furballs

I haven't lost her yet, but every day with her is a bonus. Thank you

she has a heart problem

My German Shephard (cross bred/BYB) was almost 16 when she died

I have a Rottwieiler and she will die within the next 12 months, she is currently 13 months old. I can't imagine my life without her and I dread the day that her little sweet heart stops beating. Right now she is laying on the couch with me and I can feel and hear her heart struggling to operate.

I spent about 4 years researching breeders in my state, and eventually chose one that should have been the most reputable of all. I asked all the questions and took what the breeder was saying as gospel, because she is a registered breeder and must know everything about the breed right? Wrong...very very wrong.

Registered Reputable breeders are above board as people AND breeders and HEALTH test all their dogs and CAN supply CERTIFICATES for all tests completed upon request! As stated in ANKC ethics they provide LIFETIME service and advice with their puppies they sell. I suggest you FURBALL have a look at the ANKC website. there is a lot of great information there1 Good luck in your search (if in fact you are looking for a new family member) Breeders who have nothing to hide will in fact provide people who have had past puppies and are happy for you to make contact with them ( all parties agreeable) I in fact have contracts for all my dogs that are rehomed. Referring me to sites and information I have seen over and over again will not help. My question is how do I know that I'm getting what I think I'm getting. I know from experience that getting a pup from a registered breeder does not mean a healthy or ethically bred dog.

Registered Reputable breeders are above board as people AND breeders and HEALTH test all their dogs and CAN supply CERTIFICATES for all tests completed upon request! As stated in ANKC ethics they provide LIFETIME service and advice with their puppies they sell. I suggest you FURBALL have a look at the ANKC website. there is a lot of great information there1 Good luck in your search (if in fact you are looking for a new family member) Breeders who have nothing to hide will in fact provide people who have had past puppies and are happy for you to make contact with them ( all parties agreeable) I in fact have contracts for all my dogs that are rehomed.

How does a regular person know that they are aquiring a puppy that is sound in health and behaviour? I think that most people who get a pedigree pup do so for reasons of guaranteed health, behaviour, etc, and because they believe they are doing the right thing. So, how do I know, as your customer, that I am getting what I think I'm getting?

Italian Spinone, I won't tell the queen vizsla you said that either Roisin was only a baby then. Hijack, sorry, but Spinoni are so cuuuuute You have beautiful pups

I don't know if it's illegal or not here (but I read somewhere it was effective this year? Not sure) but it's still legal in other countries, maybe they had him/her imported or something. Seems like a long-shot, I know! There is a natural bobtail in Rotties, but there are also breeders that still do the home hack job on their 3 day old pups and call them bobtails A friend of mine just got a natural bob rottie... apparently 3 in the litter had the short tails and the others all had long... if the breeder was docking, surely they'd do the whole lot rather than just a few? She's sooo cute, and was scared of my big boofa Aussie! I guess your friends breeder is a genuine bobtail breeder then......one of the good ones

I actually support the RSPCA and they seem to do a good job here in WA, but the thing that really shocked me about them is their vets won't give discounts to other rescue groups, I think no matter which rescue organisation you are in it should be about the animals, not who is housing them. I haven't donated to them since.

I found another once, but it was american and not frequented very much so you often had to wait days to get a reply. I prefer to talk to people in Australia though because things can be quite different from country to country. Plus the time difference must make it difficult.

Maybe there are more cross breed owners interested in the welfare of their dogs and come across this site. This is the only forum I have found for dog lovers.

Thanks for the tip bigdogg You're right, it's better not to rock the boat.

