Selling a purebred = evil in the eyes of everyone

[IDrinkaRum]

Dog Breeder who sold German Shephard puppy to Vice President Biden has "learned her lesson"

Back in December, Linda Brown sold one of her German Shephard puppies to Vice President Biden and his family. Then there was a backlash. Dog lovers said Biden should have gotten a shelter dog. PETA started a "buy one, you kill one" campaign - blaming dog breeders for the killing of shelter animals. Even dog wardens from the state Ms. Brown is in harrassed her (FTR, she was found NOT GUILTY for every single citation she got). Both Ms. Brown and Vice President Biden have received death threats because of it.

The insanity ... please make it stop!

[AFPheonix]

Yeah, buying animals from shelters and whatnot is a noble thing, blah blah blah, but buying from a reputable breeder who chooses her lines carefully, makes sure her puppies are healthy and ensures that her breeding stock should indeed be breeding stock by proving them through shows and shutzhund (well, in her case, since she's doing german shepherds), is just as good, and you get a known product.
As long as you're not buying from some idiot BYB or from a pet store puppy mill, you're fine.
Besides, some people want a specific breed and a specific bloodline within a breed to go do something specific. Nothing wrong with that, either.

[Boozy]

Getting a dog from a shelter is a crapshoot. Some people aren't prepared for that, and its responsible of them to acknowledge that and get a breed that will likely fit their lifestyles. Why should these people be denied animal companionship because they aren't willing to throw the dice?

Do these critics also make a habit of snarking at pregnant women for not getting their children from the foster system? Obviously, you can't compare children with animals, but is the principle not the same?

[guywithashovel]

If you're going to be a politician, you'd better be ready to let a lot of things roll off your back. I think it's astounding to see how people nitpick every single move they make. I don't see why anyone would care about where the VP got his dog.

[tabbyblack13]

The people who are threatening both the VP and the breeder are doing it to get attention. As for PETA, they had a advertisement (under a false name) in Dog Fancy for new puppy gift bags. It was a black garbage bag with a note saying that you have just killed a dog in a shelter. This was almost a year ago. The whole "you are killing shelter dogs" attitude existed before the VP got the puppy. PETA just got a second wind.

As for shelter dog vs breeder dogs. A person needs to decide on for themselves. My Mom and Dad's first dog was from a breeder in Germany where my Dad was stationed during Vietnam. The following dogs were either given to us, found, or adopted. Each dog that was adopted or found were unknown to us and my Mom was extremely careful with them until the dog could be trusted. Two of the dogs that was found were so well behaved that I could take food out there mouths, pull them out of the UPS truck (they loved car rides), and I was never attacked by them. These dogs were German Shepard mixes and brothers. One was born with hip dysplasya (sp?) and the other only had three legs. The only time I was bitten was when I tried to breakup a little tiff. I should have known better and it was my fault for getting the bruise, no skin was broken. I know I can deal with a difficult dog from a shelter but not everyone can. The shelters also try there best to make sure that the person adopted can handle the dog.

Not everyone can take care of a shelter dog. If the dog is from a qualified breeder that does the work to improve the breed there should be no problem. Backyard breeders and puppy mills give good breeders a bad name. Most of the dogs that are in the shelter are from backyard breeders mostly due to the lack of socialization and training that is necessary at a young age. My Brother and his Wife got there dogs from a breeder and they are happy with them. Both dogs were unable to be breed due to lacking show quality but they have good lines. They are also healthy as well.

[AdminAssistant]

As far as I'm concerned, it's a free country and if you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money for a specialty breed, then go for it. But I will personally never own a purebred dog. They have more health problems and they are not as smart as mutts. Mutts are definitely the way to go. Of course, this is assuming I'll ever be able to have a pet....

[kiwi]

K and I have plans to buy a pure-bred GSD next year, if we can find a breeder who will let us have two I would be stoaked. The reason I want a pure breed, because I love the temperament, the look, the personality of the GSD we had as children in my family.

