TRUTH & DOG BREEDING
There is so much misrepresentation and misplaced blame directed at today’s responsible dog breeders. The catchy phrase “adopt don’t shop” isn’t just stated, but now chanted as a battlecry against someone who admits to having purchased their puppy from a responsible breeder. It’s as if to say that “shopping” from a proven source, is somehow inherently evil. Although I respect the opinions of others, the misinformation is pervasive and has resulted in so much hostility towards responsible breeders, and those who seek pets from them, that I believe my perspective as a responsible dog breeder is an important one.
Purebred dogs are sought for the value in their known pedigree and the standards that we have come to expect within each of the unique breeds. Whether it be size, temperament, ability, drive, intelligence, disposition, longevity, heat and cold tolerance, or coat qualities, such as being hypoallergenic or non-shedding, families often seek out these specific breeds for the inherent traits they possess in effort to find the best suited pet for their lifestyle and their need. Whether it be a hunting dog, a guard dog, a lapdog, a sled dog, a dog best suited for allergy sufferers, etc. Without well intentioned, and hardworking breeders, who devote their lives to intentionally preserving specific breeds, these breeds, along with their known characteristics and pedigree, would cease to exist. THE KNOWN PURE BREDS, WITH ALL OF THEIR UNIQUE & BELOVED TRAITS, WOULD CEASE TO EXIST. Imagine… the havanese, german shepherd, rottweiler, pointer, beagle, border collie, great pyrenees, newfoundland, pug, yorkie, corgi, poodle, dachshund, labrador retriever, bloodhound, weimaraner, coonhound, bernese mountain dog, siberian husky, afghan hound, shar pei, dalmation, doberman pinscher etc…. I could go on and on - Would cease to exist. Just stop and imagine.
Devoting our lives (and our families lives) to living with a houseful of furry friends, and caring for them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, takes a great deal of devotion and sacrifice on the part of the breeder, and the breeders family. Continuing to remain a source of knowledge and support for families that have welcomed your pups into their home, throughout the lives of their pets, takes a great deal of time and effort as well. This kind of dedication takes a great deal of energy and it is fueled by passion and care. Good dog breeders are dog lovers. As such, this is an effort that is intended for the good of the breed, with the intention to be to produce a sound and healthy population of quality, purebred pets for responsible pet owners and their families.
Puppies bred in the homes of well intentioned and responsible breeders, receive nurturing, conditioning and human contact from the day they are born. They receive health care, are kept clean, and all needs continuously met around the clock. They arrive to their families without the unknowns of previous trauma or illness. This may not matter to some… but it does matter to others, and this choice is for each family or individual to make for themselves.
The Necessity Of Shelters
Due to irresponsible pet owners, shelters are necessary and these shelters are filled with pets that have been abandoned by those irresponsible pet owners. Placing the blame on good breeders, providing an essential service, is missing the mark and enabling the real issue to be overlooked. The dogs in shelters have not been abandoned by responsible breeders. Aside from dogs who may have become lost, it is their owners, who do not spay or neuter their pets and those who simply no longer wish to be responsible for their pets, that fill the shelters…. and this is what needs to be addressed. Good breeders help to alleviate this by questioning potential dog owners prior to allowing them to purchase a puppy. Each potential owner is made aware of the responsibility involved and also their responsibilities in regards to spaying and neutering their pet through contract. Responsible breeders also work to continue to be an ongoing resource for their families in effort to help them adjust to caring for their new pet and provide answers to any questions that they may encounter along the way. Beyond this, purebred pets are often quite expensive as well. This is also a deterrent to an individual purchasing a puppy on a whim, as people tend to put much more thought into the decision of adding a puppy to their family, when this commitment comes at a high price.
Despite the picture painted by today’s media, studies show that, statistically, it is not the purebreds that are filling today’s shelters. Therefore, it is not an issue caused by responsible breeders who are providing an invaluable service to the dog community and, again, why the real issue of irresponsible pet owners needs to be addressed. In fact, responsible breeders do not seek profit in selling dogs with breeding rights. For instance, our puppies are only sold with AKC limited registration. This is AKC registration without breeding rights and we also have a contract stipulating that our puppies are to be spayed or neutered. Going a step further, responsible breeders state in contract that they will take their puppies/dogs back into their own homes should a family no longer be able to care for them at anytime. Because of these extended measures, as well as those listed previously, these are not the dogs that end up on the streets or in shelters. These are the healthy, well adjusted, purebreds that dog lovers have known and cherished for centuries and it is because of the dedication and hard work of good breeders, that they exist.
A groundbreaking shelter study released by the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) reveals that U.S. animal shelters are reporting an all-time low in the number of purebred dogs available. The study finds that only about five percent of the dogs available in U.S. shelters are purebred; a significant departure from the 25% figure commonly assumed and stated by the media. If pitbulls (a commonly misidentified dog) and Chihuahuas (which are the leading import dog for relocation programs) are removed from the purebred total the percentage drops to closer to 3%.
Making this statistic even more interesting, is the fact that many shelters are now actually importing dogs from other countries to meet the demands of the American market. This is somewhat alarming as with these dogs, comes risk of illness. Read more on that here from Patti Strand President of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA).
http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/article/naia-study-confirms-fewer-dogs-scarce-purebreds-in-us-animal-shelters#sthash.eVrpn8cN.NGmesvpz.dpbs http://shelterproject.naiaonline.org/purebred/
http://shelterproject.naiaonline.org/purebred/
I am a proud dog breeder. I work exceptionally hard to be the best that I can be for the good of my pups and my clients as well. It is time for responsible breeders, and those that see the value of our pure bred dogs, to stand up for the continuing existence of both.
