Hi I know this is an oldish thread but I read the article and I don't want to start a war etc but did you know that a lot of brachycephalic dogs (dogs with squishy faces) have serious health issues and that the person in this article was adopting this type of dog (pugs and Bostons). It must be noted that the problem itself lies in pedigree/pure bred brachycephalic dogs and in fact the modern show dog has a lot to answer for when it comes to the deteriorating health of almost all dog breeds. I don't want to sound like a member of PETA but since we all love dogs we need to be realistic here, most pedigree dogs are bred for looks and the cosmetic appearance of the pedigree dog takes preference over the health of the animal. A lot of so called "responsible" breeders don't even understand the genetic fire pool they are playing with when it comes to breeding dogs and how by culling certain pups or breeding out certain genes they shrink the pool further and further. To be fair we all know that Dobe's have a list of genetic disorders. Here is a link to a fascinating documentary
http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/pedigree-dogs-exposed/
There are a lot of purebred dogs in shelters around the world because somewhere along the line greedy people cottoned on to the fact that there was "a quick buck" to be made out of popular dog breeds hence puppy mills, a lot of the surplus dogs from these puppy mills land up in the shelters, too old for the pet stores or too unhealthy. Dogs have also become fashion items and status symbols for many stupid people that don't get it. You will see how as a breed falls out of fashion the shelters are flooded with that specific dog. The worst for me was the fashion of owning huskies as thats not an easy dog to own by anyones standards. The other common dog you will see in a shelter is a dog of 6 months to 1.5 years when they just aren't that cute anymore and really destructive, then its out with puppy, please don't think people aren't capable of this kind of thinking because they most definitely are.
I know some of you will be aware that for many breeds now you get what they call show lines and working lines. To me thats very sad that a dog thats capable and able to preform its job may not be shown in the ring.
I think all dogs are dogs whether purebred, hybrid, crossbred or mutts, I hate pedigree snobbery. I have to be honest here and say we have had only one extremely expensive dog from an outstanding breeder in the family, a Weimaraner, that looked like she was made of pewter. She was bought in the 80's and she lived till she was 15. After her every single one of our dogs have been rescues (13 in total we are a dog obsessed family) and in my limited case study I would have to say the hybrids and mutts are healthier.
I love dogs, I love Dobermanns and Chihuahuas in particular but I am not blind to what the kennel clubs are doing to many of the breeds with ridiculous aesthetic ideals that make no sense. All dog breeds started out as a mix of a few other breeds.
I find this blog very informative too
http://pedigreedogsexposed.blogspot.com