Lily asked:
How many people agree that breeding an animal is a good way to keep the population of all the many different breeds of dogs going? Or do you think private breeders are just adding to the number of dogs in rescues?
Some breeds of dog are now becoming very rare. Do you think this is because a particular breed is now not that popular, or is it because most people have their animal neutered?
I have 2 terriers, and they are both bought from private breeders. However i would never buy another puppy from a private breeder, i want to rescue from now on.
How many people agree that breeding an animal is a good way to keep the population of all the many different breeds of dogs going? Or do you think private breeders are just adding to the number of dogs in rescues?
Some breeds of dog are now becoming very rare. Do you think this is because a particular breed is now not that popular, or is it because most people have their animal neutered?
I have 2 terriers, and they are both bought from private breeders. However i would never buy another puppy from a private breeder, i want to rescue from now on.
I don’t really like the idea of getting a dog for its looks. Size I can understand, but I think going after a particular breed is a bit picky. You’re supposed to be loving your animal for who they are, not what they are. I don’t like the idea of designer animals – just seems like the wrong reason to have an animal to me.
Breed fads come and go. And usually, breeders tend to sell puppies already fixed because they don’t want an irresponsible owner breeding the dog with something else and muddling its breeding.
My dog is a mutt, and I love him to pieces. My dad’s friend gave him to us when he was a puppy, so he wasn’t rescued or anything, but in the future I’m not going to support people breeding dogs when there are so many wonderful animals in shelters. It doesn’t make sense.
I own 2 KC registered Staffies which cost a small fortune,by putting a high price on a dog you are 99% guaranteeing that the person is serious about having the dog I got mine from a private breeder and have had them for 9 years now to me its not the breeders but the irresponsible people who buy them then give them up when they are bored who adds to it.
Most pedigree dogs you get from registered kennel club breeders will never end up in a dog sanctuary, you are not going to spend that much money and realise you made a mistake and dont want it anymore.
And most breeders will not simply give one of their dogs away to anyone with the money. When I bought my Airedale Terrier the breeder wanted to know had I any experience with that type of dog before, or had I the space to keep one. She even visited me weeks later on, to insure the dog was okay and I was taking proper care of her.
If you buy a good quality dog, you won’t get it neutered because there’s big money in breeding.
I think as long as you’ve done your homework to make sure that they infact are not a puppymill, then there is nothing wrong with it. But infact if it is a puppymill, then it should be reported and shut down.
Personally I chose to get my puppy from a rescue.
I have bought 2 of mine from private breeders. One because I wanted another miniature Jack Russell and they are few and far between. My previous one I had for 17 years until she died. My 2nd was a German Shepherd, he was the runt of the litter and was going to be put down because he wasn’t good enough to show.
My other 2 GSs are mother and son – she is married to the first one I bought and they had 7 pups together, none of which were KC registered or sold, we gave them away to good homes which we vetted ourselves.
Our last one, is a Spanish mouse catcher and is a mutt. We rescued her from living in the Orange groves, half starved and very badly treated, she had been beaten and shot at, after being thrown out of her home. She was only about 8 months old at the time.
So, we have 5 dogs, 2 paid for, 2 free, and 1 who adopted us!
Got our family pet from a rescue centre when he was two years old. He a jack russell cross and none of us would be without him now as he is definitely part of the family. We picked him for various reasons on of which was he was the only dog that didnt jump up at the cage door he just sat there looking sorry for himself. Some private breeders are ok it depends on the breeders to be fair. But i think breeding should be maintained as there is a risk that some breeds will go extinct
i do agree with private breeders in the right circumstances i have 3 shihzus all came from the same lady this lady has been breeding shih zus for 40 years and Ive seen the mum and dad of my shih zus and this lady has bred them for so long that from what Ive seen shes breeding sound dogs .this lady does not advertise them in papers or the Internet she uses the kennel club to sell the puppies and checks the homes and people the dogs are going to at 500 pounds a dog shes not in it for the money each puppy is vet checked vaccinated and registered with the kennel club before going to a new home i would say that is a responsible breeder i do think that some breeders are in it just for the money and breed a particular dog because of the lack of that breed and that is how come we have so many puppy mills to breed for the demand there needs to be tighter regulations on breeding dogs to prevent so many puppy mills and people breeding dogs with major faults
I support those breeders who are reputable, place dogs one spay and neuter contracts, and a contract that states if at any given time it can no longer stay with the family it’s sold to the dog needs to go back to the breeder for placement (therefore it will never end up in a pound or shelter). All of the four dogs I’ve had have come from breeders like that.
Just because I know which breeds I like and what I like in a dog doesn’t make me some horrible person like some people make people like me out to be. In response to the first post, I am not being picky by buying a certian breed I like, whom I love because of who they are personality wise.
Myself, I’m sick of people preaching about all the homeless animals to those wishing to buy from good breeders. Because guess what? Most of us get it, we understand in spades about the situation. Because we choose to get a dog elsewhere doesn’t mean we don’t give a damn.
