Now I love my dog to pieces, but 'fur baby' he is not. I hate it when people use such terms. Even worse when they then go on to describe their human offspring as a 'skin child' to differentiate

Of course, we only know how we feel as individuals. I was expressing how I see and feel things and how I feel as an individual. I have been fortunate to have had the experience of having and loving children and now my grandchildren as well - and having and loving many dogs - I have the capacity to love both, but regard the experiences as different.
I am not going to get into a debate about this because like you say feelings are very personal. I thought Dizzi was upset by some of this thread and wished to support her - enough said!!!

We don't have our own children but sponsor one in Guatemala. Without sponsership she would not be educated and the organisation we sponser her through is one that takes children off the streets and puts them into families.

I don't think I could have a pup knowing that there are older ones in rescue needing a home. With my breed there are rescues that need a specialist home with someone that has experience of the breed but many are dog-aggressive which we wouldn't knowingly have. This is why our next dog will probably be a different breed but would still hopefully be an older dog needing a new home.

Awww shucks thank you. Although I think the amount of money spent on Cain's behaviour modification has probably exceeded the money spent on Moon's quarantine I think it's just the fact that I know that if I didn't have the toller puppy, the breeder would find an excellent home for it elsewhere and it would be fine. But there's so many dogs in rescue that need a home. I feel quite selfish selecting a breeder puppy because I want to do this/that/the other with my dog. But I shall try not to feel too guilty as I will definitely rescue again in the future.

No guilt here.

The couple of breeds Im looking into are highly unlikely to end up in rescue period, never mind as pups.

I do agree that some people have no interest in kids, and love their dog dearly... but, I still don't think the two are comparable... we are comparing something that is the same species as us, and one that is another species... I just find that a bit like comparing apples and oranges.

No matter where you (general you) get a dog from, whether it be a breeder or a rescue, it obviously hasn't come straight from you. You can't possibly give birth to a dog... You can give birth to a child though, so it is a much bigger decision to choose between have your own child, and adopting a child to become yours... It's nowhere near the decision between getting your dog from a breeder or a rescue. I hope I have made sense

I certainly don't feel guilty about looking into breeders for my next dog. Why should I? I was looking into breeders last time and ended up with a rescue with more baggage than an international airport! Much as I adore Rupert I'd like a well bred, well reared puppy next. I'm not against taking on an adult dog again although chances are it would be private rehome unless I found a rescue that is happy to place large, active breeds in a flat. I just want a puppy to be honest. And I am very strongly against spaying/neutering before maturity which rules out getting a pup from most rescues.

I don't agree with all this "don't breed or buy while shelter dogs die" crap I keep seeing. If everybody stopped breeding then in 20 years there would be no more dogs. If just the good breeders stopped breeding there would only be puppy mill dogs. Neither is a good result.

Well said! it has exactly the OPPOSITE effect on many people than what was presumably intended ie it alienatedsresponsible owners and breeders and puts them in the "nutter" camp.

No point in having a message if it does not achieve the desired result.

EXCELLENT post.

"don't breed or buy while shelter dogs die"
Dont agree with that either and from the research i have done into good show greyhound breeders they are a prime example.

Greyhounds are being curned out by BYB and racing kennels and so many are landing in rescue. Many find great news homes thanks to people like the RGT which is great but along the way we are losing the show grey. They are on the vaunrable (sp?) list with the KC and there dont seem to be many good breeders breeding them. Which is so sad as this is an old english breed.

I have never, ever seen a Greyhound pup-do they exist! I've seen an Italian Greyhound pup but not a normal Greyhound pup.