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personally i would never get a dog from a breeder..all my dogs are rescues and well i am not saying that reptuable breeders are bad my aunt is one..and it does bother me somewhat but if i tell her not to do it doesn't mean she won't..and well i just would only get rescued dogs or from a pound or a shelter or a rescue group..and i just feel strongly about getting from a breeder just because others do it doesn't mean i'll do it..
What a wonderful, truthful, post, Aly. Thank you!!! :)
Amen Amy & Alyson!!!
As I said yesterday, if you take time and work with a dog (as you should ANY dog in your life) with patience and understanding, you'll have a great companion, regardless of where that dog came from.
It really saddens me that anyone thinks "less" of rescued dogs.
:( :( :(
I totally understand, and know that. I know many good breeders, and usually 9/10 times the pups are not show quality and are sold to pet homes. I mean if the person does not need that purebred dog for a particular reason (like I said, activities like agility, or specifically for needing that solid temperament) then I wish more people would look at shelter dogs and not stereotype them all... hm... anyway, I'm not against anyone who buys from a reputable breeder. Actually, buying from a good breeder and getting a shelter dog are just as good either way - as long as people avoid pet store/puppy mill/BYB's.Quote:
Originally posted by KYS
Not every dog from a show breeder has the potential
to be a great champion. Reputable breeders rely
on good pet homes just as much as show homes
to place their dogs.
And, yeah, just like Amy said, its more important how you treat your dog than anything else.
I have no problem with reputable, responsible breeders. Key words being reputable and responsible. Glacier posted a wonderful list of things to look for in a breeder.
We got Kito from a breeder, and the other 3 are rescues. Does that make him any better (well, in his mind it does:rolleyes: )? No, it certainly doesn't. We actually have no information on his breeders at all, because we got him through a second party. The woman who originally bred him got ill, and gave them to two of her friends in the dog show world, who then sold him to us. There's no doubt in my mind that the actual people we got him from are responsible breeders, but they didn't breed Kito. I would go back to them in a heartbeat for another Shiba.
It's a personal decision, whether to buy or rescue a dog--no one else's business. It breaks my heart to see and hear of all the dogs in shelters, but I can't take them all. I have mine, so I've done good for 3 lives, but that's all I can do right now.
I don't see a reason for bashing anyone for either---my crew is proof that you can get a wonderful dog from a breeder, breed rescue, from some crazy lady outside the spca, or at the spca:)
I'll have to ditto Amy & Aly as well. Very well said girls.
Have three rescues myself, it upsets me to no end seeing someone say that type of stuff.
Having seen dogs in high-kill shelters, there one day, but gone the next.. without being adopted upsets me to no end.
I couldn't care less where someone gets their dog... although i'd much rather see every dog in the shelter with a home. Myself, however, will NEVER EVER get a dog from a breeder. Why?
There's plenty of perfect dogs in the shelters.
My three rescues behave a 100 times better than my neighbor's Pure Bred Lab from a reputable hunting dog breeder, which they paid big $$ to fly from Seattle. They've had so many health problems and behavioral problems with her, more than i've had in my 7+ years of owning dogs.
I hope my three never see how "lesser" they are than perfect pure breds.... they mean the world to me.
I think that last sentence says it all. Thank you Aly.Quote:
Originally posted by aly
Shelter animals are not any less deserving than purebreds, just as orphaned human children are not any less deserving of love and a second chance at life.
I don't think anyone said they were?Quote:
Originally posted by Giselle
Reputable breeders are NOT the problem. They will take the dog back, no matter what. Therefore, they cannot and are not the problem with overpopulation.
clara4457- I agree with you there. That is a very powerful, eye opening statement Aly ::hugs::
I got Nova from an animal Shelter in Lock Haven PA and I got Connor from an Animal Shelter in Myrtle Beach SC. The have not been sick Once, I have had Nova for 2 years and Connor for less then one. People always are asking me how I taught my dogs so much and how I am able to keep them so well behaved. I get compliments left and right about my dogs.
I think it is un-fare for you guys to judge shelter dog's as a group. A lot of healthy, loving dogs come from animal shelters. If you don't personally want to get a shelter dog, then fine, go to a breeder but don't place all shelter animals into an "unhealthy temperment unknown" group.
Ashley
I guess I want to comment on a couple things, but this is a sensitive subject and I believe people can easily take things wrong or read more into what is being said... I only hope I can be concise enough that that won't happen with this post.
