General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: We’re Breeding Dogs to Death [View all]pnwmom
(108,972 posts)We're not all that far apart, IMO. We both think dog breeding should be strictly regulated and limited to conscientious breeders. We also agree that dogs should be bred primarily for health and temperament, and that people who acquire them should understand the needs of the dog they are getting.
Where we differ is on writing a check to the breeder. We just did that and couldn't be happier. This is the third dog we've had, and all have been raised by conscientious breeders, but this breeder was the best. She did extensive genetic testing to reduce the chance of an inherited illness and worked to socialize the puppies, in her home, from the age of three weeks. She also keeps the puppies till the age of 10 weeks because she wants to get them through that fear period before releasing them.
She knew we already had an older dog and she helped us pick a match based on temperament. Our older dog had gotten dog-shy (after being attacked from behind by pair of big dogs), but after two weeks, these two are having a ball together.
I don't know how we would have benefited by buying a dog through an organization rather than from the individual breeder. Whatever profit she made, she deserved. She did a terrific job.