Please note that some of my ideas have changed since this post was published. I leave this post here, unedited, for historical sake (and some of the ideas are still relevant!).
The above mantra, “don’t breed or buy while shelter dogs die”, is one I wish to critique in this follow post. It is undeniable that there are ‘too many’ dogs in the world. Countless dogs are destroyed every day due to the lack of suitable homes. I have worked in an animal shelter and seen first hand the problems we have with dog population numbers. As such, I have constantly been asked to justify how I can also breed animals. To me, the problem is multifaceted.
Firstly, many puppy-buyers are uneducated and fuel the unscrupulous breeding of huge quantities of dogs through purchasing animals from unethical institutions. These puppy buyers often don’t know where their puppy has come from, yet alone how to raise the puppy to be a sound adult dog which they are happy to commit to for 15 years.
To counteract this first problem, I try to involve myself as much as possible in the education role. The obvious is having detailed discussions with potential puppy buyers to establish the suitability of Border Terriers to their lifestyle. Furthermore, through my work, I promote responsible dog ownership in schools. Through the work of “People and Dogs”, which I have volunteered for on numerous occasions, I have attempted to educate people before a puppy enters their lives.
Secondly, I believe the problem is based around an oversupply of undesirable crossbreeds. Working in an animal pound for several years, I saw only one Border Terrier enter the facility. There is not an oversupply of Border Terriers. There are too many dogs of undeterminable heritage, inappropriately raised, and with undesirable behavioural characteristics because of this. I do not feel like I am responsible for the destruction of crossbreed animals by breeding Border Terriers.
Finally, if I am incorrect and breeding border terriers does in some way mean that crossbred dogs in pounds are destroyed, I seek to counteract this damage by being involved in rescue. Not only do I frequently donate to rescue efforts nationally, but also take foster animals into my home. Having privately fostered and rehomed animals in the past, I now volunteer as a foster carer with the Greyhound Adoption Program.
I strongly feel that those involved with breeding should also be involved in rescue, at least in their given breed. As my breed does not tend to make their way into shelters, I support rescue in other ways. In this way, I feel that breeding border terriers is no way contributing to the problems in animal shelters.
(Please note that, indeed, this post is a repeat of a page I created on my other website, in which it promotes the border terriers I show and breed. I thought it had a place here, as a thought.)
Please note that some of my ideas have changed since this post was published. I leave this post here, unedited, for historical sake (and some of the ideas are still relevant!).
I really enjoyed this post. What infuriates me to no end is people breeding say a Yorkie and a Poodle and selling them for hundreds of dollars, just so these ”Designer dogs” can end up in shelters to die.
I LOVE purebred dogs, always have. I’ve bred Mastiffs and most recently Dachshunds, two amazing breeds. If we don’t have responsible breeders our beloved breeds will be gone
Dachshund Nola’s mommy
Thanks for your comment, Nola’s mum. The commercial breeding of small fluffy types is really unsettling. It’s also confusing that they are getting such good returns for them! I really don’t see the appeal! Give me a purebred with sound conformation and temperament anyday.
When I read the article it just sounds like your trying to justify breeding but really you need to stop being so selfish and ignorant. When people buy your “special” dogs the ones without the behavioral problems,unknown heritage…blah blah blah they are taking the place of a dog in shelter who is desperate for a home. Regardless of what is wrong with the dogs in shelter or whatever is undesirable about them, they are there for a reason and hopefully some will be lucky and make it out alive. All animals should be treated equally. You sound like your a good person and all but at the end of the day dogs are in shelters because of individuals like you. If people have breeders to go to they won’t consider a shelter. There’s also so many perspective I have on this but its not even worth spending all my time talking about this. It is what it is don’t breed or buy while millions of animals continue to die in shelter. PERIOD.
I disagree that I am at all responsible for dogs entering shelters. I did not breed the dogs entering shelters (I know where all three of my puppies that I have bred and rehomed are living), and the people who buy my puppies want a border terrier – they don’t want ‘a puppy’ or ‘a dog’, they want a border terrier. Yes, they’re special, and because of that, they attract a different market to shelter dogs. This market is just as valid as those that seek to adopt shelter dogs.
