Mind if I rant? This really bothers me.

[CookieTN]

Today I found out that my uncle bred his GSD, India.
I've been over this with him before during Indy's last litter and he talked about breeding her on purpose. sometimes. (Indy's last litter wasn't planned. She was pregnant when he got her from the so-called rescue group and they didn't tell him, so he didn't find out until she went into labor while chained (yes, chained) in the backyard.)
1. I tried to tell him about health testing, especially OFA. His reaction? Something like "I can't afford that! That's $1,000! How am I supposed to make any money off the puppies spending that kind of money?! It isn't needed anyway. Don't do any good." Riiiight.-_- (BTW, the OFA test is nowhere near $1,000.) Can't afford to health test? Well, don't breed!
2. As you saw in number 1, he's breeding for money. Health testing and the cost of following the ethics makes it almost impossible to make money off of breeding.
3. He let a customer take one of the puppies home ONE AND A HALF WEEKS too early. 6 1/2 weeks old. Poor puppy.;_; The reason that was too young is because the puppy learns things such as bite inhibition from their other and litter mates up 'til the age of 8 weeks. And that's especially important in the GSD. There's already more than enough people who have the wrong idea on the temperament of the breed as it is.
4. He didn't seem to socialize the puppies like a good breeder is supposed to. Great way to make the puppy fear-aggressive later on in life.
5. I guarantee you that he doesn't screen homes. It's first come, first serve. Smart move, uncle.-_- Let's see your reaction when/if one of the puppies ends up getting thrown into the shelter for peeing on the carpet. (Yes, that has actually happened. Though not to my uncle so far as I know. Not yet anyway.)
6. Who ever heard of breeding a rescue dog anyway? You don't know the dog's medical history before it was in your care, so it's not a smart move to breed it. And no good rescue will adopt a dog out before it's spayed anyway, and IF they do, the contract REQUIRES you to spay the dog by a certain date.
Not only that, but what good rescue would adopt a dog out WHILE IT IS PREGNANT and not tell the adopter about it? Not to mention that they would have taken care of Indy's heartworms and malnourished condition before adopting her out if that "rescue" was worth it's weight in salt.

My uncle's just shrugs my ramblings off. I can't stand it and I feel so sorry for his puppies. Not only will his interactions with the puppies while they are in his care make it harder for their future owners to train them and put them in danger of being given to bad homes, but they also face a risk of getting health problems later on in life due to their dam not fully being health tested.;_;
But it's his dog and his decision you say. I realize that. I just wish that he'd at least do his gosh dang research for breeding his poor dog.

I do not tell people about the things involved in breeding just to hear myself talk. I feel it my sworn duty to tell people. No matter how many more people call me an "elitist snob", no matter how many people tell me "You don't know Jack !" or "Learn to spell before you preach your garbage!", as a future breeder myself, I feel a growing need to educate as many people as I can on responsible breeding.
I do not tell people this stuff to make them feel like yesterday's trash, I tell them this to attempt to have one less irresponsible breeder. The less of those there are, the easier it will be to keep the breeds healthy.
And this kind of thing going on, especially within my family when I have tried to educate him, just totally disgusts me.

[SunCzarina]

Disgusts me too. Anyway you can find out the name of the rescue? Maybe there was a spnuter contract and they'll come take the dog away.

[Betty]

What rescue did he get the dog from? Most have rules about how the animal is to be housed and that does not normally include chaining.

[bookjunky4life]

Your uncle sounds like someone who shouldn't own a dog. He chains her. Now wants to purposely breed her?! Take him to a really bad shelter and give him that spiel. Show him how many dogs are on petfinder. To not screen buyers at all is nonsense. I'm related to people like this and they won't listen to me either. To be uneducated on such issues is one thing, but you are educating him and he's not even interested.

[CookieTN]

I think that it was Florida German Shepherd Rescue, but I don't remember for sure.
Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't actually a rescue or just a guy claiming to be a rescue. I mean, India has heartworms and was malnourished when he adopted her and they did NOT tell him this. He found out when he took her to the vet 3 weeks after she had the puppies.

According to my uncle, he was even thinking of reporting them over the conditions they kept their dogs in. But then, he exaggarates a lot.

[Liesje]

That's really sad. I understand your frustration. Not sure what else you can do since the dog is his "property" and you've already given him great advice.

What's equally disturbing is that people are actually buying these pups...

[onyx'girl]

At the SPCA adoption events many people come in looking for dogs to breed. They don't know about the speuter contract. Yesterday a small boxer had so many people looking at her, and a few when they found she was spayed went on their way. She was an owner release after she had pups they decided she wasn't "breed worthy" and turned her over. Then people will come in and ask if we know of any breeders w/ cheap purebred pups. Even though we have a huge room full of puppies! These ignorants just think of $$ and nothing else. They will find what they are looking for, unfortunately. We try to educate diet, housing and training while there, but so many just don't comprehend. The cycle continues.