So how much is that doggy in the window?

When I was a young child, this was my favourite song


Sadly, as I've learned more about the world, I've realised the song actually glamourises a very nasty business indeed. Many pet stores get livestock from puppy farms, where dogs are bred for money in squalid conditions with no care given to their welfare. Often the puppies are sold with congenital problems. We need to have a proper grown up debate about pet ownership. We have a dog, which we got from a rescue centre. He's now six, when we got him at a year old, he had all manner of psychological issues. As he's large, he can be a real handful. What is sad is that he has a lovely nature, but if someone approaches him with a stick, even an old lady with a walking stick he goes ballistic. As such, he needs a lot of management. It is pretty clear to me that his previous owners were unfit to own a dog. I believe all dogs should be chipped and licences. Owners who mistreat dogs should be banned from ownership. I would like to see all breeders licences and certified. And I see no reason why a decent dog owner would object to any of this