what do you think?

Originally Posted by rottiegirl

If you have been breeding for quite some time, then its fine. But if you are thinking about becoming a breeder of a popuar breed, then I dont think you should do it. We have enough breeders of certain breeds already.

Pick a rare breed.

I don't think its fair to those people who love a popular breed not to be able to breed them. If people stayed away from labs and GSD's then there will be a new popular breed and the cycle will go on and on. I don't think the people who have a popular breed should have to suffer the consequence of not breeding their beloved breed because other people are stupid and ignorant.

[JennSLK]

Well said Dobie gurl

I love dobes. Someday I hope to gain enough knowledge and experiance to become a breeder. I dont care if the dobe is rare by then or the #1 breed. I will breed the breed I want.

[moe]

I think breeding is fine if you have done your homework and are breeding to improve your line, and only breed from suitable good examples of the breed, I also think that a good breeder should be extremely careful who they sell their pups to, not just the first person to walk through the door or show an interest, but to sell to people that have done the research, that have been after the breed for some time, etc also for the breeder to have contract drawn up so that under any circumstances the new owner can no longer keep the dog it gets returned to the breeder,this way it will reduce the chance of that pup going into a shelter. before breeding you need to think to yourself, what if they all come back? do I have the room to keep them all?

Mo

[IliamnasQuest]

We NEED great breeders to maintain the quality in the breed. Most of those that you see in the pounds are not high quality animals .. they are the product of casual breedings from dogs that are not necessarily true to the breed standard and usually not health screened. If we stop the great breeders then pretty soon the breed will degenerate.

That being said .. to be a great breeder takes a lot of work and money. Registration papers mean nothing more than the owners of the dam and sire attesting that they did breed these two purebred dogs. Those papers tell nothing of quality and no health tests (or temperament or intelligence tests) are required. A great breeder understands the bloodlines and the qualities and flaws in each dog they deal with. They do the necessary tests to prove their dog is worthy of breeding: hip and elbow x-rays, eyes certified clean, thyroid and vonWillebrand's disease and whatever else is common in that particular breed. They prove that the dog is worthy by showing it in some venue that allows the dog to show its athleticism and intelligence. They have it assessed as to breed type and conformation.

And then they build a database of potential owners before they breed. They check references and require extensive applications to make sure that the potential owners will truly give the dog a good home and hopefully a forever home.

Being a great breeder is not easy. People do it because they love the breed, not because they want to make money.

Elia&Blazer, there are a lot of different things people can get into but dog breeding isn't one of those that is a huge money maker unless you're willing to prove the quality of your dogs (and that takes a lot of years) or you're willing to be a puppy mill (and in that case, you're just adding to the dogs in the pound).

I hope this helps you make your decision.

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[stevinski]

why don't u take up dog showing instead of dog breeding, dog shows are alot of fun and it could lead to breeding anyway.
Just do some research into some high quality kennels, get a dog close to breed standard and you can start showing.

Originally Posted by rottiegirl

I personaly dont think its right to breed if there are so many in pounds. If your breed is extremely popular, and there are many in pounds, then I dont think you should breed at all. Even if you are a responsible breeder.

There are too many GSDs, pits, chihuahuas, etc. in dog pounds.

So where are the good dogs supposed to come from if all the responsible breeders stop breeding?

4 to 6 years and you are out of all the good stock.

[Mordy]

First learn the differences between "breeding" and "making puppies" and learn everything you can about it, then think about whether you should do it or not.

[gaddylovesdogs]

I think in order to maintain all the breeds, there need to be responsible breeders. However, I don't see the point of becoming a breeder of a breed that already has enough breeders.

Originally Posted by gaddylovesdogs

I think in order to maintain all the breeds, there need to be responsible breeders. However, I don't see the point of becoming a breeder of a breed that already has enough breeders.

It has nothing to do with the surplus of that breed, it has to do with your love for the breed. Some people fall in love with popular breeds and should be able to breed their favorite breed.

[Saje]

Grammy stopped breeding goldens because they were being so overbred. She loves her breed and understood it enough to know that there didn't need to be even more of them. I really respect that.

A good breeder won't breed unless they have homes before so I guess if a breed is overpopulated they just won't be breeding that often!