You seem to have already stated your position in your post...Do I think that people should have a criteria when they breed dogs ...yes...but it is also really tiring to read posts from people who are telling other people what they should do...sometimes accidents happen or whatever I don't know

 

I don't think people are meaning to sound like that, I think they are trying educate people of the problems caused by irresponisble breeding

 

It's my belief that even if they are going to spay/neuter everybody and keep them and can afford them, they still should not be bred until health tests are done. If they're keeping all puppies and don't care for them to be titled.. well..

If they want to sell, I think they should be titled and tested, and be good representations of the breed.

 

For me, the big issue on this topic is the shelter situation. Every life is so dearly important, yet so many get killed every day as a result of human negligence and ignorance. One persons mistake isn't another person's problem, sure, but I can't help but feel that the first option should always be to rescue a dog that already exists, and needs a home to love it.

That said, the working quality or temperment of these abandoned dogs is sometimes not appropriate to what a dog owner would like to do, activity/sport-wise. This is a good reason to breed two proven animals, in the seeking of a particular trait in a dog. Or, for the guarentee of lifelong support from a quality breeder. It's my opinin that offering these things to a buyer (or to family members, if the goal is to provide animals to people you love) are good reasons to breed. Sometimes things just happen, sure, but as dog owners, who are completely responsible for the health and happyness of our animals, and as responsible adults who have a love for dogs, of whatever breed, reducing the number who suffer and get killed, scared and sad, should be a constant concern, especially when deciding whether or not to bring more into the world.

I don't really want to argue, as I know this is something everyone will have their own passionate feelings about, I just wanted to throw my opinion out there.

 

Does every dog owner have the right to breed? Yes, this is still a free country. Should they? No. I don't believe in forcing my beliefs in breeding on others (except my puppy owners), but I also do not support those whose breeding practices do not meet my own standards. I execute my rights by not buying what they are producing.

 

I don't want to get into "rights" but how about responsibilities? if the person does have a litter of puppies, I do think that they need to step up and insure that the pups are vetted, find good homes, offer support to the new owners and step in if the pup needs to be re-homed.

I know that a lot of people get into the "all my friends want one" mode and decide to breed. Then, when the pups are weaned, suddenly all those homes disappear. Too many times, the breeder then just dumps them off at the pound because they can't find homes for them and now they are eating too much and pooping too much and making too much noise. Too bad, you made the decision to have these pups, now it's your responsibility, not something to be dumped off on someone else..

 

what Lisa ^^^said

 

I was too distracted when I posted 1st. I meant to get thoughts on what should be bred and what shouldn't and is it right to do so just because you have a dog.

 

For me, the big issue on this topic is the shelter situation. Every life is so dearly important, yet so many get killed every day as a result of human negligence and ignorance. One persons mistake isn't another person's problem, sure, but I can't help but feel that the first option should always be to rescue a dog that already exists, and needs a home to love it.

That is my main problem with everyone breeding more puppies just cause they can. My second problem is all the genetic issues in dogs, both mixed AND purebred. So without at least a basic interest in genetics and the backgrounds of both potential parent dogs........ the health and temperment of the puppies can be a big question that's not answered sometimes until years down the line.

If our shelters were empty and dogs no longer being killed by the thousands every day in the USA. And if people had at least a basic interest and concern about the genetic issues in their dogs and how to try to get rid of them in future puppies.......... then I'd be much more on board with people breeding their dogs.

I think it's the word 'responsible' that I find missing in many people who just want to breed their dogs. Responsible for health/temperment. Responsible for any puppies they ever breed for the entire lives of those dogs... to assure they don't end up in shelters (or even the puppies of these puppies, and so on and so on).

 

I had just composed a beautiful dissertation on this topic and then my wireless "burped" and I lost it. Oh well, it was too wordy anyway.

In short, I think that breeders that do it for the love of the breed, or the individual dog and are trying to get another just like the 1st, are fine. AS LONG as they have responsible, loving and COMMITTED homes lined up prior to breeding. The market is flooded with too many puppies and dogs from irresponsible breeders and this ruins the odds of a shelter dog getting a chance at a life and a loving home. Shelter dogs make the best pets if frivolous people could just get past the looks. My 1st shelter dog, Spud, is a basset-pitt mix and is the oddest little piglet of a dog you'll ever see. But he is the coolest dog on the planet. Kai is a close second, but no one would adopt her because 1) some moron thought she was part wolf (no she is not) and 2) she was so mis-behaved and uncontrollable. She is a beautiful dog and probably came from a puppy mill and was originally purchased for looks.

Money does not a responsible dog owner make, so charging thousands for a pup does not guarantee a loving home for the animal. Money breeders ruin the chances of adoption for the dogs already in shelters and the puppies they sell to anyone willing to write them a check will likely become the next pretty pooch in the pound.