I was about to post a similar reply to this but you said it all for me

yep it is a pure bred forum and your line of questions and attitude would be better placed in another forum that has cross breds as its focus IMO So you people can judge others as you please but when someone asks a question that you don't like they should go elsewhere? yes when the questions, subject and attitude are against the forum rules and intent Can you explain what you mean by the above comment from here which you should have read before posting http://www.dolforums.com.au/forumrules.html This site is for pure bred dog discussion The primary purpose of this forum is to promote and discuss pure bred dogs (as recognised by the ANKC) so we ask you respect our aim when visiting here. If you own a cross breed dog, you are also welcome here, but we ask that you refer to it by it's proper name (eg a pug-x or cavalier-x instead of the designer term 'pugalier'). Do not make comments that are likely to start or perpetuate an argument. This is not related to just having a difference of opinion. No promotion of cross breeds / designer dogs This site has nothing against cross breeds (most of us have had one at some stage in our life), however we are against the promotion of them as being superior to the purebred dog and people cashing in on the 'designer dog' craze. We also ask that you refrain from unnecessary designer dog discussion. (ie discussion that has no real purpose other than to express dismay at the latest 'cross breed' you saw (or read about)). Sure, we all know they are out there, but we prefer to concentrate on discussing the pure bred dog (ANKC recognised breeds). No denigration of pure bred dogs Speaks for itself. If you don't think pure bred dogs make the perfect pets, then maybe this forum is not for you. No denigration of responsible, registered breeders and breeding practices Our site has a lot of breeders with a lot of knowledge to share. We will not tolerate members who denigrate (however subtle) responsible breeders and breeding practices. I don't see that furballs is breaking any of those rules. All crossbred dogs in this thread have been referred to as their name rather than some cutesy name. This thread hasnt caused an argument - only a difference of opinion Nobody is promoting crossbreeds or putting down purebreds. No rules broken Thank you

yep it is a pure bred forum and your line of questions and attitude would be better placed in another forum that has cross breds as its focus IMO So you people can judge others as you please but when someone asks a question that you don't like they should go elsewhere? yes when the questions, subject and attitude are against the forum rules and intent Can you explain what you mean by the above comment

yep it is a pure bred forum and your line of questions and attitude would be better placed in another forum that has cross breds as its focus IMO So you people can judge others as you please but when someone asks a question that you don't like they should go elsewhere?

Some people seem to be taking offense to me asking questions. I haven't accused breeders of doing anything wrong, this thread is about why people cross breed so I think it's fair to ask what costs are incurred by registered breeders as opposed to Designer breeders. I have been told that I should go elsewhere because people perceive me as being opposed to breeders for asking simple questions. Do you also suggest that I start aquiring my dogs from BYB and/or puppy farmers because I don't agree with everything you say? With some breeders being this arrogant it's no wonder people choose to aquire pups from other sources. It's a fact that not all registered breeders are in it for the good of the breed. I don't know anyone who breeds designer dogs but perhaps there are those who believe they are doing the right thing just as some of you purebreeders do. And yes this sight is for purebred dogs, so if I own pedigree, papered dogs I should be allowed an opinion on here the same as anyone else, but I say something that a long term member doesn't want me to say, all of a sudden I'm not welcome on this forum.

Have done this to death, I would never buy from a puppy farmer, my question was based on why the average person with no knowledge of the difference between breeders and puppy farmers would choose a breeder rather than a puppy farmer.

Because the ongoing cost of the bitch is part of the cost of breeding a litter. You need to factor in things like entry fees for shows, trials etc that are part of proving your bitch is worth breeding from. ETA the average pet isn't DNA tested as new tests become available, hip and elbow scored, yearly eye and other health tests etc that are carried out on breeding dogs. Ok, so what are the costs for shows, etc per year? If the bitch has a littler of 10 pups each time she is bred that's a fair amount of money. I have always wondered about this so would be keen to know the answer If she has 10 pups. I spend about $1000 a year on trial entry fees, training fees etc plus the time it takes but it is my hobby. Also I only trial about once a month not show every weekend. I don't show so you would need a show person to answer that. You seem to have a problem with the fact that someone may make a profit from breeding a litter. They also take a huge risk of loosing the bitch, the pups etc. I don't have a problem with ethical breeders making a bit of money out of what they do, I know most ethical breeders who actually care about dogs will rescue so I have a lot of respect for them. I would happily give that extra bit for the cause of the dog/breed. I'm a curious person, I would like to know what the actual costs are for breeders, that's all. i think that is their business and no one elses business. and i think its a bit rude to ask the question Why is it rude to ask the question? Do breeders have something to hide? Why then should I not buy my next pup from a puppy farmer?

