Doing Your Homework

[lvoss]

@Quercus:

As you guys know I LOVE all dogs, I really do. Purebred dogs are no better or worse than mixed breed dogs…but people should feel free to make their own choice about what they want for their family, without guilt or shame being part of the equation.

This is exactly my point but so much better stated. Their are pros and cons to every choice. There are many reasons a family may choose to adopt a mixed breed but there are equally as many and as valid reasons for adopting a well bred pure bred. The problem is that so many people are not opting for either of those choices but instead buy a dog from a person who has irresponsibly bred the litter be it purebred or mixed breed.

At the shelter we see purebred dogs, just as all shelters do. All the ones I have seen have at least 1 thing in common. Not a single one has a form of permanent ID. There is no way to know where the dog came from. That goes for the majority of the mixed breeds also though there have been some owner surrenders that have a microchip.

[Duke]

@Duke:

OMG - please explain "We happen . . ." I'm not a purest of dog owners, albeit responsible (neutered/spayed). But still find myself on the side of frustration with purebred purchase.

Sorry I wasn't clear with my thoughts on this. After learning from you, breeders on this forum, I have come to realize that doing homework is most often a way to acquire a healthy purebred animal. My frustration is seeing full breeds in puppy stores that keep puppy mills profitable. Pups from BYB are probably not sensibly bred - but bred by someone who probably wanted an offspring of their beloved pet. I love animals of all kinds too. I apologize for my short response - did not mean to offend anyone.:o

[tanza]

@Duke:

Sorry I wasn't clear with my thoughts on this. After learning from you, breeders on this forum, I have come to realize that doing homework is most often a way to acquire a healthy purebred animal. My frustration is seeing full breeds in puppy stores that keep puppy mills profitable. Pups from BYB are probably not sensibly bred - but bred by someone who probably wanted an offspring of their beloved pet. I love animals of all kinds too. I apologize for my short response - did not mean to offend anyone.:o

While I can understand some of your points, I totally disagree with "bred by someone who probably wanted an offspring of their beloved pet"… I seriously doubt that in 90% of the cases. Just look at the people offering pups on puppyfind.com. These are BYB's IMO... and they do no health testing and they are breeding for money. They put on like these are their "beloved" pets.. when in fact they are just breeding and selling with no consideration to the breed period.

[JazzysMom]

And then there are those who will breed a bitch at least once because "female dogs are friendly if they've had a litter of puppies."

I can't believe how often I've heard that one, still.
I've actually had a few people suggest that we breed Jazzy – well, now that she's spayed, they ask why we didn't -- because she has such a snotty attitude, and didn't I know that could have been changed by just letting her have a litter of puppies?

Oy.

[Duke]

@tanza:

While I can understand some of your points, I totally disagree with "bred by someone who probably wanted an offspring of their beloved pet"… I seriously doubt that in 90% of the cases. Just look at the people offering pups on puppyfind.com. These are BYB's IMO… and they do no health testing and they are breeding for money. They put on like these are their "beloved" pets.. when in fact they are just breeding and selling with no consideration to the breed period.

See - add this to my frustration level. I am an average dog owner. Many average pet owner's don't know what exactly goes into responsible breeding. (I do, because I have learned here) On average, I think people don't know that a BYB can be just breeding for money.

[tanza]

@Duke:

See - add this to my frustration level. I am an average dog owner. Many average pet owner's don't know what exactly goes into responsible breeding. (I do, because I have learned here) On average, I think people don't know that a BYB can be just breeding for money.

I am sure you are correct, however what blows me away is people that will purchase a living, breathing, animal on the internet?…. People do more research to purchase a car then a live animal?... Makes no sense to me... Then again on the other hand there are so many people out there that think they can buy a bitch, bred it and make "spending" money... when they are looking for their next "pet"...

Of course that said, when I was a kid, my family was no better is buying dogs... (from pet shops)..... So it is a learning curve totally, but until the "way" people look at purchasing pets, it will be slow going.

