I'm not against (RESPONSIBLE) breeders. I think dogs that do what they were bred for is great. If you stuck a Great Dane out on a field with a bunch of sheep, you're probably not going to get the sheep to go where you want it to go. Stick a (well bred) herding dog out there, and it'll get the job done. This is the only reason why I think breeds should still exist. Of course, not many of us live with lots of land with many sheep to move but there are people with specific things they'd like to do with their dogs. Personally, I'd like a herding/agility/fast flyball/obedience dog with a medium-long coat that can live in an apartment and is people/animal friendly and tolerant with young children. One perfect breed comes to mind and would fit in amazingly IF it is well-bred. Take away the breed, and I'm taking chances of possibly getting a dog that would fit well in my family.
I own two purebreds, one from a breeder and one from a shelter. Both purebreds none the less. Both are complete opposites. One is active, the other acts like a couch potatoe. One learns in minutes, the other learns in weeks. One has herding instinct, the other couldn't herd if his life depended on it. Both are of the same breed yet are extremely different. I know the rescue couldn't have come from a good breeder because the breeder would have taken him back when the family decided they didn't want him anymore. The well bred one is exactly what we had in mind and fits in perfectly with us. The rescue is co-existing well with us (only after months and months of training, which the average pet owner probably wouldn't do).
Anyways, I'm not against responsible breeders. Responsible breeders by my definition also rescue, don't make nearly enough from puppies to make a living out of breeding, get all necessary tests done and only continue on a line of well-bred dogs being exactly what they should be.
However, I do understand where a lot of you are coming from. I'm all for rescuing! I love mixes and I love purebreds. People have different expectations and needs. Some are flexible with what type of dog they want and some are extremely specific. It's a personal preference. For my first dog, I wanted a dog that I knew would have a steady temperment and be what the breed should be. We wanted to raise it from a puppy and have it become a well fitted family member. For the second dog, I was ready for surprises. And surprises, I got. I got aggression and major dominancy. Not what I wanted in my first dog but I felt I was ready for this one, however it turned out.
I'm not against responsible breeders. I'm against puppy mills and bybs who ruin it for all of us.
I hope no one takes that the wrong way. Just my two cents on the breed topic.
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