Quote:
Originally Posted by theporkieyorkie  Not all breeders are bad.
If people(other than the ones who are breeding responsibly to show and better the breed) would spay and neuter their PETS, if puppy mills and BYB's would stop breeding....THEN, the pet population would probably not be out of control like it is.
In reality, the responsible breeders...the good breeders who are breeding for standard and show quality lines...most of them don't breed more than a few litters a year and a lot of them have WAIT LISTS for their puppys. They are also very choosy about where their puppies go and they really try to place them with the right family, so the chance of them ending up in a rescue is much smaller than people who will sell a dog to anyone with a dollar. It's all of the OTHER people who are IRRESPONSIBLY breeding that is the problem.
It all adds up...the people who think their dog is cute so they want to see what their PETS puppies will look like....the people who think they can breed a dog to make a quick buck...the people who don't give their dog ANY vet care, including spay/neutering, and it's left to breed out of control....ALL of that, on top of the BYB's and puppy mills, adds to the overpopulation problem.
What it all really boils down to is educating the public and creating awareness. People need to know not to buy from pet stores, puppy mills, byb's or the internet(unless they research the breeder first). People need to know that they need to spay/neuter their dog(unless they plan to be vigilant and crazy responsible for watching their intact dog at all times to make sure it NEVER breeds)...people need to know that if they can't afford to spay neuter, they should a.)find a low cost clinic or b.) maybe they shouldn't get a pet in the first place if they can't afford to give it the proper health care. People need to know that buying a "Designer Dog/puppy" is BEYOND ridiculous, when they can go adopt one in a shelter. There's A LOT that the public NEEDS to know...and if more people were educated, it may change SOME people's minds on how they acquire and take care of their pet, and it would ultimately help with the pet overpopulation. |
I donīt know what things are like where
you are, but here weīve had a few VERY reputable German show breeders and they went out of buisness - gone, you can no longer buy "show quality"
on this island (Thatīs what the big buck breeders tell us anyway - Iīve seen amazing looking pups).
Why? Because in this day and age, not everyone can spend 2 months wages on a puppy.
Most experienced breeders are AMAZING, yes! Love them all!! God bless them
Their pups are perfection and everything is done by the rules and regulations and every pup is a perfect example of the breed, but as I said, not everyone who wants a dog of a certain breed has the rediculous amount of money some of those breeders charge.
THIS is why hobby breeders (as I call them, because most are awesome here!) are so popular these days.Itīs because they charge less.Who are we trying to kid?? Seriously,
THAT is the reason.
Now, I am
AGAINST puppymills and Iīm thankful we dont have them or have to worry about them
here, but I am also going to say that if it werent for hobby breeders, the ones that are starting out and have adorable, loved and "close to home" pups, many many people would never have a dog.
Most of these breeders are less experienced yes, but just as every other breeder did back in her day, they can also earn their stripes and make wonderful contributions.
I just donīt understand why the more experienced breeders put those that are starting out down (are reputable breeders born at the age of 50 with a show dog under their arm?)..
EVERY breeder started somewhere, yet hobby breeders are branded as BYB and crooks and potential puppymillers and then acused of ruining the breed standard etc.
To me its more of a matter of experienced breeders feeling threatened by new breeders because a good person who has had a healthy, standard litter and is selling her pups for $300 (example) is obviously going to take buisness away from the breeder who is selling her pups for double that, and both litters could be as cute and healthy as can be.I get that I guess - itīs competition.
Not everyone is going to want to take a chance at taking home a rescue either.I have worked in a rescue facility and some of those dogs were triggered by the silliest things (the sound of a car, a child walking past its cage, the sound of a cellphone ringing etc) so adopting is also risky and itīs not for everyone.Have you never heard of a dog going home and being triggered one month later when his new owner turned on the TV? I have! Itīs also very EXPENSIVE.Again, people are more careful with their money these days so they do more looking around.
I have 3 kids, yet there are MILLIONS of orphans in the world, should I have adopted then? I donīt have the money for that, and to be honest, I wouldent have wanted to.See, itīs not for everyone, and that is OK.
Just as experienced/show breeders are not everyones choice when looking for a puppy, not every hobby breeder is going to sell you a sick yorkie that will end up weighing 25lbs either, and when people say that hobby breeders are in it for the money? Not true either
Did you know that after deworming, feeding, first shots, health visits and everything else that a puppy needs, a hobby breeder may earn (if that) just $40 to $50 on each pup she sells (and thatīs not counting the pregnancy bills).I know this because I actually know plenty of hobby breeders (my mother in law was one also) and because they arent totally convinced of the super perfection of everything they produce, I can tell you that these are the ones that are way more on top of things in the long run (again - HERE).They check and worry and go over everything and they adore their dogs too.
Also, just because someone isnt willing to spend a HUGE amount of money on a puppy, it doesnt mean they wont be able to care for it either, so telling people that if they canīt afford a $1000 puppy, they wont be able to care for it anyway is also not true.
If they spend $1000 on a puppy, they have more chances of not being able to aford shots until the following month..at least thatīs the way I see it from here anyway.
We must really stop putting everyone who admits to wanting to breed down.Yes, there are SO so many abandoned dogs out there, but taking away everyones options and only leaving the rediculously expensive pups avalable isnt going to fix that either.
People will continue to breed their pets, and they may either keep or sell the puppies, but the over pupulation of dogs is not their fault directly, just as the over pupulation of orphans isnt the fault of those who keep popping out biological kids.
Puppymills are around because there is a HUGE demand for certain breeds but not enough money for people to buy them with.The whole world is going through a crisis but people still want what they want.
IMO, if the experienced breeders lowered their prices, people wouldent feel obligated to search for something they
can afford, and beleive me, when someone wants a dog, they
will do that.
BTW - All this from a European point of view.I have no idea why pups in the US cost what they do (3 times more than they do here), maybe there is a reason (vets are more expensive? People get paid more? Dog food is as high priced as gas? etc).
All I know, is that if our breeders charged those amounts, people here would end up buying from brokers too :/