[senji]

I am from the puppymill capital of the world..Lacaster County PA..it's heart breaking. I know several people that have gotten more or maybe I should say less then they bargained for. I can't understand thinking someone with 20 different breeds has put any thought into breeding. I have not seen any Bs around here in the situation though.

[tanza]

@senji:

I am from the puppymill capital of the world..Lacaster County PA..it's heart breaking. I know several people that have gotten more or maybe I should say less then they bargained for. I can't understand thinking someone with 20 different breeds has put any thought into breeding. I have not seen any Bs around here in the situation though.

Exactly my point, but John Q public doesn't know that… they think that because they are "breeding" many, they have lots of knowledge... think about... so all we can do is to educate, have websites, make sure they are up to date, put ads on site that sell pups so at least people see there is a difference....

[Tayda_Lenny]

Even though I have 2 purebred Basenjis and I love them to death, I do feel guilty sometimes having purchased them from breeders because there are so many dogs at shelters (purebred and mixed) that are in need of good homes….

[tanza]

@Tayda_Lenny:

Even though I have 2 purebred Basenjis and I love them to death, I do feel guilty sometimes having purchased them from breeders because there are so many dogs at shelters (purebred and mixed) that are in need of good homes….

You should not feel quilty.. it is not your fault that there are dogs in shelters… it is the people that "dumped" them and the ones that bred them. Yes there are many in shelters and not to say that they do not deserve homes, however, we deserve to purchase a well bred, well socialized, dog with good health...

[YodelDogs]

@Tayda_Lenny:

Even though I have 2 purebred Basenjis and I love them to death, I do feel guilty sometimes having purchased them from breeders because there are so many dogs at shelters (purebred and mixed) that are in need of good homes….

Puppies from ethical breeders also need homes.

[Tayda_Lenny]

Ethical breeders would not put their puppies to sleep if a home is not found in a suitable amount of time.

[Tayda_Lenny]

Speaking of ethical breeders… i just came back from visiting my friends new miniature Pincher... just got him on the spur of the moment after seeing a lady carrying one in a bank. That woman ended up being a breeder and had another puppy back home waiting for a home. The lady basically let them take the dog home for $500 without even asking any questions of them... no questions about other pets in the home, what their schedules are like, nothing. I wonder what kind of breeder this woman was.... sigh...

[lvoss]

If ethical, responsible breeders stopped breeding because there were dogs in shelters, it would not stop dogs from ending up in shelters. It would mean that a person looking for a healthy, well socialized dog from a known background would have no where to go. People should not feel bad because they choose to get a dog from a responsible breeder who is health testing and socializing their puppies, screens homes, and follows up. But there needs to be an awareness about the differences between a responsible breeder and one who is not. Someone who meets a person at the bank and offers to sell a puppy to them without learning anything about the person or family is not acting in a responsible manner.

[torchsong]

Experience also tends to be a good screener.

When my wife and I walk She-Ra in the park, adults get really attracted to her and see the way she plays with their kids (she's GREAT with kids), and they start asking question about the breed. They're really big on the whole "barkless dog" concept and I'll usually go into a little of the history (one of the oldest breeds, seen in heiroglyphs, not too common until recent decades, etc.), but I have yet to let any of them leave without telling them the other side of the story - they're high energy and high maintenance, they exist to test your patience, will shred/chew anything you leave out, you WILL walk them every night, particularly when they're young, etc. - things we all LOVE about our B's, but potential new owners might not be aware of and may not find as endearing.

My wife gets on my case for talking too much about them to strangers, but I tell her my big worry is that someone comes away from the conversation thinking "Barkless dog" and uses that as their criteria to pick one up. They aren't for everyone, and there are days (few and far between) we both scratch our heads and wonder why we didn't just get a bassett hound (joking). I try and impress that on families who see She-Ra and fall in love on the spot…