Before the Obama family acquired the lovable bundle of boundless energy that First Daughters Sasha and Malia christened Bo -- who did not, unfortunately, come from a shelter -- it's safe to say that many Americans had never heard of the Portuguese water dog. Now, this once-obscure working breed is likely to become the newest pet fad and the must-have puppy of the moment. That bodes ill for Porties and for many of their future families.
When it comes to America's favorite companion animal, it doesn't take much to touch off a new doggie fad. The Disney movie "101 Dalmatians" spawned a public craze to own the speckled firehouse mascots. Taco Bell ads featuring a cute, talking Chihuahua did the same for those feisty little lap dogs. Celebrities photographed with high-priced crossbreeds like malteagles (beagle and Maltese) and poochons (bichon frisé and poodle) have recently triggered a huge market in so-called designer dogs.
Now that Bo has captured the public's imagination, it's only a matter of time before the demand for Portuguese water dogs soars. With Portie puppies selling for $2,000 and up, many of the nation's 10,000 puppy mills will restock their breeding populations to cash in on the hype.
Despite the constant negative publicity on the cruelty of puppy mills and the inherent problems owners face when buying a factory-farmed and often inbred dog, an unsuspecting public continues to pay top dollar for defective "merchandise." Most people wouldn't dream of buying an expensive appliance from a retailer knowing there's a strong likelihood of soon having to pay thousands of dollars for repairs. Yet many continue to gamble by purchasing puppies from pet stores and off the Internet rather than visiting their local shelter or contacting a breed rescue group.
Inbreeding, minimal or no veterinary care, poor-quality food, inadequate shelter, filthy conditions, and the lack of a loving human touch are the norm in an industry that treats dogs like a cash crop. Consumers often end up buying pets that suffer from an array of veterinary problems or harbor genetic diseases that surface years later.
The pups retail for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars and often end up costing owners thousands more in vet bills -- if the sickly animals don't end up having to be euthanized. Of course, the greatest price is paid by the breeding dogs who will never leave their cages at the puppy mill.
When Porties begin to show up in numbers for sale on the Internet and in retail pet stores, buyer beware! Puppy mills are notorious for producing dogs with a high incidence of parvovirus, distemper, pneumonia, heartworm, mange, intestinal parasites, chronic diarrhea and dental problems. As your pet matures, don't be surprised to find yourself at the vet's office dealing with heart and kidney disease; respiratory, musculoskeletal and endocrine disorders; epilepsy; deafness, or eye problems.
There's another compelling reason to choose a mixed-breed pet from your local animal shelter or a purebred from a rescue group. While commercial producers crank out some 4 million puppies annually, shelters euthanize nearly 2 million dogs for lack of enough good homes. By choosing adoption instead of a puppy mill purchase, you'll begin the process of helping dry up the market for puppies from these operations.