 

Get rid of the millers, first, IMO. That is one business that I just don't understand~ why they are still allowed to treat the animals the way they do.
Shelters wouldn't be so overwhelmed if the millers were extinct.

 

I feel it is wrong to breed your dogs just because you can.

It breaks my heart when I go to shelters and see all of those dogs wagging their tails when they see someone walk by. Wanting to save them all and knowing that you cant is one of the hardest things for me.

If it's an accident, well I hope they learn their lesson and find those puppies a good home. If it's not an accident then, :angryfire:

 

I think the one thing people are forgetting is this is the internet and people are posting their decisions or potential decisions here. It is a forum in which people give advice the best way they know how. If the best way they know how is to
vehemently discourage someone from breeding their unregisterd, hip dysplasic dog just to get one puppy, then so be it.

Once you pose a question or an opinion on a public internet forum you lose your right to protest about what will come after if the person doesn't think you're ethical, correct, just, saavy, etc.

These people who are anti-irresponsible breeders are not going through the newspaper and showing up on people's doorsteps lecturing them about their irresponsibility. They are responding to something via the www that people put out there at their own risk.

 

No Way! Not anyone who has a dog. Only to better our breed for the future, by someone who knows and has what it takes.

 

Only if you(as in general) are responsible and do your homework when it comes to the amount of time, money, and energy it takes to breed a healthy litter. Breeders should be breeding to better a breed.

 

I agree with those who say yes everyone has the “right” but just because they have the right doesn’t mean they should.

I have the right to do many things but that doesn’t mean I'm going to run out and do all those things.

 

IMO what should never be bred is..

a rescue/adopted dog, an unregistered dog, a dog that hasn't been health tested and more importantly had excellent results, a dog that has not yet been proven (working/showing etc..), a dog with poor temperment according to the breed standard, a dog that physically does not meet the breed standard

even if your dogs meet the above reasons I gave YOU should not breed them if..

you are not willing to keep the puppies if suitable homes cannot be found, you will not take puppies back even if they have severe health/temperment issues, you have not thoroughly screened future puppy buyers, you are not prepared for properly raising and caring for a new litter, you are not prepared for the risk to your own dogs during breeding and welping, you cannot financially provide for the care of the dogs and new litters should there be unforseen circumstances, you do not have knowledge of bloodlines and genetics...

drawing blanks now

 

Like so many questions....just because you can does not mean you should. I have three rescues, one in particular who is clearly of AWFUL breeding. Lord knows what the circumstances were. It would be nice if every dog could get a good home, but until then, it would be nice to see fewer of them all being brought into the world.

 

Do they have the right? Yes. Dogs are property and so long as they're receiving adequate food, shelter, medical care, etc you have the right to do what you want with them. Should it happen? Nope.

 

I think people should only be breeding if they have dogs that are titled, certain qualities that they think may help the breed, or try to breed a certain trait out of the dog, I was talking to this one person who was trying to breed aggression out of German shepherds or his line of German Shepherds. I think people who have a good, verified, reasonable reason to breed their dogs. Titled, health tested, certified, qualified dogs should be bred.

People should not be breeding their dogs just because they want to and think their dogs will have cute babies. Molly & Tanner are beautiful and would probably have cute babies, but I don't have the time, money or the room to have more dogs in the house. Just because your dog if AKC registered, comes from a great bloodline shouldn't be the reason for breeding. I think thats why some responsible breeders make their customers or whatever u call them sign a contract or have papers that show the dog has been spayed/neutered. And also its good thing responsible breeders only breed at certain times of the year.

Its sad enough seeing such beautiful dogs of any breed in shelters, especially puppies in shelters. In otherwords: If you don't have the time, room, money, dedication, your dog isn't titled, certified, trained, or any other breed worthy reason, then don't breed.

 

Unfortunately.....anyone & everyone, has the "right"....

 

I find it amusing that many of the breeders on this list that have a history of breeding very good dogs have the more moderate views on "requirements" for a breeder, and many people who have never bred a litter have the long laundry lists of what breeders should or shouldn't do. I have been in dogs a long time and the dogs with the best health and temperament in general I have seen were crossbreeds/mutts. How is this possible if these dogs and their parents and breeders don't carry all the badges, certifications, statue, and responsibility that ensures temperament and health. I go into any public forum and the mutts and crossbreeds make a seemless transition to being in public...I see many of "OUR" breed in public and I see unsureness, overaggression, unnaturalness, etc. Not always, but more often than the crossbreeds or mutts....And to add insult to injury, when I often see a well adjusted German Shepherd in public it often looks like the god forbid BYB variety. And then i correct my eyes and say noooo! that dog was not responsibly bred and I'm looking at a mirage because I have learned that only breeders with a check list 4 pages long should have the right to breed correct German Shepherds. I don't know whether to believe my eyes or the internet scholars....Its so confusing to me!

