Sierra 4: She Speaks More Spanish than the Vuolos and Dillards

[mstee]

Sierra is me at 8 years old. I thought I wanted 12 kids and every dog and small animal I saw. I would beg my parents for more and more pets (the answer was usually no). And then by 13 or 14 I started to understand what responsibility meant. Started babysitting and saw that children are hard work. Had my two dogs and my guinea pig and that was enough for me (and my mom still had to regularly yell at me to change the guinea pig litter). It’s weird that Sierra never experienced that shift in thinking. If it isn’t another child or pet, she’s taking on some large project. I would have broken down years ago if I were her. I don’t get how she just continues on in the madness and keeps adding to it. 

[JanasTattooParlor]

3 hours ago, Peaches-n-Beans said:

As a former animal professional, holy litter mate syndrome bat man, and also please for the love of all that is holy do not tell me those are doodles. Is Littermate syndrome not enough?????

What’s littermate syndrome? My stepmom used to breed dogs and I’ve never heard of that before. Also, are doodles bad dogs or more prone to littermate syndrome? I have several friends who have doodles that say that they’re such great dogs. 

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

I had to google littermate syndrome, I'd never heard of it either, but my mother hates all animals, because dirt, I got my 1st pet when I was 33. I never realized you shouldn't adopt littermates. 

[FunFunFundie]

Based on the comments to the post, I think she's selling them.

[GuineaPigCourtship]

Oh good, she can have a truckload of children AND be a puppy pimp.  FFS, Sierra.

[HideousGreenShirt]

Did she ever reveal her plan for those million barn windows she bought? 

 

4 hours ago, FunFunFundie said:

Based on the comments to the post, I think she's selling them.

Which post and comments are you referring to? 

[FunFunFundie]

57 minutes ago, HideousGreenShirt said:

Did she ever reveal her plan for those million barn windows she bought? 

 

Which post and comments are you referring to? 

Her Facebook post. It's public - Sierra Jo Dominguez.

 

Spoiler

 

Edited August 22, 2020 by FunFunFundie

[HideousGreenShirt]

@FunFunFundie thank you, I don't have Facebook!

I hope this is just because someone she knows wants to sell them using her wider reach and not that she bred her coffee cup dog. 

[Peaches-n-Beans]

8 hours ago, JanasTattooParlor said:

What’s littermate syndrome? My stepmom used to breed dogs and I’ve never heard of that before. Also, are doodles bad dogs or more prone to littermate syndrome? I have several friends who have doodles that say that they’re such great dogs. 

Littermate syndrome is when two puppies raised in the same house (not necessarily from the same litter but we see it most in people who purchase two puppies from the same litter, but it does happen with people who say, get an 8 week old puppy and then a couple of months later get another one) become aggressive towards one another. It doesn't happen 100% of the time but it happens pretty often. The time and effort that goes into preventing it is astronomical. Extensive time spent training, walking, playing, hanging out, completely separate from the other dog. It's definitely something any buyer of two puppies needs to keep an eye out for

As for the doodle stuff, well i'm really passionate about ethical production of dogs so i'm gonna stick it under a spoiler because it got long XD

Spoiler

 

As for doodles the root issue is they're over priced, often poorly bred mutts. There is no way to predict what their coats will be like, no way to predict behavior, and no way to predict health issues. For a breeder to be reputable both the dam and sire need to be health tested for breed health issues (Not vet checks, like Xrays for OFA or Pennhip scores, heart tests for heart problems, eye tests, what ever the parent club for the breed says). The issue with doodles is if both parents are doodles they need health testing for two breeds to rule out any issues, that gets expensive very very quickly.  So people don't do it. Also to be reputable the dam and sire need to be titled or proven in some way, be it a show ring or a sport arena. Now doodles, being mutts, cannot be shown. They can do sports though, and therapy or service work and those are both valid ways of proving a dog. Then to ensure their puppies never ever end up being a burden on a rescue or shelter the breeder needs do extensive reference and background checks into potential purchasers and write up a contract that, if going to a pet home, the dog be altered by x age, and if for any reason ever in the dogs life the buyer cannot keep the dog the dog be returned to the breeder. Very few breeders in general do all these things, the vast majority are backyard breeders who put a strain on the rescue and shelter system by not doing these things.

