but you're lumping ALL breeders together and there is a very big difference believe me!
Becky

Tinkladyv, if I may, perhaps you could take a deep breath and consider your approach ? I used to be the same as you, a few years ago, I would dive in with both feet and being very vocal - unfortunately I used to tar the ethical breeders with the same brush as the bad ones, at least thats how I came across, and the result was that no one listened to what I was trying to say
I can`t blame them, I said things in such a poor way, there was no two way communication, just me shouting a lot

The fact is, if the ethical breeders stopped breeding, there would be no health testing, so no healthy dogs being bred - and with the best will in the world even health testing is`nt a cast iron guarantee - thats why ethical breeders have contingencies to care for or carefully home pups born with health issues no matter how careful they are to avoid it, and why those same ethical breeders will take back any and every pup they have bred at any age if the owners have difficulties be it behavioural, financial, divorce, whatever.

What I would like to see [ which will never happen so no one need worry about the ramifications of me saying it anyway ], is a ban on all breeding for say two years - the numbers in rescues would drop dramatically if that happened, through none being irresponsibly bred and through more people adopting rather than wait at least two years for a puppy, though there would still be litters of accidental pups occurring, there always have and there always will be, unless there is legislation for compulsory neutering of all non-breeding quality highest calibre dogs.

We all know that won`t happen, humans are too quick to argue against legislation which should protect dogs, too many see it only as an affront to human `freedoms`.

So, we have to look at alternatives like education, weeding out puppy farmers and unethical breeders, tightening or at least enforcing existing laws on licensed breeding, [ I think every breeder should have to have a license imo ], and educating new owners.

No one will be educated however if they are just shouted at and not listened to in return, and frankly most people on Dogsey who breed do so with the highest ethics you could dream of for the pups they produce.

I do have rescues - 6 of them - purebreds and crossbreeds, and four are deaf, no I have never bred a litter and I never will, and while there is one single dog in a rescue needing a home I will never buy from a breeder no matter how ethical they are and no matter how much I would love to have a pup I could pick which is bred from the best lines ever, and I will always try to steer people toward rescue at every opportunity - but I won`t get people to consider adopting a rescue dog if I put a virtual gun to their heads, it just took me a while to realise that and I hope the same will happen for you.
If you can just think about how you get things across and can listen reasonably without pointing the finger at those who do get things right - those breeders who are side by side with me and the likes of me on hunting out and trying to stop the bad breeders, and educating people about neuter etc, of that I can assure you - then I would be pleased to welcome you to stand with us as well :smt001

But if you choose to continue to simply attack the way I used to myself, you will do more harm than good hun, I know, been there, done that, and needed a good kick up the backside to make me see where I was going wrong - thankfully there were people with the patience to help me temper the things I said - exactly the same as you are doing right now so I do understand where you are coming from - but I learned through their guidence to communicate much better on behalf of rescue dogs

I know there is a difference, but we cant ignore the fact that there are just to many dogs out there for homes.

TINKLADYV
Thankyou for your PM and the details I requested. I will do what I can but will keep everything anonymous and respect your wishes.

I would appreciate you letting me know the outcomes.
Mny many thanks for your help.

You're missing my point, there wont be any dogs left for breeding if everyone stopped and all dogs were found homes. The domestic dog in the UK would become extinct, is that what you want?
Becky