Comments on: Dog Breeding & Its Discontents, Part 1

By: admin

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:39:40 +0000

That was my take on professionals vs hobbyists, i.e., that if you’re professional at anything you deserve to be paid. But I’ll await further elaboration of those terms…

By: admin

admin — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 14:37:48 +0000

Thanks for both comments, Rebecca. I hadn’t realized we’d reached a point where breeders couldn’t be discussed rationally until I read the comments section of a New York Times story written by a woman who got her new puppy from what sounded like a very responsible breeder. The writer was as slammed for her actions by advocates of rescue as she might have been if she had bought the puppy in a pet store.

By: Jan

Jan — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 04:50:29 +0000

Good dogs are worth the money. Anyone can produce puppies, being a BREEDER takes knowledge. Most who know things expect to be paid – no reason dog breeders are any different. There are “good” and “bad” breeders both large/small pro/backyard. It’s perception/opinion – many will never get a break even price. I don’t think one should expect someone to take a loss to “prove” they’re not a puppy mill. Extremists have harassed breeders to where the personal visits are in many cases not allowed anymore. It’s dangerous and not really proving anything.

By: Rebecca Boren

Rebecca Boren — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:07:42 +0000

PS And please don’t think I am attacking or denigrating pit bulls. Pitties are wonderful, much-maligned dogs. But, like any other canine, they need attention and training, It breaks my heart every time I see the pit bulls that dominate our local shelter population knowing that tso many are doomed, either by shelter policies against adopting out pit bulls beyond a certain age, or by fear and prejudices against them.

By: Rebecca Boren

Rebecca Boren — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 20:04:49 +0000

One obvious problem here is the semantic one. In the doggy circles I travel in, “backyard breeder” is a perjorative, meaning, as Edie notes, someone ignorant and/or greedy who thinks he or she is going to make a fortune breeding pit bulls. Or chihuahuas. But if by “professional” you mean someone who makes a full-time living from breeding and selling dogs, you are eliminating the vast majority of reputable, breed-loving dog procreating operations. Both my smooth fox terriers came from part-time breeders — and they have bred some of the top fox terriers on the show circuit.
The thing is, it’s very difficult to break even, let alone make money, if you do right by your dogs — do not breed your females too often, take care of bloodlines to avoid too much inbreeding, get the puppies their shots and all your dogs their needed vet care, check out potential buyers of the offspring, find homes for the pups that are not show quality, as well as the potential superstars. Lots more costs pile up if you take your dogs on the show circuit, while a prime show record is usually one of the most important criteria for judging if a breeder is a “good” one. And I am with Edie — please don’t rail at me for discussing the very idea there is such a thing as a good breeder. I have rescued many dogs — from puppy mills and shelters — so I know the cost of the current system. But I would also hate to see many wonderful, useful dog breeds disappear because the only owners propagating pups were the ignorant and the greedy.