I Am Not A Snob!

[Liebhunde]

Everyone is free to choose as they wish..... be it Purebred or Cross.....and really its sometimes pot luck regardless of your dogs origins or background. You can decide on a purebred..do your in depth research on the breed..meet the breeder...or breeders...do everything right and still end up with a dog that out of nowhere develops a deadly disease that kills it in a year or two. Or it develops on going expensive problems that despite all your tender care and thousands of dollers wont be cured. And this from an ethical registered breeder who does all the right things re health testing etc...genetics can be an unpredictable bugger. Then you have your unethical breeders....we have all heard what can happen there...registered too. Then of course your pure bred can be all you hoped for. Your plain old crossbred dog can live a healthy vigorous life with never a problem...or it can suffer like the aforementioned pures. DD breeders are in an evil section unique to their avaricious uncaring attitudes. I would never tar all backyard breeders with the same brush either.....many care for their dogs as well as any so called registered breeder.

Ive heard of so many people whove bought a pure bred dog...in my own breed ..only to lose it far too early from something which was not evident when purchased ..and from healthy bloodlines.The opposite of course occurs. My own BYB purebred has had a wonderful run.....I know next to nothing about her background. My old Cross died at nearly 14...only had a few teeth out before old age caught up with him..

So quite often you dont get what you pay for in a pure bred...and cross breed mystery packages live long and behave beautifully. Life is never exactly as you think its going to be. So have what you want..look after your choice as best you can and love what they are regardless.....owning dogs is like a box of chocolates......etc

etc.....very often.

Ive the greatest respect for registered breeders and their dogs..dont get me wrong..I see the value in that practice....but things can and do go wrong.

Ive owned mongrels, purebreds, papered and unpapered, rescues and BYB....over all.... none was better than the other..they were just all loving dogs...just different in their temperaments like any person is in personality.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Liebhunde

[~Anne~]

Ive owned mongrels, purebreds, papered and unpapered, rescues and BYB....over all.... none was better than the other..they were just all loving dogs...just different in their temperaments like any person is in personality.

[Staranais]

I have never personally owned a mix breed or rescue dog myself, family has as a child, but never me.

I never will either. You get what you pay for.

Didn't pay a cent for my pedigree wheaten and my pedigree kerry blue. Your point?

Can you get me a working line GSD from titled parents on main register for a good Schutzhund prospect for free Sheridan??? I will have 2 please

I can't, but on a related note I could get you some good SAR prospect for free. Many of the SAR dogs here are ex-pound dogs - they end up in the pound as they're just a little too drivey and energetic for the average family to handle.

Different strokes for different folks. You can get good pets, and you can get good working dogs, from both pedigree and non purebred animals.

[Jetty]

Everyone is free to choose as they wish..... be it Purebred or Cross.....and really its sometimes pot luck regardless of your dogs origins or background. You can decide on a purebred..do your in depth research on the breed..meet the breeder...or breeders...do everything right and still end up with a dog that out of nowhere develops a deadly disease that kills it in a year or two. Or it develops on going expensive problems that despite all your tender care and thousands of dollers wont be cured. And this from an ethical registered breeder who does all the right things re health testing etc...genetics can be an unpredictable bugger. Then you have your unethical breeders....we have all heard what can happen there...registered too. Then of course your pure bred can be all you hoped for. Your plain old crossbred dog can live a healthy vigorous life with never a problem...or it can suffer like the aforementioned pures. DD breeders are in an evil section unique to their avaricious uncaring attitudes. I would never tar all backyard breeders with the same brush either.....many care for their dogs as well as any so called registered breeder.

Ive heard of so many people whove bought a pure bred dog...in my own breed ..only to lose it far too early from something which was not evident when purchased ..and from healthy bloodlines.The opposite of course occurs. My own BYB purebred has had a wonderful run.....I know next to nothing about her background. My old Cross died at nearly 14...only had a few teeth out before old age caught up with him..

So quite often you dont get what you pay for in a pure bred...and cross breed mystery packages live long and behave beautifully. Life is never exactly as you think its going to be. So have what you want..look after your choice as best you can and love what they are regardless.....owning dogs is like a box of chocolates......etc

etc.....very often.

Ive the greatest respect for registered breeders and their dogs..dont get me wrong..I see the value in that practice....but things can and do go wrong.

Ive owned mongrels, purebreds, papered and unpapered, rescues and BYB....over all.... none was better than the other..they were just all loving dogs...just different in their temperaments like any person is in personality.

Exactly that was well written

[Clyde]

Pedigrees are no better if the people breeding them aren't doing the right thing.

Completely agree!

To me it's all about breeder support, or at least having breed support.

