So I guess the AKC had some poll of which dog the Obama family should get post-election. Too bad they forgot to include the humanitarian choice, get out to the local shelter and rescue a dog!
AKC has been furthering the marketing of their breeder membership, which does its best to keep the market expensive enough to live on for a small number of breeders. We tried the breeder-as-hobby thing once, its hard and you have to fight uphill against breeders with paid handlers, slick hobby farms, etc. People expect you to not advertise or engage in any sort of normal business marketing or you risk being called a 'puppy mill'. Professional breeders (ie: those in it as a full time job/business) are in the business to make their product desirable and expensive. While most businesses excel on providing the best product at the best price, breeders provide good product (they keep the best product, while using revenue from you to raise/pay handlers/etc) at the price you're willing to part with. This attitude allows the 'puppy mill' industry to proliferate because the 'average joe' who hasn't been infected with desire-of-premium-animals is willing to go to the slot machine of 'hope we get a healthy dog'.
There is a medium between puppy mills and 'professional breeders', and they need to find their voice and ensure that they become the leading provider of pets to those who want purebred animals. This is only way to get out of puppy mill hell, regulation won't do it nearly as well as well accessible, reasonable cost, small breeders. Getting the profit out from breeding low-grade purebred animals at the lowest cost by presenting those 'average joes' with the option of finding a friend or friend-of-a-friend that breeds quality animals at a good price is the best way forward.
We never found the time to check out the UKC and its events, but I'm figuring its worth a shot if we get back into it to start there and enjoy the hobby.