I know the GSD, I know how it needs to live, that it must be incredibly active and constantly challenged. It needs a purpose day to day, it needs devoted owners who are prepared to train it and keep it stimulated. For me the GSD is the best dog and only dog I would ever have.

It most likely comes across as harsh sounding but I am not going to get a shelter dog if I don't want one. I don't feel I should have to be responsible for other peoples selfishness/laziness. If someone dumps a dog at a shelter that is unbelievably sad, but that is on their head not mine.

People who are irresponsible will always be, people who are selfish wont wake up one day as a saint. People who think pets are expendable will most likely ALWAYS think that. I would prefer to get the best dog for me and have it be part of my family, give it a good life for its ENTIRE life. Not hand it off when they become inconvenient.

I believe that buying a pure breed (from a REPUTABLE breeder) helps control dog numbers. I would never ever buy a dog from a pet shop, I would never adopt a dog from a shelter. I understand they need to be there (shelters not pet shops) for a reason, and if you have a shelter dog then I think thats awesome. But I don't want one and that doesn't make me a bad person.

A decent breeder wont let just anyone have the dogs, they come and inspect your property, they interview you about your lifestyle, what you know about that breed and they take care that the dogs will be cared for. My brother has had TWO shelter dogs, he's the kind of person who gets them and then drops them back off when the novelty wears off. Even with our GSD he could have cared less once she got out of her puppy stage. Never walked her, never bathed her, never did anything with her.

The shelter was so desperate to get rid of the dogs, they didn't check his house (a rental with no pets policy), they didn't check his lifestyle (he works 12 hour days or longer) and after a few months he literally dumped the dog at mums house one day.... again I was the one who played with him, fed him, bathed him. It took a whole day with that poor thing whining at me through the lounge door before I caved. I can't stand to see an animal sad or lonely. The shelter took the dog back, then gave the same irresponsible idiot a dog AGAIN a year later.... guess what happened.... the same fucking thing.

Even now he doesn't see that he did anything wrong.

Now Im not saying all shelters are like that, but in this case giving him the second dog was inexcusable.

It makes me so sad that people are made to feel bad for being a responsible dog owner. Good for you J Biden, you have every right to have the dog you want. Shame on anyone who thinks that people who buy from a decent breeder are doing anything bad. It should be the ONLY way to have access to dogs IMO.

[Slytovhand]

Do these critics also make a habit of snarking at pregnant women for not getting their children from the foster system? Obviously, you can't compare children with animals, but is the principle not the same?

Oooh, I like that

Give them a break... and especially give her a break! Why should the dog owner get ostracised because someone decides their dog is better than another (which, lets face it, is probably correct on various levels).

As for purebred vs pound... if you can afford the cash and the attention involved in breeding, fine. If you can't, I'd suggest not getting a breeder, and getting one from the pound... simple - isn't it? (no, apparently not....)

[Greenday]

As far as I'm concerned, it's a free country and if you want to spend a ridiculous amount of money for a specialty breed, then go for it. But I will personally never own a purebred dog. They have more health problems and they are not as smart as mutts. Mutts are definitely the way to go. Of course, this is assuming I'll ever be able to have a pet....

I'd like to introduce you to my beagle. As far as we can tell, he was purebred. He's smart as hell. A lot smarter than my friend's dogs who are mutts.

[AdminAssistant]

I'd like to introduce you to my beagle. As far as we can tell, he was purebred. He's smart as hell. A lot smarter than my friend's dogs who are mutts.

There are, of course, exceptions.

Back home, a lot of people shell out LOTS of money for labs, because they're traditional 'huntin' dogs. Every one of them I've ever come across is dumb as a brick. We always had mutts that were either given to us or dumped on us. The dog my parents have now was dumped on us. He's 6, has had no health problems, and is the smartest, cleverest, sweetest dog I've ever known.

The one purebred we had was an Aussie Blue Heeler. He was smart...and extremely aggressive. We eventually had to get rid of him.

