I do understand where you're coming from. At the end of the day, an ethical breeder, breeds to improve the breed. You get scenarios where you need to run puppies on as I haven't met anyone yet who can get it right every time. So you are trying to keep the best dog or two to keep the lines and breed on from good stock.
I do not see however when a dog has been with you for many years, has been loyal and produced litters for you, to then rehome because you want to keep more younger dogs to replace it. It's not in the best interest of any dog to remove it from home to another. JMO
People have different views, I respect that, but my dogs are pets first and they stay with me for life. If I don't have the room for more dogs then that's my tough luck. I would never part with my dogs and don't believe they would have a better life anywhere else.
I do understand if people have to rehome when dogs are older because some dogs don't get on. There it is kinder to split the dogs for their own sake.

Thank you for that. I feel so dreadful about it were trying everything to keep them both.
Then the problem is you have two older dogs that I couldnt bear to get rid off. Showing and greedings a mine field.
I could never get rid of an older dog espeically ones whove had litters for me.
Maybe the solution is to move to a farm, but I need to win the lottery.

I'm not going to comment on some of the posts as they are referring to the ethics of breeding and I could end up turning it into a debate.
However in reply to the original question, I have personally seen how many dogs come into Animal Concern Cumbria simply because they have come to the end of their usefulness! And its Sad

Thats terrible, my friend re homes working gundogs and has a similar problem.
Were lucky I suppose with our rescue. If this pup does get rehomed it will stay with me until i find one I consider good enought home.
By the way I didnt breed the youngsters bought them to show as I wasnt expecting to have a litter this year but ended up having to has my bitch was having such bad phantoms was that or spey her, just hoping it works

The way I see it is this, people even on this forum always say about how breeding should only be done to improve on the breed.

If you were to have as many dogs as you could manage & one of your bitches got put to a particular stud & produced one absolutely fantastic specimen of the breed better than the bitch that produced him/her or better still than any breeding dog you already have, would it make more sense to sell that pup to a pet home where the chances of her improving on the breed is lost & keep her dam or place the dam in a loving pet home & keep the puppy to further improve on the breed & on your own lines?

If you advocate breeding only to improve the breed then surely it would be best to keep the pup & rehome the mother.

Its not something I could personally do but I can see why some breeders do use this practice.

I think as long as the dog in question has been well looked after & well loved & special care & time has been put into placing that bitch in the right home their is no problem.

I know a couple of people that do(not friends) this and tbh the bitch is lucky too be re homedat least then she hopefully will go on to have a happy carefree life instead of spending the best part of her time pregnant or rearing pups.

Also being re homed is much better than being PTS(not usually done by Vet too save money) which also happens when the dog is of know more use


But it is something I would never do when I take on a Dog it is for life not until the next Dog comes along if I didnt have the space I would not have a new Dog.

Unfortunaltly its not that simple, theres lots of reasons for rehoming a young dog. To further the breed I feel I have no choice but to keep a girl from this litter as shes stunning and for the good of the breed cant bear to think of her sat in a home.
At the end of the day I also believe in the quality of life and whilst I've already said I couldnt bear to part with one of the older three, If I feel if I cant give the dog enough attentiopn it deserve would be better in another loving home.
I've never rehomed before and too be honest dreading it, so we'll see what happens.

Good post

I appreciate everyones opinion and I think a lot of it depends on how heavily you are involved in breeding (ethically)
My personal view is that I would not breed a litter if I did not have the room to have that puppy. Theoretically I would not breed unless I had room for all of the puppies if they came back or didn't sell.
I'm not pushing my views on anyone. Each person and situation varies. This is just my opinion on it all and how I see it. My dogs are my first commitment, my contribution to the improvement of the breed will alway be my second.

I really like this comment and it sums up my thoughts perfectly - no matter how involved in a breed you are, your own dogs should always be your first commitment.

I do feel there is a huge difference in running a pup on and rehoming an elder dog because someone no longer has a use for them

I think there's a difference in rehoming a house dog who's been our constant companion for a few years and rehoming a kennel dog. Most of the top breeders have kennels, they have a couple of dogs (mostly cherished oldies) that live in the house with them. The rest are in kennels. Now while those dogs are loved, looked after well, exercised, etc, there cannot be that close bond between dog and owner that you get with one living in the house. In my experience of knowing a fair few people with breeding/showing kennels it's the ones in the kennels they'd consider rehoming. The ones in the house - no way. They think of them like we (as in the royal we ) think of our dogs that live in the house with us.

When it comes to the end of their showing or breeding career, I think rehoming them to a loving family home environment is far, far better than keeping them to live out their days in kennels.

Debs