For or against breeding..

Dog enthusiasts will see it every day, especially if you're on any sort of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. People shouting about how breeding any dogs for a while should be banned, because there too many homeless, stray, and kenneled dogs out there, without adding to the masses. I would say in the case of Staffordshire Bull Terriers, there needs to be a complete embargo on breeding for a VERY long time, because the sheer amount of that breed in kennels and rescues, is alarmingly high.

I'd largely agree with a no breeding policy, if it weren't for the fact that we have some breeds which are rare, or they have medical ailments that need to be bred out of them, or perhaps expert breeders are working to make a breed BETTER health wise. The sort of breeders that do that, are ones like Lonsdale Bulldogs, for example, who aren't interested in breeding to sell to the public, but breed simply to create a fitter, healthier dog. They rarely part ways with their animals, and have them living on their compound, where they live wonderful lives.

Bulldogs are a bone of contention in the dog world; the flat faced, fat bodied Old English bulldog, being the centre of it all, with their massive health issues, and the breed being so far away from what it was. Lonsdale Bulldogs are the kind of breeders we want in the world, and not the backyard breeders who are in it simply for profit.

Neapolitan Mastiffs are another example, Crufts saw a real freakshow of Neas with hugely stretched and droopy faces, eyes pulled down with entropion, looking sore and painful, with skins so heavy and melty looking, that they were described as a 'parade of mutants', by the lady behind Pedigree Dogs Exposed.

She's right. Those poor dogs, were being bred to look so exaggerated and unhealthy, that they are a far cry from how they used to look in Italy, when they were bred for hunting.

If we are ever going to right the wrongs that idiots have caused by bad breeding, a thirst for money and the like, we have to carry on breeding to iron out the illnesses and poorly animals they have created. Dogs living much shorter lifespans because they are sick and frail, brought into the world suffering from the start. We must carry on breeding, but it should be private breeding, working to further the lives of the dogs, keeping the breeds alive, and not allowing them to devolve into something that struggles to even walk.

I'm always going to own rescue dogs, for as long as I am alive. But I also recognise that some breeding still needs to happen in the background, otherwise we will lose some breeds entirely.

 

I think breeding should be left to the responsible breeders. I'd rather legislate a law for mandatory spaying and neutering if a dog isn't for breeding purposes, as well as if it has hereditary diseases it can pass on to its descendants. Besides, altercation can greatly lessen a dog's proneness to certain forms of cancers so this should be a win-win situation for both dog and owner.

I pity the dogs who end up in shelters simply because they're either too rowdy, too energetic, or too aggressive. Most of the time, these cases are due to the owners' neglect.

Rescuing should be encouraged and maybe the government should consider giving owners of rescue animals incentives such as discounts or lesser value-added-taxes on veterinary check-ups/ medical services.

 

I'm against breeding for the sake of breeding. I understand there are 'working dogs' who should continue to be bred for the uniqueness they bring. Otherwise I am against breeding.

 

I found myself nodding along with this, I like the way you think.

 

I think it would depend on the type of dog. As someone pointed out if its a working dog such as on a ranch or farm then breeding isn't a bad thing to consider, same with a champion dog. However, I so am for saving dogs from pounds and giving them good homes. For me this is the best route when getting a dog. As much as I loved my dogs over the years, I never considered breeding them because I knew that a new dog rescued from a pound in need of a good home could fill that void left behind by the one I lost. So for me breeding isn't something I would do or even need to do.

 

Breeding should be regulated, with all the pets that need homes we really don't need to keep flooding the arena with more pets. I think licenses, permits and stiffer guidelines should be put into place. This will help shut down the puppy mills. Plus I think breeders should only be allowed to breed a certain numbers of animals per year. The more regulations and fines imposed the safer for the animals and the less unwanted animals we will have.

 

Genuine breeders will only whelp a very limited number of times anyway, which is why they're such good people. I am definitely for regulated breeding, we need to curb the amount of animals we produce, as well as further the breeds that are rare. There is a happy medium somewhere, it's just we seem hellbent on not finding it.

 

I totally agree that most of these doggie problems are due to the owner's treatment of the animal. I think we should all consider giving a rescue animal a chance. If you have your heart set on a particular breed, you can likely find a rescue organization that focuses on that particular breed. I love your idea of the government giving incentives for rescue animal owners. It might encourage a few people to consider rescue pets as an alternative. Breeding is out of control now, and it really should be better regulated.

 

Exactly. Unfortunately, some people will prefer to be able to choose and have it immediately available without questions being asked to them.

We don't have breeding legislation in our country, which is why breeders just pop out here and there. And people who aren't aware of what a good breeder is will just buy the puppies without looking at the mom or dad. Little do they know that some of these dogs are caged and living in filthy conditions. Others even have hereditary ailments but the breeders don't care.

