# Why I don't feel the least bit guilty about buying my dog from a breeder



## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

I just wanted to quickly share an experience I had with a neighbor. 


She has a daughter the same age as my boys and since they were playing in my front lawn, she saw Hanna and we struck up a conversation about dogs. She used to be a dog walker and now that her daughter is going to KG, she is starting up her own dog walking business. Of course she was curious about my dog's coat and I was telling her that I used to be a groomer and bought her to practice show grooming on. She then told me that she wasn't into dog shows and she got her dog from a shelter, a Thai dog. Apparently, she had to get rid of her dog because her dog never got used to the baby. I don't know exactly what her opinion is of buying from a breeder, but my other reason for going through a breeder is because I wanted a dog that I was fairly confident would be SAFE for my family, that I wouldn't have to return. I did detect a hint of looking down on me for not getting a shelter dog, but I don't know. What I do know is there are people out there who think all breeders are bad and that breeding should be illegal. I'm glad people can make a choice for whatever they feel is right for them. I support shelter and shelter dogs, but also the right to choose. I have absolutely no regrets, my dog is very good with my boys as well as the neighborhood kids. Every dog is an individual, even within breeds, but people buying from good breeders have a good idea of what temperament their dog will most likely have, and there is little guarantee of that with a rescue. My shepherd rescue was awesome, but other people aren't so lucky.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I agree with you completely. I'm very happy for people who have a good experience with shelter dogs... and I have a HUGE amount of respect for those who willingly take on shelter "challenges". (and there are lots of those that need home too!) But I also understand completely why someone would want a purebred dog. I only hope they have the sense to purchase one from a reputable breeder. If they do, they are NOT part of the problem, they are part of the solution. That's a dog who will, most likely, never BE in a shelter.


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## Zarika (Dec 16, 2012)

I agree. Having done both (my Hav, Hobbes, now is a puppy mill rescue and my "family" aka my dog before a borzoi I showed in jr showmanship and regular conformation) I can see the great things about both. I haven't decided what my next dog will be, as I won't add a second for quite a long time I imagine, but I can make convincing arguments for both.


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## Targaryen (Apr 10, 2013)

I totally agree although being a breeder myself might have a lot to do with that :laugh:

In all seriousness though I've had many rescue dogs and been involved with rescue and while I loved them they weren't a good mix for what I was after and I won't apologise or feel guilty about it. Not every dog is good in every situation. I have specific wants and needs from the dogs I own and pedigree Samoyeds and Havanese suit that perfectly.


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## tra_po (Aug 14, 2013)

I don't know why people chose to frown on other people's choices for no real reason other than it's not what they would have done... Sigh. You know what is right for your family and you have to responsibly follow that instinct. We get to spend a dog's lifetime with them if we're lucky; It's crucial our home is the right fit for them. 

That said... I have a soft spot for people who take in or foster shelter dogs and those can be puppies wrongly placed from breeders as well.


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## RoutineAvocado (Feb 6, 2013)

The judging for adopting from a breeder drives me nuts. Especially from people who chose to have biological children instead of welcoming one of the many many foster system children into their home. Everybody has the right to make choices about their family including spouses, children, and pets.

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## jmombo (Jul 7, 2013)

RoutineAvocado said:


> The judging for adopting from a breeder drives me nuts. Especially from people who chose to have biological children instead of welcoming one of the many many foster system children into their home. Everybody has the right to make choices about their family including spouses, children, and pets.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I couldn't agree more with this sentiment. There are always children and pets that are in need of good homes. To those that can offer them homes, it is a loving and beautiful thing. In fact, I'd love to adopt a child one day, and perhaps someday we will. But that does not make it right for everyone. We have had a shelter dog and, unfortunately, we were not able to keep her in our home. She snapped at our young children and ran from the house towards the road each and every time a door opened. It was a difficult time for us. It pained our family and hurt our children when we had to make the decision to give her to another family without young children. We chose to go with breeders because knowing the background of our pups was important to our family. Knowing they were loved, nurtured and cared for as well as genetically and temperamentally sound was important considering this is a serious commitment. People should not be made to feel guilty for seeking this sort of assurance for their families... and, if a person has birth children, rather than a houseful of adopted children, they have no place making that argument.