When people talk about health problems and unknown bloodlines, they generally are talking about purebred dogs who are particularly prone to things, such as German shepherds being prone to hip dysplasia and collies prone to eye problems for example, and when they talk about avoiding this possibility by getting a puppy from a reputable breeder, they are doing that because a lot of these breed-inherent problems tend to be hereditary and passed down through genes and bad breeding. A reputable and responsible breeder will breed to prevent these things as well as certify that they have been tested for that breed-specific problem. It is no guarantee of course that the dog will always be healthy, but there is less a chance of it than getting an unknown purebred pup whose parents may have been from a puppymill and had generations of hereditary disease. I truly don't think anyone actually feels that a shelter or rescue dog is automatically less healthy, and mutts especially are known to be more vigorous! I'm pretty sure Tommy was originally from a puppy mill and I used to worry a lot if he'd have any of the myriad health problems goldens can be prone to come up, but so far he has had a pretty clean bill of health :).
I admire and applaud anyone who adopts from a shelter or rescue, my two are both rescues, but I completely understand and have nothing against those who choose to go to a responsible breeder, though I hope they do their homework and make sure the breeder truly is responsible. Glacier stated well what I would consider to be responsible breeding.
In a perfect world there would only be purebred dogs responsibly bred, all with forever homes lined up before leaving their mother's side. I'd sure miss mutts though, I must admit, even though any mutt is the result of irresponsibility. There will always be careless, ignorant, and irresponsible breeders and dog owners though, and a great many of us working hard to keep the dogs from paying the price of their actions. As opposed to these irresponsible, ignorant, or greedy puppymillers, responsible breeders are the ones doing things the RIGHT way in their breeding.
For me, it all comes down to each person has to follow their heart and do what they feel is best for their family and the dog based on their particular situation.
Alot of familys, like ours cannot go to a shelter to just pick and adopt a dog. Why? Because my family has needs to know HOW the dog will end up when its older. Because we can't have a dog that will end up shedding because my brother's allergies. Or we can't get a dog that we have no idea how big it will be. We can only have small dogs, because its what we perfer.
Thats why we turned to a breeder to know what we were exactly getting into. I wouldn't want to be unfair to a shelter dog who didn't match our needs, and have something horrible happen to it. Like place in a new home for example.
And thats my reason.
That is exactly what my family went through, my mom has allergies and couldn't have a dog that would shed or would make her allergies act up.Quote:
Originally posted by Amber
Alot of familys, like ours cannot go to a shelter to just pick and adopt a dog. Why? Because my family has needs to know HOW the dog will end up when its older. Because we can't have a dog that will end up shedding because my brother's allergies. Or we can't get a dog that we have no idea how big it will be. We can only have small dogs, because its what we perfer.
Thats why we turned to a breeder to know what we were exactly getting into. I wouldn't want to be unfair to a shelter dog who didn't match our needs, and have something horrible happen to it. Like place in a new home for example.
And thats my reason.
We looked at many breeds, Bichons, Malteses, Poodles, Shih tzu, and other dogs that would 'fit' into our family. We looked at shelters, petfinder.com, etc. But, we also needed a dog that would be ok with my 2 younger sisters (at the time they were 2 1/2 and 7 -ish)
Being unable to find a dog that would meet our needs after looking for a few years at many shelters we turned to a breeder. Like Amber said, we didn't want to be unfair to a dog for something they couldn't help, like shedding and making my mom have an allergic reaction.
BTW, I have absolutely nothing against shelter dogs. I have talked to my parents that if we are to ever get another dog, I want to look into more shelters than we did. When I get my own house someday and have no 'limits' than it will be easier to find an adoptable dog, but for now my family and I are just lucky to have found a great dog! :)
I hope my post made sense, I'm really tired right now. Please excuse any mistakes. :o
Zoey is from a reputable breeder. It's been nearly 4 yrs since I brought her home and to this day I still talk with her breeder. My next Giant will be from a reputable breeder as well. I love this breed and will always have one. Giant Schnauzers in rescue are few and far between. I do see myself getting a shelter dog in the future though.
I'm all for reputable breeders. Most of them also take part in some sort of animal rescue. Like it was stated, they are not the ones who should be blamed for the pet overpopulation problem. Your anger should be turned towards the BYB's, puppy mills, and irresponsible owners instead of just bluntly saying, "All breeders are bad" (and no, I'm not directing this towards anyone, I'm just trying to make a point). The same goes for shelter dogs. Of course not all of them are "bad".
My dogs were both purchased from BYB's, but that was before we knew better. Do I regret making that decision? No, never. They mean far too much to me to even think that.
I am planning to get my future dogs from reputable breeders.. as well as shelters and rescues. I'd love (and plan to) adopt an older dog from my local shelter sometime in my life. :)
I admire those here who have adopted from an animal shelter, and I especially admire those of you who devote such a big part of your life to fostering and rescuing these animals and finding them 'forever homes'. :)