An ode to my bike.

I've had the same bicycle for 18 years. Others have come, but this remains my favorite. I only recently appreciated how long I've been riding it. Here's the review.

The pic is same model, but someone else's bike.

A smarter genius than me

Christian Slater is kind of a one-note song, but the dude can deliver a line.

As Neil Kaplan in Alias: "Unless you want to kidnap a smarter genius than me, it's gonna be a little while."

Friends don't let friends buy from puppy mills

Most advertised puppies are from puppy mills. I've put together some suggestions about how to identify and avoid puppy mills below, but the bottom line is that a good breeder will make demands of you.

First, why I'm posting this: it's just struck me how many of my smart, caring, pickiest of friends don't know that nearly all puppies that can be purchased on the internet are from puppy farms. Puppy-farm conditions are devastating to consider, and I've seen people get chronically ill puppies over and over. Few people would choose to support a puppy mill, but many end up doing it unintentionally. You CAN get a puppy without supporting a puppy farm.

This discussion is intended to be useful for people who are determined to get a puppy from a known source, not a discussion of the relative merits of getting a rescue dog.

Warnings that a breeder is a running puppy mill:

1) Violations of dog breeding laws. Use the google.

2) Located in Pennsylvania, Missouri or Florida.

3) The breeder won't provide references from previous buyers.

4) The breeder wants money before you visit their facility/home.

5) The breeder doesn't ask you questions. Decent breeders ask you a lot of questions about your family and your plans for the dog. What will it do when no one is at home? Do you have a fenced yard? etc.

6) The breeder isn't knowledgeable about genetic diseases and tests that are common in the breed. Do some internet searching before the call so you can ask intelligent questions and have an expectation of what diseases they should know about.

7) The breeder won't let you visit their facility/home. (It's normal for them to not let you see puppies in person because they're vulnerable to diseases at that age). Try to meet the mom or other relatives at the kennel. See how other dogs are treated at the kennel.

8)  They don't insist you return the dog to them if for any reason you can't keep the dog.

9) They don't insist that you neuter your dog.

Good signs:

1) The breeder has a dog habit: dog shows, agility, nosework, whatever. These people are picky. They are usually breeding for themselves, and usually not profligately.

2) They find you one of the dogs they've bred who lives with a family near you near you that you can meet.

3) They ask you what kind of puppy you are looking for: male, female, bossy, sweet. They will try to pick the puppies in the litter that are best suited to each buyer (and themselves).

4) They plan to keep one or more of the puppies for something other than breeding (although hard to verify).

Finding a good breeder:

- Tell everyone you're looking for a dog and would like to meet breeders.

- Talk to any recommended breeder (even outside your breed interests) and ask them for advice and contacts

- Talk to people you know who have dogs you like. See if they know any breeders.

- Go to dog parks, pull your car over, spectate dog training classes, do whatever you need to do to meet people who have dogs you like. Ask them if they know any breeders.

- Call the dog breed clubs, ask them to refer you to breeders.

- Call and visit actual breeders, even if they don't have puppies right now or aren't exactly right for you. It's like job interviewing; it takes practice.

- Put in the hours and the miles. Remember applying for college, writing that book chapter or doing whatever other hard things you've done? You can do this.

There are many more considerations in adopting a dog, but I think these are the best ways avoid puppy mills.

Happy dog life!