Don't you think there are enough...

[hsnepp]

i have read several messages. so correct me if i am wrong... #1: there are needs for certain breeds. #2: there are bad breeders out there, #3: there are very good breeders out there. #4: we want to keep bloodlines out there for an obvious reasons.
from reading so many posts, a lot that I do agree with, some i dont. because i am not a breeder, what can us "simple" people do to stop bad breeding. how about getting a dog from a certain breed shelter? I also know for a fact from above, that certain breeders do drop off their "unwanted" litters to shelters. i used to vol. at a shelter and it happens so much. I live in georgia, and i see it happen, so it must happen other places.

 

[Mordy]

hsnepp, my personal opinion is that the best course of action is to educate the public why it is so important to not buy puppies from

1. pet shops
2. large scale commercial breeders where puppies are mass produced and grow up in kennels instead of integrated with the family and lots of human contact
3. websites on the internet, sight unseen, shipped "conveniently" to the new owner, without ever meeting the breeder and seeing where the dog came from

yes, it is a fact that some breeders "get rid" of puppies by dumping them at shelters and other unethical methods, but these are not what is commonly referred to as a responsible breeder. responsible breeders will not sell you a puppy without a contract, and no responsible breeder will draw up a contract without a clause that if the new owner can't keep the dog for any reason whatsoever they will take it back. again - dogs from truly ethical, responsible breeders do not end up dumped at shelters, for this very reason.

for those people who don't mind taking in a rescue dog, any shelter or rescue is fine. dogs in need come from so many different places and they all deserve a second chance. someone who is not an experienced dog owner should stick with rescues rather than adopting from a shelter, simply for the fact that most rescues keep dogs in foster homes and these people know what the individual dogs are like.

if you adopt from a city shelter, you won't get much support in that direction, since the dogs live in kennels and often are at the shelter for only relatively short periods of time.

 

[Rubylove]

All of my cats I got from shelters. We got our dog from a breeder.

This was because we are people who work full time and have a certain type of lifestyle. Dogs need a lot of time and attention, and we wanted to make sure we were getting the best breed of dog for our lives - to ensure that we were able to cater for it and give it the best life possible.

You might think that is selfish, but it is true that everyone lives their lives in a certain way, and we were thinking only of the dog that we were going to get. What would be the point of getting a dog from a shelter, only to find that we got the totally wrong dog for us that would end up miserable and unhappy?

We put a lot of time, thought and effort into choosing the right dog - that would make us happy and most importantly, we could make happy in return. We feel that we made the right choice with Ruby, and would go for the same breed again when we get another dog.

However, having said that, I do agree that breeding any animal seems a bit excessive when there are so many unwanted, unloved animals in the world.

I, too, work in animal rescue and know where you're coming from, Amy. That is why it was so important to us to get the right dog for our situation, which we could only be sure of with a purebred - as much as you can be sure of anything with animals!

 

[Mikey27X834]

I'm getting my dog from a breeder, and I make zero apologies for that. It's not my fault there are loads of unwanted dogs without homes.

 

[Gallien Jacks]

I'm getting my dog from a breeder, and I make zero apologies for that. It's not my fault there are loads of unwanted dogs without homes.

No one is saying it is your fault, but a lot of people think that if you dont plan on showing or breeding then its best to give a rescue dog a home

 

[Mikey27X834]

I agree, to a certain degree, and I've actually tried to find a rescue dog to adopt. But if someone like me, who has never owned a dog before, who doesn't have experience with dogs, then maybe a rescue might not be the best idea due to possible behavioral problems.

 

[Gallien Jacks]

I agree, to a certain degree, and I've actually tried to find a rescue dog to adopt. But if someone like me, who has never owned a dog before, who doesn't have experience with dogs, then maybe a rescue might not be the best idea due to possible behavioral problems.

Thats true unless you can get a puppy

 

[taratippy]

Sorry but do you honestly believe that all rescue dogs come with problems? Its just not true! Many are in rescue for a miriade of other reasone, in fact the most common reason dogs are in rescue in the UK is due to family break down, nothing to do with the dogs having problems.

 

[Mikey27X834]

I never said all dogs in rescues have behavioral problems, nor did I imply that either.

 

[EliNHunter]

I'm not even able to go through all the postings here. This is entirely looong... and I'm not pointing fingers. But whoever said they were staying clear of rescues because those dogs have behavioral issues is COMPLETELY WRONG!!!! Yes, perhaps some do, and some may "seem" to have them. My two rescues, case in point. They were both strays. TOTALLY untrained and absolute ROGUES. But I knew their heart and soul (I know not all can "connect" that way, but I can) and knew their potential with hard work from both of us. And they both are/was the best dogs I could ask for. Now, maybe that means for you... "I don't want to put time and energy into my dog... I want him/her perfect from the start". Well, they actually have those, too (just to note "perfect" is not going to happen with ANY pet). There are many well adjusted, trained, "good dogs" put into rescue because of the love their owners have for their pets to find the right connection with the right person/family. Some owners are deceased, getting divorced, family members have allergies, etc. etc. etc. Please, think again...

 

[Mordy]

personally i think that the potential for behavioral problems is just as high for a puppymill dog sold at a petstore as for one from a shelter/rescue. so unless someone really makes the effort to find a responsible breeder, it doesn't make much of a difference.

a purebred rescue dog might in fact be the better option since it has been evaluated by people who are familiar with the breed for other reasons than just producing hundreds of puppies a year.