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## lfung5 (Jun 30, 2007)

People get mad because they think breeders are the reason there are so many dogs in shelters. They need to be mad at back yard & bad breeders and puppy mills. Ethical breeders dogs don't wind up in shelters because they have a buy back clause. I saw a show on Ophra and they guy from animal rescue even said what I just stated above. He said he didn't have a problem with ethical breeders and this guy owned a huge rescue near me. I understand why people wouldn't want to rescue a dog. Maybe they don't feel they have the time, money or experience to deal with a dog that might have potential issues.


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## morriscsps (Aug 17, 2010)

You think it is bad getting a dog from a breeder? Never tell people that you got a CAT from a breeder!!! Fifty times worse. Hypoallergenic dogs are acceptable. You are somewhat forgiven if you have allergies. Same family, same allergies - hypoallergenic CAT? OMGOSH! You didn't go to the pound?? The HORROR! 

I just tell people that Jack picked us.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

If everyone bought from ethical breeders there would be much fewer shelter dogs (in my opinion).

I don't feel guilty in the slightest for going to a reputable breeder. I wanted to know exactly what I was getting and know that my pet was coming from healthy lines. When I was doing my puppy research, I did look at ads on Kijiji, and people were wanting as much for backyard mixed breed pups as what I paid for my boy from a reputable breeder.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

There are red rag subjects, aren't they, and engender opinions that people feel they must foist upon you; I am so in agreement with all of the above. I get a lot of stick from my husband's family who always rescue dogs; they are farm dogs. No-one bothers to train them or do anything but let them live a more or less feral life. They none of them survive all that long - running onto roads, falling down wells and rabbit holes, falling into tanks, getting run over by tractors, being put to sleep for biting people - it's a litany of woe. And they give me a hard time because I have pure bred dogs with long hair, because I go to training classes, because my dogs are good at walking on lead in towns and because I don't allow Cuba, who is now nearly 6 months old, to go out to the farm and get bullied, mugged and harassed by dogs with no manners. I'm in the dog house and have been since I acquired my first Coton ten years ago and I don't care any more. I wasn't qualified then to take on someone else's mistake and I admire those who are. I don't foist my opinion on the subject, which tallies with those on this thread who suggest that reputable breeders are keeping dogs OUT of shelters.


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## tra_po (Aug 14, 2013)

Really nice post Lalla!


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Thank you, Traci!! Really NOT a nice situation sometimes, but in the end we are the ones who live with our own dogs and need to acquire them in the first place in the way that we feel comfortable with, and then bring them up in a way that makes sense for us, ourselves, not for anyone else. It's sometimes hard when people close to you don't agree; I got a lot of tricky stuff early on because I'd not owned dogs before and of course they all had; the fact that they hadn't done it in a way that I found compatible with MY life didn't make any difference - I was the 'new girl' to dog ownership. The fact that I WAS new meant that I did a lot of homework before getting my first dog (and have just done so again before getting Cuba) and then did a lot of work on learning how to be a good teacher of my dogs. It could have been ME who was the know-all (goodness knows, experience is NOT the be-all!! It can be a whole lot of BAD experience), but I don't, in fact, expect anyone to do it my way, just to allow ME do it my way!! But it takes confidence to stand up for oneself and we have to learn that, too.


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## Caroline (Oct 9, 2012)

There definitely is a sentiment out there that breeders are part of the reason dogs are dying in shelters. It's part of the black and white thinking that plagues our culture. I am involved with rescue and hear it all the time. Just had a conversation with someone about this yesterday. I try to educate people about the differences between a reputable breeder, a backyard breeder and a puppy mill, but it's an uphill battle. It's great that there is media coverage on the horrors of puppy mills, but now the average person lumps all breeders into the same category.

I also take this crusade against breeders very personally, having grown up in a family of reputable breeders who loved and cherished their animals. My mother bred Persian cats and my grandfather bred GSDs for police work. I spent my childhood going to cat shows all over the US and Canada where my mother was either showing or judging, and saw the differences in types of breeders very early. One of my very close friends has also bred and shown Cairns for years, and most dogs never receive the pampering her dogs get. Wish that was a breed I was drawn to, because her dogs are great...but I'm just not into terriers!

I get so offended when I hear a self righteous person spouting off about how breeders are the problem. If we ever correct the pet over population in this country, I want there to still be beautifully bred, healthy purebred dogs....and supporting reputable breeders is the only way that is going to happen.

