The latest copy of the Popular Dog Series **  from the editors of Dog Fancy Magazine has sparked a lot of controversy. For those of you who haven't read/seen it, this volume has been devoted solely to our favorite furkid, the wonderful rat terrier. If this peaks your interest, be prepared to pay the $10.00 price tag, which - in my opinion - is a bit steep for a magazine, even if it is 128 pages regarding ratties! However, as I mentioned, this issue seems to have many pros and cons. If you've read this issue, please feel free to forward your comments to me for possible use in future NRTA newsletters. The following is an opinion sent in by Marion Shiller (Meadow Springs Kennel) with permission to print it in the NRTA newsletter. Marion was so serious that she sent this to the editors of Dog Fancy Magazine in reference to the Rat Terrier issue.

Respectfully,
Sherri Chatterton   NRTA Secretary   terrier@conninc.com
** Popular Dog Series, Rat Terrier Issue, #43, 2006
A Popular Pets Magabook   888-738-2665   www.dogchannel.com
 

Marions Letter to them:
     After spending hundreds of dollars for the past few years advertising in your different publications and then wasting 10.00 on the Rat Terrier Magazine I can tell you that I was very disappointed to see that this magazine was so unfair and unbalance where the Rat Terrier breed is concerned. I am an official of the National Rat Terrier Association and could not believe that the magazine only represented a couple of Registries and written predominantly for the AKC, UKC, and the breeders that show their dogs. I could understand just an article being this biased but this was a magazine totally describing the Rat Terrier Breed. I can certainly see that you do not take your advertisers in to account when you feature a certain  breed.
 
     I also was amazed by your article "buyer beware" when it stated to beware of breeders with flashy websites. The NRTA website only charges 50.00 annually to advertise on their website and it has probably more hits per year than the other registries added together. I also have spent a lot of money to have my own domain name and website and not only that but I put a lot of time and expense into raising my dogs and see no reason why my puppies should not command as high a price as some of the AKC breeds do because they sure have less health issues due to the fact they are not breed to be only one look and one size.
 
     Your magazine completely disregarded my dogs since I specialize in the Tiny Tots and Small Toy size. I also breed only Rat Terriers and have both body type A and B and sure do not raise what these breeders call Teddy Roosevelt. The AKC registry has the Tea Cups sizes and they are recognized. So when reading your Rat Terrier magazine my dogs are not even acceptable.  There are many more people in this world that want a wonderful companion dog than there are people that want Grand Champions. I breed for temperament and personality and spend much more time and expense than the breeders that raise the larger size dogs. I resent someone saying because I charge for my time and expense that I am taking advantage of the buyer. I would never think of vaccinating one of my puppies at 4 weeks of age and don't even wean them until they are 8 weeks old so they don't require a vaccination until that age because they still have their mother's immunity. The smaller size dog will have smaller litters and more complications and I keep them much longer before letting them go to their new home because they are more fragile. But there is a real demand for the Tiny Tots and smaller size dog and I was sorry to read that they were not even recognized by your Magazine.
 
So guess you can take me off your email list since I will not be spending anymore of my money advertising with any of your publications and sure will not buy another one of your magazines. Marion Shiller, Meadow Springs Kennel, marion@meadowsprings.net