I have to wonder though, if I'd consider a breeding worthwhile if all my puppies went to pet homes. If everyone expressing interest in my dogs just wanted a pet, I don't know if I'd feel okay about producing a litter when they could just as easily find their pet in rescue? That being said, I got my pets from breeders because I couldn't find an ideal match in rescue, and I don't think pet owners should be denied the opportunity to get a well-bred dog. Blah. I don't fully know where I stand on this one. =/
This is a toughie - I've kind of jumped around on either side of the rope, so to speak. I think people should be breeding for quality and certainly concentrating on health and temperament while still following the breed standard. And in that aspect, they should be producing some pups that are capable of being excellent representatives of the breed.
On the other hand, there are a lot of people who want to buy a puppy and start with a puppy, and to them a rescue is not a viable option. I don't judge those people - I've been down both routes and in all honesty the dogs that I've gotten as eight week old puppies tend to be much easier in the long run as far as building a trusting relationship and tight bond (especially if you want the dog to eventually be trustworthy off-leash, at least when you're dealing with chows). Adult dogs and even sometimes older puppies can come with a lot of baggage - they don't generally end up in rescue because they had a loving family that took great care of them. So if a person wants to start with a puppy from a breeder I really can't fault them. And if they want a puppy, I would much rather see a quality breeder producing pups specifically for pet homes than to have these people wander onto puppyfind.com and buy from whatever breeder will take the cash.
A couple years ago you would have never seen me defending a breeder that specifically bred for pet homes, but now I don't know. I've had too many people ask me where to buy a chow puppy and I can't find many quality breeders who don't want an arm and a leg for a pup (some want top show price for their pet pups too), and the non-quality breeders aren't doing the health testing or following breed standard, let alone breeding for temperament or doing any of the proper socialization and handling with the pups before they sell them. The good breeders often breed just a litter or two a year (or less) and with chow litters averaging about four pups per litter, even if the price is okay with someone it's often hard to find a good quality puppy unless you have an "in" with the show people.
It's a catch-22 for sure.
Melanie and the gang in Alaska
