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Why is breeding "for pets" wrong? 99% of americans keep their dogs "for pets" and most of those want dogs under twenty pounds. Just by doing the stats, i could say that you are unethical for breeding high energy dogs with over the top working drive (if you are breeding for top compettitive working hunting dogs) that most average Americans dont' have the space, knowledge or time to deal with a dog like what you describe. I will NOT say you are unethical, just say you have your breed preference, and your market. I breed "for the pet market" and have a much wider market, therefor much wider pool of buyers to choose home for my puppies. Neither of us is wrong as long as we breed good quality dogs, screen buyers, guarantee puppies and take back any dog we bred if it doesn't work out. I have no problem doing any of the above. I have had people contact me that have moved to Europe wanting one of my puppes. Money was no object. They had looked all in the surrounding countries and couldn't find one they liked as well as the puppy they got from me. Personally, I think they were not looking hard enough, but my point is, I get many of my puppies sold by referrals, or return buyers. The only puppy I ever got back, the buyer's wife was somewhat unbalanced and unable to care for the puppy properly and I drove two and a half hours at midnight to go get my girl back and instant cash refund. The next buyer bought her four days later and tells me that she is a delight, never could as for a better dog.
Smaller dogs take up less space, are just less work, eat less, and often sell for more. Higher demand. Not unethical. Half of American households have dogs. Most are busy families with kids. Some want what they want, a small, easy going "pet" that is not a lot of work to train, won't shed, easy to live with, looks like they want it to look like, not prone to health problems. A health guarantee that goes with a "breeder" puppy is why a lot of people don't get dogs from the pound, with unknown problems/strong points, health history and temperament/training issues. You can't blame people for wanting a clean slate when they get a dog, and a guarantee.
The hundres of thousands of people like you are the reason our shelters are full. The truth of the matter is- you simply dont know what will happen to the 'pets' you are selling. They have the potential to create thousands of more dogs who can end up homeless and euthanized. There is no rationalizing adding to the overpopulation problem.
Maybe you are one of the few people who keeps better track of the dogs produced in your home. Maybe you personally oversee the spaying and neutering of every single dog you produce. Maybe you have done all the testing needed to ensure, to the best of your ability, that your breeding stock is as free as possible from known genetic problems.
Maybe you do follow up on all puppies sold and are willing to take back even older dogs when they become too much for a past purchaser. Do you go to your local shelter to make sure none of your past sold animals have ended up there? If you havent, you dont really know if they are being dumped. Shelters are stuffed with small dogs.
If you are making a profit, you are cutting corners. If you are selling because of high demand, that seems like selling because of a fad, and to me that is unethical. Small dogs bite too, often faces, small dogs get sick, get hurt, need training and excersize, just like big dogs. Small dogs will still poop in the house and chew shoes and be naughty, just like big dogs. You know that. So to say 'people want small dogs because....' is not legit. Its a dog- it needs all the same things as a big dog. To behave as though a small dog needs any less than a big dog is kinda misleading. The vet bills will be the same. You still have to do all the same things, just maybe on a smaller scale, but you cant act like 'oh it has less needs', because it doesnt. It needs more if anything since small dogs are often hurt by small children, thus needing more vet care, not less. Smaller dogs are often known to have neuroligical issues due to the fact that making them smaller, compacts the available brain mass, which in turn can cause a kind of 'short circuting' that can lead to seizures and other brain malfunctions.
I cant think of a single area in the US that needs a pet quality dog breeder. I can think of thousands of places that are full of shelters that are full of pet quality dogs.
All that aside- I know I can not change your mind about what you are doing, and I respect your right to do as you wish with your animals.
i think the reason for overflowing shelters is becouse they are too picky on who gets the dog
Why is breeding "for pets" wrong? 99% of americans keep their dogs "for pets" and most of those want dogs under twenty pounds. Just by doing the stats, i could say that you are unethical for breeding high energy dogs with over the top working drive (if you are breeding for top compettitive working hunting dogs) that most average Americans dont' have the space, knowledge or time to deal with a dog like what you describe. I will NOT say you are unethical, just say you have your breed preference, and your market. I breed "for the pet market" and have a much wider market, therefor much wider pool of buyers to choose home for my puppies. Neither of us is wrong as long as we breed good quality dogs, screen buyers, guarantee puppies and take back any dog we bred if it doesn't work out. I have no problem doing any of the above. I have had people contact me that have moved to Europe wanting one of my puppes. Money was no object. They had looked all in the surrounding countries and couldn't find one they liked as well as the puppy they got from me. Personally, I think they were not looking hard enough, but my point is, I get many of my puppies sold by referrals, or return buyers. The only puppy I ever got back, the buyer's wife was somewhat unbalanced and unable to care for the puppy properly and I drove two and a half hours at midnight to go get my girl back and instant cash refund. The next buyer bought her four days later and tells me that she is a delight, never could as for a better dog.
Smaller dogs take up less space, are just less work, eat less, and often sell for more. Higher demand. Not unethical. Half of American households have dogs. Most are busy families with kids. Some want what they want, a small, easy going "pet" that is not a lot of work to train, won't shed, easy to live with, looks like they want it to look like, not prone to health problems. A health guarantee that goes with a "breeder" puppy is why a lot of people don't get dogs from the pound, with unknown problems/strong points, health history and temperament/training issues. You can't blame people for wanting a clean slate when they get a dog, and a guarantee.
The hundres of thousands of people like you are the reason our shelters are full. The truth of the matter is- you simply dont know what will happen to the 'pets' you are selling. They have the potential to create thousands of more dogs who can end up homeless and euthanized. There is no rationalizing adding to the overpopulation problem.
Maybe you are one of the few people who keeps better track of the dogs produced in your home. Maybe you personally oversee the spaying and neutering of every single dog you produce. Maybe you have done all the testing needed to ensure, to the best of your ability, that your breeding stock is as free as possible from known genetic problems.
Maybe you do follow up on all puppies sold and are willing to take back even older dogs when they become too much for a past purchaser. Do you go to your local shelter to make sure none of your past sold animals have ended up there? If you havent, you dont really know if they are being dumped. Shelters are stuffed with small dogs.
If you are making a profit, you are cutting corners. If you are selling because of high demand, that seems like selling because of a fad, and to me that is unethical. Small dogs bite too, often faces, small dogs get sick, get hurt, need training and excersize, just like big dogs. Small dogs will still poop in the house and chew shoes and be naughty, just like big dogs. You know that. So to say 'people want small dogs because....' is not legit. Its a dog- it needs all the same things as a big dog. To behave as though a small dog needs any less than a big dog is kinda misleading. The vet bills will be the same. You still have to do all the same things, just maybe on a smaller scale, but you cant act like 'oh it has less needs', because it doesnt. It needs more if anything since small dogs are often hurt by small children, thus needing more vet care, not less. Smaller dogs are often known to have neuroligical issues due to the fact that making them smaller, compacts the available brain mass, which in turn can cause a kind of 'short circuting' that can lead to seizures and other brain malfunctions.
I cant think of a single area in the US that needs a pet quality dog breeder. I can think of thousands of places that are full of shelters that are full of pet quality dogs.
All that aside- I know I can not change your mind about what you are doing, and I respect your right to do as you wish with your animals.
i think the reason for overflowing shelters is becouse they are too picky on who gets the dog
