If the reputable breeders stop breeding purebreds...?

Question

Where will we get predictable, purebred dogs that can do the job they were bred to do? Where will I get my next performance/herding prospect? If all responsible purebred breeding stops right now, what will be left with in 25 yrs?

I'm curious because lots of people seem to think it's horrible that reputable breeders are breeding and carrying on the lines of their purebreds in hopes of improving their bloodlines.

I have seen many people on YA say that even the reputable breeder should not be breeding at all. I understand their compassion for the animals in rescue and shelter but they seem to think that reputable breeders are the cause of it. The reality is that most rep. breeders participate in breed rescue of their breed and statistics show that 60% of dogs in shelter/rescue come from the backyard breeder.

Well kris, I actually do not breed Border Collies at this time and don't know if I ever will. But I sure can steer you towards some great breeders of good working lines when you're ready. I've been researching this for a LONG time now and I've made lots of good connections with people in Border Collie circles :)

Anne--No, not breeding at this time. Right now, I'm on a breeders list for a litter due next spring/summer to get my next prospect. At this point, performance is my goal with this new pup and my current BC. I don't know that I will ever take on breeding, and even if I did, there's a few good years of learning yet to do before even considering it :)

What I feel is happening, is some people here have not researched breeding at all and simply group breeders, as a whole, into one "bad" category. That's like looking at one poor tempered dog and saying the entire breed is bad... sound familiar?

Answer 1

I am an advocate of rescue and adoption.
However, this in no way would be a call to eliminate the profession breeder.
The catch here is, if you are looking for a family pet, give rescue or Humane society a chance first. You want a companion and don't require all the "bells and whistles" of a purebred animal.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with breeding for the show ring, for breed improvement or for breed specific work.
This breeding should be specific, scientific and well thought out. Just because you have 2 dogs of the same breed in your back yard, you should not be breeding in the vast majority of cases.

When I began breeding, it took me almost 2 years to find my first female to start my operation. I did extensive research, I attended breed specialty shows, subscribed to breed magazines and visited over a dozen kennels across the USA.
I asked for and received references before any purchase was made. I talked to anyone and everyone involved in the breed. My phone bill was HUGE.
I followed the same process when purchasing a male, including looking at offspring from similar bloodline breedings.
I controlled the number and frequency of the litters. Letting the puppies mature and go into the ring BEFORE any further breedings.

For the future of dogs, professional breeding is required.
This is NOT something that will make you rich. I can't stress this enough.

I support spay and nueter programs.
I support bred rescue and adoption.

I am STRONGLY opposed to the current trend in "designer dog" breeding.

Answer 2

IMO there are not enough responsible and reputable breeders, but until the mindset of the general population changes, this is inevitable. When your typical potential goes out to find a dog, what are their primary concerns? 1) Price, 2) breed, and 3) something silly like color, size, etc. The future health (and sometimes even the current health) of the dog is rarely a factor. Since price is generally the chief concern, cheaper is better. Another thing is that part of being a responsible breeder is screening potential homes. If typical Joe Blow wakes up on Monday and decides he wants a lab and goes to a reputable lab breeder, he will have to go through a screening process. When the breeder realizes Joe Blow doesn't know really anything about dogs, has done no research, and thinks YA is an appropriate place to have his dog vetted, the breeder will tell Joe Blow no way in heck is he buying one of his dogs. The responsible breeder SHOULD say no to Joe Blow! But that leaves the question where will Joe Blow get a dog? If the shelter people do an adoption application and find Joe equally unsuitable to own a dog, Joe is going to go somewhere to get his dog. At this point it will likely be BYB Bob with his $200 schnoodle-schnauzer-collie-pitbull-lab mix puppies. This is a problem created by the fact that an available market exists which is impossible to get rid of. You can educate people, but you cannot erase this population entirely.

Answer 3

First of all this is NOT a dumb question. I think it is one of the most intelligent I have ever seen on Y! Answers.

What will be left in 25 years is a dingo looking dog. Dogs that are allowed to breed randomly without human interference will go back to looking like wild dogs. And they will be unpredictable as well.

People who see the countless dogs in pounds believe that breeding any more dogs is a sin. They think the dogs will just wind up in the shelters, after all, over half of dogs in shelters are purebred. Why waste time breeding purebreds for shows when those same breeders could be out rescuing dogs? If they love dogs so much then why don't they commit all of their time into rescue? They claim that they don't make a profit by breeding. Well people don't make a profit by rescuing dogs either. Yes, I can see where they are coming from.

However I think we need good, responsible breeders. With one universal dog, there is no way to predict what it's temperament will be like. People who need working dogs NEED breeders to supply them with reliable working dogs with very specific traits. I plan on having a farm soon and I know the exact breed for the job. Purebred dogs make our lives simpler. When I buy a purebred dog I know what I am getting. Mutts are always a gamble no matter how wonderful they may seem at the time. I would never trust any mutt around livestock, even if it is "trained" it is just not going to be reliable like a Kuvasz or Anatolian shepherd.

