Anti breeders...?

Question

I am just wondering to everyone who is so against breeding, did all of you get your dogs from shelters? If so than that is great, but if not than you have no room to say that others shouldn't breed. I am not trying to get you angry so please don't freak out with a two page rant about how awful breeding is, I have read your answers and I know how you all feel. I just want everyone to understand that the reason not everyone wants to get a shelter or a rescue dog is because many of them have behavioral problems and don't make very good pets. I'm not saying all of them do, I'm sure some of you have wonderful dogs that you rescued, but I have two friends that both rescued dogs that have some major problems around children and other dogs, if you don't have the dog from a young age then you can't train it as well, and there are certain things in dogs you will never be able to change. I just want you guys to know the other side of story. Please don't be rude if you answer this.

Answer 1

I have worked in a shelter and I have done rescue work for years! While many dogs that end up in a shelter or rescue may have some issues, too often it was the environment and with proper care and handling, these dogs can make excellent pets for a lifetime. One thing about rescue vs the shelter is that the shelter, no matter where it is, is under staffed, over worked, over crowded, and most likely under financed. So every shelter has it's limitations and the people working there are not responsible for that. Rescue is all volunteer and most often the dogs are fostered in a home where it can get individual attention, temperament testing, exposure to many outside factors, and they are evaluated so that that placement will be based on the dogs' needs, not just whoever shows up wanting that dog. At least my rescue works this way. We do get in rescues with issues, but then, this dog will not go into an environment that will set off the issues, but one that will be capable of dealing with them. We also stand ready to take a dog back if it doesn't work, and that is our contract. We want permanent homes for our rescues, not to just 'shot-gun' them into a home possibly all wrong for it. I do breed specific rescue so we also offer purebred dogs to our adopters. There are many purebred rescues out there so one can get a purebred if they prefer that. Just search for the breed rescue of your choice!

Answer 2

Many dogs have issues around children and other dogs or have other problems - including dogs that were bought from breeders and dogs that are owned since puppy-hood. Just because you spent hundreds of dollars on a puppy from a breeder doesn't mean that you will provide the dog with the training it needs - and this includes socialization with other animals and children. Most dogs, of any age, with the right tactics and a patient person, can be trained just as well as a puppy. The statement you make that "many rescued dogs have behavioral problems and don't make good pets" is pretty common and many people who believe that display a laziness of thought. They think, "I'll pay $1,000 and get exactly what I want, when I want it." If they put forth more effort and some patience, they would find that perfect shelter dog out there, for a lot less money and saving a life at the same time. And, yes, all my pets have been rescued, and all have made perfect pets. I could never ask for more loving, trainable animals than the ones I've found in shelters.

Answer 3

Yep, every dog I've ever owned is from a shelter. Other animals too.

I'm not against all breeding but against the backyard breeders that do it not for the dogs' health traits but because it's "cool". When there's a 13 yr old trying to breed, you know that has a very high chance of turning out wrong. Breeding for healthy dogs is good, I don't care if it's a purebred or a mutt you're breeding as long as you know how to do it correctly and are breeding for healthy puppies that you ensure to a good home. Breeding for fun, for the dogs to be tinier and tinier, breeding dogs with bad genetic traits-- that's wrong. That contributes to the 7 million pets euthanized a year. If you're going to do it, do it right-- don't decide that you're 13 and it's the new fun thing to do. Basically, if you have to ask a breeding question you shouldn't be doing it.

Also, every time I've gone to a shelter there are at least five or six puppies each time, if not more...so why not try there and then if you still can't find a dog go to a breeder?

Answer 4

There's no problem with ethical, responsible breeding. It's puppymills and backyard breeders that are the problem.

Yes, I own a shelter dog. But many people who did get their dogs from puppymills or backyard breeders now know better and want to help get the word out. Getting a sick dog (which could have been avoided by genetic testing) that requires extensive veterinary care, will help change the minds of many people. Especially if the new owner has no recourse and has to face the choice of paying thousands in vet bills or having a new pup put to sleep. It's heartbreaking. And many, many dogs are turned over to shelters and rescues because they have health issues that the owners can't/don't want to deal with.

And yes, SOME rescue/shelter dogs have issues that need to be worked though. It's up to people (adopter and adoptee) to recognize if they can handle those problems so that the dog isn't placed in yet another home where he will be given up again. And older dogs CAN be trained well and learn new habits. People just have to have time to spend with the dog and patience to see it through. It can take months for a new dog to feel comfortable in a new home before he can really start to learn new behaviors.

I just feel like some people make lots of excuses for why they should go to any old breeder when there are other choices like reputable breeders who take responsibility for the lives of every dog they produce and shelter/rescue dogs that need homes before they are killed. This is a huge mess that people have created and the dogs have to suffer for it. I feel that it's up to us to remedy the situation and the best way to do that is to adopt dogs from shelters or buy from reputable breeders. This will help eminate profit driven back yard breeding, which is the number one contributor to the pet overpopulation.

