Helping to improve breeding and breeders
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| Hi Kaye!
I thought I'd "pop" in with my story. I am NOT a breeder, although perhaps somne day further down the road, I may become one (there are certain things that I'd want to have happen before I felt I was ready to step into that sort of involvement, and I'd probably start with cats). Anyhow, I come from a breeder family. As some of you know, my mother and father bred shelties back in the late 70s and 80's. I guess you would consider them a "showing" kennel, they showed both in agility and confirmation. They did their best to test their dogs for all known breed issues, although there weren't such good facilities and systems then as there are now! (and luckily, there weren't as many health issues for shelties back then, heart and hip issues hadn't entered the breed), and never bred "dangerous" crosses that were known to cause problem babies, such as merle to merle crosses. They did their best to protect their pups and adult dogs, interviewing families, refusing improper individuals and rehoming if the family couldn't keep the dog. They always sold their pet animals with a spay/neuter contract, and keeping a close eye on the animals that they gave to fellow breeders, including mentoring new folks just getting into the show ring. They properly socialized and started training the pups before they ever went home with their new families (I got to do some of that with the last litter they ever had, I was all of about 4-5). They helped and supported the new owners with any questions and problems they had. They were proud of the way they bred, they were proud of all the efforts that went into the show rings. They lost bitches and pups during birthing, they placed champions in agility and confirmation. They never made a profit, they barely managed to break even. And when they decided that it was time to retire so that they could concentrate on raising their children, they had a responsible friend/succesor that took over their lines and adopted their last dogs. I personally really don't think it matters if you are a hobby breeder or if you show your dogs. The important thing is that you are really careful about the health of the animals that you breed and produce, that you know that the dogs you use are contributing something to the breed that you are perpetuating, and that the animals that you have brought into the world are responsibly homed and re-homed no matter how old they are! I think you can be a responsible breeder in either situation. And I firmly beleive that we need more responsible breeders out there, in ever breed, perpetuating and protecting our wonderful friends! And, that we need to support them! Karen  |
| Can I start? Can I? Huh?
I'd like to first comment on this comment Maybe some backyard breeders { hobby } These are 2 different things, not the same at all. I see breeders being lumped into 2 groups: Commerical breeders (high-volume) Hobby breeders (low volume) In both these classes you have your good and bad. A bad commercial breeder is a puppy mill. A bad hobby breeder is a backyard breeder. Then there are variances within these groups, from one extreme to another. A good breeder , both high and low volume, put a lot of thought, research and care into thier breeding. They carefully match pedigrees, do thier best to ensure healthy offspring, and pet pups are either sold spayed/neutered or on a non-breeding contract in order to protect theier line and reputation. Dogs being bred are all tested for heriditary defects and if any show up the dog is eiliminated from the breeding program and placed as a pet. Puppies are socialized from a very young age. Breeders who show their dogs are able to prove that thier dogs are high quality and got representations of the breed. A bad breeder, both high and low volume, breeds because they can. Money is the forefront, and there is little care into what happens to the puppies produced or even how close a representation of the standard they are. They don't do anyting to prevent the further breeding of their puppies down the line, and don't care. Health problems can run rampant in the offpsring because no testing is done. Behavioral problems are abundant as no care is put into the proper socialization of very young pups. In my opinion, I would MUCH rather buy a new puppy from a small, hobby breeder, who qualfies as a GOOD breeder as per the above criteria, as the pups are rasied in a family envirnment and usually house-training, crate-training and obedicne training ahs been started. That is important to me, and a high-volume good breeder most likely would not have this type of personal attention in thier program. I was a breeder, too, and owned 3 dogs. My breeding stock was fully-tested with clear results, and all my pet pups were either altered before placing or sold on a spay/neuter contract. My litters were planned after 2 years of pedigree reseach and getting the right stud. All my pet pups were placed in familes that I did vet references checks and home visit for. They will come back to me, by contract, if the can no longer keep the dog. My neighbor is a backyard breeder, as the dogs are not registered, are not anywhere near the standard, and sells them by a sign on the road to anyone who stops by. I don't breed anymore, because there are too many homeless dogs that I would prefer to put my efforts into placing, than going to dog shows getting points for my breeding dogs. Just a choice that I made.[/b] |
| Along with a lot that has already been said in regards to thorough health testing, being available for help or even just questions for the life of the dog to new owners, and raising them in what *I* feel is a proper environment (within the home, as part of the family) there is also the fact that there is SO much new information and research available to be learned now.
Many people do not realize how truly harmful it is to the breed to continue inbreeding and linebreeding to the extent it is still done today. Many breeds have such a small foundation stock, and are losing genetic viability. When the egg is fertilized and the cells begin to divide, there are only so many genes available for the blueprint of dna to put together. As more inbreeding and linebreeding has been done, ALL oes have multiple copies of identical genes. More and more so, some of them classified "lethal" genes and alleles that combine to produce health problems, or at least magnify them. More breeders need to put time and effort into learning these things and doing something about them in their breeding programs before it is too late. Also, more breeders DO need to show, in my opinion. I know a title doesn't make the dog, and I also know that the show ring can be a downright unpleasant experience because people are petty and political, and in some cases childish and cruel. That is a fact. Currently. It doesn't HAVE to be that way. If more new breeders would brave the ring, and keep trying, it is my hope that we can someday make it about the dogs again. Without experienced judges to go over our dogs and evaluate them against the standard of the breed, how are people supposed to learn what the proper breed traits are to breed for? If you are not breeding to at least meet the standards, then you do a disservice to the breed, which will lose all the things we love about them eventually. A title does not make a dog, to be sure, but if we don't at least try to represent our breed throughout the world, eventually there will be no new reputable breeders left to replace some of the pioneers of OES who are currently retiring. |
| I agree wholeheartedly. Where else to prove that your dog is worthy of passing on genes then in the show ring? Also, there are places that state that you should see be able to see both parents when buying a puppy. That is not always good advice, as if the breeder is small, and has both sire and dam, then the gene pool may not be getting a good enough mix. Better to have farmed out the bitch for breeding by a good sire, and pay for it, then use the local stud, just because he is there, champion or not. But it is also necessary to be careful for those breeders with a beautiful display of Champions on their website, with impressive pedigrees, when you haven't seen what is going on it thier own backyards. A physical inspection of the site, and where the pups are whelped and raised is crucial. You do not want to support an unethical breeder. |
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