Im sorry Dawn I dont agree with what this person has done.

To my mind if I so desperately wanted a litter from a bitch and I knew that this mating would probably produce such a large litter, then I would make sure that I had the homes lined up before the mating.

Knowing that this breed/breeds produce on average large litters I would have to take this into the equation. I mean to have to cull 8 puppies from the mating to my mind shows he didnt consider the outcome at all.

Such a knowledgeable person would also surely know that he has not bred lurchers anyway!

Yes it is my opinion Dawn
Can I ask do you honestly agree with what your friend has done? Breed a large litter and then kill them all off just to keep 2? Most people think about homes before they breed a litter. Did your friend actually just put his own selfish self first and to hell with the psychological and phsical welfare of his bitch.
Again just My opinion

I am pleased to hear you could not do this yourself but find it sad that people could believe this is the responsible thing to do as others said the responsible thing to do would have been to not have bred from her in the first place unless he had homes lined up for ALL the puppies!!!! I thought this was the definition of a good breeder, he is no beter then the low life that let their dogs out to roam free and end up with unwanted pups which they then drown, dump, or do god knows what to get rid of them!!! and the vet is no beter for putting them to sleep and reasuring him he's doing the right thing!!!!



Johan[/QUOTE]

As others have said if you are careful to only breed from dogs which have been fully tested and will produce healthy pups you should not have lots of pups needing to be culled, any pups carrying on poor genetics shouldnt be bred from and could be neutered or castrated to prevent the defects carrying on in the breed and be sold to pet homes culling them is not neccessary imo. Inbreeding is known to result in many defective pups and in many incidences lossing the whole litter I would prefer to see good unrelated dogs being bred to produce sound pups and develop the breed that way then then to line breed and cull many of the resulting pups!!!!

I think I sort of get Dawns point, I in no way condem what this person has done, but I think she is refering to the fact that it was better than them ending up in rescues. However I agree with the majority that homes should have been lined up for these pups at the first point of call before making such a decision.

I think it would be fanstastic if there was someway breeders could have their dogs neutured/spayed before selling them, or have some kind of contract/promise that the dogs will be neutured by the buyers. And only with a VALID reason will buyers be allowed to breed from their dogs (and financial gain is not a valid reason )

However I guess then were stopping free will and I know a lot of people dont like their dogs done through personal choice so that wouldn't really work, I need to re-think my plans :smt017

In a nonrelated population, which is a fiction with purebred dogs, the chances of transfering genetic diseases is far greater than when practising linebreeding (if you're competent enough to do so) Line breeding brings out the best and the worst by eliminating the worst you keep only the best for further breeding.With these dogs you practise outbreeding and the next step is a healthier genepool.

Greetings

Johan

OOPS! Longdogs Spot, silly me, yet in "Lurcher" circles they are very rarely called this.

I agree with the fact the puppies were PTS rather than possibly ending up in rescue like thousands do. He took responsibility for what he bred, thats fine by me, as i said i couldnt of done it myself. I did actually say that 4 puppies were kept, he kept 2 himself. The bitch had an easier time rearing 4 puppies than she would of rearing 12 and was perfectly content and in super health, back working when the puppies were just 3 months old.


Each to his own, he feels (and I agree) that the life of the 4puppies is safe and secure, he wouldnt of been able to guarantee the life long comitment to his puppies if he sold them to strangers.
Dawn.

I understand the theory behind it, what I dont agree with is the need to cull puppies you produce the best and worst as you say and just cull the worst and keep the best, I see how this improves the breed in general but who gives you the right to play god, and knowingly producing 'the worst' and culling them is animal cruelty in my book! I respect your right to your own views and opinions I just dont agree with them!

Rarely can someone garauntee the future of any puppy. They go on their instinct and answers from potential owners and hope they have placed their pups with the right owners. They make that commitment and a commitment to help with the new owner as long as they can. That is as much as anyone can do. Yes the bitch might have had a hard time with 12 pups but a litter of 12 is not that rare, that's where the extra work comes in. I've helped many a friend do a two hour feed all day and all night so that all survive and flourish. Sounds like this person bred his bitch to get what he wanted from it and disgarded the rest rather than put in the time and effort it takes to raise a litter and find homes for them. If he knew homes would be hard to find then he shouldn't have bred a litter in the first place. No responsible person would.
I would love to have a litter from my bitch and I've had enough enquiries to have sold that litter to good homes. Yet I still decided not to breed from her as I felt there were other good breeders in BC that know more about what they are doing for the breed and their lines. If I want another one I shall go back to my breeder and wait to have one.
Sometimes it is more responsible to say no.
Most sensible breeders that are in it for the maintenance of the breed normally breed on with a view to keeping a pup for there lines, can you imagine if everyone bred, kept the pup they wanted out of the litter then culled the others. What an uproar that would be. Would get rid of the rescue dog problem, but I'm sure it's not the way the rescues would want it to happen

Dawn, sorry to ask again but how did your friend cull the pups? I imagine he would have done it himself?