awashinlove said:
Puppy mills and backyard breeders are more likely to have ill animals, sure,
There's more to it than illness. There is conformation, instinct, working ability, temperment, bloodlines, genetic disorders, and the list goes on and on and on!
awashinlove said:
but where a person gets a dog doesn't at all play a part in where dogs end up.
Oh yes it does. A Responsible breeder takes care of every dog he/she produces. If someone that has purchased a puppy from me needs to surrender the animal, the contract says he MUST contact me first so that I can take the animal back. I would NEVER ever want one of my animals in a shelter, and I NEVER have.
awashinlove said:
Buying a puppy is buying a puppy.
No its not. Buying a puppy should be a process that takes at least 6 months, not a weekend drive and a rash decision. You should know exactly what you want and search out the breeder that can supply you with your new family member who will be with you for about 12 years, on average.
awashinlove said:
There wouldn't be any less animals (not counting those that have been taken into custody directly from the mass breeders) in shelters if every single one came from a "responsible" breeder.
There would be no puppies in shelters if they all came from responsible breeders. I volunteer with my local shelter and I see first hand exactly who comes in the door. They are from irresponsible owners who did not have enough forethought or compassion to responsibly purchase a puppy for the long haul. They also come from breeders who don't care what happens to their puppies or don't follow through, or who in other words, are not responsible.
Yes, the occasional purebred dog comes through the doors. Not every purebred dog breeder is responsible! Some come in with papers, but they are not the high quality puppies that "responsible" breeders are breeding for. They are churned out in a factory like fashion.
What you may not understand is that every purebred registered dog has a name attached to it, that includes a kennel name which immediately identifies who bred that dog. A kennel/breeders reputation is on the line everytime a dog leaves my home with that name attached to him/her. If my dog ends up in a shelter or is misused or abused in some way, that is a negative reflection on me and I would never let that happen. My dogs are my life and I am not the only breeder that feels this way. The conscientious responsible breeders out there, not the ones you find in the Sunday paper or along the side of the road have their dogs best interest in mind and if they thought for one minunte they were hurting their dogs they would not breed!
awashinlove said:
I don't care *who* does the breeding, no one, currently, *needs* to breed (and I'll just direct my comments to those in the U.S.
).
Yes they do, to keep the health of the breed and of domesticated dogs going up, instead of down, which is what is churned out by puppy mills, backyard breeders and irresponsible breeders. If there was a ban on dog breeding by the AKC (American Kennel Club, the largest registry of purebred dogs) that would mean only the BYB would continue on, killing what we know and love as domesticated dogs. Responsible breeders have to wrok around the clock to insure that each and every breed that we love stays the breed that we love, protected from people who only care about money!
awashinlove said:
I honestly hate using the terms 'responsible' and 'breeder' in the same sentence.
Then you misunderstand what it means to be a responsible breeder.
awashinlove said:
Some might take better care of their pets,
It's not about husbandry. It's about genetic tests, bloodlines, planned breedings, X-Rays, Vet bills and diet/nutrition.
but it's irresponsible, plain and simple, to look into the face of a homeless pet and go forward with creating another one just like it.
Show me one instance of a purebred Weimaraner with my dog's impeccable bloodlines, who is free from genetic disease and nutritional deficiencies and has a stable temperament and who is good in the field that is currently or has ever been in a shelter looking for a forever home. The point with purebred dogs is you can't just go to the shelter and get a Rhodesian Ridgeback, or Old English Sheepdog, or a Shiba Inu. The dogs at the shelter, 95% of the time are mixed breed lab, pit, rottie mixes that are great dogs, but not what I am looking for or want in my home.
I have adopted plenty of cats and dogs from the shelter. I do searches every day on petfinder to make sure that my beloved breed is NOT in the shelter. Dogs that even look like they might have Weim in them are removed from the shelter and put in foster homes. I am a foster home for my local shelter and I do work with the state Weim Rescue. I do my best to adopt out animals where I can to people who I think would benefit from the love of a dog.
Purebred dog Breeders are not bad people who are contributing to the pet overpopulation epidemic that has hit this country. People need to take responsibility for the pets that they purchase and/or breed. Only then will we see a turn around in this country. And, this is one of the few countries where we insist on penning up every animal we find. In Athens, for the Olympics, they had to temporarily house thousands of strays that wander the streets. They immediately returned them to the streets after all the Olympics people left town. Shelters are a great thing, but we keep better track of our dogs than other people, so it is not just a US problem. If anything, we have the best grip on the situation.