Because the ongoing cost of the bitch is part of the cost of breeding a litter. You need to factor in things like entry fees for shows, trials etc that are part of proving your bitch is worth breeding from. ETA the average pet isn't DNA tested as new tests become available, hip and elbow scored, yearly eye and other health tests etc that are carried out on breeding dogs. Ok, so what are the costs for shows, etc per year? If the bitch has a littler of 10 pups each time she is bred that's a fair amount of money. I have always wondered about this so would be keen to know the answer depends on which show and how many shows. There are also things like memberships, council fees for breeding licences ect that vary greatly from place to place. Also, the going rate for a puppy varies greatly between breeds and often within breeds. Some states have different requirements for selling pups such as mandatory microchipping. You also might find the stud fees vary a really good dog might cost more to use, or you could be importing semen and have to cover storage fees ect. heck, you might be importing dogs for your breeding program and that runs to well over $10000 in most cases - perhaps you had to fly your dog to meet a stud in another state so add that cost on top too. You begin to see why for so many people this is considered a passionate hobby and not a business. Ok, so if someone was selling pups for say $1500 each and there were 10 in the litter, and they had their own stud dog so no fee there. That would be a total of $15,000 per litter (according to regulations 1 per year). How would a breeder spend that much (minus expenses) in one year on showing, training, vet checks, etc. any number of scenarios really, they could have multiple dogs to feed and house, perhaps they have needed to upgrade kennel facilities if they house their dogs in kennels - maybe they have to pay kennel hands a wage. Heck maybe they spent that much on a dog trailer or campervan to get to shows I have ONE show dog, he's a puppy - we've probably spent around $15000 upgrading to a bigger car, moving to a property with a yard, and buying all sorts of crap related to going to shows like gazebos, camping equipment ect. And I'm not a breeder :D Exactly, I will buy a bigger car, etc, etc because I choose to have a certain breed of dog :D

Because the ongoing cost of the bitch is part of the cost of breeding a litter. You need to factor in things like entry fees for shows, trials etc that are part of proving your bitch is worth breeding from. ETA the average pet isn't DNA tested as new tests become available, hip and elbow scored, yearly eye and other health tests etc that are carried out on breeding dogs. Ok, so what are the costs for shows, etc per year? If the bitch has a littler of 10 pups each time she is bred that's a fair amount of money. I have always wondered about this so would be keen to know the answer If she has 10 pups. I spend about $1000 a year on trial entry fees, training fees etc plus the time it takes but it is my hobby. Also I only trial about once a month not show every weekend. I don't show so you would need a show person to answer that. You seem to have a problem with the fact that someone may make a profit from breeding a litter. They also take a huge risk of loosing the bitch, the pups etc. I don't have a problem with ethical breeders making a bit of money out of what they do, I know most ethical breeders who actually care about dogs will rescue so I have a lot of respect for them. I would happily give that extra bit for the cause of the dog/breed. I'm a curious person, I would like to know what the actual costs are for breeders, that's all.

Because the ongoing cost of the bitch is part of the cost of breeding a litter. You need to factor in things like entry fees for shows, trials etc that are part of proving your bitch is worth breeding from. ETA the average pet isn't DNA tested as new tests become available, hip and elbow scored, yearly eye and other health tests etc that are carried out on breeding dogs. Ok, so what are the costs for shows, etc per year? If the bitch has a littler of 10 pups each time she is bred that's a fair amount of money. I have always wondered about this so would be keen to know the answer depends on which show and how many shows. There are also things like memberships, council fees for breeding licences ect that vary greatly from place to place. Also, the going rate for a puppy varies greatly between breeds and often within breeds. Some states have different requirements for selling pups such as mandatory microchipping. You also might find the stud fees vary a really good dog might cost more to use, or you could be importing semen and have to cover storage fees ect. heck, you might be importing dogs for your breeding program and that runs to well over $10000 in most cases - perhaps you had to fly your dog to meet a stud in another state so add that cost on top too. You begin to see why for so many people this is considered a passionate hobby and not a business. Ok, so if someone was selling pups for say $1500 each and there were 10 in the litter, and they had their own stud dog so no fee there. That would be a total of $15,000 per litter (according to regulations 1 per year). How would a breeder spend that much (minus expenses) in one year on showing, training, vet checks, etc.

What about the ones that use two pedigree dogs of different breeds?