animal shelters?

Question

I know that many people say that there is an over population of dogs and cats in animal shelters. But just because there are too many dogs in there it is not a responsible breeders fault. I'm tired of people telling me to get my dogs and cats fixed. But it is natures design for animals reproduce right? And many people come to me to ask when the next litter is due. Now I do not breed for money. It is not even a hobby by a have two pure bred Siberian huskies and nature happens. Many people say that fixing your dog or cat will allow the cat or dog in the shelter. Well I have news for those people many people who want to be a pet owner want a pure bred dog with good temperament and usually want it when they are young so they can train them. And even if I do fix my dogs they will go look some where else. And still not adopt from the shelter.

I also make sure my puppies go to good homes. i make sure they have time to spend with the dog and have a yard. and if they cant keep them i take the puppies back.

I'm well educated on my dog breed. i never said i didn't know what is going on i said i don't breed for money. my dogs are healthy and have all their latest shots and get vet checks constantly. my dog has only had two litters so far in her 5 years. i got my male form a friend who no longer couldn't keep a dog.

my dog does not have puppies ever time she goes through heat. like i said she is five and only had two litters. and not consecutively. i keep the pups until they are about six months old.

I'm just tired of people saying that i should fix my dogs. every litter i have had i had people telling me what a cruel person i am.

My dogs are AKC registered. Have everything checked. And what I meant about nature happens is that I don’t make them mate. Nor do I schedule breeding sections

I just can't get why soo many people can't seem to stop criticizing me just because I don’t “fix” my dogs.

well i keep the dog for a long time mainly because before they leave my house they are house trained and also because i like to make sure that they dogs arent going to get sick. also my house it so cheerful when we have puppies running around. it fills my days. most of my dogs are taken by that time are the future owners are allowed to come and play with the dog. i have only had eight husky puppies and five of them i kept until six months. the owners are allowed to take the puppies home any time after they turn two months. but most of the families that took my puppies wanted them house broken and it was easier to do in an environment that they are used to.

i have had people tell me that i was cruel also when my cat had kittens and when any of my earlier dogs had puppies.

Answer 1

I guess after you added that in i see that you are responsible just as long as you make sure that the puppies are all going into good home. it your dog and i also don't know why many people are saying that to you. maybe you just need to prove you a good breeder. and maybe clarify on what you are saying because the things you are saying are getting me a little confused.

Answer 2

I have to agree with tharnfef here.. I must have read your statement about five times wonder if I was reading you right. I am still trying to figure out what you are saying here. Do you breed your dogs ever heat that is ever six months. Why would you put your dog through that. I am not saying you should get your dog fix, but my God you don't breed them every six months because that is nature.

Having puppies take a lot out of a female. Her body needs to rest between litters. Breeding a dog once a year is plenty. And only if you have homes for them already.

I have a waiting list for my dogs. Some wait and some don't. But my female health comes first with me. So if they can't wait then that is their problem. Maybe I miss read you here on what you were saying. But what I see here is that you breed your dog every heat cycle and let them go at a young age. That isn't right.

I to are sick of people saying get your dog fixed. But you have to take care of the female and made sure her health is good. I am really concern how often you let your dog has puppies.

Adding to this:

One breath you say people want the puppies young so they can train them, now you say you keep them for six months..Can you tell me your reason on keeping the puppies for six months and where do you keep these dogs. I think you better stop digging yourself a hole before you get buried. Have you ever felt that there are some days you should have never open your mouth lol.

Answer 3

One fourth of the animals that we get at our shelter are pure bred dogs. They are brought to the shelter for the same reason mixed breeds are. I do not have a problem with responsible breeders however a responsible breeder does more than just let their two unaltered pets breed. Maybe you are not getting into detail about what type of breeder you are but unless you keep track of all the pups you sell and have a contract stating that the new owner must return the animal back to you if they can no longer keep it then you may also be contributing to the shelter population.

Answer 4

If you are a responsible pet owner, and you can love and care for the litters your dog has, that's great. But what do you know about the people that are adopting/buying the puppies from you? It can and probably has started an unfortunate chain of events... Puppy taken by owners who are not informed and don't get her fixed - she has a litter the owner can't care for, puppies die, end up in bad homes or a shelter - Those puppies have more puppies with an even worse fate.

I have 2 dogs, both adopted from shelters as puppies, and they have grown into amazing and beautiful animals. People would never know they were "shelter dogs". Better than pure breds, I believe.

Answer 5

It is nature's design for dogs to reproduce. It is also nature's design for dogs to die in large numbers due to disease, lack of food, exposure and other problems. When people meddle with nature's design in certain ways, we must also be responsible for it. That means not breeding incessantly when we keep pets alive for longer and there are not enough homes for them all. Simply letting them reproduce incessantly is just as irresponsible as not feeding them. Just go to petfinder.com to find all the huskies that don't have homes. They are the result of people allowing their dogs to breed without regard to whether those pups will have life-long homes.

Responsible breeders are those who know their breed, have had all checks such as eyes, hips, and others including ones specific to the breed. Their dogs are outstanding specimens of the breed as proven by showing either in conformation or performance trials and they thoughtfully interview every potential puppy owner to ensure that these people are making the right decision in this breed. They will reject potential owners if they feel this is not the right home for their puppy. They also insist on a return of the puppy if the owners ever decide they can't keep the puppy. Generally these responsible breeders spend much more on their litters than they will ever make back in selling the pups.

If you are one of those breeders, congratulations!

If you are not, then you are just another back yard breeder spilling more puppies out onto the streets than will ever find a home.

