[SengirV]

To the breeders, they are not puppies - They are nothing but cash. With millions of homeless dogs and cats, breeders are putting one of them to death for every cash bag(puppies to the rest of us) they sell.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Yeah, I agree....the breeding mills are a horror. It's a greed and ego thing. I'm too upset to read even more. there are a few people who let their dogs have a litter or so, that seems reasonable...but the puppy mills are ridiculous. It's really the ego of the buyers that drives these "fads". Yuch.

[nascarnation]

Mastiffs are a noble breed.
They do slobber a good bit though......

[TontoKowalski]

That's a little harsh. We had specific requirements for a pet in our house, and the way we could get that was through a breeder for a specific breed.

We're happy beyond belief with our new "family member" and we would never have found a dog like this in the pound. And we wouldn't have adopted another kind, either.

Our breeder appeared to be responsible, and there was a waiting list for puppies.

For the record, our dog has been "snipped."

[elfman2]

"With millions of homeless dogs and cats, breeders are putting one of them to death for every cash bag(puppies to the rest of us) they sell."

There are no homeless mastiff puppies, just like there are no abandoned new cars littering the highways. Homeless animals are a problem, but stopping the breeding of mastiff puppies is no more the answer than stopping car production is the answer to abandoned cars.

[HostileTerritory]

I agree that shelter pets should be a first option, but I don't think blaming the breeders is fair or constructive. Like it or not, there's a market and the ethical ones are meeting it. Our culture needs to change so that people who want to adopt pets recognize they don't need to spend $500 for the perfect pug when there are plenty of lovable mutts who need a good home. I don't know how this happens except at an individual level.

[2nd amendment mama]

That's absolutely NOT true. I used to breed Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. I never put any of my puppies to sleep and in fact, one litter cost me money! My mommy dog got sick and couldn't nurse so I bottle fed 12 pups. The cost of the formula alone (never mind the vet bills) ate up any of the money we made back when we sold them.

You should really know what you're talking about before opening your mouth. We didn't run a "puppy mill", we had 1 female that we bred twice.

[Gingersnap]

"...breeders are putting one of them to death for every cash bag(puppies to the rest of us) they sell."

Whoa, friends! I'm involved in breed rescue and other canine interest efforts and I think some of these comments are a bit over the top.

Dog adoption/purchase isn't a zero-sum game. Some people always adopt, some always buy and most do both at various times in their lives. If someone wants a mastiff, they aren't going to adopt a lab mix instead.

I'm all for adoption but adoption is not the best option for everyone. A lot of shelter dogs have severe behavior problems that take a time and skill to fix. Most of them are medium to large dogs which make them unsuitable for many frail elderly or disabled people. Good breeders, including some of the much maligned "backyard" variety, serve a purpose.

Puppy mills are bad as are irresponsible breeders whether they are backyard or professional but we have no reason to believe this dog in that type of situation.

[SnarlinCubBear]

To the breeders, they are not puppies - They are nothing but cash.
=====
Depends on the breeder. To the puppy millers that's true.
To many of us, they are children to be loved and they tear the heart out when they leave to go to good loving homes.

Don't generalize this issue.

[snarkytart]

>>>To the breeders, they are not puppies - They are nothing but cash. With millions of homeless dogs and cats, breeders are putting one of them to death for every cash bag(puppies to the rest of us) they sell.<<<

I agree.

[Slip18]

You are out of your ever lovin' mind. I've had three purebred dogs and one dog I saved from going to the pound. The one I saved, a German Shepherd, was the sweetest dog I've ever had. At six years old he got a German Shepherd disease, perianal fistulas. Antibiotics and about $4000 later, he died from this horrid disease.

I'd rather spend $1800 for a dog who was bred well. Thank you ever so much.

[cyborg]

Well it extends to how people view adoption vs. artifical insemination... why are some people getting other people's frozen eggs and not adopting a baby? they both cost the same.