My last question of the day and I'm off to work?

Question

Do you think people who only breed for show are able to supply the world with pets as well? If not then where should people get their pet quality dogs from?

Answer 1

For ALL the people who WANT to buy a dog?

NO.

But then, a lot of people who want a dog really shouldn't have one. It's NOT my duty to supply all the morons of the world with a basset hound puppy.

Would there be enough of us to supply all the people who would make good, responsible dog owners?

That I'm not sure of. But certainly I turn down a lot more people than I sell to.

Answer 2

Without having the figures to hand, I don't know whether there would be enough pet-quality dogs for show to keep up with demand.

I think it's worth remembering though, that conformation isn't the only way to assess breeding quality. There's a bloke near me that keeps a labrador as a pet. That dog was bred as a working retriever but didn't make the grade (some of its littermates did), but makes a SUPERB pet. Working dog failures (and in some cases - retired working dogs) often make the best pets.

In the meantime, there is no shortage of dogs that are suitable as pets of all breeds/mixes and of all ages in rescue.

If people really can't find what they are looking for in rescue then they should go to a breeder who is active in conformation, or agility, or tracking etc and ask to be put on a waiting list.

I can see no justification for breeding dogs that are no better than what is already available in HUGE quantities elsewhere. So I can see no justification to support them.

Answer 3

I think what we're getting at is:
Right now we have alot of dogs in pounds. They get spayed/neutered and sent out. They will not produce.

If we got rid of puppymills and backyard breeders and if all pets were spayed then where would we get new pet dogs?

The show breeders alone cannot supply EVERYONE with dogs.

I have seen some operations that are not as objectionable as puppymills without being what I consider 'real' breeders.

An example would be a kennel breeding cavaliers I have found. They have cavies only and keep them in a special 'cottage' they have built outside. They show, have champion lines, but breed for 'pets'. They have quite a few cavies and breed probably 4 litters total a year. They do genetic testing and certification. But they may not keep any dogs out of their litters for show.

This kind of operation would be acceptable in the future I feel.
Cavaliers are very 'in' right now and thus have become very common in puppymills. There are not enough purebred cavies in shelters/rescues and sold as 'pet' quality from a litter intended to produce a show-dog to supply the demand.

This is better than backyard breeders or puppymills at least.

Answer 4

Good question, though perhaps you should have labeled your actual question more descriptively.

No, I don't think there are enough well-bred puppies to supply all of the needs of puppy buyers. It's a problem that I've seen occasionally discussed among dog lovers.

I also agree that it's not really an issue at this time. What with puppy mills and backyard breeders and pet overpopulation, I think there are bigger issues to address.

I think in our current political environment it would be very difficult to correct this problem.

For example, some 70 or so years ago there were several "mega-kennels." These weren't puppy mills, but they did produce hundreds of dogs a year. Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge had perhaps one of the best-known mega-kennels. These were important because they helped preserve the breed and preserve certain lines. Breeders with many dogs were better able to eliminate problems from their line and see how things developed (genetics-wise). They employed many kennel help to make sure the dogs got plenty of exercise, playtime, grooming and nutrition. Things were different back then, but these were very responsible breeders. I don't know, but I would suspect, that it wasn't a huge money-making venture, as today. After all, Dodge was a multi-millionaire.

There are still a handful (I know of two) of these big-but-responsible kennels left, but mostly if anyone has a large, responsible kennel it's branded a puppy mill by ignorant people. Of course, not all breeds do well in a large kennel environment.

Another method is used in Scandinavia (I think that's the country). Basically a breeder co-owns her breeding dogs with pet owners. She breeds them and the co-owners take care of their dog with the breeder as a mentor. I don't know exactly how it works, but I think this is a great method. Families who want to have a litter or two of puppies can do so (I think the breeder pays for all the expenses), the dog gets the benefit of being the center of his family, and the breeder is better able to focus on her breeding goals and the dogs she has.

Well, those are some semi-solutions I've heard. It's an interesting dilemma.

Answer 5

Quite frankly, I think that pet Quality dogs should adopted from rescue organizations and shelters, not bought from pet stores. If one feels the need for a pure breed puppy, go to a reputable breeder. Sometimes adult dogs are also available, when a dog is being retired from breeding or can't b bred for one reason or another. They make lovely pets.

Answer 6

If a good breeder paired the top stud in the breed, with the top ***** in the breed and they produced 10 puppies, it's still possible that only 2 or 3 pups in the litter would make good show dogs. There is usually plenty of "pet stock" available in most litters.
I think a person seeking a purebred pet would still fair well with a breeder who breeds for show (assuming the breeder is reputable and not profit driven).

Answer 7

NO, You know, that is a great question, I have had to ask that many times myself.. LOL.. When I first started out... I did my research, went and talked to a lot of "show breeders" went to shows, wanted the best in my dogs!! As you talk to alot of the show breeders, their **** don't stink, and they feel there dogs are the only dogs for people.. I have found. they are hard to get straight answers out of, and people who want pets don't want to pay 3000.00 for a dog of any kind.. (but some do and more) I have found most people don't want "Show quality" they want a pet.. and then they "show breeders" snub them for wanting a pet quality.. My thing though is NOT EVERY DOG in the litter is show quality even if parents are champs!!

I recently had a woman email me, telling me all about her show quality male. She got from MO.. She sent me pictures.. I was wondering what part of the dog was show? markings were wrong, too many merle patches.. Yet, she is looking for a show female to breed him to? The breeder assured her that her dog can be shown... i guess he can be but not gonna get too far. .nice dog, just not for the ring..

you can buy/adopt a pet from anywhere really, you can get them from you local humane society, SPCA, and other organizations.. or you can go with a "backyard breeder" , petstore ( i don't recommend) or some show breeders,
I would also speak with the vets in the area in which your searching, they see ALOT of dogs, they would be a good source to find a good breeder..

Answer 8

No, I don't think that people who only breed for show can supply the world with pets.

It's demand and supply. There is a huge demand for certain breeds.

Personally, I prefer small professional kennels that specialize in pet quality & healthy puppies.

Answer 9

NO the show dog people are certainly not the only good and reputable people breeding dogs. I never culled a pup because it wasn't "Show" quality. I never culled any pup. In a litter of Golden's you maybe will get 2 show quality pup. In others 0. Not every litter will guarantee a show quality pup. Not every pup is meant to be shown. There are many other things to do with a dog that doesn't include showing them.
Most of my pup went to good families. Hunters, a few to be shown, Therapy dogs, even a very few are service dogs.
My main concern was a sound dog of good temperment, no genitic defects, properly health tested and with in breed standard.
Of cource I took pride in the ones that were shown and did well but I also too just as much pride in the dog who made their families happy too. Hunters who came back to me for their next dog or just to add to their families too.
No matter where or what my pup grew up to be or do as long as the dog was happy and their people were happy than my job was well done.

Answer 10

I got two fantastic dogs at the pound. I would prefer that we didn't even have to have pounds (i.e. had responsible owners and no stray animals,) but that will never happen. So, my answer would be that people can get their pet quality dogs from shelters. Plus, there are so many animals in those places, people can find almost any particular breed or mix of breeds in those places.