Adopt ONE, 'Til There Was NONE

 

I used think all breeding should be illegal until every cage is empty in shelters all across the country. It's the root of the homeless pet problem. But then I lost my lovely Charmaine, and was sorry I had not bred her. Sure you can go to a shelter and find other dogs, but it is just special having one from your pets litter.

 

I am for breeding as long as you are doing it for the right reasons. If you have too many dogs and you are unable to handle them, then you probably should not breed. If you are in it for the money, then you should probably not breed as well. However, there are some rare breeds and some popular breeds as well that people want as a puppy. They do not want to go adopt one at the shelter because they want to train it from birth on up. I think this is a good idea if you have the time to do so. If you are a breeder, it is a good idea to fine some potential buyers before making the choice to breed.

 

Finding potential buyers is a great idea for breeders. If a person is a breeder, it is rare they are doing it for the sport. People who are breeding dogs for profit hopefully are only breeding dogs they know are wanted and can be sold. Most of the problems with strays are the mutts.

 

I believe this problem has to be approached from both ends of the story. From the breeders side, a lot more work is needed to put in the place the right legislation to make sure that breeding is done properly. From the dog owners side, a lot more work is needed to educate dog owners on the responsibility of being a dog owner.

The very first thing that needs to be done, I believe, is to teach people that they should not get a dog just because they want to. They must be taught to assess their own capability to care for the dog properly. I know this is going to be an uphill battle. Puppies are so cute. Until they grow up. Maybe we might be able to satisfy this craving to hug a cute puppy by having more places like those cat cafes in Japan which I have read about. People who love cats can go to those cat cafes to satisfy their desires. I believe the same thing can be done for puppies.

One other thing. I noticed, from news reports, that dogs have been used successfully in a number of places like hospitals and prisons as part of therapy. Perhaps this type of work can be broadened so that the dogs abandoned in animal shelters will be able to lead useful lives instead of being put down.

 

I agree with this. I have Yorkies and they have great bloodlines. I would like to breed one so I can have another puppy. I would keep one and sell the rest to good homes.

 

Better to really adopt since there are lots of dogs out there in need of new homes.
I also agree that breeding should only be done by responsible breeders.

 

I have nothing against breeding as long as breeders are responsible and caring people.
I don't think I could be a breeder though. I just know I wouldn't be able to sell the puppies, I'd be heartbroken if I had to do this. How would I know for sure that the buyers are responsible and good and won't get bored with my puppy after a month or so?

 

There is a difference between responsible breeders and those that have 2 dogs and just throw them together. As it was stated responsible breeders have a very limited amount of litters per year, assuming that they breed once a year. Some breeders only breed if they have determined it will better the breed, whether it is structure or temperament. I will say that there are a lot of dogs in the shelters but that becomes something that owners need to look at also. Are they getting a puppy because it is a puppy? Do they realize it is a life long commitment? Some see puppies and once it becomes a dog they have no need for it. I know that things happen and dogs do end up in the shelter for other reasons but there is a level of responsibility on all parties involved. Laws that state that dogs need to be altered opens the door for legislation to make it mandatory for all pets, which means eventually there will be no more pets. While it is a good idea that if you are not going to breed your dog to have it altered but to require everyone to do so would ultimately remove dogs from the cycle of life. There are things all parties can do and there is a middle of the road but it is a matter of getting all breeders to adhere to it.

 

I have to agree with haopee that we should leave breeding to licensed and responsible breeders. I also think that mandatory spaying and neutering for dogs and cats should really be put into law. There are just too many dogs and stray cats in some areas its just sad. Not only do they pose a threat healthy and safety wise but what kind of life have they been forced to live? All because some person did not have the foresight to have their parents spayed or neutered.

 

There are breeders that do make sure that they dogs go to responsible owners. Background checks can be done, talking to their past vet and references from people they are not related to, not to mention actually making a home visit. It is a lot of work but to some it is worth it in the end. There are some very lovely dogs in shelters and there are so not so lovely dogs, the same as people in the world. As to mandatory altering that opens the door that is a very tricky thing. There are already organizations that are trying to pass laws that state all domestic cats and dogs should be altered and that even includes breeders dogs. Unfortunately when these laws hit the books it is an all or nothing thing with people and their intentions might be good but it only takes a small handful of people to take it to an extreme and totally do away with pets in the long run. It has happened all over with breed specific legislation so it is not a far stretch.

 

I'm pretty much against breeding for profit at all. Crossbreeding for the sake of matching traits to create genetically enhanced animals maybe, but that's for science. When you have someone who is breeding in their backyard (or worse in an apartment) that doesn't understand the amount of work they are taking you have a recipe for not on disaster but possible death. There are far too many dogs in shelters being radically exterminated everyday to go out and get one from a breeder. I think until shelters finally start having vacancy's, breeding should be brought to a halt. There are just too many animals neglected already, bringing more into the world so you can turn a profit is probably one of the more appalling things I can think of.