The result with doodles is, people purchase them for what ever reason, say they're allergic to dogs, only most doodles aren't hypoallergenic like a poodle because they've got that random other thing in there. Then you get the coat care, my groomer friends see more matted doodles then anything else because they are not low coat maintenance, they often have some mix of poodle coat and what ever their mixed with, making coat care even harder then a poodle coat. Often because purchasers are under the impression that they're low coat maintenance they don't take care of the coat. The dog then gets matted and is in pain and needs shaved at which point some of them feel the need to berate the groomer (not all, plenty also take the education the groomer gives about proper coat care and get better next time) for "taking the easy way out" when shaving is NOT the easy way out. Or they purchase them because they're supposed to be great with kids and mellow, only one parent is poodle so they're insanely smart and need tons of exercise and stimulation that they then don't get and they turn destructive. This is even worse when the other parent is something like Border Collie or Aussie. We see this when people purchase purebreds too but I see it even more often when people purchase designer mutts, they expect one thing and aren't prepared for the very real fact that they might get something else. 

Now that's not to say doodles can't be reputably produced, i know a breeder who does all the health testing and proves her dogs via therapy and service work, and is working to standardize the Goldendoodle breed. To get a predictable coat and temperament, and her dogs are lovely lovely dogs who go to lovely lovely homes. But she is in the very very small minority of people who do this.

I love dogs, I spent 8 years working in rescue and my dream is to breed reputably bred sport line Border Collies so I'm definitely not "adopt don't shop". I very much believe we need both reputable breeders and rescues and a public who is educated on reputable breeding practices and on adoption. I'm not even anti doodles, the only issue i take with doodles is that the vast majority are over priced for what they are, the people who buy them often don't have a realistic view about what they are and produced in such a way that it does hurt dogs. And the way to fix that is to educate and ensure everyone buying or adopting any dog of any breed or mix knows what they're getting into!

If you or a friend is interested in finding a reputable doodle breeder the group "Uncensored Opinions of Breeders (for real)" on facebook is a fabulous source. A bunch of really dog smart people and it's run by a friend of mine who keeps iron clad control to ensure people who want doodles don't get hated on by the purebred snobs. I have learned so much from them.

 

8 hours ago, FunFunFundie said:

Based on the comments to the post, I think she's selling them.

Oh great, another backyard breeder. Just what we need.

[Not that josh's mom]

27 minutes ago, Peaches-n-Beans said:

Littermate syndrome is when two puppies raised in the same house (not necessarily from the same litter but we see it most in people who purchase two puppies from the same litter, but it does happen with people who say, get an 8 week old puppy and then a couple of months later get another one) become aggressive towards one another. It doesn't happen 100% of the time but it happens pretty often. The time and effort that goes into preventing it is astronomical. Extensive time spent training, walking, playing, hanging out, completely separate from the other dog. It's definitely something any buyer of two puppies needs to keep an eye out for

As for the doodle stuff, well i'm really passionate about ethical production of dogs so i'm gonna stick it under a spoiler because it got long XD

  Reveal hidden contents

 

As for doodles the root issue is they're over priced, often poorly bred mutts. There is no way to predict what their coats will be like, no way to predict behavior, and no way to predict health issues. For a breeder to be reputable both the dam and sire need to be health tested for breed health issues (Not vet checks, like Xrays for OFA or Pennhip scores, heart tests for heart problems, eye tests, what ever the parent club for the breed says). The issue with doodles is if both parents are doodles they need health testing for two breeds to rule out any issues, that gets expensive very very quickly.  So people don't do it. Also to be reputable the dam and sire need to be titled or proven in some way, be it a show ring or a sport arena. Now doodles, being mutts, cannot be shown. They can do sports though, and therapy or service work and those are both valid ways of proving a dog. Then to ensure their puppies never ever end up being a burden on a rescue or shelter the breeder needs do extensive reference and background checks into potential purchasers and write up a contract that, if going to a pet home, the dog be altered by x age, and if for any reason ever in the dogs life the buyer cannot keep the dog the dog be returned to the breeder. Very few breeders in general do all these things, the vast majority are backyard breeders who put a strain on the rescue and shelter system by not doing these things.

