Is it morally wrong to breed a dog?

Question

can anyone give me the pro's and cons about breeding dogs.

My friend and I had a discussion about breeding dogs, and she said it was morally wrong, because she wouldnt do that to herself. and if you think about it ethically you really wouldnt want to do that to yourself, but I told her that we are humans, and they are dogs, yes i know they have feelings to, and I LOVE dogs. trust me I LOVE them a lot. but yea that is why I wanted to know if anyone else has a differeny opinion, do you know about any pros and cons on it?

Answer 1

Great question & something for people to think about!
Pros:
Pure breeds are highly desirable to many dog lovers;
The clients usually have a choice which pup they want;
Owners can form a bond with the breeders for future reference;
Money can be made if all the pups are sold;
Breeders are providing a service to those who do not want to breed dogs but want to have them;
Breeders are making pets available to a loving home;
Sometimes breeders over-breed & can't sell the pups, leaving less expensive/free pups to go to those who want a pet.

Cons:
There are many unwanted dogs already in pounds and shelters all over the country (I'm assuming you mean US) that MIGHT be able to be saved;
Breeders do not always sell all of their pups or make the desired money they had planned;
Not all breeders are ethical & there is overbreeding, incest breeding, and other things that happen that produce sickly animals;
Not all breeders are honest, which means the client could be getting a sick animal OR an animal that isn't even a pure breed.

So, is it morally wrong to breed a dog? I would have to say no, it isn't if it's done correctly with the health of the female in mind. But I do think it's morally wrong to overbreed a female and use her specifically for having pups. I think that is cruel.

Answer 2

I believe the question of morality arises when there are already so many unwanted ,uncared,and neglected dogs . Why add to an an excising problem. I love all animals but because I see the throw-away society that we have here in America I am hard pressed to see why any one would bring more dogs into a world where 1000s are destined to end up being euthanized in our over crowded shelters each and every day. I for one could not breed my dog . I would instead hope for a 5 yr moratorium on all dog and cat births ,spay and neuter all at least until homes are found for our present pet population. I know you will hear dissenting opinions from breeders and others but at least think about what I have written. Thank you

Answer 3

IMO, it is always better to have a mixed breed spayed or neutered. There are so many homeless mixed breed dogs already out there. Breeding - "just to let her have a litter" or "so the kids can see the miracle of birth" are not valid reasons to breed in my book.

If a dog is your beloved pet, you are placing it at some risk to breed it. Depending on the breed, things usually go okay - but any dog could have problems. I bred my Maltese. She had to have a c-section and died after the c-section. The vet did a good job. I trust him completely. He is my boss. Bad things happen sometimes. And it could happen to you. You could also end up with all the expenses that go with having complications - emergency services, c-sect, etc.

Having said all that, I don't think that having your dog bred is 'evil'. I am sure you will get some answers like that. As long as you are responsible about it.... proper care for the dam and puppies, vaccinations, good quality food, good vet care, and so forth, I think it is perfectly acceptable.

Answer 4

Well, if you are breeding a purebred dog, and are trying to improve the breeds standards and health and are doing everything the way you should with much research being done and the best stud being picked, then yes, it can be a good thing. If you have a mutt on the other hand and just want to breed your dog for the experience of having puppies around, then no, it's not right. There are thousands of dogs and puppies put to sleep every day because people bred their dog and then couldn't get rid of all the puppies....the shelter needed room for the new pups and viola! a bunch of dogs have to die to make room for them. Please encourage people to adopt from a shelter....the dogs will appreciate it and you will have a wonderful companion.

Answer 5

It can be a lot of work, but if you don't mind cleaning up puppy poop, then by all means go for it. It can also be a costly affair (food, vet bills). You'll want to talk to your vet about care and feeding for the mother dog (you'll also want to make sure mama dog is healthy enough to have the pups pending complications) and her pups. (Shots, health checks, etc.) I think your friend was more concerned about all the dogs that are in local shelters that are in need of homes, and while I understand her feelings, there's nothing wrong with you breeding dogs as long as you do your utmost to give them the best care possible.

Answer 6

Questions to ask yourself. Why are you breeding the dog? What will you do with the puppies? Average litter is 6 but can be as many as 12. Can you find homes for all of them? What about the health of the mother? Female dogs who aren't spayed have more health problems than those who are. With so many puppies being euthanized every day by shelters all over the country, do you want to add to the disgrace by allowing your dog to produce more?

Answer 7

i think that breeding isn't morally wrong necessarily but can be cause for much debate. 1. there are so many dogs in the world without homes, why not adopt and save lives, 2. breeding can be bad for dogs health when not done properly 3. yeah, you get purebred dogs, but unless you are showing the dogs, who cares if the dog is purebred, they are mostly all sweet and loving anyways so, really, who cares???

Answer 8

Every day in the United States thousands upon thousands of puppies and kittens are born because of the uncontrolled breeding of pets. Add to that number the offspring of stray and abandoned companion animals, and the total becomes even more staggering. Every year, between six and eight million dogs and cats enter U.S. shelters; some three to four million of these animals are euthanized because there are not enough homes for them.
Too many companion animals competing for too few good homes is the most obvious consequence of uncontrolled breeding. However, there are other equally tragic problems that result from pet overpopulation: the transformation of some animal shelters into "warehouses," the acceptance of cruelty to animals as a way of life in our society, and the stress that caring shelter workers suffer when they are forced to euthanize one animal after another. Living creatures have become throwaway items to be cuddled when cute and abandoned when inconvenient. Such disregard for animal life pervades and erodes our culture.

Abandoned and stray companion animals who survive in the streets and alleys of cities and suburbs pose a health threat to humans and other animals. Homeless companion animals get into trash containers, defecate in public areas or on private lawns, and anger citizens who have no understanding of their misery or their needs. Some of these animals scare away or prey upon wildlife—such as birds—or frighten small children.

The public health epidemic of dog bites—which number more than 4.5 million each year—is due in part to uncontrolled breeding of pets. Bites by so-called dangerous dogs have drawn an enormous amount of media attention, and fatalities caused by dangerous dogs are a serious concern. Often, the vicious tendencies found in some dog breeds can be attributed to irresponsible breeding without regard for temperament. Neutering can help reduce this aggressive behavior.

Clearly, pet overpopulation is not just a problem for the animals or for the shelters involved. Each year communities are forced to spend millions of taxpayer dollars trying to cope with the consequences of this surplus of pets. These public costs include services such as investigating animal cruelty, humanely capturing stray animals, and sheltering lost and homeless animals.
SPAY/NEUTER IS BEST FOR YOUR PET!!

Answer 9

It depends on what kind of care you provide. Dogs will naturally want to breed anyway so in the care of someone good I think it is a good thing

Answer 10

I don't think it's wrong to breed dogs. It is not like you are really forcing them to do that. I have a nest box for my birds and have been trying to get them to have babies since they had two bad eggs. I am hoping they have babies.
I know they aren't dogs, but it's the same concept. Besides, it's nature.