 

I really have to agree with you, if you make dog breeding ( or any species) an elitist attitude with nothing but a plethora of requirements, than you create a situation where dogs become out of reach to the general population, than you create a closed gene pool and more, not less health problems evolve. I personally believe while ideally you would have breeders who generally LOVE the breed and their criteria is to enhance the breed by producing dogs with beauty, brains and functionality, the reality is this will not happen. I personally have purchased 2 German Shepherds from top notch kennels that do all of the above, I also have in the past purchased Germans Shepherds that would be considered BYB puppies, and I had and have not had any problems with them, the people producing them had dogs they loved, with top bloodlines who accompanied them to horse shows or were real working ranch type dogs. I plan to show and title my young male, and yes, I do look forward to breeding him some day down the road. The reality is this breed is more likely to be purchased as a family companion than a working/show dog, and those are the dogs that are seen more often than not by the public, these dogs will represent the breed more than the show dogs, so their place in society is no less important than the exspensive show dogs, in fact it could be argued it is even more. The fact a dog is from a BYB does not automatically make them a poor specimen, the Shepherds I bought from seeing their parents at horse shows demomnstrated great temperament, intelligence and quality, just in a different venue.

I also breed Arabian Horses, that is a breed thats history is one of pedigrees and mares so cherished they were allowed to live in the tents with their people, 2 of the greatest Stallions the breed has ever known were both produced from backyard breeders, with nothing more than a mare and a dream, Kemosabi was born in an alley in Whittier, California, and Bey Shah was bred by pure accident when a trailer his mother was in broke down, they stayed at a well known breeder in California for the night, the great Varian Arabians, and bred their humble little mare to one of the stallions, creating this fantastic stallion. These two genetic masterpieces would never have been created if so many rules or hurdles would have been in place, or being looked down on because of perceived inferior pedigrees.

 

all I can hear is uncle Ben from the first Spiderman movie: With awesome power comes awesome responsibility.

I probably flubbed the line, but it's still a good idea.

 

How can puppy mills be eliminated? I would like an easy answer to that!
Had a lady from the ASPCA speak at our kennel club meeting about upcoming legislation targeted at puppy mills. She was basically run out of the meeting. The breeders there are not commercial breeders, but see that much legislation is just not good at addressing the problem. It is difficult to get at some without penalizing others and who is to decide just what is responsible breeding? The definition is a huge conundrum in itself because there is not a simple "recipe" !

I sure would like to support more public exposure of the commercial industry. Education may reach more than regulation. Where we live there are not resources to enforce the regulations already in place anyway.

 

How can puppy mills be eliminated? I would like an easy answer to that!
Had a lady from the ASPCA speak at our kennel club meeting about upcoming legislation targeted at puppy mills. She was basically run out of the meeting. The breeders there are not commercial breeders, but see that much legislation is just not good at addressing the problem. It is difficult to get at some without penalizing others and who is to decide just what is responsible breeding? The definition is a huge conundrum in itself because there is not a simple "recipe" !

I sure would like to support more public exposure of the commercial industry. Education may reach more than regulation. Where we live there are not resources to enforce the regulations already in place anyway.

That is the problem, good breeders get penalized for what the millers are doing.
I wish there was an answer.
You are right, about regulations, more isn't better. The next town over is doing away with both of their AC's because they have no funding, so cutting this along with the local community college LE K9 school.

Sorry off topic.

 

I agree, some of the best dogs out there are mutts.

Wether their mutts or purebred, there are too many dogs in the world and not enough homes for them.

Too many of them get put down everyday, it doesnt matter if they are great purebreds or great mutts, their just isn't a home for them all.

Mistakes happen and litters are born. Stray dogs have puppies, not much we can do about that. But the people that breed their mutts because they are cute dogs and would make cute puppies are in the wrong.

Go look at your local animal shelter, if you can walk in there and not feel anything and not feel bad that you are producing more puppies that might end up in there. Then everything I say will not have an effect on you.

Now if you have GSD's with great pedigrees and you and others truely believe that your dog will bring great things to the breed then I dont see anything wrong with breeding them, as long as you find the best homes possible for them and you are willing to take them back incase their owner can no longer have them

 

A German Shepherd is NOT supposed to be a lap dog. IMO the general public should not own a GSD because the general public is well not very smart. They are the people we all complain about on here "dog on flexi wearing prong collar" "dog running loose" "dog tied to tree" the shelter/rescue population is the result of the general poplulation.