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How do you handle people STRONGLY against all breeders?

9K views 95 replies 48 participants last post by  OriginalWacky 
#1 ·
I recently had a fb discussion a friend who is strongly against purposefully breeding any dog until all shelters dogs are either rehomed or no longer face euthanasia. After expressing my concerns for health, temperament, and the sheer presence of dogs on the planet for more than the next 15 years she still did not see any need for breeders. She and I were able to handle things civilly and agreed to disagree.

However, today I have been absolutely blasted by people on fb:

"My opinion is that buying a dog from a breeder is tantamount to killing a shelter dog. And I've lived with both pure breds and mutts, and the purebreds are whack jobs 99% of the time. Give me a loveable mutt any day. I guess it depends on if you want a dog as an accessory or a companion."

"So, put yourself in a room with two dogs. Dog 1: your breeder's female who will be bred when you have agreed to buy the animal. You would get one of her puppies in about 4 months. Dog 2: the dog that dies today if he is still homeless at 6pm. Who do you choose? What if I told you it was a cuddly 8 wk old mutt that would be killed? How about a shy two year old shep that outlived her usefulness to a terrible breeder? My perspective is that it does not matter how "great" a breeder is or what testing they do."

For the moment I have just ignored the comments. And I can do that because it is over the computer. In a face to face scenario though that's not necessarily a viable option.

Does anyone have any suggestions for handling those who are vocally and adamantly anti-breeder? --For the record I have a well bred dog and a rescue dog. I support both sides of the equation. Just not the attacks on respectable breeders.---
 
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#2 ·
I don't think you an ever change one's mind who is heck bent on one way only.

I have purchased the majority of the dogs I've had over the years from breeders, but I have rescued a couple as well. I tend to ignore the over zealots, and I don't let them put me on a guilt trip with the comments like 'every dog you buy, one dies in a shelter'...I can't save them all , and it's my own personal choice as to whether I rescue a dog or buy one, as is their choice to rescue only..
 
#3 ·
How about Dog 3 that is already bred? Are those puppies going to magically disappear? If she wants to stamp out breeders the first she needs to focus on is the breeder who will churn out litters whether they have buyers or not. Get rid of the puppy mills and we can talk again.

Jelpy
 
#4 ·
If people are too aggressive with putting their point across, then don't even bother discussing the topic with them as you won't get anywhere and people reading their comments will see their forceful, one sided comments as just that.

If it were me, I would just acknowledge their point and let them know you understand what they are saying, and that everyone has a right to their opinion, including you. I would also tell them (assuming this is your motive for breeding) that you as a breeder are breeding for that ultimate GSD, one that doesn't have health issues and of a steady temperament.
 
#5 ·
Tolerance only if you agree with them...

I don't have an answer to your question specifically. Before we put our deposit on our pup, we tried to adopt from two different agencies. One flat out stood us up and then tried to blame us, the other lacked any professionalism. I still haven't heard back from the second after we were supposed to have an appt on a Sunday in September after we changed our plans to accomodate, talked to the woman for an hour on the phone......

I'm not the only one that has had experiences like this. We met all the requirements and then some. They aren't going to adopt pets out by acting this way. At least not to professional, considerate people like me. So we spent an exorberant amount of money on a pup from a breeder that treated us with respect and continues to do so.

I know some will probably think the agencies discounted us for whatever reason. Both said we were perfect to adopt. We have adopted in the past and will likely adopt again. I know most of these people are volunteers but our experience was absolutely rediculous.

Ok, sorry, end rant.
 
#6 ·
Jacoka and Jelpy I completely agree, there are so many other issues with 'stopping all breeding'. And I am up for ignoring zealots, it's just very hard to get lambasted and then walk away. I only posted the first few of the board appropriate comments I received. :(

HarryandLola, I was just having a conversation in favor of breeding. I am not actually a breeder at all. Heaven only knows what they would have done to me if I had been breeding :wild:

Sp00ks, you're welcome to rant. My post is a bit of rant about someone else's rant anyways :D
 
#7 ·
Oh i have always wanted to vent about that! belonging to a rescue i am in an interesting spot, some rescues are indeed amazing my rescue is AMAZING! some..not so much, they do not have it together and can really put a bad name on rescues in general, before i rescued my shiloh i went to a GSD rescue and described what i wanted, "a male or female, good with dogs, and would enjoy a life of love long hikes, boating and camping trips" the response i got was "no, we dont have what your looking for please do not contact us again" ?????? wha!!! okay, i did not and we went to a reputable rescue and adopted our big mixed mutt, breed specific rescues can be so freakn rude, picky and judgemental people are forced to go out and buy a puppy, and there is nothing wrong with wanting a pure bred dog, as long as you realize its a life long commitment..and yes i do think there are responsible breeders, and sorry a labrador is not going to round up sheep like a border collie can, their are so many breeds of dogs that WORK for people. I know if i were to say any of this on my rescues page i would be burned at the stake..not by the actual volunteers who run it, but by their crazy bunch of followers willing to throw down over the comment section..jeez that felt good to vent.
 