What some rescue folks fail to recognize, is that rescue groups originally were started by reputable breeders, who created grass roots breed specific rescue groups to get their chosen breeds out of shelters. Ironic that rescue people are sometimes the loudest critics of breeders now. 

All my life, my choice has been to own rescue animals (way before it was fashionable!)...but that's me. I'm a nurse, so I get a kick out of saving people and animals  It's not for everyone....people should do what works for them. There is nothing wrong with getting a pup from a reputable breeder. You are supporting a good practice just as much as the person who chooses to adopt a rescue dog. The motivation behind rescues and good breeders is the same...love of the animal. It's the idiots that do it just for profit that muck up the issue. 

Sorry for rambling on....it's just something I feel very passionate about:blabla:


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

I don't know how the law stands in the US re dog licensing; we abolished it here in the UK a long time ago. One of the effects of that is that it costs absolutely nothing, theoretically - obviously, if you go to a breeder you pay for your dog, and that alone means you think very hard about getting one - to acquire a dog in the first place, and there is certainly an element here of what are known as 'trophy dogs' - usually dogs for macho status, usually Staffordshire bull terriers, Rottweilers - those sort of dogs. They are often owned by young men who very probably, some of them, use them illegally for dog-fighting, or for simply frightening people. They certainly succeed in the latter endeavour. Shelters in my country are full of these dogs - when the young men realise that they cost a lot to keep, need to be trained or they'll turn on their owners as well, get bored with them, go away, whatever reason, they dump them, sometimes out of car windows on motorways. It's a hideous situation. No-one wants to rescue a large, muscular, aggressive (usually, or fear-aggressive) untrained dog. I presume they are put to sleep in their droves. Not having to learn anything about dogs before getting one, not having to pay anything to acquire it, not having to pay for a licence to own it has, in my personal opinion, led to a lot of the problem in shelters - even the good hearted, decent, optimistic dog-owner can all to easily write off a 'mistake' and dump it. What is to be done about such a situation is beyond my scope, but I can't help thinking if we brought back dog licensing and required more accountability and responsibility in the first place it might just at least partly improve a pretty scandalous outcome for so many poor dogs.


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

Yes, I agree. The vast majority of dogs in shelters here in the states are those types of dogs, who are bred by irresponsible people who have no business owning, let alone breeding, their pit bull or other type of large aggressive dog. A few days ago I saw a post on my Facebook page showing a picture of two rows of euthenized pit bulls in a shelter with the caption: If you bought your dog from a breeder, don't call yourself a dog lover. That is so over the line that people would throw a red herring like that. Responsible Breeders have absolutely nothing to with the overpopulation of pit bulls and the gang/ghetto mentality of those that let them breed and supply the overpopulation that causes there to be not enough homes for all those animals. And many of the bred dogs are acquired from shelters in the first place! Do people really think that by criminalizing good breefers, that a family with young children wanting a calm, gentle dog will actually adopt a high energy, untrained, possibly animal aggressive strong dog? I don't think so.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

In the very few times I've been thrown a comment about that (especially when they know how much our dogs cost), I remind the commenter that people are too irresponsible to spay and neuter, get mad at that. Both of my dogs have been snipped. While it breaks my heart that dogs get put down, I feel I have done a good thing by making sure my two cannot parent a litter. People are so nonchalant about letting their dogs "just have one litter"..bla bla bla. We have a neighbor who let her two dogs (a peke and a chihuahua, both from Petland) just have one litter....uuuggghhh!! :doh:


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

atsilvers27 said:


> A few days ago I saw a post on my Facebook page showing a picture of two rows of euthenized pit bulls in a shelter with the caption: If you bought your dog from a breeder, don't call yourself a dog lover. .


I really do loathe that sort of emotive caption - it's as aggressive as those poor dogs probably were. It is so ridiculously unfair on reputable breeders, and such a stupid generalisation about motives for buying dogs and who does or does not love them. How dare someone accuse those of us who buy our dogs from a breeder of not loving dogs! It's the people who dump their dogs in shelters who don't love dogs - thank goodness there are dog lovers who are willing to rescue some of those abandoned animals, but that doesn't mean that those of us who pay for our dogs love them any less. Growl!