The result with doodles is, people purchase them for what ever reason, say they're allergic to dogs, only most doodles aren't hypoallergenic like a poodle because they've got that random other thing in there. Then you get the coat care, my groomer friends see more matted doodles then anything else because they are not low coat maintenance, they often have some mix of poodle coat and what ever their mixed with, making coat care even harder then a poodle coat. Often because purchasers are under the impression that they're low coat maintenance they don't take care of the coat. The dog then gets matted and is in pain and needs shaved at which point some of them feel the need to berate the groomer (not all, plenty also take the education the groomer gives about proper coat care and get better next time) for "taking the easy way out" when shaving is NOT the easy way out. Or they purchase them because they're supposed to be great with kids and mellow, only one parent is poodle so they're insanely smart and need tons of exercise and stimulation that they then don't get and they turn destructive. This is even worse when the other parent is something like Border Collie or Aussie. We see this when people purchase purebreds too but I see it even more often when people purchase designer mutts, they expect one thing and aren't prepared for the very real fact that they might get something else. 

Now that's not to say doodles can't be reputably produced, i know a breeder who does all the health testing and proves her dogs via therapy and service work, and is working to standardize the Goldendoodle breed. To get a predictable coat and temperament, and her dogs are lovely lovely dogs who go to lovely lovely homes. But she is in the very very small minority of people who do this.

I love dogs, I spent 8 years working in rescue and my dream is to breed reputably bred sport line Border Collies so I'm definitely not "adopt don't shop". I very much believe we need both reputable breeders and rescues and a public who is educated on reputable breeding practices and on adoption. I'm not even anti doodles, the only issue i take with doodles is that the vast majority are over priced for what they are, the people who buy them often don't have a realistic view about what they are and produced in such a way that it does hurt dogs. And the way to fix that is to educate and ensure everyone buying or adopting any dog of any breed or mix knows what they're getting into!

If you or a friend is interested in finding a reputable doodle breeder the group "Uncensored Opinions of Breeders (for real)" on facebook is a fabulous source. A bunch of really dog smart people and it's run by a friend of mine who keeps iron clad control to ensure people who want doodles don't get hated on by the purebred snobs. I have learned so much from them.

 

Oh great, another backyard breeder. Just what we need.

We got 6 week old kittens that were littermates and didn't have problems. Is it just a dog thing 

[Peaches-n-Beans]

1 hour ago, Not that josh's mom said:

We got 6 week old kittens that were littermates and didn't have problems. Is it just a dog thing 

I've never heard of cats having littermate syndrome. I've had littermate cats for 6 years now and haven't had an issue beyond the fact that they only like each other and none of the other cats in the house. Then again i'm not nearly as knowledgeable about cats as I am dogs so i really can't say. 

[JanasTattooParlor]

1 hour ago, Peaches-n-Beans said:

Littermate syndrome is when two puppies raised in the same house (not necessarily from the same litter but we see it most in people who purchase two puppies from the same litter, but it does happen with people who say, get an 8 week old puppy and then a couple of months later get another one) become aggressive towards one another. It doesn't happen 100% of the time but it happens pretty often. The time and effort that goes into preventing it is astronomical. Extensive time spent training, walking, playing, hanging out, completely separate from the other dog. It's definitely something any buyer of two puppies needs to keep an eye out for

As for the doodle stuff, well i'm really passionate about ethical production of dogs so i'm gonna stick it under a spoiler because it got long XD

  Hide contents

As for doodles the root issue is they're over priced, often poorly bred mutts. There is no way to predict what their coats will be like, no way to predict behavior, and no way to predict health issues. For a breeder to be reputable both the dam and sire need to be health tested for breed health issues (Not vet checks, like Xrays for OFA or Pennhip scores, heart tests for heart problems, eye tests, what ever the parent club for the breed says). The issue with doodles is if both parents are doodles they need health testing for two breeds to rule out any issues, that gets expensive very very quickly.  So people don't do it. Also to be reputable the dam and sire need to be titled or proven in some way, be it a show ring or a sport arena. Now doodles, being mutts, cannot be shown. They can do sports though, and therapy or service work and those are both valid ways of proving a dog. Then to ensure their puppies never ever end up being a burden on a rescue or shelter the breeder needs do extensive reference and background checks into potential purchasers and write up a contract that, if going to a pet home, the dog be altered by x age, and if for any reason ever in the dogs life the buyer cannot keep the dog the dog be returned to the breeder. Very few breeders in general do all these things, the vast majority are backyard breeders who put a strain on the rescue and shelter system by not doing these things.

