Responsible Dog Ownership????

I visited Crufts on Sunday, it is a wonderful experience for any dog lover and something I have done for the past 10 years.  Seeing the best examples of a breed, presented to the best of their owners abilities, interacting with other dogs and so many people reminds me why I love dogs so much.

This year I didn't stay to watch Best in Show at the NEC, opting to get home for an early night instead so I watched the Toy & Utility group judging and the Best in Show presentation from the comfort of my own sofa.  The dogs were gorgeous (with one exception, the GSD which is another story) and I felt the dogs that won, the Flat Coated Retriever and the Petit Basset Griffon Vandeen, were exceptional and deserved to win.
I then watched the programme 'How to Buy a Puppy' and was incensed to say the least.  It seemed that yet again the documentary producers were labelling all dog breeders irresponsible as well as people that buy puppies.  I don't know about the rest of you, but when I saw the images of the poor animals at the puppy farms, I just wanted to bring them all home and I am sure any other dog lover felt the same.  To hear Professor Crispin refer to these poor animals as 'products' that should be refused as faulty was a shock.  They are living, sentient beings that through no fault of their own have been born into a life of suffering.  Now I appreciate the implications of the health and mental well being of puppy farmed dogs, I am a behaviourist and help deal with these issues everyday but to tell people to speak with their cash is just not possible.

After the shocking programme 'Pedigree Dogs Exposed' the KC invested in the Bateson report, implemented the Accredited Breeders Scheme and promoted the Fit for Function tag, the RSPCA got up on their moral high ground and berated breeders and the show community but what has happened? Nothing.
As a nation we have been trying to stop Puppy farming for 20 years or more, yet it still goes on with heart breaking consequences.  The Dangerous Dogs Act was brought into force to remove dangerous dogs from our streets yet Bateson himself confirmed what we all know and that is that there are more Pit Bulls on our streets now than there were when the DDA was introduced.  Why is that?  It is because nothing is enforced.
Not the unethical breeding of puppies, the sale and ownership of banned breeds, not even the failure to clean up after a dog.  Nothing is enforced.

The experts were talking of compulsory microchipping & puppy contracts in an attempt to increase traceability and accountability of the dogs, their breeders and their owners but as with all things the only people that will do this are responsible breeders and owners.  In the most part this is already being done but the problem is that even if they bring this in no-one will enforce it.

So how do we combat this terrible culture of breeding bad dogs for good money?  How do we ensure that dogs are only going to permanent, loving and caring homes?  I can't say that I have the answers but it would seem to me that bringing in laws, legislation and Acts will not improve anything if there is no-one to enforce them.