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## sandypaws (Aug 8, 2012)

I have a neighbor who acquired a Staffordshire from a kennel. (In this case, I must admit that he is a beautiful and gentle dog). However, she went back a few years later for a female, then bred the two and had a litter or 11, I was told. Soon after, a cardboard sign with big white lettering appeared on the front lawn stating, "Puppies for Sale". Needless to say, they were sold in a heartbeat. I don't really know or speak with her, but assume that she kept one or two or more, as there is an awful lot of barking coming from over there. Recently, I noticed a "Beware of the Dog" sign on her light post. Can just imagine that one of them must have bitten someone! What a sad, sad situation! It's surely a disaster waiting to happen. It breaks my heart.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

It seems absolutely bizarre to me that there is no legislation to prevent people with no experience or knowledge of genetics, or any of the things that reputable breeders must learn about, from allowing dogs to breed and then selling puppies that could grow up to be dangerous weapons in the wrong hands.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Pixiesmom said:


> In the very few times I've been thrown a comment about that (especially when they know how much our dogs cost), I remind the commenter that people are too irresponsible to spay and neuter, get mad at that. Both of my dogs have been snipped. While it breaks my heart that dogs get put down, I feel I have done a good thing by making sure my two cannot parent a litter. People are so nonchalant about letting their dogs "just have one litter"..bla bla bla. We have a neighbor who let her two dogs (a peke and a chihuahua, both from Petland) just have one litter....uuuggghhh!! :doh:


Although, it's the fact that people let them have a litter that's the problem more than that they don't spay/neuter them. I have a number of people in the dog sport world who don't spay or neuter their purebred dogs. It's not my choice, but these people handle their dogs responsibly train them well, and DON'T let them reproduce indiscriminately. That's a lot of work, but if people are willing to do it, I don't have a problem with them NOT spaying or neutering.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lalla said:


> I really do loathe that sort of emotive caption - it's as aggressive as those poor dogs probably were. It is so ridiculously unfair on reputable breeders, and such a stupid generalisation about motives for buying dogs and who does or does not love them. How dare someone accuse those of us who buy our dogs from a breeder of not loving dogs! It's the people who dump their dogs in shelters who don't love dogs - thank goodness there are dog lovers who are willing to rescue some of those abandoned animals, but that doesn't mean that those of us who pay for our dogs love them any less. Growl!


In fairness to pit bulls. They are not, inherently, an aggressive breed either. They have to be TAUGHT to fight. And unfortunately, they've been bred to have huge, bone crushing jaws. A bite that was a "nip" from a Collie, would do serious damage if a pit did the same.

I know many lovely pits. They are very smart and if well trained and FAIRLY handled, sweet and friendly. They don't deserve the rap they get either.

The problem is that MANY of them come from places that churn out dogs for dog fighting rings. Then they get into the wrong hands where, instead of kind, loving, correct training, they are either actively taught to fight or "just" not properly socialized and often abused by their owners. Not the dogs' fault.

For me, however, they are the wrong breed, whether I bought one or rescued one. I wanted a SMALL dog and one that was low allergy. Whether I like and respect the breed or not, Pits (or Staffies) are neither of those things.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lalla said:


> It seems absolutely bizarre to me that there is no legislation to prevent people with no experience or knowledge of genetics, or any of the things that reputable breeders must learn about, from allowing dogs to breed and then selling puppies that could grow up to be dangerous weapons in the wrong hands.


Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands, unfortunately. Ours can do less damage because they are small with relatively weaker jaws. They can still take off a young child's face. And unfortunately, there are some ill-tempered Havanese out there now, because puppy mills don't care WHAT they breed together, and even some "show" breeders are not paying enough attention to good temperament.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

krandall said:


> Any dog can be dangerous in the wrong hands, unfortunately. Ours can do less damage because they are small with relatively weaker jaws. They can still take off a young child's face. And unfortunately, there are some ill-tempered Havanese out there now, because puppy mills don't care WHAT they breed together, and even some "show" breeders are not paying enough attention to good temperament.


You are SO right; and I totally agree re so-called 'dangerous' breeds'; I too have known some (Staffies, not Pit-Bulls - they are banned in the UK, although I'm sure there are some poor things keep in secret for fighting, and just imagine what THAT existence must be like and what it must do to a dog's temperament) who were absolutely lovely dogs. Because they had absolutely lovely owners. I'm sure there is the usual nature/nurture argument to be had, but no dog could withstand training to be aggressive, as happens. If it COULD it would probably be dumped for being a useless trophy/fighter.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lalla said:


> I'm sure there is the usual nature/nurture argument to be had, but no dog could withstand training to be aggressive, as happens. If it COULD it would probably be dumped for being a useless trophy/fighter.