[Snout Girl]

My Aunty is so dead set on the fact Holly isn't happy here because she's a working dog. She should be on a farm. Holly is her happiest cuddled up on the bed with me. :p

I feel your pain.....my mum tells me all the time we are cruel for keeping sally in suburbia

mind you she gets walked, played with, trips to beach/parks...but we are cruel

[Shmurps]

Everyone is free to choose as they wish..... be it Purebred or Cross.....and really its sometimes pot luck regardless of your dogs origins or background. You can decide on a purebred..do your in depth research on the breed..meet the breeder...or breeders...do everything right and still end up with a dog that out of nowhere develops a deadly disease that kills it in a year or two. Or it develops on going expensive problems that despite all your tender care and thousands of dollers wont be cured. And this from an ethical registered breeder who does all the right things re health testing etc...genetics can be an unpredictable bugger. Then you have your unethical breeders....we have all heard what can happen there...registered too. Then of course your pure bred can be all you hoped for. Your plain old crossbred dog can live a healthy vigorous life with never a problem...or it can suffer like the aforementioned pures. DD breeders are in an evil section unique to their avaricious uncaring attitudes. I would never tar all backyard breeders with the same brush either.....many care for their dogs as well as any so called registered breeder.

Ive heard of so many people whove bought a pure bred dog...in my own breed ..only to lose it far too early from something which was not evident when purchased ..and from healthy bloodlines.The opposite of course occurs. My own BYB purebred has had a wonderful run.....I know next to nothing about her background. My old Cross died at nearly 14...only had a few teeth out before old age caught up with him..

So quite often you dont get what you pay for in a pure bred...and cross breed mystery packages live long and behave beautifully. Life is never exactly as you think its going to be. So have what you want..look after your choice as best you can and love what they are regardless.....owning dogs is like a box of chocolates......etc

etc.....very often.

Ive the greatest respect for registered breeders and their dogs..dont get me wrong..I see the value in that practice....but things can and do go wrong.

Ive owned mongrels, purebreds, papered and unpapered, rescues and BYB....over all.... none was better than the other..they were just all loving dogs...just different in their temperaments like any person is in personality.

[whippets]

ANKC registered pure breedist checking in.

:D

......well also GRV pure bred greyhoundist checking in as well

[centitout]

I've had more x -breds/rescues over my lifetime,than purebreds,and i loved them all the same.But i will only ever buy /have now a registered purebred.I like being able to trace relatives/health testing(yes,i know,genetics can still be a bitch :D ).I like knowing the temps of relatives,i no longer want to have an unknown quantity (and i feel the same way now with boyfriends ,i want to see a 5 generation pedigree,and get a temp test done )

I've had purebreds with problems,and i /my family have had rescues etc with just as many problems,but without breeder support.

I like Annes post? -who gives a f $#@ what other people think.

But if someone come up to me and said a dog has been killed in a shelter because i have a papered purebred-i will probably just punch them!

[poodlefan]

Diva touched on something that stuck a chord with me.

Their typical breed temperament suits me better than any other dog I have ever met. I love the way they look and move. And I get extra enjoyment from knowing about their history and how their form is a product of their function.

I like the fact that when I look at my dogs, I'm looking at living history. They aren't "just a dog" to me. As individuals, they are the living genetic legacy of generations of others that have preceded them.

Catherine the Great and Sir Winston Churchill shared their lives with one of my breeds of choice. They've workeds as gundogs, truffle hunters, mascots and circus dogs. Poodles have gone to war, to work, have been popular among taxi drivers and ladies of the night. The story goes that in the USA last century, prostitutes were social pariahs in towns and outside of working had few companions other than each other and their dogs. Poodles were a popular pet for prostitutes and for that reason no respectable woman would be seen with one. That did not change until the 1930's or so when movie stars started to own them.

As for Whippets? They were the coal miner's dog. Many a poacher had one too. Kept with the family (and probably fed better than most of them) they'd run on the weekend to earn a few pounds or help find some bunnies for the pot. They lived inside and I would imagine slept in the families beds. Not much has changed in that regard.

So much for "snobbery". Both my breeds of choice have good working class connections even if they have been the chosen companions of the rich and wealthy over the years.

Of course a lot of people don't give a rats about things like that.

[Sayly]

So much for "snobbery". Both my breeds of choice have good working class connections even if they have been the chosen companions of the rich and wealthy over the years.

Of course a lot of people don't give a rats about things like that. ;)

Irish Terriers were the poor man's farm dog. Nothing "snobby" about them.

[Baileys mum]

Ive owned mongrels, purebreds, papered and unpapered, rescues and BYB....over all.... none was better than the other..they were just all loving dogs...just different in their temperaments like any person is in personality.

;)

I also agree with this.