Answer 5

Kira, you are very mistaken in your beliefs about shelter dogs. Maybe your two friends who own them need some help in the training department. Here are the facts:
Most shelter dogs have behavior problems because of improper or no training by previous owners. This is how alot of them end up in shelters. Where do you think these shelter dogs come from? They come from people who buy them from breeders, then neglect or ignore them, and then dump them.
Fact: most shelter dogs make great pets. I haven't had a bad one yet. Most of the people I know have shelter dogs as pets-they have no real issues either. (And I know alot of people with shelter dogs)!
Fact: Age doesn't matter when training your dog. Any dog can be trained. As a matter of fact, it is easier to train some things in older dogs than in puppies.
I would suggest, if you want to tell the other side of the story, you do some research about shelters and bad breeders. You could look online at all the pure breed rescue groups in this country and read some of their posts about where the dogs come from. You could also volunteer at your local shelter for awhile, so you can see how things really are.
Until then, please don't judge the people against irresponsible breeding-we know what we are talking about.

Answer 6

I am not anti-breeder - like most people I am anti puppy mill and anyone else who doesn't take a responsible approach to breeding dogs.

Pure bred dogs have their place, and for some people there needs to be some surety about what they are getting. Both of my dogs are from the local SPCA and are cross breeds - which was my choice and we have had some problems with them, but nothing major.

Pure bred dogs offer a greater certainty about what the new owner is going to end up with. However, I would like to see all dog breeders licenced to breed, with major fines and confiscation of animals if they break the law. To get a licence a breeder would need to show that they know about good genetics and breeding practices, and show that they have the physical facilities to breed healthy dogs. All responsible breeders would have no trouble passing these requirements.

As part of this idea it would be illegal for pet stores to sell dogs and cats - that would mean that people wanting dogs and cats would need to go to shelters, rescue groups, or to breeders. This would reduce the cost of getting a pure bred animal as you wouldn't have to pay the pet shop mark up - and it would help to reduce puppy milling because there would be less of a market for their puppies (in theory anyway).

People need to be able to make a choice about the kind of pet that they want - but that should not be at the expense of the animals involved.

Answer 7

It is absolutely fine with me if you or anyone wants to get a dog from either a reputable breeder or a purebred rescue.

My problem is with the backyard breeders and the puppymillers. I have no argument with mixed-breed dogs, per se ... I DO have a problem with anyone who intentionally crosses two purebreds to produce a ... whatever. And then charges big bucks for it.

I'd love it if everyone would adopt a dog from a shelter or rescue. I'd also love it if everyone would refuse to buy into/support the alarming trend of mixing breeds just to see what they can come up with and sell as something "special"!

Answer 8

NO, people don't hate breeders, people hate irresponsible breeding. Just like people don't hate mutts, they hate people who breed mutts on purpose and for profit.

It doesn't matter where someone gets their dog, they should do research and get the right dog for them, their experience, their life and their commitment.

When people ask about getting a dog or new puppy, everyone recommends that they would check the shelters or breed rescue first.. If someone doesn't care which breed they get or anything else, why not check the shelter first ?

If you are looking for a purebred, know what you want, do your research so you know about the breed and buying a dog.. then buy a purebred..

People are against those with no ethics, those who breed for profit without regards for health temperament or anything else..

Answer 9

All of my animals, since I have been old enough to know the difference, have been shelter rescues. That's one cat, my two dogs, my brother's two dogs.

If I'm getting a pet, I see no reason to pay someone who contributes to the overpopulation problem, while over 2 million dogs are killed every year because there aren't enough homes.

"I just want everyone to understand that the reason not everyone wants to get a shelter or a rescue dog is because many of them have behavioral problems and don't make very good pets."

Sorry, but that's just bull. "Many" of them? No. Some? Yes. But then again, buying from a breeder is no guarantee that the dog won't have "behavioral problems" either.

"if you don't have the dog from a young age then you can't train it as well."

Sorry, but that's just bull. They may need different types of training (and yes, there are some dogs that are untrainable, but they are the exception, not the rule), but nearly every dog is trainable.

Answer 10

I rescued my dogs from shelters but only becasue of the over-populated rescue centres and i figured that i could save a couple. But my main problem is with just normal pet owners who let their half breed dogs and cats have litters "just because"
In a more perfect world it would be compulsary to have domestic pets de-sexed and registered breeders would be the only people who were able to breed dogs and cats.
But unfortunetely we don't live in a perfect world and people still think that their pets should be able to breed uncontrollably becasue they think it's "cruel" to neuter their breeding machines and "oh babies would be so cute!"