Worse, the ones that can't/won't fight are then used a "bait dogs".

In the urban areas where dog fighting is particularly prevalent, (it is, of course, COMPLETELY illegal everywhere in the U.S. also) owners of "softer" breed dogs have to be VERY careful about leaving their dogs unattended, even in their own fenced yard. It is not art all uncommon for dog fighting rings to steal these dogs right out of their owner's yards as bait dogs to teach their fighters to fight.

And, in truth, a Pit Bull and a Staffie are essentially the same thing:

"There are actually many dog breeds that can be easily confused and are often mistakenly referred to as pit bulls. The correct designations are:

American Pit Bull Terrier (APBT) - recognized by the ADBA (American Dog Breeder's Association) and UKC (United Kennel Club)
American Staffordshire Terrier (AST) - recognized by the AKC (American Kennel Club)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (SBT) - recognized by the AKC and UKC
These breeds are essentially the same dogs but have been bred for different purposes and/or size standards since the mid 1930's. Some are even dual registered (i.e., registered as an American Pit Bull Terrier with the UKC and as an American Staffordshire Terrier with the AKC). Petey the Pup from The Little Rascals was among the first American Pit Bull Terriers to be registered with the AKC as an American Staffordshire Terrier.

How can we tell the difference? We can't, really. We can only try to guess the breed based on subtle characteristics. Note that even experts can't always tell if a pit bull is an APBT, an AST or a SBT. Even with DNA testing, many known purebred dogs come up with results of mixed breed lineage. For the average pit bull owner, however, these distinctions are not really relevant. As a general rule, dogs of these breeds tend to have stable and loving temperaments."


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

I was told of a woman who took her GSD and yellow lab to a park in Oxford recently. She got them out of the car, and as she did so a van pulled up beside her. Two young men got out. They said to her 'do your dogs fight?' and she laughed and said, 'no'; the men said 'well, they will now', and got two Staffies out of the van and set them on this woman's dogs. She managed to throw the lab over a hedge, goodness knows how, and bundled the GSD back into her van, got in herself and locked the doors, waited for the young men (they were laughing their heads off) to put their dogs back in the van and drive off, got out and managed to climb the hedge to rescue the terrified lab. Goodness knows how, but no-one was hurt. The psychological damage to this woman and to her two dogs must have been dreadful.

I haven't yet heard of dogs in the UK being taken out of their own yards, but I'm sorry to say that I wouldn't be surprised; they certainly have been known to disappear in parks, never to be seen again. I don't let my dogs off lead, ever, unless I am somewhere that I am absolutely sure I am safe to do so and that hasn't been for a long time. Fortunately I have a fairly large garden, at least large enough for serious RLH!


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## atsilvers27 (Jul 5, 2011)

krandall said:


> Worse, the ones that can't/won't fight are then used a "bait dogs".
> 
> In the urban areas where dog fighting is particularly prevalent, (it is, of course, COMPLETELY illegal everywhere in the U.S. also) owners of "softer" breed dogs have to be VERY careful about leaving their dogs unattended, even in their own fenced yard. It is not art all uncommon for dog fighting rings to steal these dogs right out of their owner's yards as bait dogs to teach their fighters to fight.
> 
> ...


Karen, they used to be nicknamed "nanny dogs" and there are even old photos of them posed with children. Now they are notorious for ending up in the news for mauling/killing dogs and children. Personally I believe it's a combination of selective breeding for aggression and unqualified people owning them, as do most dog-wise people. But I also think it's a trend across the board with other breeds as well. People seem to think dogs just "snap", but I think this is truly rare.

I have seen the results of an 8 month old English Bulldog who was boarding with my manager become increasingly aggressive toward people. The young dog bit her teenage daughter as she was running on their tredmill. She brought the dog in to the salon, who was owned by another groomer who was away on vacation, and asked to let him loose in the salon while there were no other dogs out to observe what he would do. We agreed, and we followed her instruction to keep our backs at the walls and not turn away from him. Well, as we were all experienced handling aggressive dogs, so no one was nervous about the experiment, one girl ended up standing on top of a grooming table at its highest extent while the dog kept on jumping up trying to get her, the dog almost bit my elbow had it not been for someone pushing me out of the way, and a few other things. He ended up attacking and mauling the manager in her home, despite all her precautions, and in the end was put to sleep. The owner could not stand the thought of the dog mauling a small child. That dog seemed to have some kind of chemical imbalance of sorts, and an arguement could be said that he was born that way.

