potential pet owners

[ignerntbend]

All of our animals have been rescue pets. Here is our recent pick up from the Pittsburg Animal shelter. She is at the Vet right now for Kennel cough, and should be home today. Her name is Gretchen, and if not a full breed, she's very close to one. Border Collie. Very lovable, very friendly, an protective(not in a violent manner), and is doing well on the crate training. She does get along well with our cat's.
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The farther she is from pure breed the better. Border Collies are the sweetest dogs on earth but they're short-lived.
Hope she has a little mut in her.

 

[ldp4570]

The farther she is from pure breed the better. Border Collies are the sweetest dogs on earth but they're short-lived.
Hope she has a little mut in her.

From what the Vet here told me, she's not much more than a year old, so she'll be around for a few years. Who ever had her before didn't mistreat her, but other than being house broken(Sorta) she wasn't taught how to play which we are working on. Granted she won't be like our last dog, but she is willing to learn, and is already taking to simple commands. She's already very protective of everyone in the home(Our three cats aren't real happy about that, but they are adapting), and alreats to anyone coming around the home with either a low growl, or one to two sharp barks.

 

[Biggsly]

There's nothing wrong with a rescue dog if you are just looking for a companion. But I doubt you'll be winning any shows and you'll have a much harder time getting any working titles picking something out of a shelter. The issue here is the backyard breeders that will mass produce for profit. They don't invest much into the parents, the puppies are gone ASAP to keep costs down and anyone with cash is welcome to buy.

A reputable breeder does it for the love of the breed, not money. The investment is heavy. They'll build their names over time and supplement themselves by judging or training. Then they still either have regular jobs or a supportive spouse. Then when you go to their house you see these dogs are their entire lives. Do they make money? Of course they do. Take an average of 8 puppies at $300-500 profit each for 2-3 litters per year. Anyone making a living off that?

My wife and I have two dogs here. My wife has a 5 year old weenie dog. We paid dirt for it and got our money's worth. My puppy will be 8 months old on Friday. I paid a pretty penny for him last fall. The breeder invested a pretty penny in the entire process. He won't simply be a house pet. I doubt any of his littermates end up at a rescue. Potential buyers are screened and interviewed. Some potential buyers receive home inspections prior to deposit. The breeder will accept any puppy back at any age for any reason for the specific reason that they don't end up in a shelter. There is always a waiting list so there are no litters where a puppy may not be placed. In theory, if there aren't buyers waiting, then there isn't a litter produced. But at this stage, the breeder is established to the point that this is not a concern.

I like people who rescue dogs. It's like adopting a child. But don't hate on all breeders or all the people who choose to buy from a breeder. There is a wide spectrum of people who buy/sell dogs. For my wife's dog, I would have not had a problem with a rescue. For my dog, that was not an option.

I have found if you want to find a good breeder, ask to see the old dogs that they don't breed anymore. If they don't have any on the propety, its because they dumped them off on someone else as soon as they were not money makers anymore. Look at the dog's living area. If they are in kennels with no real yard to play in, you can bet, that is where they will spend most of their lives. I am sure that there is a few out there, but most that I have seen are in it for the money.