Breeding Dogs

[chinbunny]

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Keeping in mind that this is a "friendly" site, I beg you to reconsider a way of making money. I have been rescuing dogs for years and have seen the inside of too many shelters. When millions of dogs and cats are euthanized every single day in this country because there are simply not enough homes for all of them, I wonder how anyone can justify bringing even one more animal into it. As someone suggested, if you want a BC, rescue the one the euthanasia needle is waiting for.

I believe they said they weren't going to do it to make money.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Honestly I think the show breeders in a lot of breeds are the sorry ones. Most breed for a look that will win shows an could care less about health. But a breeder that does not show will cull any dog that needs a c-section or any other high dollar vet work. Ill take a pug, french bulldog or English bulldog from a so called back yard breeder any day over one from a show breeder. Just look at the UGA line. Butiful dogs but they all die young. You can get a cheaper line an they look slightly different but live 2 to 3 times as long.


Also there is no such thing as an over population of dogs. God for bid some one in the city sees a dog running loose, its the end of the world. At the most .5 dogs per acre. But there are 2 or 3 raccoons per acre.... Fact is the only thing on this planet that there is an over population of is us humans. Off a few billion of us an the world would be a better place for all. But ya don't hear anyone saying your a sorry parent if you don't have your kids spayed or neutered before puberty. An when have you told someone they should go get genetic testing before they start a family.

 

[Cara]

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I don't think you can have experienced the heartache of owning a dog with a condition that could have been avoided with proper genetic testing prior to breeding. I have no idea why someone would not advocate breeding the healthiest dogs possible.

 

[chinbunny]

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I don't think you can have experienced the heartache of owning a dog with a condition that could have been avoided with proper genetic testing prior to breeding. I have no idea why someone would not advocate breeding the healthiest dogs possible.

The parents can have the best genetics, and you can still see some problems in the line. Sometimes the best bred dogs will still have problems. They will show up in any breeding line. The best thing to do is cull the genetic defects as they happen, and not repeat the breeding. Or breed down with a healthy sibling. Most dog breeders don't have to do genetic tests to produce healthy dogs. And no I have never owned a dog before with severe health problems caused by breeding. I have owned several dogs, including one that is possibly a purebred.

 

[horsejody]

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I don't think you can have experienced the heartache of owning a dog with a condition that could have been avoided with proper genetic testing prior to breeding. I have no idea why someone would not advocate breeding the healthiest dogs possible.

I wish that somebody had tested my dogs parents or kept track of the health of previous offspring and stopped breeding them when problems showed up. He has adult onset hydrocephalus. I really doubt that he was the first in his family to get it. He is a Lhasa Apso in the very hard to find cream color. If he didn't have health insurance, I probably wouldn't be able to afford his vet bills. I'm sure that he has siblings out there somewhere that have suffered from this affliction and possibly died horrible deaths or been euthanized. I love that dog and will do everything I can for him. He is a beautiful dog. Unfortunately, he was bred for looks and not health.

 

[Cara]

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This is simply not true. Two stray dogs may produce a healthy litter, does that make the foundation of a breeding program? Responsible breeders take advantage of all the resources at their disposal to produce healthy dogs; those wishing to make a quick buck will cut corners. If i'm buying a purebred puppy, I want to know the dog has come from a breeding program centered around health, longevity and temperament. For this I am willing to pay significantly more than your average newspaper advertisement puppy. Owning two intact dogs does not make a person a 'breeder'. An extra $500 or so is a small price to pay in comparison to surgery and heartbreak.

Any breeder can produce a dog with a genetic problem, but the key is how they deal with it. If they don't test, they may not know until it's too late and they have produced several litters with the problem (which in turn have been bred, exacerbating the problem). How can you breed away from a problem that may not be apparent to the naked eye for several years? Selective breeding is the only way to eliminate genetic diseases in dogs, and genetic testing is the best way to identify a problem.

 

[horsejody]

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This is simply not true. Two stray dogs may produce a healthy litter, does that make the foundation of a breeding program?

Stray dogs breeding create mutts. Mutts are healthier because they have a greater mix of genetics. Think of hybrid vigor. Purebred dogs are much more likely to have genetic problems show up because the gene pool is so much smaller. It's best to test for any genetic defect that is cost effective and easy to test for.

 

[Cara]

I agree, mutts often are healthier with regard to genetic problems as well as less inclined to genetically related temperament problems (ie. aggression or fear). Obviously a dog of any breed or mix is going to be prone to certain problems if their parents were. My point was that any two random dogs might produce a healthy litter, but breeding should be a well-researched lifetime project rather than a random act.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

An extra $500 or so is a small price to pay in comparison to surgery and heartbreak.

It may be to you but adding $500 would be double or triple what 99% of the country can afford to pay for a dog. When you do something that makes your dog better but brings there price out of reach for the average person you open up a market for the people that breed every dog they can get there hands on so they can sell cheaper than you. Culling is still the best option for most breeders.​

 

[lishah2000]

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Very well said! Until you have lived through the heartbreak, you really don't understand. Mutts can also have just as many health problems, sometimes more. If the parents of the mutt have genetic issues, the pup can get them from both parents.

I'm willing to pay more for a pup from a good breeder. I may have to wait a little longer, but it's worth the wait. That doesn't always mean a top of the line show breeder. My golden came from a small hobby breeder. One litter every few years. But the research and testing was done. She was less expensive than any others listed in the paper at the time from questionable sources.