Spay/Neuter pet quality vs. show dog?

Question

Never have I witnessed so much snobbery! I did not get my dog from a sub-quality breeder because she came intact. She will be tested by our vet for genetic disorders! It seems many of you people don't want the dog species to continue, or you think that the only lines that should be continued are AKC champions (by the way, the AKC doesn't recognize my dog. Their loss.) Shame on you for labeling dogs "only pet quality". A dog should be bred if she is free of genetic defects, temper vices, and conformation flaws. The shelters are overrun with grown up dogs that people buy on a whim and abandon when they get too tough to deal with. We should refrain from assuming things about people on this forum, and we should refrain from forcing others to agree with us. Name calling is never okay. Here's the deal. With store bought pet food, dogs are living only 13 years. If we all spay, what happens in 13 years? Some of us, the ones who care to do it right, must breed. And yes, my dog is "good enough"

I have an American Pit Bull Terrier, ADBA registered, 25 generation pedigree. Even if I decide not to breed, or if I cannot get enough qualified buyers before breeding and chose not to breed, I won't spay her. That is my choice, and my responsibility to protect her from unwanted liters. Our pets are not commodities to be butchered to protect our couches from heat blood, nor are they cash cows to be overbred. We must find a middle ground. All I asked in my last question was, in an attempt to start a RATIONAL discussion, was "does anyone have any ideas for alternatives to spay/neuter?" Don't attack me or my dog (shame for attacking her!) because you are unable to logically participate in this discussion!

My question was, last week, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS ON OPTIONS OTHER THAN SPAY/NEUTER? And I revealed that I might breed my dog (horror). I was attacked by people who said my dog was NOT GOOD ENOUGH because she wasn't a SHOW DOG!!!

Anyone who wants to ban pits does not belong here. AND again, name calling? Hello, we're on a computer. you don't know me or anything about me or what I do with my dog. My dog is cared for better than some children are. RESPOND BUT PLEASE STOP JUDGING MY DOG!!!!!!

Answer 1

So you love and care so much for the pitties survibal that you are going to create more so more die in the shelter.

This is why people are so against pits. Because so many ignorant people own them and those of us that do respect and rescue your mistakes can not convince the population that you were wrong and we are right. There are not enough decent people and didn't you hear 55% of americans believe pits should be banned. To stop their over all breeding by backyard breeders Im ready to help with the ban!!

Answer 2

You must have done research when you bought your dog but too many do not. Many people believe that owning dogs should be learn a as you go experience and it should not be this way.
There are several breeds that are not recognized by the AKC but they are recognized by other organizations so this is not an issue.
I agree that not everyone needs to S/N their dogs but the majority should because they are not responsible enough to keep an intact dog from getting pregnant. I am glad that you realize that if you want to breed that the dogs should be health screened, tested for genetic diseases, temperament tested and conform to the standard but everyone does not do these things and these people should not breed because as you said our pets are not cash cows to be overbred. Like it or not there are too many people that breed without knowledge and breed solely to make money. They do not care about the dog or even bother to take it to the vet when something goes wrong before, during or after whelping. How do I know because I have seen too many questions from these types of people.
You are also right about why there are so many shelter dogs but it is because of BYBs and puppymills that irresponsible owners can easily get more dogs that they will end up dumping. I do not know about you but if I were breeding dogs(which I do not) I would sit down and talk to any perspective new puppy buyer and if they told me stories about the dogs they had and they did not keep them for the duration of their lives or at least have a good reason they did not, they would not get one from me. If all breeders would screen their puppy buyers this would help stop the abandonment of so many dogs but this is the difference between a responsible person and one who is just looking to make money, responsible breeders will turn people down if they are not the right type of owners for the dog and a BYB and puppymill will sell to anyone with the cash, it does not matter to them how many dogs you have had and did not keep or whether you are the right type of owner for the breed.
Also, it should not just be the opinion of the owner that gets to decide whether or not their dog should be bred, the dog should be worked and/or judged. I am sorry if you do not like that but everyone thinks their dog is great and right for breeding and many are not because they do not meet the standard and have the worst temperament. So at the same token if we do not find a way to stop just anyone from breeding what happens to the breeds that others put so much work into developing?
When people have to come on this site to ask how to breed, how to make the dogs lock, when will the dog have her period, what is the right age for breeding, what to do when the b itch is whelping, or what to do because 24 hours have passed since labor started and the dog still has puppies inside but has not delivered them, how to care for the newborns, they should not be breeding because they do not have the knowledge they should posess to breed. Dogs are living breathing creatures and deserve to have knowledgeable, responsible owners that will not try to turn them into living ATMs. I also believe that when people come to YA with their volley of questions about breeding that it is safe to assume that they have no idea of what they are doing and that they are in fact BYBs or a puppymill wannabe. Responsible breeders would know where to gather information, would have help when they decided to breed their dog, have the money for a vet in case something goes wrong and would not research breeding here on YA.
I see nothing wrong with breeding dogs *IF* it is done correctly.

Answer 3

If you want to be a responsible breeder, there are no laws stopping you. The "show dog" definition of ideal varies from judge to judge but conforms to a recognized standard. I personally would never waste my hard earned $$$ showing dogs, but don't care if the rest of the world wants to do it. However, I don't think the general public would know the difference between show quality and pet quality. MOST people acquire their dogs for pets. And if you have a genuine buyer interest in possible offspring, or are willing to be responsible for the pups that don't get sold (if any) then go for it. It all boils down to responsibility, either in breeding an outstanding representative of the breed standard or an outstanding companion. Do the necessary prep for whelping and get the pups vaccinated at 8 wks and you shouldn't have to be confronted by the trolls that so often occupy this forum.