I have always purchased my dogs from private breeders with many years of experience in the breed. I am not a show person, so I am not interested in show quality, but working quality. I am after specific drives and sizes and other things that I could never get from a pound dog. I have never and will never own a dog from the pound as I want to know everything possible about any dog I bring home. I cannot understand how people bring a carnivorous pack animal home and not know anything about it. It’s just not for me. My dogs costs thousands of dollars and come from Europe. I do support breeders who breed for working ability, not show quality.
I agree with private reputable/responsible breeders apposed to a pet store, irresponsible BYB or a Puppymill. Ones that are doing health testing and breeding healthy PUREBRED dogs that are within standard.
We rescue our own. If at any time over the course of the dog’s life the family can no longer care for them regardless of age or circumstance, we take them back.
Pet stores, BYB and Puppymills say it’s your problem once you leave with a puppy or dog, which is why our shelters are full of purebred as well as mixed breeds.
If you don’t rescue, you shouldn’t breed!
I think if your heart is set on one particular type of dog – a breeder is the best way to go.
However, some of the most wonderful pets i have known have came from rescue centers.
You get a great companion and you have saved it a life time of misery or getting put to sleep for no good reason.
There are 2 very different private breeders one that breeds for the purpose of bettering a breed, most of the pups will go to homes that will show and they do no breed just to produce pets, due to the costs of health testing and showing the parents, only breeding occasionally they do not make profit on their pups, and pups are sold under a very strict contract so as to prevent them from ending up in shelter or pounds
then there is the private breeder who does so strictly for profit, they do not care what happens to the pups once they get their cash, and to me no better than a puppy mill other than the fact the living condition might be better.
2 of my dogs are from breeders like the first , and 2 are rescues When I want a puppy I go to a reputable breeder and when I want an adult I look for a rescue to adopt, that way I know what I am getting.
Private dog breeders are irresponsible and should be outlawed. Not only do they cross-breed to satisfy their own vanities, and in doing so increase diseases and defects in the poor resultant dogs, but they overpopulate pet shops with poor dogs who invariably end up being ‘put to sleep’ or worse when they can’t be sold. There are an abundance of dogs in pounds who are unwanted for one reason or another. Why buy a dog from a private dog breeder in order to follow trends when you could save a dog from a death row they did nothing to deserve?
I am a private breeder and only breed for health and temperment. I have also taken 2 dogs from the shelter as pets and they have costed me a fortune. one both finially had to be put down due to cancer and being puppy mill pups. after thousands of dollars out of my pocket. . since I breed a popular dog I know that i can only get 3 pups at the most and I have to breed every other heat which means years before the female can have pups again. people can be on my waiting list for years. So long that I have picked up 2 other breeders that treat there dogs the same as me so I can make referals. We can not keep up with demand. though we would like to put the puppy mills out of business and breed only healthy loving pups.
All of my pets are rescues and have been for nearly 35 years. Puppy mills and back yard breeding should be done away with. Responsible breeding is over done. Below are som fact for people that have not done the research.
There are 15 dogs born for every one human.
There are millions of dogs killed every year because of not enough homes.
Only 1 dog in 10 gets a permanent home.
One female and her offspring can produce 67,000 dogs in just six years.
That coupled with the health benefits of spay/neuter WHY breed your dog?
I have always bought from private breeders . You can get a feel if they are a good private breeder or not . If they have the interests of the breed at heart they will have had all the tests done on both parents ie hip scored , eye tests etc . You will get a good grilling to find out if YOU are suitable as an owner to one of their puppies , you will be asked to sign that if for some unexpected reason you can no longer keep the puppy that you return it to the breeder and not rehome yourself . It will have been wormed etc and as well as full papers you will get full diet sheet and care instructions . My last 2 puppies I got from the same breeder 12 months apart I was given food , grooming brushes combs and even a blanket that all puppies and mum had been sleeping on to save them fretting . A Kennel Club ban on my breeding from these was put on only to be lifted if I got all tests done and satisfied the breeder that I was a good home to her puppies and would make a suitable breeder myself . Cant get better than that . Also think rescue great if you dont want a paticular breed .
I do think private breeders are needed but they should be registered, the way things are anyone can get 2 pedigree dogs and breed them this i think is wrong.
I have 2 dogs both rescue, i would never purchase a pedigree dog.
I fostered dogs for just over a year and it was wonderful some were mongrels some were pure breeds, they had nearly all been mistreated.
To see them now in there new homes is fantastic, happy and healthy.
Hey interesting question….I think that private breeders are ok as long as there is some sort of way to monitor over breeding and interbreeding….also why shouldn;’t these breeders pay tax on the monies they are making from these animals/?? Both my dogs are rescues and I would not consider lining a private breeders pockets while there are lots of other dogs in need of a home….but each to their own I guess
I purchased my chihuahua from a private breeder . But i do rescue and alot of my rescues have pshycological problems and usually need home w/o small children which makes it harder to find them homes on the average . But I would definatly rescue from a pound or shelter on the average . But sometimes you do get dogs with alot of problems.
