Posted on 01/21/2005 6:26:56 AM PST by Rodney King
Shelters perform cookie-cutter behavior testing that is designed to uncover fear biters and garden variety aggression. They frequently miss the mark on phobias, certain types of problem shyness, house-breaking issues, destructive chewing and dominance problems. Not to mention failing to pick up on hearing and vision problems which can both lead to behavior problems.
I'm in and out of shelters all the time and I have a lot of respect for the workers and volunteers but they are often understaffed and under-trained and turn over is HIGH. Many shelters don't have the time or staff to work with a dog long enough to uncover these problems. If the dog looks okay, acts friendly with staff, has normal interactions with other dogs and is mostly quiet, this is often enough along with a brief temperament test.
Two weeks later the problems start to emerge. Adoption is great - 3 of my Shelties came out of rescue, 2 of them by way of shelters that shunted them on to kill list. It's just not the best option for everyone.
Well, you went after a large breed, and a fairly rare one at that. Of the many pet choices that are out there, you were looking for the right breed perhaps over the right temperament. I am sure there were more passive dogs at the pound the day you took yours home, ones that would not have threatened your sons. You chose a look over a temperament. That's fine, but not a good measure of the temperament of pound mutts. I just wouldn't overstate the risk is all. In fairness... it takes about two years before a pup from a breeder is to be completely trusted alone with your shoes. They all take time and work.
Yes, I went too far in talking about dogs when I was thinking about cats.
>>>>"Oh, and her nickname among family and friends is "Devil Dog", though her real name is Maggie<<<<
LOL
I have so many nicknames for my two dogs and my cat..most are along the lines of "devil" or "demon" or "wacky".
I love them all.
:^)
Okay, I get your point, I think. But you appeared to condemn all breeders as irresponsible. Can you not concede that there is a role for poeple who are committed to improving dog breeds through selective breeding?
And training issues never happen with puppies? Good grief... as a rescuer yourself, you should be the last to set back the efforts of rescuers by overstating that some of them need trained. ALL PUPPIES NEED TRAINED, so telling people they'd be better off with some pedigreed pup ignores the fact that any new dog owner needs to be prepared to train the dog they select, and stick with it for a long time, not expect them to be Lassie out of the box.
Again..the reason those dogs have issues is because they were neglected.
Breeders IMO add to the shelter problem you are talking about by bringing dogs into this world and selling them to anyone with cash.
I doubt most breeders screen their buyers.
A lot of these animals wind up neglected and living in shelters.
The VAST majority of animals who end up in shelters are NOT pure bred dogs from careful breeders - they're mixed breed puppies that are a result of people not bothering to neuter their animals. I think that's a far more important crusade where dogs are concerned. No need to tar all breeders with the same brush.
My husband and I spent several hours with this dog, watching him interact with the volunteers, other dogs, including our 2 dogs, and he was absolutely sweet. Who knew that he had been abused by a young man?
But in your world, only the greedy people with the wrong motives would be breeding our future pets. What would happen to the gene pool over time in your world? There really are people out there who protect and refine the breeds that we all love. Good breeders are breeding for the consistent look and consistent stable personalities that make the dog such a great companion... even when through carelessness, some end up at the pound.
Get this poor animal fixed .
That is the most ridiculous statement. Different breeds have very different useful purposes 99% of dog breeders love their specific breeds and breed them out of love. PC crap sucks.
Love of money.
>>>But in your world, only the greedy people with the wrong motives would be breeding our future pets<<<
What?
You've never been so micromanaged until you have tried to buy a dog from some breeders.
Really, I love your heart, but your perspective is all screwed up. You are going after selective breeders of valuable dogs as the problem when they aren't the source of all the dogs at the pound. Your neighbor who just neglects to spay or neuter hers is the problem.
Yes, and I go after my neighbor to that nelgets their dog, but this thread was about breeders so....
Exactly.
"to" should be "too"
Think about it. You are saying there is NO use for purebred dog breeding at all and that all people who really care about dogs should never breed them. If you were right, then only the greedy and careless would be producing pups, and that is not the best gene pool to choose from is it?
While it is a questionable thought in any sense...if YOU are breeding, it should be with a WIFE....
If this is so true, how come shelters in the Boston area have resorted to importing pariah (feral) dogs from Puerto Rico to fill the demand for shelter pups?
There are breeds of dogs, like the Saluki, which have existed since the time before Christ. Are you saying, that because there are some irresponsible owners, mostly of unspayed mongrels (purebred dogs are not exactly filling the shelters), that people who love such breeds (or any breed) should have to watch them go extinct?
Lastly, this is a conservative forum. You want to impose your values on everyone. Why should people who want a huge dog or one that will mature to less than 10 pounds not be able to own what they want? Mutts are fine for people who want one, but those people who want a given breed of dog aren't going to depend on your approval, thank goodness.
There are good breeders, and bad ones. Don't paint all of them with the same brush.
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