Answer 4

I'm sorry feel this way.

I didn't answer your previous question but I went back and read many of the answers.

I'm not sure what the right answer is and what alternatives should be.

I think that you should post your original question again at a different time. This is a very hot debate in general. I hope I can tell you my personal reasons why and not offend you.

I volunteer with a rescue as do many people on this list. I'm on distribution lists for transports/shelters etc to get dogs into rescues. I get over 100 emails a day begging me to take dogs from kill shelters. Most of them are last ditch dogs are out of time emails - with pictures and heartbreaking stories about the dogs.

My organization adopts around 260 dogs/yr. We also place about 6-10 working service dogs a yr with families. I have to choose from those 100 emails per day which dog to take in. Maybe 3-4 dogs per week on a good week. The rest, I delete.

We can't take any pitts, chow or Rott mixes no matter how nice the dog. It breaks my heart but we can't adopt them out and in our city, Pitts are illegal. There is no market for these dogs. Sad isn't it. I personally know this isn't the dog's fault but I can't change things.

Even worse now, I don't see any pitts in shelters at all. They are euthanized immediately. This breed and all it's sub-breeds are getting a death sentence by their very appearence. That's not changing in the next 20 years, I promise.

Now when someone says they want to breed anything, it's hard for me. I try not to say anything because I doubt I will change their mind.

I'm just telling you my story. I'm sorry you had a bad experience here. YA and the dog group isn't a bad place. It's full of people who love dogs so much, they forget about people and people's feelings.

I'm sorry it happened to you.

Stay and talk. See the good things that happen here.

I'm sure there are other reasons for what you read.

Some people are rude. I've been rude in the past as well. I'm working on not doing that again =).

I don't know what a good alternative to spaying is. I really don't. Post your question again and see what else someone has to say. Take the good with the bad. I do.... I've been slammed for my answers.

Good luck with your dog. She sounds wonderful.

Answer 5

The shelters are overrun with grown up dogs that people buy on a whim and abandon when they get too tough to deal with.

Your own words contradict you. If you realize this and still want to breed your dog, shame on you. It is an act of the ultimate selfishness to bring more dogs into the world because you can. And if you check out all those adult dogs in the shelters who are dying, you may be interested in what the most common breed is that is being euthanised.

Answer 6

First off what do you expect to happen on yahoo answers when you ask a question? People are going to give you their opinion. I do agree that some people do it a little harshly.
My opinion: Your dog should be spayed if you are not a responsible breeder. All dogs who are not breed by RESPONSIBLE breeders should be fixed. That’s the end to it.
I work with a rescue and am in and out of shelters all the time. Did you know that ¼ of dogs that are put to sleep each year in shelters are purebred. Also half of animals in shelters are puppies and kittens. Next time you decide to pass judgment on the innocent dogs that are euthanized each year, try walking into a shelter and seeing for yourself.
I am not doubting you are a responsible person. Some people are not going to agree with you, but it’s not the end of the world.

Answer 7

I am a huge advocate for spaying and neutering for a number of reasons...the most compelling being the number of unwanted pregnancies that occur every year in unaltered bitches, and the overrun shelters that result. I know that spaying/neutering is a personal choice to be made by the dog owner, but the truth is, most owners are just not responsible or vigilant enough to ensure their dog does not get pregnant. These people generally have no knowledge of estrus, gestation, don't know the meaning of the word 'whelping', and will post question upon question about their dog's pregnancy because they are too lazy to read a book, or too cheap to call a vet. It is truly a sad state of affairs.

That being said, you may very well be one of the responsible people out there who can own an unaltered ***** and not end up with unwanted puppies...therefore I pass no judgment. You may also be the type of person who would research extensively, and follow a vet and mentor's instructions before attempting to breed....therefore I pass no judgment. But being that you, and I, own the single most controversial and misunderstood breed in existence, I urge you to do whatever you choose RESPONSIBLY...lest we add fuel to the fire.

Answer 8

It would appear that you have no intention of listening to anything that anyone has to say in response to your question. A normal, rational, logical person would not lash out at people that they do not know "on a computer" or yell at them(capital letters show that you are yelling).

In response to your question...there are alternatives to spaying/neutering your dog. You should consult your vet. There are drugs available that will prevent a female from going into heat. Believe it or not this was developed due to so many of those "nasty all illustrous show breeders" (sarcasm) due to the inconvenience of showing a female in season in a ring full of male dogs.
But what you have asked is something that needs to be discussed with your vet concerning your individual dog.

Unless you have experienced all of the aspects of showing and breeding dogs then please do not form the opinion so strongly that they are all wrong with what they are doing. Kind of sounds like you are being angry at people for treating you the way that you are treating the other side of this.

Answer 9

Most people do not spay their dogs to prevent heat blood on the couch.......it's to prevent certain health conditions, and unwanted litters.

Way too many APBTs dying daily in the pound. They're a great breed, but I would never breed more, when the ones already on this earth, are being put to death because the wrong people purchased them.

Answer 10

I can't say that I wholeheartedly agree with you on the spay/neuter issue, but I do agree that only the people who are doing it correctly should be breeding their dogs. And I also agree that attacking and name-calling is not the best way to make your point. There is a lot of unfortunate snobbery on this site, and too many people with too many varied opinions and no intelligent, respectful way to express them.