Vom Borealpride, GSD, CKC reg. NL

10/25/2025

Hard working man 🥰

10/24/2025

When you run into your sibling at the vet 🤣
10 weeks old 🥰

10/24/2025

So true 🕑🐾🥱

10/22/2025

Think Before You Say “Adopt, Don’t Shop”
By Tony Groenendijk, 2025

The slogan “Adopt, Don’t Shop” is powerful, emotional, and well-intentioned. It shines a necessary light on the reality of overcrowded shelters and abandoned animals in need of homes. There is no doubt that choosing to adopt a shelter dog is a generous and compassionate act — one that deserves respect and admiration.

However, the simplicity of the slogan often masks a much more complex reality. In public discourse, it has increasingly been used not only to promote adoption, but also to cast judgment on anyone who chooses to buy a dog — particularly from a breeder. And worse, it frequently ignores the critical distinction between responsible breeders and irresponsible, profit-driven ones.

After years of active involvement in the world of dog shows and ethical breeding, one thing is abundantly clear: dogs bred by truly responsible, ethical breeders almost never end up in shelters. These breeders health-test their dogs, conduct DNA screenings, raise their puppies in safe and social environments, and carefully screen every potential buyer. They rarely produce more than a few litters a year and often stay in touch with the families who adopt their pups. For these breeders, each puppy is a lifelong responsibility.

The overwhelming majority of dogs found in shelters, however, do not come from this kind of breeder. They come from backyard breeders, puppy mills, and impulse purchases through online platforms or pet shops. These sources prioritize volume and profit over health, temperament, and long-term placement. When people support these kinds of operations — knowingly or not — they feed a system that directly contributes to the overpopulation crisis.

It’s also important to be honest about our own community. There are breeders, even in the show world, who bend the rules — producing too many litters, selling dogs indiscriminately, and neglecting the commitment that comes with bringing life into the world. Let me be clear: I do not consider these individuals responsible or ethical breeders, regardless of the number of titles their dogs may carry. Prestige is not the same as integrity.

So yes, adopt — if you can, and if it’s the right fit for your life. But let’s stop vilifying those who choose to buy a dog from a truly reputable source. Ethical breeders play a vital role in preserving breed health, structure, and temperament, and they are not the cause of the shelter crisis.

“Adopt, Don’t Shop” is a valuable call to action. But without nuance, it risks reinforcing the very problem it seeks to solve.

Tony Groenendijk, 2025

10/21/2025

Such a great pupdate..... 🥹💖💥

10/20/2025

Luisa... doing big girl things 🥰

10/20/2025

😁

10/20/2025

So many good points...

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1UaSCVCq5h/

•Pet your dog, all the time
•Talk to your dog, all the time
•Allow your dog to follow you, all the time
•Allow your dog to be on your lap or laying on your feet, all the time
•Pet, soothe, comfort your dog when it whines or barks for attention...or is simply anxious
•Allow your dog to demand affection/interactions
•Be emotionally dependent on your dog to the point that unhealthy dependency and interactions are no longer noticed
•Allow your dog to do whatever it wants, whenever it wants—aka, provide no structure, rules, or accountability
•Foster an environment of chaos, stress, and anxiety
•Refuse to train and pattern calmness
•Refuse to crate train your dog
•Refuse to correct your dog when inappropriate behavior occurs
•Refuse to train your dog how to be independent/alone by using a “Place” command, “Downstay, and/or “away” time in the crate
•Let your dog out of the crate when it whines or barks
•Avoid training or anything that makes your dog temporarily uncomfortable or unhappy—in other words, cater to your dog’s every desire/need, designing your life around your dog, rather than having your dog fit into yours
•And many, many more...

Basically, baby, soothe, allow, enable, disable, lean on, omit teaching necessary life skills, prioritize what feels good for you rather than what does good for your dog, and through this master plan of leadership-free chaos, and systematic cultivation of creating a toxic dependency between dog and human...you’ll ensure that when you leave, your dog will be a true emotional mess, because you haven’t prepared them to be calm, obedient, strong, resilient, robust, independent, and alone.

10/15/2025

Get them youngsters out in the world 🙂🤩

My little angel, Luisa

All Canadian Tire are pet friendly in Metro !

10/12/2025

Big Land Blizzard Vom Borealpride... aka. BLIZZARD

TASTE OF FALL IN LABRADOR 😀

10/12/2025

Bay Breeze Vom Borealpride... aka, Astrid 🙂🙂

Enjoying the beauty of Fall in Central!

10/12/2025

Cheers to the Freaking Weekend.... and Happy Thanksgiving!

Yntriga Von Amalaberg.. very happy with her pile of * sticks * 🤣🙄😍