Please, I really want constructive criticism! Let me know if there’s something you don’t like. I have until the 15th to send it in.

Dogs, those furry things that live in the house, make great companions. In fact, there are dogs in 39% of the homes in America. But how can you make sure you’re getting a great dog? One that will have a happy long life, as free as possible from possible genetic issues. How can you make sure you aren’t funding an irresponsible breeder, or worse, a puppy mill?
I will always endorse adopting a dog. Pound dogs can make the best of friends. You can check out Petfinder.com or visit one of my favorite local shelters, Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover (their website is available at www.njshelter.org).
But if you don’t want to adopt for one reason or another, keep these tips in mind when selecting a breeder.

-NEVER buy pet store puppies.
Pet stores get their dogs from disgusting places known as puppy mills. The dogs live in small cages their entire lives, exposed to the elements. They’re kept only to be breeding machines and fund the puppy miller’s pocket. Sick dogs receive no vet care at all. Bitches are bred every time they go into heat, which is twice a year. Once they can’t produce any more pups, they’re disposed of.
Read more about puppy mills at www.prisonersofgreed.org

-Labradoodles, yorkie-poos, and other “designer dogs” are only bred by irresponsible breeders.
There is NO way at all to predict what you’re going to get with a mixed breed. Breeders may claim that they’re hypoallergenic and healthier than purebreds; however this is not the case. They can inherit either coat. Well bred purebreds are much healthier than a puppy who is the result of two random untested dogs being thrown together. Responsible breeders DO NOT breed mutts. Every purchase of a designer dog helps encourage a backyard breeder produce more mutts exactly like the kind being put to sleep every day.
For more information on designer dogs, go to http://www.canismajor.com/dog/poodogs.html

-Teacups do not exist
Teacup is a fancy name backyard breeders slap onto runts for an extra buck. There is NO SUCH THING as a teacup. The smallest dog you can get is Toy, which for many dogs such as the Maltese, Shih-Tzu, Yorkshire Terrier, and Pomeranian, is the only size available. Dogs labeled as “teacup” are generally unhealthy and expensive.
Read more at http://www.thebombpoms.com/Teacups.html

-Never buy a dog online without meeting the mother (and when possible, the father) and seeing its living conditions in person.
This one is possibly one of the worst. Someone puts up an adorable picture of a puppy and once you pay for it, it’s yours. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately there is so much that can go wrong.
Without actually going out and meeting the breeder and puppy, you don’t know how the dog is being treated. For all you know you could be dealing with a puppy mill. Often the dogs come sick, flea infested, and full of worms. Sometimes no dog is sent at all. Other times they send a dog other than what’s pictured. If the dog is deathly ill, many of these awful breeders may offer another puppy. However they very well know that most people would feel too bad and just keep the dog.
Please, please, don’t buy a dog online.
Get more information and read people’s stories at

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/scammingbuyers.htm

Ok, so now you have a basic idea on what to avoid, but what marks a good breeder?

-Responsible breeders show their dogs.
They will actively participate in confirmation competitions field trials, agility, and much more. Many good breeders will breed only champion dogs; there are still responsible breeders that show but may not have gotten a championship for their dog yet. Beware breeders who claim their dog has champion bloodlines. This could mean one or two champions several generations back, which would have very little effect on the poorly bred animal today.

-Dogs that are not show quality are sold on a spay/neuter contract.
Show quality simply means that the dog has traits that closely meet the standard for that particular breed. If a breeder is lucky, there may be one or two show quality dogs in a litter. The rest are usually sold as pet quality. This overall means very little if you’re only looking for a companion. There may be some minor faults that would disqualify or cost the dog points in the show ring. Pet quality dogs make great pets, but are not suitable for breeding. If the person selling you your dog doesn’t care if you breed him or have him neutered, avoid it.

-Dogs are tested before breeding, ALWAYS.
Testing does not mean having the dog looked over by a vet. There are many tests that should be done on the parents. Depending on the breed there may be more or less.
A few commonly done tests are:
OFA (Orthopedic issues)
PennHIP (Hip Dysplasia)
BAER (Hearing)
CERF (Eyes)
Please keep in mind that many of these tests can’t be done
Please keep in mind that many of these tests can’t be done until the dog is over two years old. If one of the parents are under that age, go elsewhere.

-Responsible breeders usually only have 2 or 3 breeds at the maximum.
While most only have one breed, many are very focused on other breeds of dogs. Keeping track of 2+ breeds is a real job. If you are looking at a breeder and you notice they have 4, 5, 6, or even more breeds of dogs, most likely they aren’t reputable and are pumping out poorly bred puppies for a quick dollar.

-Litters are available once a year or less frequently.
Having a litter of puppies is a very difficult and time consuming task. If you notice that the breeder you’re looking at has puppies available very often, use the other tips given to decide if they’re responsible.
Remember, no matter where you get your new friend from, spay and neuter! If we were to home every animal in the US alone, every person would need to own 6 dogs and 9 cats. That means a family of
a family of four would have 24 dogs and 36 cats. There are many benefits to fixing your pets. For the girls, spaying completely stops messy heat cycles, reduces the risks of mammary gland tumors and ovarian and uterine cancer, and may extend her life. For the boys, neutering may stop your dog from marking and wandering, may reduce aggressive behavior, eliminates the risk of testicular cancer, and minimizes the risk of prostate disease. If you still have any concerns talk to your vet.

Thank you everyone so far, PP thank you a lot too. I'm glad I posted it because I didn't notice a lot of those mistakes.

I'll play Grammar Nazi, hold please.

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Your first paragraph is a wee bit shaky, and while it does point on the things within the newsletter, it needs some work. Such as…(I'll * my changes):

I'm not a fan of the opening statement. I had to read it twice to figure out what you meant.

*Dogs are those furry things that live in the house, and by coincidence, they make great companions as well!* In fact, there are dogs in *at least* 39% of the homes *across* America.
*But the 39% is expanding, and more and more people are getting puppies to add as family members.* (Never start a sentence with 'but', it looks off.) *However, a pressing question is how* can you make sure you’re getting a great dog? One that will have a happy long life, as free as possible from (took out the second "possible" no need to use it twice in one sentence) genetic issues. How can you make sure you aren’t funding an irresponsible breeder, or worse, a puppy mill?

(is this article in first person, or directed towards an audience like a newsletter is? If its in newsletter formatting, try to avoid first person statements like "I".)

*There are hundreds of dogs coming and going from your local shelter, and these dogs make the best of companions and friends*. You can check out Petfinder.com or visit one of my favorite local shelters, Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter in East Hanover (their website is available at www.njshelter.org).

-In the NEVER BUY PET STORE..-
Once they can’t produce any more pups, they’re disposed of.

I'd try: When the female dogs have run their breeding course, they are left to starve to death, or are disposed of in several disturbing manners such as drowning.

-In the TEACUP..-
Put quotes around "teacup" to emphasize its fakeness.
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The rest of the article/newsletter is fantastic! Aside from a few organizational issues and grammatical problems its awesome!

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