Do breeders breed for money?

I read a post on here - probably last week - that said "good breeders who care for their dogs" find good homes for their ex-breeding dogs.

Now in my mind if you have a dog, you love it and have it as part of your family in your home until the day it dies. Why would you rehome a dog that has made you money, possibly over many years. To my mind anyone who does this is only interested in the money and not the breed or the poor dogs themselves.

Interested to know others' opinions.

Not always. I have never placed an older bitch, but depending on circumstances it is something I might consider,

IF:

at the time I have a multi dog home where dogs have to rotate for loose time in the house, and a beautiful retirmenet home comes along where she might be an only dog for the rest of her life.

This is a hard decision for most breeders, as it takes a different sort to not get very attached, in particular when you have spent the time in the whelping box with her, raised her puppies, etc.

My first consideration would be for the welfare of the dog. If it is a better situation for the dog, then I have to consider it, and this is the same for most breeders, I expect.

As far as the making money part, I'm still waiting for that to happen. Last breeding I am in the hole about 2K.

I know of a lot of breeders that kennel their dogs, then when they are past the age for breeding from they find them fireside homes, I personally think that is a nice thing for them to do.

I can understand you thinking a dog is for life...I thought that when I had all mine but we never know whats around the corner, but I have to admit that I think its great that these dogs and bitches have the chance to benefit from a home where they will be pampered, allowed indoors and generally treated as most people treat their pets, for their twilight years. I'm not saying that they were mistreated in the kennels, but home comforts just can't be matched outdoors.

I was a breeder of English Setters, although I only had a couple of litters, and I only bred to keep something myself and I did have a waiting list for pups, the first litter I did make some money on, I had a large litter and kept two pups myself, the second litter was full of problems as the bitch was due to whelp, we lost a pup after expensive vet treatment and I incurred high vets bills so just about broke even...but I ended up with a beautiful pup.

Mine all lived indoors and most of them did see their days out with me, just the recent ones that had to be rehomed

I know different breeders have different ideas but money wasn't the reason I bred. And in an ideal world breeders would keep dogs for the whole of their lifetime, but sometimes that just isn't possible, for a number of reasons.

I think a dog is for life personally. unless there are extreme circumstances obviously.

I saw an ad for a 16wk springer, the people got her at 8 wks...i contacted them and said they should contact the breeder as most breeders would not like to know there pup has been sold on...but apparently the breeder is not interested. Makes me mad a 16 wk old pup has had three homes already!

And as for the breeding dogs I dont think that even the "best" quality dogs should have litter after litter. Its just wrong!

It is a tough one and I know where the OP is coming from. I could never dream of rehoming a dog simply because I could not breed from him or her. I know breeders (not all) do it regularly and some are genuine dog lovers and are interested in the progression of their breed but some are just in it for money , that is clear. Also I know of someone who breeds dogs and takes out on shoots , when they can no longer work, they are rehomed. So to me these dogs are seen as tools.

i think this is a tough one. i want to breed from my dog, already know full well that its not for money.

i think that different breeders have different ideas. i dont think i could ever get rid of a dog, even after "its is of no use" but i know where i got my dog from, her older ones are rehomed. not because she doesnt want them, or because they arent making her money, but because they are most often retired from the show ring, and its better and nicer for them to be in a home where they can do as they please for the rest of their life.

As far as I am concerned, a dog is for life. of course life throws things at you that are unpreventable that might mean you have no choice… but the dog being to old to breed is a terrible excuse to me. and I don’t think anyone who loves their dog, could do that. they have spent x number of years with the dog, and then once they have no use for them just get rid of them… that’s not love.

but i dont understand, why she cant do that for her dogs herself?

well when the dog doesnt show anymore, and her others do, it means the dog being left for long periods of time on its own, she lets them go so that they can be with someone all of the time, it gives the dog more one on one time with a person, something which she doesnt always have the time to do.

When my parents breed dogs we re-homed our bitches when they were too old to breed from as everytime we tried to keep one the other dogs that were still breeding would turn on the old bitch. It may have been because they were terriers, I don't know as they lived inside and were part of the family and they were all related.

Having said that all our bitches were rehomed, for free, locally and the owners stayed in touch so we knew they had gone to good homes. In fact my parents turned down a lot of money which they were offered by an american for one of our older bitches as they didn't want her traveling to America. Then gave her away to a family home a few months later. She even managed to win first prize in a local dog show for best pet when she was 18+, she was entered by her owners grandkids and made the local papers, though they described her as a mongrel, which she definately wasn't just old by then!!

I don't think re-homing bitches in necessarily a commerical decision sometimes it is in the bitches best interests. When my parents stoped breeding they keep all the remaining bitches until they died. My Dad has since worked out that they never really made any profit from breeding when you take into account the costs of vet bills, food and general care.

I have never seen dog breeding as a viable commercial business unless done on a large scale which most breeders don't do as the dogs welfare then suffers. Most of your small local breeders won't be making a profit but then they probably don't see the cost of keeping and caring for their dogs as a cost, if you get what I mean.