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Joined: May 2005
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The breeding of dogs; what do YOU think
Some may say this topic has been done to death, but reading over some ancient discussion threads of this similar nature has made me really interested to see new members response,and rather than it being focused on good n bad breeders, crossbreeds, pedigrees, wolf dogs etc, I wanted to hear people's hollistic view, their view on the subject on breeding dogs on a whole.
For YOU:
- What do you hold as vital and important criteria when looking for a breeder?
- What breeding practises would you champion or abhor? (I.e line breeding, the breeding of only champion dogs, crossbreeding, numerically high litter figures production in a big time scale [a lot of show breeders do this], smaller scale, hobby breeder, home bred pups etc)
- What do you feel the main problems with breeding overall is?
- And anything else at all in regards to your views on breeding, the above were just a few I could think of off the top of my head
For me I would always seek a breeder who bred numerically low and very much small scale, from dogs which are sound in all areas and can do the job I want of being a long lived well balanced pet, as opposed to going to a more structured kennel holding more numerical wins and being responsible for more frequent exhibitors to the rings dog. I would also like to challenge the concept that just because a breeder is quite successfull in the ring equals these said people breeding dogs. Me personally think there needs to be a massive overhaul of what breeders actually want to get out of breeding, and what their aims are in regards to the pups they produce and whether these are being met or not. I personally also do not understand why some people can't have an intact dog, whether pedigree or otherwise, without knocking a litter out as soon as the bitch is old enough when really they have been in the breed five minutes and not at all long enough to know as much as they need too about the breed, or the specific lines, as how can you have full knowledge and be able to advise others if you haven't seen one of each sex, at least, reach full maturity and beyond. I basically feel that there is too much breeding, pedigree, crossbreed or otherwise, and that their needs to be a great reality check brought upon EVERYONE involved, about the dogs we pts and the dogs which are seemingly bred to replace, in a very harsh sense. And that more care needs to be exercised in regards to the rehoming of pups, a tighter contact kept between breeder and owners, more scrupulous homing criteria, and it to be a priority of the breeders, which yes a lot of GOOD breeders do have yet it seems these are becoming fewer and fewer as only yesterdy a relative went and brought a KC registered husky pup, no questions asked, 600 quid, its insane to think its that easy! Aswell as the problems such as rehoming ex breeding or show dogs when they have surpassed their purpose, and the concept of these "fad dogs" such as the wolf hybrids.
The key I think is a reality check needed, a reknewal of the motives of why people breed dogs and what they actually want to aim by breeding for more than some easy cash, to supply demand, or to gain more credibility and reputation in the ring. That health testing should be mandatory rather than optional, and that temperament should be right at the top in joint with health, to then be followed up by deciphering whether the dog is of good enough quality conformation wise to be bred, not the other way round IMO.
I know I've rambled, and probably strayed from my original point of starting this thread. But basically, what are your views of the WHOLE view of the breeding of dogs instead of particular areas which seem to instantly bate an argument? This is purely for discussion purpose, as I've spent my free few hours on a saturday afternoon reading some old threads to pass the time due to the rain