Anti-Breeder Attitudes?

IMO, its because there are ALWAYS pet quality dogs in a litter or dogs available to pet homes..dogs that have WONDERFUL health and temperament because of the work the breeders do. I see no reason one should breed for what is always going to exist in a well bred litter.

I do nothing with my dogs but just have pets. "Just pets" is not a slam or less worthy but yes, I do not think that is enough to validate breeding them.

Why does breeding for show suddenly make things a-okay? It makes no sense to me. You can breed for health, temperament, and a sound structure without breeding for show.

No, you cannot find 'dogs of all shapes and sizes and colors' in shelters. You just can't. I never saw a single papillon or sheltie enter the shelter I worked at. Not a single one. Small dogs? You're going on a waiting list. That's not even touching on finding dogs of the temperament you want, which is even more important.

Shelters are full of pets.

I don't see anything wrong with wanting a HEALTHY and temperamentally stable pet. If all pets were healthy and stable, then there would be a whole lot less pets in shelters.

And neither do I... But that seems to be getting lost in translation here. I don't see anything wrong with getting a pet from a breeder. But I do see something wrong with a breeder breeding a whole litter for something that comes out in show prospective litters anyways.

Juno is from a "pet breeder." Her dogs get their CGC. Her dogs do therapy work. Her dogs dabble in agility and obedience.

I do feel very strongly that there needs to be impartial judging and something more than just a good companion to make a dog breeding material.

Now I realize that I was totally wrong – because companion dogs don’t sit on laps – they SIT ON LAPS. It’s like the difference between chasing sheep and herding them, honestly – at church, for example, Sammy and Godric greeted many people, they sat on Honour’s lap without asking to get off, and they were handed around to the gentle old ladies and the not-so-gentle youth leaders and the kids getting lemonade afterward. In every set of arms they were still and accepting; to every face they were friendly; they never barked or fought to get down and they quietly stood between Honour’s feet when they weren’t greeting people.

If you want to appreciate how difficult that is for a dog, imagine carrying around and handing a one-year-old German Shorthaired Pointer to five eighty-year-old women in a row. A Papillon and a GSP are the same animal. Same brain, same basic instinctive reactions. It’s just as much a specialized behavior for a dog to sit still on a stranger’s lap as she plays with your hair and sniffs your head (everybody sniffs Sammy’s head; I know that it’s actually because she’s super, super clean and soft all the time and they’re surprised how nice she feels and smells, but I have to laugh because it’s like she’s made out of cheesecake) as it is for a dog to point a bird.

And you can tell afterward, too. When we got back in the car after two hours of being social, the two of them CRASHED. They were so exhausted they licked at food for a minute and then fell asleep with their faces in the bowl. These are dogs who run and play all day, but being still and perfect is concentrated, deliberate work.

It’s honestly amazing to watch; they change just as much as a corgi changes when they turn on to sheep. It’s not that they don’t need training, because of course they do, but the basic brain structures are already there. When we were at an outdoor restaurant on Saturday, we were eating fries with a three-month-old Papillon puppy lounging on the picnic table next to plates of food. He’s a complete wild man at home, but out and about he watched everybody walk by, wagged at them, didn’t move toward them unless told to, and took food only when it was handed to him. Trust me, it’s not because I am a great trainer. It’s because for three hundred years his breed has been refined until that kind of thing is hard-wired.

It’s given me a whole new facet of dog-ness to appreciate, honestly, and be fascinated by. And it doesn’t hurt that they are so cute it’s ridiculous.

However, how do I prove he is or is not a good and worthy pet? Is CGC adequate? Is a TT? Or is the sheer act of existing as a companion enough?

Who judges the companionability? That is something that is SO subjective, yeah, not a way to breed just for that....it looks different for every person. I do feel very strongly that there needs to be impartial judging and something more than just a good companion to make a dog breeding material.

I did not want a working or a show dog. I still went to a reputable breeder and got a WONDERFUL companion dog. They are not in short supply. Health tested, temperament tested, early puppy socialization etc. all done.

However, how do I prove he is or is not a good and worthy pet? Is CGC adequate? Is a TT? Or is the sheer act of existing as a companion enough?

To me there is this focus on the ebil 'BYB'. We have this need to make all these arbitrary rules that have nothing to do with... anything.

- Can't breed a mix. Breed a mutt= BYB/irresponsible.
- Can't breed for pets. BYB
- Can't breed more than 1-2 litters a year. BYB
- Can't advertise. BYB
- Must show or you're a BYB. or the opposite- If you show you're a bad breeder.
- Oh man you have kennels... BYB
- No waiting list? BYB
-Untitled sire or dam? BYB

I could keep going but you get it. BYB is the most useless term.

Why not focus on the important things like... Breeding good dogs, being honest about your breeding program and your goals, and standing behind your puppies for their entire lives?

For the record, my dogs are show bred and I do agility with them so they're not 'just pets', whatever that means. I know what *I* want in a breeder. I am very specific, especially for Nextdog. If my plans go right, Nextdog is going to be a very busy busy dog. That doesn't mean one size fits all when it comes to breeders and who is being 'responsible'.