006, almost 300,000 exhibitors competed in AKC licensed dog events in California, contributing $92 MILLION to the state economy. This bill will effectively eliminate all future competiton in the state by outlawing all unneutered animals.

Responsible pet owners are not the problem. Mandatory spay/neuter for all pets is not the solution. Education, not legislation, is the answer.