A lot depends on what type of dog you are looking for. There are way too many great dogs in shelters etc waiting to be rescued. However there can be health problems at shelters as evidenced by Lied Animal shelter in Las Vegas having to put down several hundred animals due to illness.
Most private breeders that actually care IE: NO PUPPY MILLS, actually take the time to have the puppies checked out usually by a vet they have used for many years. The parents of the pups are regularly checked by a vet especially when the female is pregnant.
I think people who actually rescue dogs from shelters are great and should be appreciated for what they have done. I have seen people who will spend upwards of $500.00 for a dog and then ignore it. Biggest thing to remember is are you capable of caring for the animal. This includes not only food and water but exercise, play time and most importantly returning the animals love.
If you had a bad experience with a breeder there are registering bodies you can report them to. Always when you get an animal have it checked by your vet irregardless of where it comes from
I think both are good options. Why would people judge the choices of others regarding this topic? Professional, responsible breeders do not give their dogs to anyone who is interested, and most people buying pure bred puppies from breeders have done their homework regarding the breed and the breeder. I decided to buy a golden retriever (not a ‘designer’ dog) from a private breeder. I chose not to rescue because I wanted to ensure my dog would have certain characteristics. I have a very young child and I didn’t want a dog with a possible abusive background. These dogs can sometimes have aggressive or defensive tendencies that could put my child in danger. I researched several breeders before choosing and my breeder researched me and met my family before allowing us to purchase the dog. Rescuing is a great option for most people, but not necessarily for others.
What is adding to the number of dogs in rescue is the irresponsible breeder. The one who doesn’t screen their buyer to ensure that the dog is going to a prepared, well-researched home. The one whose only two questions for the buyer are, Do you have cash? and, Will you give the dog a good home? You will? Good. It’s yours. The one who doesn’t take that dog (or any dog they breed) back if things don’t work out 3 or 5 or even 10 years down the road. The one who doesn’t keep in contact or sell puppies on a spay/neuter contract to ensure that the dog is nothing more than a beloved pet (i.e. not a puppy machine or a side business).
Purebred dogs in rescue don’t come from responsible breeders. And a responsible breeder’s puppies do not take homes away from shelter dogs, because chances are the buyer doesn’t want a shelter dog in the first place, and would not give one a home.
Breeds that are rare become so because they aren’t popular, or are unknown (which is how many breeders prefer to keep them, actually). I don’t think it has much to do with people neutering their pets. I would much rather see a breed with low numbers, but a high percentage of healthy, typey, functional dogs versus a high number of poorly bred, genetically crippled dogs. Responsible breeders of less common breeds are not generally looking for popularity. I honestly wish my breed was less popular, actually. There are too many people out there buying them on looks, without knowing anything about the breed — people who actually have no business owning one of these dogs. THESE are the dogs that end up in my rescue.
I believe that anyone just looking for a wonderful companion should look at a shelter or rescue dog. There are plenty of wonderful companions sitting in shelters. But if they are looking for a specific breed for a specific reason, they shouldn’t be made to feel guilty about going to a responsible breeder.
No I don’t like private breeders – all my dogs are rescues – 2 pure bred Great Danes and 1 Great Dane Mastiff cross. Great Danes change hands for upwards of £500 and through the GDAS alone there are upwards of 18 a month needing to be rescued. A private breeder eventually handed over 9 danes last year which they had in a flat – buying dogs through newspaper ads only encourages this – please only rescue or if you are determined to have a pup go to a reputable breeder where you should always see the pups with their mum. We have had two pups bought this way and were interviewed for over 3 hours before we were allowed to even see our pup – and this is the way it should be.
as the daughter of a breeder, i have to say that if u are going to breed for show then its ok, i don’t agree that u should breed just for the money,(some people do that)and if the breeding gets a dog that is not up to standard then it should be fixed and given to a good home,of course the popular dogs are the ones that are breed, so the rare ones kinda get lost in the greed. just remember when u rescue that u are not getting a dog that will live up to the pure breed ideal, i have had 3 lab greyhound rescues because i like the temperament of both breeds, and a rot border collie that wasn’t quite my style. but please do rescue just choose a mix or a rescue that fits u.
1 of my dogs is from a breeder the other was a rescue.
As for breeders whether I approve of them depends on whether they breed for profit or out of a desire to help the breed.
My Bobtails have had a couple of litters over the years, the people who buy them are all checked out, and if I don’t think they are suitable then they don’t get a pup from me. I don’t have to advertise as I get people phoning a lot to see if I have any puppies. I also keep in touch with the people who do get one, and I am always on hand for advice or help 24 / 7. I have occasionally had to take a pup back and re home as the buyers found they couldn’t manage. Most Breeders are responsible people, its the idiots who don’t get their b***h spayed and then have unplanned and unwanted litters who are the cause of most of the problems. 2 of my dogs are from rescues and have both been spayed so will never have pups.