Posted on 04/11/2009 6:18:41 PM PDT by Onelifetogive
Sure, if her group wants it’s own customized video, she can contact me via the YouTube mail.
I can handle caveat emptor.
Others want the security of having someone else be responsible for what they do.
This article is a liberal piece of crapola.
I disagree. I bought my parti poodle from a breeder. I just wanted a dog for a pet, but I wanted a poodle. They are wonderful dogs, and yes I could have gone to a shelter. The multi colored poodles in the past have been destroyed, because the AKC demands solid colors. I have saved another little dog.
I often ship my bitches to breed to dogs out of my area. There would be no way for someone to see the sire of the litter (unless they wanted to drive or fly there). And, most puppy mills an back yard breeders do indeed have both parents on the premises.
Sadly, this is not true. Randomly bred dogs also have health issues. They are just less predictable (and you can be pretty sure their parents weren’t screened for anything.)
However, I’m all for adopting from shelters. People should get the dog they want.
Why do you think it’s your business to tell people where they must get their next dog?
Mixed breeds are (mostly in the US) mixes of various purebreds, so they can be prone to the same health issues.
What evidence do you get that the sire is "worthy"? Can this same evidence by used to convince the buyer of the puppies?
LOL I don’t worry about convincing anyone that my puppies are worthy. Anyone who inquires gets information on clearances of the parents, photos, pedigrees and as much time as they would like to chat. I choose sires for my litters based on my own criteria, which includes knowledge of the pedigrees and the dogs behind them. My point is simply that if you make having both parents there to see the criteria that will make or break who you buy a puppy from, you are actually favoring puppy mills and back yard breeders. Why should I own a stud dogs? What if he doesn’t grow up to be the right dog to breed to my bitch?
I'm listening. I have back off that point a bit. I am trying to substitute the info that convinces you that the sire is worthy of you dam for the sire actually being available.
It’s very difficult to explain, since it always depends on the situation. For instance, since ALL dogs potentially carry problematic genes, I want to be sure that if I have seen a problem with something in the line I have I don’t want to double up on it, so I choose from dogs who aren’t known to produce that defect. Aand if anyone ever says they have NO problems behind their dogs, they are either lying, or they haven’t bred that line very long or paid attention to what they produced—scientists say that everyone carries on average 3 to 5 fatal genes, there is no reason to imagine dogs would be different.
After health and temperament, both equally important, I look for a dog who will correct whatever I would like to improve in my line (or that particular bitch). That could be a lot of things, and usually it’s things your average person wouldn’t notice—coat texture, pigment, length of loin, front or rear assembly, etc. You never get the perfect dog, so there’s always something to improve.
But, a breeder certainly should be able to tell the person asking why they chose that particular breeding, and their answer should make sense. And it shouldn’t be that they were near by or cheap!
I could go on and on, but I’ll stop since I doubt many people are interested in these details.
Great job, just one comment. A lot of breeders are doing AI and using stud dogs that are across country so sometimes actually seeing the dog is pretty hard. However, win pictures as well as candid shots should be plentiful and certification of AI from a vet can do. The breeder should be more than happy to give you the number of the stud dog owner.
Thanks. That's great advice.
>Sadly, this is not true.
Perhaps you misunderstood what I meant, because it IS true: a classic example would be the dachshund, which more frequently develops back/spine defects/suitabilities than many other dogs.
>Randomly bred dogs also have health issues.
I didn’t mean to say that mutts couldn’t have health issues. Just that theirs would be less likely to be so directly genetically-bound. (Remember the Hapsburgs?)
>They are just less predictable (and you can be pretty sure their parents weren’t screened for anything.)
That they are less predictable does help confirm the point that I was making. You CAN know, with a fairly high degree of certainty, what illnesses/defects are for your dog if he is a purebred.
Now I’m not saying that correlation is equal to causation, but rather the correlation exists because we know the causation... we bred the dogs to have certain attributes, and with that we introduced the genetic tendencies to be more prone to certain types of defects.
No, your logic doesn’t hold up. You know a doxie may be more likely to have a back issue (because of the long back, ANY long backed mix will also be more prone to that sort of complaint—this is a structural issue, somewhat different from a genetic disease). On the other hand, a well bred golden retriever (for instance) from parents who were screened for a genetic heart defect like SAS is LESS likely to have that heart issue than a golden retriever from unscreened parents OR from the golden mix whose parents were ALSO not screened.
So, while you might be less likely to predict WHICH issue you might have with a mixed breed, this is not the same as saying you will have fewer issues.
Now, if you can show me something that proves mixed breeds to be healthier, I would like to see it.
I will say that if you got a dog from a more natural setting (3rd world feral dog for example) you might get a genetically healthier dog since survival of the fittest would have been in play. However, that is not the case with the mixed breed population in the US. On the other hand I would be a lot more concerned about temperament on a feral dog as the temperament that makes a successful feral dog is probably NOT the temperament that makes a suitable house pet.
I’ve gone the opposite way. Grew up and had nothing but mutts until last year. Now, I won’t get anything but a purebred Belgian Sheepdog. But no more puppies! I’ll rescue.
All you have said is true. When I got my Belgian Sheepdog puppy last year, both parents were on site and I got to meet them both. Wonderful dogs. Sire is a champion agility, tracking and herding dog. The Dam is co-owned with another breeder, and will be bred again this year. I contacted the other owner to gush at how wonderful my dog is. She said she appreciates the feedback because it helps her determine which Sire to breed her with.
Usually the owners of both the stud and the dam are both interested in where the puppies go and how they are raised. They won’t interfer if you show no interest, but will be thrilled if you call to ask questions or need help.
Sorry that happened to your beloved dog; also saddened to hear that the vet lived.
I suspect a vet hastened my cat’s demise with flea meds too. She was already sick and 14 years old, and she could never keep another bite down after vet applied Advantage.
From now on, flea combs.
I have never raised a puppy. My shelter dogs were 2 years old when I got them. I haven’t had a dog for 5 years. I don’t know as we’ll get another because it’s so hard to lose them. Had a 24 yr old cat put to sleep a year ago. We have 3 yet and I think they will be the last.
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