Personally I believe people aren't educated enough about dogs, so what they perceive as a dog being normal and then just randomly attacking, is not really the case. There are signs that something is not right, whether it's aggression with food, other dogs, destructive behavior, all of which can be managed with proper training and excercise. There simply are not enough qualified people to take in large, energetic, aggressive-type dogs, as well as insurance restrictions for landlords renting to dog owners. All in all, a lot can be said about this topic, but the bottom line is that selfish, uncaring people have ruined this once gentle, admired breed.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Lalla said:


> I was told of a woman who took her GSD and yellow lab to a park in Oxford recently. She got them out of the car, and as she did so a van pulled up beside her. Two young men got out. They said to her 'do your dogs fight?' and she laughed and said, 'no'; the men said 'well, they will now', and got two Staffies out of the van and set them on this woman's dogs. She managed to throw the lab over a hedge, goodness knows how, and bundled the GSD back into her van, got in herself and locked the doors, waited for the young men (they were laughing their heads off) to put their dogs back in the van and drive off, got out and managed to climb the hedge to rescue the terrified lab. Goodness knows how, but no-one was hurt. The psychological damage to this woman and to her two dogs must have been dreadful.
> 
> I haven't yet heard of dogs in the UK being taken out of their own yards, but I'm sorry to say that I wouldn't be surprised; they certainly have been known to disappear in parks, never to be seen again. I don't let my dogs off lead, ever, unless I am somewhere that I am absolutely sure I am safe to do so and that hasn't been for a long time. Fortunately I have a fairly large garden, at least large enough for serious RLH!


Wow!!! I hope she got their license number and reported them!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

atsilvers27 said:


> Personally I believe people aren't educated enough about dogs, so what they perceive as a dog being normal and then just randomly attacking, is not really the case. There are signs that something is not right, whether it's aggression with food, other dogs, destructive behavior, all of which can be managed with proper training and excercise. There simply are not enough qualified people to take in large, energetic, aggressive-type dogs, as well as insurance restrictions for landlords renting to dog owners. All in all, a lot can be said about this topic, but the bottom line is that selfish, uncaring people have ruined this once gentle, admired breed.


Yup. It's a many-sided problem.


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

krandall said:


> Although, it's the fact that people let them have a litter that's the problem more than that they don't spay/neuter them. I have a number of people in the dog sport world who don't spay or neuter their purebred dogs. It's not my choice, but these people handle their dogs responsibly train them well, and DON'T let them reproduce indiscriminately. That's a lot of work, but if people are willing to do it, I don't have a problem with them NOT spaying or neutering.


I agree with you Karen-I know there are some folks that have their good reasons and the wherewithal to handle their dogs who remain intact. I'm talking more about the typical family who lets Fluffy have a litter to "experience the miracle". I know you knew where I was coming from though.


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## Lalla (Jul 30, 2013)

Pixiesmom said:


> I agree with you Karen-I know there are some folks that have their good reasons and the wherewithal to handle their dogs who remain intact. I'm talking more about the typical family who lets Fluffy have a litter to "experience the miracle". I know you knew where I was coming from though.


Side-tracking, and not wishing to thread-hijack, I've posted on the "Neutering/Zeutering/Timing Qs" thread a statistical digest of reasons to neuter, health-wise, and sensible timings to do so, if of any interest.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Pixiesmom said:


> I agree with you Karen-I know there are some folks that have their good reasons and the wherewithal to handle their dogs who remain intact. I'm talking more about the typical family who lets Fluffy have a litter to "experience the miracle". I know you knew where I was coming from though.


Yup!


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## CatWoman (Sep 8, 2013)

I'm with you. My Dixie is the only non-rescue animal I've ever had. I'm in my 60s, so I feel as if I've paid my dues regarding taking in the hopeless and homeless. And I feed feral cats on my back porch. (I do TNR.) Because I'm allergic to many dogs, I wanted a dog that wouldn't affect my allergies, and Havanese fit the bill. I also wanted a small dog. The dogs at my nearest shelter are large brutes. If I hadn't bought Dixie, I would not have adopted a shelter dog. I would have simply remained dogless.


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