There is so much misrepresentation and misplaced blame directed at today’s responsible dog breeders. The catchy phrase “adopt don’t shop” isn’t just stated, but now chanted as a battlecry against someone who admits to having purchased their puppy from a responsible breeder. It’s as if to say that “shopping” from a proven source, is somehow inherently evil. Although I respect the opinions of others, the misinformation is pervasive and has resulted in so much hostility towards responsible breeders, and those who seek pets from them, that I believe my perspective as a responsible dog breeder is an important one.
Purebred dogs are sought for the value in their known pedigree and the standards that we have come to expect within each of the unique breeds. Whether it be size, temperament, ability, drive, intelligence, disposition, longevity, heat and cold tolerance, or coat qualities, such as being hypoallergenic or non-shedding, families often seek out these specific breeds for the inherent traits they possess in effort to find the best suited pet for their lifestyle and their need. Whether it be a hunting dog, a guard dog, a lapdog, a sled dog, a dog best suited for allergy sufferers, etc. Without well intentioned, and hardworking breeders, who devote their lives to intentionally preserving specific breeds, these breeds, along with their known characteristics and pedigree, would cease to exist. THE KNOWN PURE BREDS, WITH ALL OF THEIR UNIQUE & BELOVED TRAITS, WOULD CEASE TO EXIST. Imagine… the havanese, german shepherd, rottweiler, pointer, beagle, border collie, great pyrenees, newfoundland, pug, yorkie, corgi, poodle, dachshund, labrador retriever, bloodhound, weimaraner, coonhound, bernese mountain dog, siberian husky, afghan hound, shar pei, dalmation, doberman pinscher etc…. I could go on and on - Would cease to exist. Just stop and imagine.
Devoting our lives (and our families lives) to living with a houseful of furry friends, and caring for them 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, takes a great deal of devotion and sacrifice on the part of the breeder, and the breeders family. Continuing to remain a source of knowledge and support for families that have welcomed your pups into their home, throughout the lives of their pets, takes a great deal of time and effort as well. This kind of dedication takes a great deal of energy and it is fueled by passion and care. Good dog breeders are dog lovers. As such, this is an effort that is intended for the good of the breed, with the intention to be to produce a sound and healthy population of quality, purebred pets for responsible pet owners and their families.
Puppies bred in the homes of well intentioned and responsible breeders, receive nurturing, conditioning and human contact from the day they are born. They receive health care, are kept clean, and all needs continuously met around the clock. They arrive to their families without the unknowns of previous trauma or illness. This may not matter to some… but it does matter to others, and this choice is for each family or individual to make for themselves.
The Necessity Of Shelters
Due to irresponsible pet owners, shelters are necessary and these shelters are filled with pets that have been abandoned by those irresponsible pet owners. Placing the blame on good breeders, providing an essential service, is missing the mark and enabling the real issue to be overlooked. The dogs in shelters have not been abandoned by responsible breeders. Aside from dogs who may have become lost, it is their owners, who do not spay or neuter their pets and those who simply no longer wish to be responsible for their pets, that fill the shelters…. and this is what needs to be addressed. Good breeders help to alleviate this by questioning potential dog owners prior to allowing them to purchase a puppy. Each potential owner is made aware of the responsibility involved and also their responsibilities in regards to spaying and neutering their pet through contract. Responsible breeders also work to continue to be an ongoing resource for their families in effort to help them adjust to caring for their new pet and provide answers to any questions that they may encounter along the way. Beyond this, purebred pets are often quite expensive as well. This is also a deterrent to an individual purchasing a puppy on a whim, as people tend to put much more thought into the decision of adding a puppy to their family, when this commitment comes at a high price.
Despite the picture painted by today’s media, studies show that, statistically, it is not the purebreds that are filling today’s shelters. Therefore, it is not an issue caused by responsible breeders who are providing an invaluable service to the dog community and, again, why the real issue of irresponsible pet owners needs to be addressed. In fact, responsible breeders do not seek profit in selling dogs with breeding rights. For instance, our puppies are only sold with AKC limited registration. This is AKC registration without breeding rights and we also have a contract stipulating that our puppies are to be spayed or neutered. Going a step further, responsible breeders state in contract that they will take their puppies/dogs back into their own homes should a family no longer be able to care for them at anytime. Because of these extended measures, as well as those listed previously, these are not the dogs that end up on the streets or in shelters. These are the healthy, well adjusted, purebreds that dog lovers have known and cherished for centuries and it is because of the dedication and hard work of good breeders, that they exist.
A groundbreaking shelter study released by the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA) reveals that U.S. animal shelters are reporting an all-time low in the number of purebred dogs available. The study finds that only about five percent of the dogs available in U.S. shelters are purebred; a significant departure from the 25% figure commonly assumed and stated by the media. If pitbulls (a commonly misidentified dog) and Chihuahuas (which are the leading import dog for relocation programs) are removed from the purebred total the percentage drops to closer to 3%.
Making this statistic even more interesting, is the fact that many shelters are now actually importing dogs from other countries to meet the demands of the American market. This is somewhat alarming as with these dogs, comes risk of illness. Read more on that here from Patti Strand President of the National Animal Interest Alliance (NAIA).
http://www.naiaonline.org/articles/article/naia-study-confirms-fewer-dogs-scarce-purebreds-in-us-animal-shelters#sthash.eVrpn8cN.NGmesvpz.dpbs http://shelterproject.naiaonline.org/purebred/
http://shelterproject.naiaonline.org/purebred/
I am a proud dog breeder. I work exceptionally hard to be the best that I can be for the good of my pups and my clients as well. It is time for responsible breeders, and those that see the value of our pure bred dogs, to stand up for the continuing existence of both.