The result with doodles is, people purchase them for what ever reason, say they're allergic to dogs, only most doodles aren't hypoallergenic like a poodle because they've got that random other thing in there. Then you get the coat care, my groomer friends see more matted doodles then anything else because they are not low coat maintenance, they often have some mix of poodle coat and what ever their mixed with, making coat care even harder then a poodle coat. Often because purchasers are under the impression that they're low coat maintenance they don't take care of the coat. The dog then gets matted and is in pain and needs shaved at which point some of them feel the need to berate the groomer (not all, plenty also take the education the groomer gives about proper coat care and get better next time) for "taking the easy way out" when shaving is NOT the easy way out. Or they purchase them because they're supposed to be great with kids and mellow, only one parent is poodle so they're insanely smart and need tons of exercise and stimulation that they then don't get and they turn destructive. This is even worse when the other parent is something like Border Collie or Aussie. We see this when people purchase purebreds too but I see it even more often when people purchase designer mutts, they expect one thing and aren't prepared for the very real fact that they might get something else. 

Now that's not to say doodles can't be reputably produced, i know a breeder who does all the health testing and proves her dogs via therapy and service work, and is working to standardize the Goldendoodle breed. To get a predictable coat and temperament, and her dogs are lovely lovely dogs who go to lovely lovely homes. But she is in the very very small minority of people who do this.

I love dogs, I spent 8 years working in rescue and my dream is to breed reputably bred sport line Border Collies so I'm definitely not "adopt don't shop". I very much believe we need both reputable breeders and rescues and a public who is educated on reputable breeding practices and on adoption. I'm not even anti doodles, the only issue i take with doodles is that the vast majority are over priced for what they are, the people who buy them often don't have a realistic view about what they are and produced in such a way that it does hurt dogs. And the way to fix that is to educate and ensure everyone buying or adopting any dog of any breed or mix knows what they're getting into!

If you or a friend is interested in finding a reputable doodle breeder the group "Uncensored Opinions of Breeders (for real)" on facebook is a fabulous source. A bunch of really dog smart people and it's run by a friend of mine who keeps iron clad control to ensure people who want doodles don't get hated on by the purebred snobs. I have learned so much from them.

 

Oh great, another backyard breeder. Just what we need.

Thank you for taking the time to respond! My fiancé and I have been looking at getting a dog and he’s super set on a goldendoodle or golden retriever since we have several friends with those and they’re so well behaved and friendly. I’m more set on getting a rescue dog and not paying for the hefty price tag on a goldendoodle puppy. The closest breeder to me sells them for close to $1500-2500 depending on coat color, coat type, and size and another one not much farther away sells them for a flat price of $4000! I’d rather just adopt a dog from the shelter that needs a loving home. I’m definitely not a fan of backyard breeders especially after seeing how much work my stepmom put into the dog breeding she used to do to do all the health screenings and matching the puppies with families. I’ll definitely take a look at that Facebook group!

[adidas]

@JanasTattooParlor something to consider might be a doodle rescue. There are quite a few here in Australia - because as @Peaches-n-Beans said, doodle mixes can come with problems. If you did decide to rescue one I can only recommend that you do lots of research and get as much information as possible about any dogs you’re interested in. Sometimes they are only surrendered simply because they’re incessant barkers and people don’t know how to work with it, or because they shed but were sold as ‘hypoallergenic’.

[indianabones]

18 minutes ago, JanasTattooParlor said:

My fiancé and I have been looking at getting a dog and he’s super set on a goldendoodle or golden retriever since we have several friends with those and they’re so well behaved and friendly.

A big part of that is due to good, consistent training. And early socialization.

