I have withdrawn from this discussion by deleting my contribution. I don't mind being challenged, or debating the issues, because I can and do give informed replies. Words are all I have online so I (usually) choose them carefully. Before this, I had a very solid "score" that indicated that I generally behave myself and that people don't mind my input, even if they don't agree. While I realize it is just numbers, it bothers me as it is simply evidence of a pervading vindictive malice--with people giving high scores to those they agree with and "beating up" people they don't.

As long as we are at war, the deficit will go up. This is an unavoidable fact. During Bush's admin, it went up 4 Trillion (By the way--Bush holds the record for the most contribution to the national debt of any administration). Obama has not "quadrupled it" (where do you people get your numbers from anyway?).

No he hasn't. He vetoed an appropriations bill in January. His threat to veto specific bills has kept most of the ones he won't sign off his desk. You can look up a list of the bills he has signed, for yourself, but my bet is you won't.

And FYI--Clinton (who I am not a fan of and did not vote for) vetoed 36 bills in his eight years, while Bush vetoed only 11 in the same amount of time. 33% of Bush's (sadly, I did vote for him) vetoes were overridden by congress (like the farm bill), while only 5% of Clinton's were. Most of the bills Bush did sign without comment were designed to put more money in the pockets of big business (remember the trickle down theory? Big businesses were given tax breaks that were designed to encourage more hiring. My husband's company took the tax break and sent his job overseas).

NAFTA was a mistake. The Clintons now agree with this. Both Bush's oversaw the deregulation of big business and you can see where that got us. I think both administrations failed to understand the sheer greed of the machine.

So for once, buying the store bran (Best Choice) is to our advantage.

I'm not typically inclined to make an issue of this, but does this strike anyone else as sexist? How many male cops behave badly when they're off duty(and I'm not sure this falls into that category), but we don't hear about it unless it breaks a law (and often not even then)?

Quote from article: "Dean says she bought the gun after her estranged husband knocked her unconscious in February . . ."

Can someone please tell me why was this guy was allowed to do this twice? How is it that was he not put in jail for a year or two after the first offense?

And, yes, I agree. She needs to learn how to handle that gun under duress. IF there is a next time, I hope it ends with the animal on the ground and unable to get up.

Answering machines were one of God's better inventions.

I'm not going to play the "who knows more" game with you. You can be the winner of that contest if it's important to you. However, I'm familiar with how many times a dog typically comes into heat, etc. If you're a breeder, you know that most of them come into heat twice a year with larger breeds coming into season less often and some coming into heat every four. Since we're talking averages, and most dogs come into heat roughly three months after weaning puppies, I'd say two litters a year puts a dog pregnant or nursing for roughly eight months out of twelve, which certainly sounds like most of the time to me.

As per the risk of pyometra: What a good reason to spay instead of breeding your dog.

There is a whole lot more that goes into selecting the right dogs to breed and preparing puppies for new homes than simply providing for their physical needs. The USDA's standards do not address this issue because they are concerned only with the animal's health while in the possession of the breeder, not what happens to them after they leave the kennel. We're not talking cattle whose temperament is secondary to the amount of meat or milk they produce, we're talking companion animals that will be a big part of people's lives for twelve or more years. When animals are bred at high volume, with little regard for the individual animals being produced, you get sub-standard temperaments and genetic problems. This kind of breeding brought us numerous deaf Dalmatians, German Shepherds (my personal passion) with hip Dysplasia and notable temperament problems, Cocker Spaniels with "Cocker Rage Syndrome", Yorkies with tracheal collapse, and the list goes on and on. It is up to you--the breeder, I'm assuming--to address these issues independently of the the USDA's requirements. Sadly, many breeders assume that if they've passed the USDA's inspection, they've done their part. I genuinely hope you are not one of these, that you are someone with a passion for dogs and people and that your greatest wish is to expose people to the best of whatever breed you love the most.

By the way--I'm not an animal activist, nor do I have anything to do with the Humane Society. I am simply someone with a great love for dogs who has seen the results of poor breeding too many times to count.

It very much depends on where you buy that puppy, but 400.00 is relatively cheap (Petland will sell you one for around 2000) and I'd be cautious about why the price is so low. Actually, shelters get purebreds all the time and people sometimes put themselves on waiting lists for the breeds they are interested in. They don't typically get as much "press" as the mixed breeds (as in pictures online) because they are easier to place and engender immediate interest. I do agree that they sometimes fudge on mix breeds because they don't really know.

I think I pretty clearly defined the difference between puppy mill vs breeder. But here goes: Breeder--relatively few dogs, a definite love for the dogs themselves who are usually treated as pets. Their dogs usually have titles because they just love working and showing them. They will know a lot about the breed itself and will be quick to tell you all the pros and cons. Also, they won't be anxious to talk you into getting a dog that doesn't suit your lifestyle. Puppy mils are the opposite--many dogs, usually kept in outbuildings, little personal interest, and could care less about whether you are prepared to take the dog home or not. They generally don't have a return policy--or if they do, it's limited to the first few days.

Check with rescue groups (not the same thing as shelters).