 

[apmnally]

Enough UNWANTED pets out there? Please stop your breeding to make a buck, at least until there are no need for animal shelters, humane societies and other rescue groups out there. Disgusting....letting animals "breed" is a very lazy way to make an income! Get off your butt and do it your self. Don't rely on animals having sex to make YOU money. Over 7 million pets get destroyed a year, and yes, you are part to blame, don't think your not. Not ever pup, or kitten get a good home for ever..... Hey, I know I came from another forum, but I have to speak the trouth...freedom of speech and all. Let's see how long this is on here now that I recall a post on "how much did you pay for your dog..." The right answer should have been, about 40.00 from a shelter, not some puppy mill or breeder.
AMY

what we need is a foolproof screening process its not hard to have a partner apply for a dog/cat or whatever instead of yourself if you have previously had trouble with animal welfare groups i work at a shelter and it happens quite alot and theres not much that can be done about it as for stopping breeders. breeders dont make money considering the cost it takes to bring a healthy femal/male into a state where the will have healthy puppies is not cheap alot of breeders do it to better the breed and not to make a quick buck the ones who make a quick buck are the puppy farmers the welfare groups have no problem with purebred breeding its the puppy farms and backyard breeders that cause all the trouble pets need to be desexed not breeding dogs bred by reputable breeders

 

[Muttlies3]

I personally have a love/hate relationship with breeders. There are breeders who are responsible, reputable, and do it to better the breed. However, seeing the everyday joe breed their pet dog angers me to no end.

I got all three of my dogs from the Humane Society and will never ever have it any other way as long as there's a need for shelters and rescues. There's nothing wrong with these dogs. They are far better behaved than my neighbor's purebred who they spent thousands on. They've had her for 3 years and spent hours trying to train her.

I've had my dog, Kiara, for a year and a few months now - i'm trying to find new tricks to train because she's getting bored from her current ones! She was found abandoned on the side of a busy road, flea bitten.

Simba was found at 4 months as a stray, lived in the shelter for 4 months and was to be killed within the next few days. He is one of the most well-behaved dogs I know.

Nala was abandoned in a box with her littermates. Malnourished, kennel cough, flea bitten. Now she weighs 70 lbs and is one of the most gentle sweetest dogs.

All three from the shelter. All three are truely special, and not just because i'm biased but anyone who meets them sees it as well.

Shelter dogs are just as good if not better than any papered pedigree.

 

[BlackDog]

Shelter dogs are just as good if not better than any papered pedigree.

Better in what way? It's common for some people to say that mutts are better health and temperament wise when there are so many terrible purebred breeders out there ruining the name of the purebred dog. That isn't to say that mutts automatically are better. That's like saying their is no such thing as a good purebred dog and mutts are better.

Just because your next door neighbor spent thousands on his purebred dogs and they turned out to be less than adaquate (health, temperament, or structual wise) and your mix breeds are some of the best you have met doesn't mean all mutts are great and all purebreds are bad. Good breeders have dogs wonderful dogs and nothing less. You have to look beyond you own personal experience.

I always encourage people to read these books because they are wonderful reads and they explain A TON of things people over look about dogs.

''Dog Showing For Beginners'' by Lynn Hall
''Breeding A Litter'' by Beth J. Finder Harris

You would think reading books about breeding a litter and dog showing isn't necessary because you have no intention to breed or show but you really need to dig into the roots of what good breeders do. That involves breeding and showing. I think you faith in purebreds will be restores after reading these.

 

[keyodie]

I think that if you want a dog, you should go to the shelter and save a life. There are MANY dogs in shelters that are about to be killed, and the shelter I went to to get Charlie was horrible. I went there, got the adorable pup for 5 dollars, and took him home. There are dogs in shelters that are as "good" and "cute" as the dogs from breeders.

 

[BlackDog]

I think that if you want a dog, you should go to the shelter and save a life. There are MANY dogs in shelters that are about to be killed, and the shelter I went to to get Charlie was horrible. I went there, got the adorable pup for 5 dollars, and took him home. There are dogs in shelters that are as "good" and "cute" as the dogs from breeders.

I'm not saying don't buy a shelter dog. I think anyone who buys a shelter dog has a wonderful heart. I'm just saying don't put down purebreds.

 

[Muttlies3]

I never said all mutts are great or all purebreds are bad. NEVER.

 

[gaddylovesdogs]

I have two mutts (Colby is Canaan Dog and JRT, Tippy is border collie and German Shepherd), and one purebred (Mayberry, chocolate lab). I love them all equally, and find them all to be incredibly smart, sweet, and beautiful dogs. I don't prefer one of my mutts over my purebred, or my purebred over my mutts. I love them all because they've all got awesome personalities.

But I think if you're looking for a family pet, why not drop by a few local shelters? There are a ton of dogs that need homes - about five million dogs are euthanized in American shelters every year. 750,000 dogs and cats are gassed to death in Lousiana annually. A lot of these dogs are purebreds.

 

[bubbatd]

As a past breeder of Goldens , I must say that back then we chose purebred papered dogs because we knew what we were looking for. Things have changed. There are so many unwanted dogs now , I would go rescue or shelters. I do prefer rescue as the dogs are evaluated so much better. I feel sorry for the shelters and Humane societies as most of their dogs may have " issues" . A good dog can be any breed or mixture. I do wish there were fees placed on litters. Those who breed for a reason would be more than willing to pay the price ... hopefully the BYBs would have to pay through the nose if they don't report.

 

[BlackDog]

Shelter dogs are just as good if not better than any papered pedigree.

One could imagine by this statement that that's what you meant. If it wasn't, I'm sorry. My mistake.