When I get people enquiry about border terrier puppies, I do ask, “Are you interested in a border terrier specifically or are you open to another type of terrier?” in which I can then suggest any relevant rescue dogs in the area. Much of the time, however, the family has decided that they do certainly want a border terrier and are not prepared to compromise. I think these families should be congratulated for doing research and making an ethical and responsible choice, and not vilified for presumably ‘killing’ shelter dogs. Shelter dogs are killed by a breeder who bred them, a owner who dumped them, and a shelter more interested in killing than rehoming.
Since writing this article, I am even more emphatic that it’s not my fault that shelters choose to kill animals. The more I read blogs like that written by Nathan Winograd ( http://www.nathanwinograd.com/ ) and Saving Pets ( http://www.savingpets.com.au/ ) I can’t feel that the public is getting very conned regarding shelter admissions and resulting euthanasia.
ALL breeders, no matter how “ethical”or “responsible”are collectively responsible for the massive numbers of animals that are bred into the animal supply chain – that CANNOT be denied. The pet world needs good breeders – no doubt about that. So why don’t the “good breeders” get together and do something about the thousands of dodgy backyard breeders, or families having “just one litter for the kids”or “accidental litters”? Why don’t they???, ……instead of bleating “Oh no, it’s not me or my litters that are the problem”. Its good that breeders like you are involved in rescue and rehoming, and so you should be, as should all breeders. But its the wrong solution – it is a band aid to the problem of unregulated and massive over-breeding, of which ANYONE breeding is a part!!!
Paul, we are corresponding on Facebook, and there are many replies I could give. You say ‘why don’t good breeders do something about the problem’, but then in the next breathe say that the rescue work we do is illegitimate.
I’m not sure if you’re aware, but recently, the ANKC required all dogs registered to be microchipped prior to registration. This is an effort to help improve rehome rates. It is a ‘something’ they are doing. Me and many other registered, ethical breeders have been ‘doing something’ in regard to BSL, sending political letters in the hopes of reducing euthanasia of pit bull type dogs.
If you’re referring to legislation on breeding, no, many registered breeders are not interested in this. This is because we already spend many thousands of dollars on our dogs each year, with little return, and any new scheme to try to ‘regulate’ breeding is inevitably going to be costly. Furthermore, much ‘regulation’ tries to define good and bad breeders in black and white terms, which is pretty much an impossibility. This is why you don’t see ‘good breeders’ asking for further regulation.
What can the good breeders do about it? It is the politicians that make the laws.
It wouldn’t matter if everyone stopped buying dogs. Those who shouldn’t be breeding will keep on breeding, just as those who shouldn’t be owners will still acquire dogs on an impulse and then dump it when they tire of it. It isn’t my responsibility to clean up their mess. Let them step up to the plate and clean up their own for a change. There are never any negative consequences to those people, because there is always someone else willing to clean up the mess. Introduce some laws that have all puppies microchipped and breeders tracked, then send the dumped dogs back to the people that bred them. If they had to deal with the problem then they would be more careful to place their dogs in a likely forever home than sell them through a pet store.
Love your suggestions, Leandra – would be great if we had breeder tracking and life-long breeder responsibility. You haven’t been reading my post “What is the solution (to puppy farms)?”, have you? http://leemakennels.com/blog/dogs-and-politics/62/
If individuals and families did not have the choice of selecting your “purebred”, then they would go to a shelter to adopt one that would be euthanized. Shame on you in a big way. I see you have intellectualized and reasoned your way into a state where you have convinced only yourself that a profit is OK. Again, shame on you. I think all breeding should be outlawed until all shelter animals have homes. And you talk of shelter animals as though they are all mixed breeds. They are not. You are ignorant of all the facts. And education does not provide neutering or spaying for a dog where the owners can not afford to do this service. That statement is like saying education will eliminate poverty. Step up. Every dog you breed is one more that will be killed.