Quote:
Originally Posted by Nancy1999  Health tests have nothing to do with being registered by a breed club, if you had a good vet, he would have told you to get the tests. Vets don't have breed specific knowledge, and they have no idea of all the genetic illnesses troubling this breed.
"Dogs used for breeding should be free of all defects - that's the definition of quality. ("Papers" mean nothing; They are simply, and nothing more than, birth certificates. Plenty of dogs have "papers," but are so poorly bred they actually look like mutts.) And no human should ever breed any dog without veterinary/laboratory testing and pedigree research to be sure that dog is free of (and not a carrier of) genetic defects. FAILURE TO TEST/SEARCH FOR INHERITABLE HEALTH PROBLEMS IS THE NUMBER ONE MARK OF A BACKYARD BREEDER. IT IS ALSO THE MOST DAMAGING TO CANINES, AND THE MOST HEARTBREAKING TO PUPPY-BUYERS, WHO END UP WITH YET ANOTHER GENERATION OF POOR-QUALITY DOGS WHO TOO OFTEN DEVELOP EXPENSIVE, EARLY HEALTH PROBLEMS AND OFTEN DIE PREMATURELY." A COMPARISON OF: Responsible Hobby Breeders and Backyard Breeders/Irresponsible Breeders |
Great link Nancy. I would just like to add one thing: People sometimes bridle at the label of being a "breeder". But the fact is, if your bitch is having pups- you have just crossed over from being a pet owner to a breeder. And it doesn't matter whether you intend to keep those pups or give them away instead of selling them. By keeping un-neutered pets in your home, you are assuming the risks of everything that can happen. The lives of those pups and their health for the remainder of their lives is your responsibility.
The only good reason for breeding is to better the breed. Breeding for profit or "just because I want to" is a form of animal abuse, IMO.