As promised I have some thoughts to share on breeders and rescue groups. But first a couple musings on the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. (Photo: Corded poodles intrigue me.)
First let me say to whoever decided to move the show to another channel halfway through on the first night, you suck. I missed the toy and non-sporting groups. I know I can find it online but seriously, whos idea was that?? How does (clearly coreographed) wrestling rate higher than a dog show? Paleeze! Here is the link to the Westminster Kennel Club website. I like that you can watch the breed judging for all the dogs.
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Like most years I taped the show so I could watch it without commercials. This way I can also fast forward the parts Im not interested in. I thought the akita "Echo" was stunning. But then again of course I would right? I also loved the Malamute. I have a thing for most of the working group truth be told. But I also have to many other favorite breeds to list. Im glad there is at least one televised dog show that shows ALL the breeds. I think its important for people out there to see all the choices they have. Maybe this way they wont feel the need to "create" new breeds. (Seriously, you cant find one dog that fits what you are looking for among all of those??)
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Anyhow back to my thoughts on rescue groups and breeders. As I read in a piece in Pug Talk magazine recently, there seems to be a movement to promote adopting from shelters over buying dogs lately. Now who can argue with that right? Only the problem is that not all puppy sellers should be painted with the same brush. I am also adamantly against buying dogs from a pet store or from online sellers. You are buying a puppy, not a pair of shoes. I dont think any pet should be bought sight unseen off a website. And forget about pet stores. No matter what they tell you, NO reputable breeder lets their puppies be sold by a third party. NEVER. If youre lucky enough to end up with a healthy dog, good luck with the dogs temperment. Being taken away from the siblings and mother to young (a common puppymill practice to ensure the puppies stay little and cute for the pet store window) is a perfect recipe for behavior problems later in life including biting.
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Consider what would happen to a breed if there are no reputable breeders out there. A reputable breeder is health testing their dogs before breeding to make sure they are only using healthy dogs. This keeps the breed strong. Passing on the best geneticly is important to a breeds long term survival. If those breeders are gone, where will good purebred dogs come from? What do you think the chances are of those dogs being healthy? Do we really think if all breeding was banned the urge to have certain types of dogs would just go away? Not gonna happen. Only now you are forcing the law abiding healthy breeders out of the game. Good luck with what you end up with after that happens.
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I dont think supporting reputable breeders and rescues need to be mutually exclusive. I have always supported both. There are people who say you should always go to rescue first because there are plenty of dogs needing homes there. That is true. However there are reasons for wanting to go to a breeder instead too. For instance I like getting dogs from good breeders because I think it saves me money in the long run on avoided vet bills. A healthy pet is also more likely to have a better quality of life as well. For instance dogs with hip dysplasia might have to live in pain as dogs with other health issues can suffer from those daily too. Especially if there is no cure or the owner cant afford the treatment for it. Or maybe the dog has a shortened life span because of a health problem that could have been avoided with contiencious breeding. Who doesnt want their pet to love a long life free of pain? This is not to say you cannot get a healthy dog from a rescue group. Knowing your dogs genetic background can just stack the odds in your favor if money is a consideration for you.
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The other thing a reputable breeder provides is support. Because they care about the dogs they produce they can answer your questions whenever you have them. And if you cannot keep your dog during its lifetime, they usually have a clause in the contract requiring you to contact them first so they can take the dog back or help in the rehoming. Is a pet store ever going to provide that kind of service? Yeah go ahead and call. See what they say to that! A reputable rescue group will usually also provide this support.
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When I couldnt find (what I considered) a reputable breeder when I was looking for a pug I turned to rescue. It just happened that my local shelter doesnt get pugs in much (tho I put the word out there too) so I contacted pug rescue. I believe that if I cant find a reputable breeder then I refuse to support a non-reputable one. Its that whole, "If youre not part of the solution, then youre part of the problem" mindset for me. As mentioned there are certainly plenty of dogs in shelters and rescue groups that need homes. If the health issue is going to come down to a crapshoot then I will take my chances on the side of supporting rescue. Not by putting money in a back yard breeders pocket which is just reinforcement for them to keep churning untested puppies out.
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The article also bemoaned the fact that people were going to pet stores because they cant find the reputable breeders. I definately agree that is a problem. It seems many good breeders rely on word of mouth to sell their puppies. I guess that makes it easier for them personally. However the more the general public sees well written for sale ads "Sire and Dam Hips OFA cleared excellent, eyes CERF, Thyroid tested, 1st shots given, ready at 10 weeks, etc" then the more questions the general public might think to ask. Education is the key here. It isnt that hard to build a website with general info on your breeding program. Pages with most frequently asked questions can also save you time on the phone with potential buyers. Heck just listing where you are can save time for some people. (just a state and area works if you have security concerns) If you want to help educate the public then you need to be found by those people. It seems like the internet is the easiest route in most cases for that to happen.
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I tell people looking for reputable breeders to contact the rescue group for that breed. Most rescue groups have members that are also breeders and THOSE are the breeders in it for the right reasons. They love their breed and make sure to help it in every way they can. That includes being involved in saving and rehoming them whenever possible. Even though they arent producing the dogs coming in to rescue!
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Looking up the national breed club can sometimes be helpful. If their website is good they will tell you what health probems are common in the breed. It is then up to the buyer to ask the right questions of the breeders they list. I have found that just because a breeder is listed on a breed club site however doesnt always mean they are a good breeder. At least by my standards. To me health testing is number 1. (along with stable temperment)
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A sad thing I need to mention is that unfortunatly not all rescues are reputable these days either. I had a friend that found a specific breed of dog at a rescue (not a purebred group) that wanted over $600 as an adoption fee. She was upset that she couldnt afford it because it was a breed she had always wanted and it sounded like a good match from the description. Im sorry but that is a price tag, not an adoption fee. So be careful of the "rescue groups" out there as well. If they sound like they are selling dogs then maybe they are. Some people like to prey on the uneducated people out there. Its sad but true.
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I see no problem supporting adopting from shelters and rescue groups. But I think supporting reputable breeders is important too. I dont think I am in the minority. The slogan "Dont breed or buy while shelter pets die.", while idealistic misses the mark slightly. Shelter pets dont end up there simply because they were created. They are there because someone turned them in for behavior issues, medical issues, or they came in as a stray. Or maybe someone just got tired of taking care of the dog. Or they got taken away from their owners for neglect. I wont say they are all there because of irresponsible owners but many of them are. How is that a reputable breeders fault? If a reputable breeders dog ends up at a shelter, and they know about it, chances are they will make sure to pull that dog before it gets euthanized.
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So that is my soapbox on the subject. What say you dear reader? How do we reach the masses when it comes to educating the puppy buying public? Or is it a lost cause for some? Who do you support and why?