I just don't see how some piece of paper or AKC registration makes a dog 'better'. I mean...it's a dog. It just....confuses me. But, like I said, hey, it's a free country, do what you want.

[Sylvia727]

It most likely comes across as harsh sounding but I am not going to get a shelter dog if I don't want one. I don't feel I should have to be responsible for other peoples selfishness/laziness. If someone dumps a dog at a shelter that is unbelievably sad, but that is on their head not mine.

That's exactly how I feel. If I rescue a shelter pet, that's above and beyond the call of duty. I'm not obligated to rescue any, and I'm certainly not killing one by adopting from a breeder.

My family rescued a shelter beagle. He was absolutely adorable and loving. But he had been abused; he flinched back or ran away when anyone made any sudden movements, which meant he couldn't stay in the room where the kids were playing. He could not be left alone for more than 20 minutes or he ripped things up. And he was only partially house broken, which ended up costing $300 for new carpet. After three months, my mom took him back to the shelter and said "We can't rehabilitate him and you should let the next family know that he needs a lot of work". It broke my heart because I loved my puppydog, but I knew that my family was not a good fit for him.

The next dog we got from a breeder. She's a golden retriever; loving, playful, adoring, obedient, and just all around the perfect dog for us. She'll wait in front of her filled food bowl until my mom gives her permission to eat, and my mom's kept her waiting for 15 minutes before just to see if she'd do it. When we take the food away, she doesn't fight at all, just stares at us with big eyes saying "what did I do wrong?". She won't pee in the house, but she'll come and rest her head on our laps until we realize she needs something from us. Now, she has scared my little brother before since she's bigger than him and she loves to play, but my mom's training the boy how to handle the dog, not the other way around.

[anriana]

I believe that buying a pure breed (from a REPUTABLE breeder) helps control dog numbers. I would never ever buy a dog from a pet shop, I would never adopt a dog from a shelter. I understand they need to be there (shelters not pet shops) for a reason, and if you have a shelter dog then I think thats awesome. But I don't want one and that doesn't make me a bad person.

Supporting someone who breeds dogs helps controls dog numbers? Yeah, I guess, if by control you mean "deliberately increases."

my mom's kept her waiting for 15 minutes before just to see if she'd do it.

Wow, why would you do that to a companion?

[BlaqueKatt]

Do these critics also make a habit of snarking at pregnant women for not getting their children from the foster system? Obviously, you can't compare children with animals, but is the principle not the same?

Actually I do at times ask this of those who are willing to spend thousands of dollars on "fertility treatments" rather than adoption because they want their "own baby".

This is due to the wife of one of my friends demanding that they get treatments to have their own baby-they spent so much they couldn't pay the mortgage and lost their house-she's still seeking treatments, while they're living on someone's couch.

And like so many others before if she does get pregnant as a result of this overspending at times extreme medical intervention, she'll claim it was "God's Will" to bless her with a child-while ignoring that the same God* made all the children without families that she could have adopted. And they'll never even entertain the thought that maybe it was God's will that you not get pregnant and take one of these unwanted children to raise-nope they know exactly what God has in mind........<rant over>

*insert whatever deity you wish here

[anriana]

Yeah, buying animals from shelters and whatnot is a noble thing, blah blah blah, but buying from a reputable breeder who chooses her lines carefully, makes sure her puppies are healthy and ensures that her breeding stock should indeed be breeding stock by proving them through shows and shutzhund (well, in her case, since she's doing german shepherds), is just as good,

No, buying from a breeder is not just as good or noble.

you get a known product.

Not everyone sees animals as products.

Do these critics also make a habit of snarking at pregnant women for not getting their children from the foster system? Obviously, you can't compare children with animals, but is the principle not the same?

There are compelling reasons for wanting to children related to you. It's not the same principle.

[tropicsgoddess]

WTF is PETA smoking?! A reputable breeder selling purebred animals is okay, but NOT irresponsible/puppy mill type breeders. There's a big fucking difference here!!