#9 ·
If the world was filled with only responsible breeders, ones that take back puppies they have produced if need to be rehomed, require spay/neuter at appropriate ages and only place puppies on limited reg, we wouldnt need shelters.
 
#10 ·
Fights on facebook are generally not worth it... Even if you "win" you end up looking like someone who is spoiling for an argument (even if that's not true).

FWIW, I got into a similar conversation with someone recently. Basically I told them that if their view (only shelter dogs should be adopted, no breeding) was actually made reality, we would no longer have any dogs because all shelter dogs are sterilized on intake. Their argument was that "dogs exist for their own purposes and it is wrong to control their lives for our own purposes." I then asked them if their real problem was that people own domestic animals at all, and if their agenda was to abolish pet ownership. Silence.

I usually try to make it clear to people that "dog breeders" are not just one thing, and that people breed dogs with a variety of different agendas, not just to make money or as a status symbol. Most are also not informed at all about working dogs vs. show, or small hobby breeders vs. BYB vs. puppy mill (understanding that these things do not have clear definitions). I then try and point out that it is best to learn as much as you can about something before saying it should be forbidden under any and all circumstances.
 
#12 ·
misslesleedavis1 I hear you on getting roasted in the comments section! I'm pretty sure there's a collection going around for kindling to light my pyre right now. :p

Fights on facebook are generally not worth it... Even if you "win" you end up looking like someone who is spoiling for an argument (even if that's not true).
Totally agree Kaimeju. Which is why I haven't responded to any of the fb comments yet. I'm still accumulating more of them and a few nasty msgs too. I appreciate you sharing some of your ideas though! Def food for thought!

KatsMuse and Gharrissc, I absolutely agree that everyone is allowed an opinion and respect that. When people start going out of their way to write maligning opinion based comments and send nasty msgs to someone whose opinion differs, that causes a situation that in my book requires 'handling.' Online, ignoring is possible but in person, not always. I'm just hoping to better prepare myself for real world encounters as they are no doubt bound to happen after this online chaos.

Sp00ks, I wish there was a 'like' button I could click for your last post. :)
 
#13 ·
Just a couple of days ago, I lost my temper on FB over this very thing. I just get so IRRITATED when someone tries to guilt me into getting a shelter animal, all the while bashing purebred dogs.

Part of my rant:

"If I choose to buy a purebred dog from a responsible breeder, I AM NOT KILLING A DOG IN A SHELTER. If I buy a purebred cat from a responsible breeder, I AM NOT KILLING A CAT IN A SHELTER. I did not put those animals in a shelter. I am not responsible for their previous owners' actions. I have the right to own a purebred animal. Oh, and I get the whole rescue thing. I have had 2 rescue Dobermans and 3 rescue Italian Greyhounds in the past. I've fostered Dobes. So don't try to guilt me."

Argh.
 
#15 ·
Sp00ks, I wish there was a 'like' button I could click for your last post.
I was thinking about that on your last post.

I would tell you how we handle these things in the south but you might be less a few "friends" ;) *** get bent***

"If I choose to buy a purebred dog from a responsible breeder, I AM NOT KILLING A DOG IN A SHELTER. If I buy a purebred cat from a responsible breeder, I AM NOT KILLING A CAT IN A SHELTER. I did not put those animals in a shelter. I am not responsible for their previous owners' actions. I have the right to own a purebred animal. Oh, and I get the whole rescue thing. I have had 2 rescue Dobermans and 3 rescue Italian Greyhounds in the past. I've fostered Dobes. So don't try to guilt me."
^^^That's great!!
 
#16 ·
I don't think I would buy a dog from a breeder.only because its my choice to rescue. I would just answer that is their opinions and you respect that. You would hope that they would respect your choice and opinion also. and just leave it at that.
 
#19 ·
What is most frustrating is having this same argument with someone when you mention that you are planning on going to a responsible breeder and someone starts trying to guilt you into a rescue then turns around and gets a dog from a crummy breeder (usually of a non-legit breed) themselves.
 
#24 ·
I also had a very frustrating experience trying to rescue, and I talked to a lady just yesterday (with a very nervous chihuahua mix) who was admiring my GSD. She had contacted two different rescues trying to adopt one and they both blew her off :( I have found that people are a little less judgmental when they see my shepherd grown up, well adjusted, and polite without all the nervous aggression typical of poorly bred GSDs in this area. Ignore them and raise your puppy to be the best possible representation of his breed. Even if that doesn't help them understand, you'll end up with a great dog :)



:thumbsup:


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#21 ·
Baillif wins I think.

