Would you do it?

[Vela]

You said how i think and feel.

It was so very frustrating when i was looking for a female to breed King to. He was the champion of health but people didn't care. All they cared about is that he wasn't AKC or the right color. Grrrrr! Perfect health and GREAT temperment. ...are people so shallow that they HAVE to have that American title saying the dog came with a vin number and family tree? Would papers saying the dog is a healthy fit specimen, and a great member of society be enough?

How can people that say they care so much about a breed, not be willing to do what is right for it?

Sure, i don't plan on ever spending over $300 on the purchase price of a dog (unless possibly getting a Saarloose... but that would be way down the years from now... when i have MUCH more property.), but if i ever was looking at getting a dog from a breeder you bet i would get the testing done. I'd want them to know what they'd produced and I'd be sure to be buying from a breeder that WANTS to know what they produced.

(Still, i much prefer rescuing off the streets ... and by the time I'm done that dog has cost me well over $300 too. LOL)

Uh, why are you talking about people caring so much about a breed and not doing the right thing for it? How is breeding an unpapered dog good for any breed? Your opinion of his Champion of Health status had nothing to do with whether he fits breed standard or not, which is what shows a used for, judging the conformation and color of a certain breed to insure they are of breeding quality, which is how you "do the best for it" by trying to better the breed. All dogs being bred should have full health testing, before ever being bred, but also need to have a traceable lineage, which is why they need papers, plus they can't be shown without papers, so who is juding that the dog is even breeding worthy? Why would someone want to breed their bitch to your dog, when there are hundreds of others who DO have papers? Without papers it's just like a dog you can get at the pound, which are wonderful dogs, but shouldn't be bred as they aren't bettering any breed.

As far as would I health test a pet dog on my own dollar? no. If I'm not breeding it I don't need to know for myself. Now if the breeder wants to know, sure I'll take it in to get it done, but the breeder would have to pay for it. To me it is unreasonable to expect someone buying a pet dog to have health testing done, however, if the price is reduced by the breeder for the amount it would cost for the testing, and it's in the contract to have it done, and the new owner agrees to it, that's another story.