I remember seeing another dog, a larger mutt, that had to have its front legs removed after an accident. Its owner trained it to hop on its back legs, then it learned how to walk upright, completely vertical like a human. Very weird, almost disconcerting.
Who the hell wants a dog with no front legs? ANS: Bleeding hearts... My mutt better be able to fetch my gorram paper if he wants to eat!
Is it harsh of me to say that I think these dogs should have been put down right when they were born?
OMG. Thalidomide puppies. They're cute.... but I'm pretty sure I'm going to hell, because I can't stop laughing. But seriously, inbred puppies with frightening birth defects are not only funny, they are one of the many reasons why I will never pay money to buy a bred dog.
Poor things. not one for small dogs, but I feel sorry for them. On a semi related not, one of our neighbours has a dog that was bred and bred til it almost killed her. Fucking greddy breeders only care about the cash.
My parents have a Bordeaux Mastiff... Breeding of these dogs is very closely regulated in order to retain breed traits WITHOUT inbreeding. When lineage control of the Rottweiller was loosened, inbreeding started to occur and now you've got many dogs having to be put down due to defects like hip dysplasia.
It really depends on how much research you do and where you go to get your dog. Most of the reputable breeders get most of their clientel via word of mouth--and that's a hell of a lot better than picking a puppy from an ad out the newspaper, like my family did with our dog. Obviously, we love our dog and all, but four hundred dollars was far too much to pay for a dog with massive amounts of fleas (at seven weeks old!!! ), a protruding belly button and an extended dewclaw on both hind legs. That, and there are lots of breeders that are registered with their breeds' AKC's Kennel Club. Most of the folks who would take the time to register with such clubs usually take huge pride in their dogs and want the best for their puppies--including refusing to sell a dog to someone who is clearly ill-prepared for that particular puppy., and making sure the buyer knows what they're getting into. A Cavalier King Charles spaniel is cute as hell (and after seeing the one in "Sex and the City," I wanted it so badly! ), but not everyone will be thrilled to have a dog for which the life expectancy is about ten years due to a certain heart condition that runs through the breed.
Nice in theory, until the classifieds and TV guide sections keep getting "lost" between the porch and your hands.
I once saw a cat that had been paralized as a kitten. It had a HUGE upper body from dragging itself around for years. It was like a body builder or something!