I'm glad to hear you're considering adoption! I work in pet care, and I always recommend adopting dogs that have been fostered to people who are looking for a particular temperament and personality. It's nice to know what a dog is like in a home environment before committing to an adoption. A lot of breed specific rescue organizations, as @adidas mentioned, use foster homes for their animals.

Edited August 23, 2020 by indianabones

[Peaches-n-Beans]

1 hour ago, JanasTattooParlor said:

Thank you for taking the time to respond! My fiancé and I have been looking at getting a dog and he’s super set on a goldendoodle or golden retriever since we have several friends with those and they’re so well behaved and friendly. I’m more set on getting a rescue dog and not paying for the hefty price tag on a goldendoodle puppy. The closest breeder to me sells them for close to $1500-2500 depending on coat color, coat type, and size and another one not much farther away sells them for a flat price of $4000! I’d rather just adopt a dog from the shelter that needs a loving home. I’m definitely not a fan of backyard breeders especially after seeing how much work my stepmom put into the dog breeding she used to do to do all the health screenings and matching the puppies with families. I’ll definitely take a look at that Facebook group!

Of course! Dogs and dog breeding is one of my current special interests so i can ramble on a bit! Best of luck in your search for the perfect pet!

[GuineaPigCourtship]

@Peaches-n-Beans as a vet I love all your input.  I wish everyone buying puppies right now could have your information because they're sure not asking me.

Not looking forward to the next 12 years in this profession with a crop of critically undersocialized puppies, many of them with littermate syndrome.  BTW, for whoever asked about kittens this doesn't apply to cats.  I have a pair of littermates who adore each other and it's the only way I'd get kittens again (I don't intend to ever get kittens again, but things happen in this field and I didn't plan on getting a second dog or a cat with a broken jaw either).

[seashell1025]

So i usually don't come on the sierra posts.. and im also too lazy to research it elsewhere.. but how many kids is sierra at now? is it 7? 8? I cant keep track anymore!

[princessmahina]

1 hour ago, seashell1025 said:

So i usually don't come on the sierra posts.. and im also too lazy to research it elsewhere.. but how many kids is sierra at now? is it 7? 8? I cant keep track anymore!

Neither can she ?

 

(according to google, it’s 7 kids)

[Lotsofdots]

On 8/23/2020 at 10:44 AM, Not that josh's mom said:

We got 6 week old kittens that were littermates and didn't have problems. Is it just a dog thing 

As a pedigree cat breeder, it does not affect cats, in fact many breeds (and some domestics) do far better with a littermate or playmate. 

Sadly 6 weeks is much too young, kittens should be at least 12-13 weeks before leaving mum.

[allthegoodnamesrgone]

I've never gotten the appeal of pure breeds or "designer" pets. Not only do they have a lot more health issues, pure breeds aren't going to live as long as mutts.  We had our mixed breed puppers, that we just put down about 3 weeks ago, she was 18 years old, a friend of mine had 2 pure breed dogs that she adopted as puppies, that had crossed the rainbow bridge and was on her 3rd dog in the same time we had our 1 mixed breed. As hard as it is I can't imagine having a pet die every 7/8 years. 

[Peaches-n-Beans]

51 minutes ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

I've never gotten the appeal of pure breeds or "designer" pets. Not only do they have a lot more health issues, pure breeds aren't going to live as long as mutts.  We had our mixed breed puppers, that we just put down about 3 weeks ago, she was 18 years old, a friend of mine had 2 pure breed dogs that she adopted as puppies, that had crossed the rainbow bridge and was on her 3rd dog in the same time we had our 1 mixed breed. As hard as it is I can't imagine having a pet die every 7/8 years. 

So i'm sorry to say but this is factually incorrect. Purebreds can be perfectly healthy long lived dogs if bred responsibly with breeders who put health and temperament first, and mutts can be some of the unhealthiest dogs i've ever met. That whole "mutts are healthier" argument is out dated and just wrong. If your friend was loosing a dog every 7  or 8 years to genetic issues then either, they did not come from a good breeder, or they're a very large breed like a great dane or a wolfhound who's life span is only around 8-10 years anyway. Any dog, mutt or purebred, who lives until 18 is, sorry to say, pure luck. 