Answer 6

I think the issue here is education, many people are not aware of the horrible state dogs in puppy mills are in. Once people are educated on the subject, they do in fact turn towards shelters, and rescues. Dogs that are spayed before their first heat have less chance of getting breat cancer. It is because of your thinking, that there are a lot of dogs in shelters/rescues. If every stay at home breeder (you claim yourself that you are not by any means a professional..) thought that they could make a difference then a difference would be made. We have so many dogs come into the rescue I help out with from people who arent serious about breeding, or have health problems, temperment issues, or they didn't spend enough time making sure the dog was going to the best home. We also get strays, and a lot of these people don't spay/neuter their animals either b/c of price and /or because their breeders have not spayed their animals.. so why should they.. When someone breeds animals, they need to go over the health risks/benefits to spaying and neutering. If you could see the conidtions that dogs come to us at the rescue - you would be changing your mind. Go volunteer at a shelter to see what it is really like.

--- Update---
Thats great - do you ask them to fill in a 4 page adoption application? Ask for vet and 2 personal references? Conduct a home visit?

It sounds like you are off to a great start, but you need to educate others about the risks and benefits. Have you had your dogs tested out by a vet to ensure there is not disorders in their history? Not all breeders are bad - there are always going to be breeders, i just think the public needs to be informed before they jump out and buy a dog they are not prepared for, or do not fully undersand. It is great that you take the dog back under any situation, thats great! I still think it would open your eyes to go volunteer at a local shelter or rescue for a month - it is truely heart breaking. Imagine if one of your cute puppies ended up there later in life? It is impossible for any breeder to say that none of their dogs go there... I just think it would open your mind to visit.. just to fully understand both sides of the picture.

------UPDATE---------
So, you have had people tell you twice that you should have your animals fixed. Thats not a big deal. All I was meaning, is that responsible owners have a full vet history done not just a check up. Some large dogs can have hip displasia etc, and you would want to make sure this was not in their blood line - you dont want to continue this. Since it sounds like you don'tknow the history of your dog, you have not been able to do this. You are still allowed to do waht you want - obviously none of this is going to change your mind, but at the same time.. you posted a question in yahoo answers... so you werelooking for something :)

Answer 7

My response to your argument:
You mention that it is not a 'responsible breeder's' fault that there is overpopulation of dogs and cats. However, you then mention that 'nature happens' with your huskies.
A reponsible breeder does not allow 'nature' to just 'happen'. They breed certain males with certain females at certain times. They do not just let them breed whenever. This makes you a backyard breeder, not a responsible breeder. A reputable breeder shows their dogs in the conformation and/or obedience ring, makes sure their animals are (for example) OFA certified, their dogs are registered and come with pedigrees, their 'pet-quality' puppies are sold with spay/neuter contracts, all their puppies are sold with health guarantees, etc.

Sure, it is natural for unaltered animals to breed and produce offspring. However, let's face it--domestic animals do not really live in a natural environment. Most of them could not fend for themselves in the wild, and are dependent on us to provide for them. This includes reproduction. Just as we provide food, water, shelter, and medical care, we must provide for their reproductive control.
You have a point that many people want a purebred dog and also desire a puppy. This is very true. I would hope that some people at least check with rescue organizations as well as shelters. Purebred puppies are often available especially if one is willing to wait (and if they aren't, they probably shouldn't be getting a puppy to begin with). And if people look elsewhere, good. I hope that they continue to look for a good, responsible, reputable breeder who breeds for the betterment of the breed and not because it 'just happens'.

added: I'm curious--you keep the pups until they are six months old before they go to their new homes? Why is that? It is perfectly fine for a pup to leave home at 8 weeks of age, although most current thought is 10-12 weeks is best. By six months it will be harder for both the pup and the new owners to adapt.

Answer 8

For all you human beings asserting NO, i think of your questioning approximately how the damaging lil animals get killed for no reason. My husband works for animal facilities and that i understand what disadvantages there are. How might you sense if a rabid canines growls and tries to bites you and chases you? Or a feral cat that scratches and bites you till you BLEED. OR the unwell little kittens that are going to have a loooong drawn out dying. i'm inquisitive bearing directly to the killing of those animals simply by fact it makes the regularly occurring public AND different animals safer! And no I dont accept as true with them killing animals after a week yet that purely happens at FEW animal shelters in the country. What else might you do with the overpopulated animals? they are asserting there is 7 canines for a million human...thats the clarification all human beings might desire to spay or neuter their canines and cats. so as that they dont have un needed positioned downs.

Answer 9

Must agree with jackburton on this one. We took control of "nature's design" as it applies to dogs the moment we started domesticating them. That's thousands of years before you or I were born.

Letting "nature take its course" is not an acceptable rationale.

I applaud you screening carefully, and for taking your puppies back. But do you do any genetic testing? Hips? Eyes? Thyroid?

If the answer is yes, you should be familiar with the websites below. If not, please look at them and think about how you proceed.

http://www.offa.org
http://www.vmdb.org/history.html

Could your dogs do what they were originally bred to do? No, saying that they probably could because they pull really hard on the leash when you walk them doesn't count.

It's kind of about more than two dogs being "purebred and in love".

Answer 10

You sound like a responsible breeder ,dont listen to them everyone has a choice not everyone wants a animal from a shelter ,i wanted a puppy and i wanted a cavalier king charles its not my fault they are so many dogs in shelters ,its all the puppy farms about people should be moaning at not you ,thankyou for being a great breeder xxxxx

Answer 11

Hold on here,

Everyone who is telling this indivual about how she should not breed her dogs because she is contrbuting to the overflow in shelters...

Someone can breed their dog is they chose to. My last two dogs were mixed. The one I have now is pure.

She may not be rescuing dogs but she is rasing young pups and perparing them for good homes.

A lot of shelter dogs do not work out because they have not been trained before going into a new home. The standards in shelters need to improve in the training of the animals they rescue/