I actually had a woman who came up to me when I was at our local PetExpo, starting out admiring my dogs. I am fairly used to people wanting to come over and say hello. Myles is a golden, and everyone assumes that he will be friendly, and Leia, my GSD, is a light colored fluffy thing. My two friends who were with me had more obvious mixes and the lady passed over them, pausing to ask what they were and then asked me if they were rescued. I replied that they weren't and I had gotten them from responsible breeders.

So then she basically told me that she thinks it is horrid that people will buy from breeders when there are perfectly good dogs to rescue. I merely told her, my first dog was a rescue and she had enough problems I decided to go with known backgrounds on my current dogs. She was like this 60ish year old woman too.

Her husband looked a touch mortified. I was just irritated the rest of the day. No one else was so obviously rude the rest of the time. I'm very proud of my dogs, and both of them are considerably more sound than my first dog who was a white shepherd from the pound of unknown background. After bilateral hip dysplasia, IBD and other wonderful tumors, plus the kidney event, I wanted a dog that was at least structurally not going to fall apart on me. And both of my dogs are exactly what I expected when I got them. <3
 
#26 · (Edited)
I was lucky enough that a bunch of people came to my defense when my aunt started to make snide comments. She had bought pure bred puppies before but heaven forbid if I do it. She's into fostering now. Yet she has many years to go before she gets to any where near the amount of time I spent volunteering.
What really aggrivates me nowadays is the "jump through hoops" most places have people go through to adopt.
I'd much rather see an animal adoption not work out and the animal be returned than see the people who were turned down go to pet stores/ads to get a pet. At least it would break the cycle some.

Forgot to add: In a pinch though I most likely will tell the person that I don't have to justify my actions to them.

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#28 ·
People go to extremes in a lot of areas. When the extremists feel they are doing something for the public good, something morally right, they may be very vocal about their cause, and normal constraints as to tolerance for a variety of opinions/traditions, etc, seem to go by the wayside.

Your best bet is to not engage further in the conversation. Don't let them know they got a rise out of you at all. Do not try to explain yourself or win them over. They are extremists and don't waste your time, energy, patience on them.

There are plenty of legitimate reasons to get a purebred dog and to buy from a breeder. But you do not need to have a legitimate reason. You do not have to prove that you have done your part for dogs in shelters. There is nothing morally wrong with buying a dog from a breeder, rescue, or shelter.

What is important to remember is that it is the extremist that has the problem, not you. And you don't owe anyone the time of day.
 
#29 ·
I would probably tell them. "you're entitled to your opinion and I don't agree with it." Then I would walk away.

I tend to be pretty blunt and to the point though.....
 
#30 · (Edited)
Not everyone got to experience the difference between a dog and a "holy crap that's a dog." Not all dogs are created equal. Not trying to sound elitist by any stretch, but if you know what I'm talking about...then you know what I'm talking about, lol.

A dog is a huge monetary decision, a huge time sink decision, and one that generally lasts for 8-15 years or so. Anybody who thinks they can just force their opinion on how to make that decision on to others can eat a turd sandwich.
 
#31 ·
I've noticed if you tell people that you do dog sport (any dog sport) they kind of back off.

But the biggest thing I've learned...don't get into dog/politics/religion/ANY DEBATE on facebook. There are way too many ranges of opinion, and generally people don't have the same level of education or understanding that you'll see on a "specialized" forum for whatever it is you're discussing. On top of that...you're connecting your name, and your real identity to what might be considered the unpopular opinion. And its not like arguing with our perfect stranger friends here on this forum, because your friends and family will get to see your true opinion on certain subjects and you never know who will either be surprised by it and also judge you negatively for it....just not worth it IMO.

Dogs are a highly debated topic and those that don't understand the "dog world" just won't understand the popular opinion on this board about breeding and dogs...or even why someone would go to a breeder. Most people you meet and speak with in real life and on facebook do not understand what it is to have a dog for a purpose other than loving family pet. On top of that...for some reason there's a very strong feeling out there that a single post from a stranger on an internet site can get someone to do a complete 180 on their current opinion.
 
#33 · (Edited)
Reminds me of Benjamin Franklin's little known work called Fart Proudly. There are certain people out there that are very pretentious or overly concerned with things that just don't matter that much.

“Fart for freedom, fart for liberty—and fart proudly.” -That bespectacled guy who managed to make it onto paper currency without ever being president.

To a certain extent it is good to make a stink every so often. Besides you never know someone might do a 180. I know plenty of people who's opinions match that of the last person they talked to. They're called Marines:wild::wild::wild::wild: jk guys I love you.
 
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