My current Border Collie was adopted from a pound here in South Korea, and i actually had the opportunity to speak with her previous owners. They purchased her from a pet shop, which means she was produced in a puppy mill. She is plagued by ear infections and allergies due to inbreeding. However, my next Border Collie is coming from a reputable breeder, one who health tests, and all the breeders on my list have had dogs live long happy lives free of genetic issue. It's a matter of being responsible with how dogs are bred and being a responsible buyer. 

My dad on the other hand? He's got a darling little mutt from the pound. How healthy is he you ask? Well not very, he's got skin issues, eye issues, and more allergies then I can count. 

If you are perfectly fine with having rescue mutts that's great! I love rescue dogs, I've been in rescue for years! But please do not go spreading factually incorrect information about purebred dogs and reputable dog breeding practices. Also, don't expect every mutt you get to be stable and healthy and don't tell other people to expect it. The fact is when dogs show up in the pound or a rescue, regardless of breed we have no way of knowing what if any health issues to expect. If you're interested in learning more about responsible breeding I'd recommend "Sounds Like Backyard Breeding But Okay" and "Uncensored Opinions of Breeders (for real)" on Facebook, both have been so helpful to me and they can answer your questions far better then I can! 

[GuineaPigCourtship]

@allthegoodnamesrgone Sorry to hear about the loss of your long-time companion.  Sometimes it's a relief to let them go when their quality of life is deteriorating, but it always leaves a huge hole.  I actually got my old girl right after I moved to Iowa and I hope we're lucky enough to make it to 18.

I will second that, unfortunately, mutts may have been healthier years ago (hybrid vigor and all that) but that is not the case today across the board.  I will spare you many specifics because god knows I can get doom and gloom fast when I talk about work, but I see as many allergies and cancers in mixed breed dogs as purebred.  My worst case scenario would be owning a dog with anxiety and that's a combination of bad genetics and inadequate early socialization, so very very common in rescue or puppy mill dogs.

I used to do a lot of dog fostering and I have a lot of love for mixed breed dogs (I tend to love individual dogs but rag on most breeds as a whole), but I also am at a point in my life where I need to know what I'm getting so that's another benefit of knowing the temperament and activity level of the parents.  It's a moot point because between my 15yo aussie and my 7yo pug (plus 3 cats, 6 guinea pigs, 14 chickens) and an impending baby, the dog door is closed indefinitely.  Both my dogs were "rescued" but I would certainly consider an exceptional breeder in the future as I've been able to meet several through my work.

But if Sierra bred those dogs she fits nobody's standard of a responsible breeder and she should be ashamed of herself.

Edited August 24, 2020 by GuineaPigCourtship

[Not that josh's mom]

10 hours ago, Lotsofdots said:

As a pedigree cat breeder, it does not affect cats, in fact many breeds (and some domestics) do far better with a littermate or playmate. 

Sadly 6 weeks is much too young, kittens should be at least 12-13 weeks before leaving mum.

Mom got hit by a car. We knew it was too young, but didn't have a choice.

[viii]

12 hours ago, Lotsofdots said:

As a pedigree cat breeder, it does not affect cats, in fact many breeds (and some domestics) do far better with a littermate or playmate. 

I don't know about that... it might be rare but I wouldn't say it doesn't affect cats. My sister got two kittens from the same litter and for the like 5-6 years everything was fine but then the cats turned on each other and fought constantly. When my sister's roommate moved out, she ended up taking one of the cats just to split them up because they wouldn't stop fighting. 

[princessmahina]

12 hours ago, allthegoodnamesrgone said:

I've never gotten the appeal of pure breeds or "designer" pets. Not only do they have a lot more health issues, pure breeds aren't going to live as long as mutts.  We had our mixed breed puppers, that we just put down about 3 weeks ago, she was 18 years old, a friend of mine had 2 pure breed dogs that she adopted as puppies, that had crossed the rainbow bridge and was on her 3rd dog in the same time we had our 1 mixed breed. As hard as it is I can't imagine having a pet die every 7/8 years. 

I don’t see the appeal either. We have a purebred cat that was a free gift, but I wouldn’t buy one. I understand breeding service dogs to help people, but otherwise, it doesn’t feel quite moral to continue to breed animals when there are so many on the streets and in the shelters. I’m not saying this to judge people, it’s my personal belief.