Before I had my purebred Aussie terriers, I had Jessie my Aussie terrier x JRT. We took her in at the age of 1 when her owner at the time (who BYB her,) didn't wan't her any more & was going to dump her at the pound if he couldn't find a home for her.

She is now 13 & has given us so much joy over the years, never given us any trouble, & I don't regret for one second for taking her in. I don't really believe in the statement, "You get what you pay for" as Jessie has been such a great dog, & I never paid a cent for her.

Jessie shows alot of the Aussie terrier temperment,(her dad was a beautiful Aussie ) so she kind of inspired our interest in purebred Aussie terriers.

My OH & I decided years ago when we got another dog that it would definately be a purebred Aussie terrier. So we got Bailey, & he most definately did not dissapoint. We got my bitch Brandy soon after that, & we became quickly hooked, & I have to say I am totally in love with this breed.

So yes I will probably only own a purebred Aussie before a x breed now, (Not because I don't like x breeds, I adore my Jessie) but just because I love the purebred Aussie terrier as a breed.

I still love all dogs no matter what sort of breeding it has, & would never make anyone feel inferior for choosing to own a x breed, so I don't really consider myself a snob for loving & prefering to own my purebreed Aussie terriers.

I say each to their own, You should have the right to own what ever type of dog that makes you feel happy. I believe all dogs are special!!

[Tay.]

I really don't see how having purebred dogs makes you a snob.

[Kavik]

So much for "snobbery". Both my breeds of choice have good working class connections even if they have been the chosen companions of the rich and wealthy over the years.

Of course a lot of people don't give a rats about things like that.

Irish Terriers were the poor man's farm dog. Nothing "snobby" about them.

Certainly nothing snobby about Kelpies!

[RallyValley]

So much for "snobbery". Both my breeds of choice have good working class connections even if they have been the chosen companions of the rich and wealthy over the years.

Of course a lot of people don't give a rats about things like that.

Irish Terriers were the poor man's farm dog. Nothing "snobby" about them.

Certainly nothing snobby about Kelpies!

Chesapeakes are another traditionally working class dog, its why they are protective, to stop people taking off with your ducks.

[LDR]

Irish Terriers were the poor man's farm dog. Nothing "snobby" about them.

I disagree .... you need to meet Harry the Irish Terrier at our local dog park, he practically demands a red carpet, entourage and adoring paparazzi ...... that face, the swagger, the 'tude!

[Sayly]

He sounds like Ruby! She's a princess! Originally they were the poor man's dog (ratters, guard dogs, occasionally used to retrieve) anyway.

Our old Irish wasn't a princess in any way, but Ruby sounds like Harry!

Not very princess-y when she eats possums.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

My favourite breed's original purpose no long exists, except in a reduced way in a few specific locations around the world. But when I look at them I see not only the characteristic look and temperament their original role produced, but the hundreds of years of cultural heritage they embody.

This is it for me too. It's partly why I get irritated with the "there should be no breeding while dogs are in shelters" argument. Pure bred dog world doesn't always cover itself in glory when it comes to its stewardship of breeds, but in my breed at least there are people who take seriously the idea of preserving the breed and I think that's a worthy cultural heritage goal. Throwing that away because there are people who irresponsibly BYB doesn't make any sense to me.

Some pure breed people are snobs, even within their breed. When you get people calling dogs in their chosen breed "rubbish" or "that bloody awful dog" it pains me. I might not like the conformation, but it's still a Saluki and still worthy of respect and a loving home.

However, snobbery is everywhere and not just the preserve of pure breed people. Rescue snobbery can be really dire for example.

[Dame Aussie]

My Aunty is so dead set on the fact Holly isn't happy here because she's a working dog. She should be on a farm. Holly is her happiest cuddled up on the bed with me.

I feel your pain.....my mum tells me all the time we are cruel for keeping sally in suburbia

mind you she gets walked, played with, trips to beach/parks...but we are cruel

Yep..."Hey shouldn't that dog be on a farm??"

What? This one? On the couch next to me? Riiight......

[Sayly]

My Aunty is so dead set on the fact Holly isn't happy here because she's a working dog. She should be on a farm. Holly is her happiest cuddled up on the bed with me.

I feel your pain.....my mum tells me all the time we are cruel for keeping sally in suburbia

mind you she gets walked, played with, trips to beach/parks...but we are cruel

Yep..."Hey shouldn't that dog be on a farm??"

What? This one? On the couch next to me? Riiight......

Holly is happy doing whatever I am doing. When I'm at OH's parents' farm she's always with me and goes all day. If I am studying for exams she's laying on the bed behind me or at my feet. And she's not destructive, she's well behaved and always has a smile on her face! :D She doesn't care that she's "supposed to be on a farm", she just wants to be where I am!