[QUOTE=EKLay;8041971]
Your post made me smile. 
I didn’t consider what I did to get my puppy extreme, so maybe I am one of those crazy people and didn’t even realize it! lol[/QUOTE]
I was in no way implying you were crazy,and am sorry if you read it that way, although glad it made you smile.
I am just looking at this as a scientist. If you took a poll in the US, like most populations, dog owners would likely fit a mostly normal curve (in the scientific definition – not behavioral :).
I believe that completely irresponsible breeders like you describe your neighbor would fit on one end of that curve, and folk that pay in excess of a thousand dollars, go through extensive screening to be approved to purchase a puppy, and are willing to wait for up to a year for a pup, would be at the other end.
As I said that leaves a lot of options in the middle. And a lot of satisfied folks who love their dogs.
Now if you took that poll in city vs rural vs suburban, or stratified by income or part of the country, the curve might skew in one direction or the other. But still think the two examples are extremes under most scenarios.
As I think I said in my first post, if your model works for some that is great. It just doesn’t work for everyone and I am not of the opinion, that was expressed by at least one poster and perhaps implied by others, that unless you go through the process similar to the one you described folks will be back on here describing their broken hearts. Or that the only responsible breeders are those that require a process like you described in order to purchase a puppy. Or that only those that are willing to go through that process are responsible dog owners. I believe, from observation and experience, that fine, healthy dogs can be had though other means.
And to Hound Hill, I do not share the opinion that breeders of show dogs as a group are more guilty than any other populations of breeding dogs without regard for temperament or sporting ability. Most dog breeds have genetic anomalies related to being purpose bred. As I also said I have had sight hounds and always loved the idea of Irish Wolfhounds and Scottish Deerhounds though only met a few and not known any well. And Ibizan hounds though never seen one in person.
I just don’t think acquiring healthy dogs requires going through all the steps being described by some here. Or that not requiring all the screening described of potential buyers makes one an irresponsible breeder, or not being willing to pay thousands of dollars and/or wait months or years for a puppy makes one an irresponsible owner.
And I don’t think anyone is saying the health screening shouldn’t be done or isn’t important. As I said my dogs, though not particularly expensive, and did not require I go through extensive screening by the breeder, had health screening and came with documentation of said results.
