[JCarlson2004]

Originally Posted by drawlins27

I wasn't sure if I should post my opinion or not since it varies from most here but here goes.

I see a lot of so called breeders come on here and mention that they engage in the most horrible breeding practices. I have seen them talk about breeding their female every cycle, breeding older females, breeding 3 lb females, and the list goes on. I would expect nothing less than for the reputable breeders on here to question these practices. Part of being a reputable breeder is a love for the breed and no one could read these posts without saying something.

A lot of people read these threads, not just breeders but those who are thinking of breeding and those who are looking to buy. They learn from the responses to these posts. What would they learn if a breeder posted that they let their pups go home at 6 weeks (for example) and no one said anything? They would learn that this is a safe and acceptable practice.

To use a recent example, a breeder recently came on here and mentioned that she was going to breed an 8 yr old female who was around 3 lbs. Some of the others on here questioned that and rightly so. I hope that anyone thinking of buying a pup from her reads those posts and thinks twice. Granted some of those posts did get a bit rude but as for those breeders that questioned her methods, I applaud them for it. I hope that the breeder in question will now chose to research her decisions and change her practices because she obviously loves her females very much.

That being said, I do not think that anyone should respond to a post in a rude manner or engage in name calling and I have seen it get out of hand and the OP of a thread becoming defensive. However, I think that the only reason this happens is from the passion that everyone feels about these dogs and the strong emotions that are involved. What I would really hate to see, is this board becoming nothing but a love fest for anyone who just wants to get a male and female together instead of being an educational tool.

Sorry for the long post. I am not a breeder but I did grow up in a breeder home and I have done over 79 rescues. Many of my rescues are the result of an irreputable breeder or one that didn't do their research and I just feel really strongly about the issue of education for the breeder and the buyer.

Very well said. I agree with you 100%.