Answer 4

I am a rescue volunteer. I believe that great breeders who have the right intentions and the knowledge should breed great quality dogs. This is how breeds are bettered.
I think there are quite a few people on this site who think they are reputable breeders and are not. They actually have no idea what a great breeder is and what kind of work and heartache goes into it!
When I drive down the road and see the hand-painted wooden signs that say "AKC registered miniature pinscher puppies" I am sooooo tempted to pull over and tear the sign down, or write PUPPY MILL on it, because it is glaringly apparent that this is NOT a reputable breeder, and now I will have more work in rescue.

There is a BIG difference between those who love dogs and those who own dogs. And many people make the mistake of thinking they are one when they are actually the other.

By the way-are you still thinking of breeding? I would love to see pictures of your first litter! I would feel confident buying a puppy from someone who is doing as much research as you are. ( And I am a sucker for the herding breeds.)

Answer 5

I understand where you're coming from. I don't think reputable breeders should stop breeding at all. As long as the supply meets demand and they aren't having excess litters which end up in so-so homes, which is how they end up abused or abandoned at the pound. Most reputable breeders don't breed to sell them anyways - they do it to improve the breed and then find approved homes for the rest.

I think most of the frustration is coming from people who are irresponsible with their dog ownership, and do things like post on here and say 'I want to breed my dog - what do I do?' That is just maddening to me. If they are educated, responsible, and informed then they would NOT be asking it on Yahoo Answers. I take it that they want to do it for themselves and that's it . No one is probably interested in their puppies anyways when they could rescue from a shelter so they just compound the problem.

I can't speak for everyone else, but I see nothing wrong with breeding purebred dogs responsibly. I appreciate what responsible breeders do.

Answer 6

What will be left is a HUGE increase in puppymills and backyard breeders... along with an associated rise in the percentage of dogs with health issues due to failure to test prior to breeding as well as lack of both a longterm breeding plan and lack of knowledge regarding the pedigree.

Edit: Mother of four: Responsible, reputable breeders are not in it for the money. While some may make some, its not enough for the IRS to consider it anything but a HOBBY. The IRS attempted to prove *I* was making money (an angry person I'd refused to sell a puppy phoned them) Strangely enough, after the audit they handed me a check for the money they owed me. I have a friend who breeds a popular and relatively uncommon breed... she grossed $67,000 last year on pups from 4 big litters... she's a stay at home single mom... when she filed her taxes she had CLEARED $17,000 for a year's work... that's not a lot of money for a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year job. I'm glad I have a day job!

Answer 7

I don't think that the reputable breeders have stopped breeding purebreds. I think the problem is that UN-repubtable breeders have started breeding mutts, calling them "designer dogs" (i.e. Goldendoodle, Labradoodle, Chorkie, Musky, Schnoodle, etc.), and they are charging outrageous prices for them. They are giving the true profession of dog breeding a very bad name. There are many people who will criticize you for wanting a purebred dog and not adopting one from the shelter or the Humane Society. I can see both sides of the arguement. If you truly HAVE to have a purebred dog they are very difficult to find at the pound. They do get them in periodically, but they go right back out very quickly. If you absolutely HAVE to have a purebred dog my suggestion to you would be to call the American Kennel Club chapter in your local area and see if they can give you a listing of reputable breeders in your area.

Answer 8

I would be afraid to see what would happen if reputable breeders stopped breeding!

I can see the quality of the Shih Tzu now! I shudder just thinking about it!

You are right that the responsible breeders are the ones working with rescue. I was just at the SPCA the other day and found that two BYB's abandoned puppies because "they couldn't get rid of them, and they were too much of a hassle!"

I don't even want to think about how much worse the problems would be!

Answer 9

I don't want any responsible breeder to quit. We would end up with genetic defects , designer dogs & our breeds would be ruined. Myself I do breed Yorkshire Terriers, I have spent thousands $$$$$$$. I have spent more then I've made on my dogs/puppies. The real problems is byb , puppymills, & irresponsible owners. They are the ones filling the shelters. Yes, I also donate my time & money to rescues. I'm not against mutts or any dogs, I just don't like people breeding for quick $ .

Answer 10

I'm not against breeding -- I'm against breeding irresponsibly. I fully support all those lovely people who produce wonderful puppies, from their titled, health checked dogs, and who educated themselves about dog breeding before they started.

To answer your question: If all the reputable breeders no longer breed, the only dogs in our future are going to be the sickly petshop "pures" and the muttlies that are crammed into the shelters like sardines right now.

The dog overpopulation problem isn't going to stop, just because the real breeders gave up on producing quality, healthy dogs. The only difference will be that all the dogs will be mutts, or petmill puppies.

Sad prospect :(