Awareness Of Ethical Breeders

[mushka]

I'd consider myself a member of the ignorant masses - I know very little about dog breeding or showing, and family pets growing up were always mutts from the SPCA. I'm hoping to get a purebreed dog in the near future because I'm looking for particular traits and I'd like the predictability of dog being bred to fit the breed description. I think maybe my positive attitude to purebreds was shaped from living overseas in an area where there were a large number of purebred dogs and most of my dog-owning friends had purebreds.

I'm curious, what are the Australian statistics like - are ANKC-registered dogs the minority? Do you think that there so many designer dogs, mutts and puppy-farmed purebreds that the general public have little experience of what a well-bred purebred dog is like? And having just read through the very interesting debate in the "Puppy farm awareness rally" thread I am wondering what is being done and what more can be done to promote the rights of ethical dog breeders?

[lappiemum]

my goodness - how long is a piece of string? LOL

In short, the answer to most of your questions is that we need to educate the public about getting an education - at least in relation to dogs

It is something that breeders, enthusiasts, breed clubs and kennel clubs all need to be actively doing. We also need the support of media, animal welfare organisations and government to promote responsible dog ownership and breeding practices. Australians have one of the highest rates of pet ownership internationally (per capita) but we need to educate people about breeds, their care and welfare. This is not easy, but I'd like to think we are beginning to see a change - how this change goes, however, and whether it stays on track or gets hijacked by other interest groups (such as PETA) is yet to be determined.

Good luck on finding you perfect breed - DOL is a good place to start your research

[Souff]

I'd consider myself a member of the ignorant masses - I know very little about dog breeding or showing, and family pets growing up were always mutts from the SPCA. I'm hoping to get a purebreed dog in the near future because I'm looking for particular traits and I'd like the predictability of dog being bred to fit the breed description. I think maybe my positive attitude to purebreds was shaped from living overseas in an area where there were a large number of purebred dogs and most of my dog-owning friends had purebreds.

I'm curious, what are the Australian statistics like - are ANKC-registered dogs the minority? Do you think that there so many designer dogs, mutts and puppy-farmed purebreds that the general public have little experience of what a well-bred purebred dog is like? And having just read through the very interesting debate in the "Puppy farm awareness rally" thread I am wondering what is being done and what more can be done to promote the rights of ethical dog breeders?

Yes, ANKC registered dogs are in the minority.

Australia is overrun with crossbred mutts and designer dogs (the more expensive crossbred mutts) and poorly bred examples of a breed by people who say, "Oh no, we are not members of a dog club, we dont believe in all that showing and stuff!"

Of course they are happy to take your money though and will often charge you more than what a registered breeder would charge you.

"Come in sucker" is what is practised on many naive puppy buyers.

Go and make friends with a breeder at a dog show. Learn from the breeders what their dogs are like. Offer to learn how to handle a dog at a show, or ask the breeder if they will show you how they train their dogs.

Become an apprentice dog person and you can learn a lot about dogs.

It will be education that you keep with you for life.

Those of us who were lucky enough to be given this education from experienced breeders have found it to be incredibly useful.

Souff

[oakway]

I'd consider myself a member of the ignorant masses - I know very little about dog breeding or showing, and family pets growing up were always mutts from the SPCA. I'm hoping to get a purebreed dog in the near future because I'm looking for particular traits and I'd like the predictability of dog being bred to fit the breed description. I think maybe my positive attitude to purebreds was shaped from living overseas in an area where there were a large number of purebred dogs and most of my dog-owning friends had purebreds.

I'm curious, what are the Australian statistics like - are ANKC-registered dogs the minority? Do you think that there so many designer dogs, mutts and puppy-farmed purebreds that the general public have little experience of what a well-bred purebred dog is like? And having just read through the very interesting debate in the "Puppy farm awareness rally" thread I am wondering what is being done and what more can be done to promote the rights of ethical dog breeders?

Yes, ANKC registered dogs are in the minority.

Australia is overrun with crossbred mutts and designer dogs (the more expensive crossbred mutts) and poorly bred examples of a breed by people who say, "Oh no, we are not members of a dog club, we dont believe in all that showing and stuff!"

Of course they are happy to take your money though and will often charge you more than what a registered breeder would charge you.

"Come in sucker" is what is practised on many naive puppy buyers.

Go and make friends with a breeder at a dog show. Learn from the breeders what their dogs are like. Offer to learn how to handle a dog at a show, or ask the breeder if they will show you how they train their dogs.

Become an apprentice dog person and you can learn a lot about dogs.

It will be education that you keep with you for life.

Those of us who were lucky enough to be given this education from experienced breeders have found it to be incredibly useful.

Souff

You will find, as registered pure breed breeders, we wholeheartedly concur with what has been written by Souff

[shortstep]

ANKC reg stats

1987 97,900 dogs registered

2007 64,0oo dogs registered.

A current decline of 33,000 less ANKC dogs born per year than 20 years ago.

It is estimate 1 million puppies are born each year in Australia.

Apprx 60,000 of these would be ANKC dogs.

Coming from ANKC breed enthusiast which I will call home breeders, BYB and puppy farms (opps I mean inspected and approved large scale breeding facilities). I would guess the breed enthusiast home breeders would be the smaller number of the 3 groups of ANKC breeders.

Here is my 2 bits.

Purebred dogs and their breeders have been under attack by animal right rights groups for some time. Australia has been particularly hard hit, perhaps due to the high rate of animal rights groups and the disjointed Fed/state governments. The Australian Uni systems are also well funded and doing much of the worlds purebred dog research, much of this negative in nature, such as what lead to and was often used in pedigree dogs exposed, the parliamentary inquiry in the Uk and so forth. Not to mention so much positive publicity for DD dogs from both the media and the universities.

It has been a topic of discussion that Australia may well be the first country where purebred dogs or at least some of the breeds get banned by the government due to pressure by animal rights groups supported by the unis. Time will tell.

We are on a very slippery slope and right now it is looking more like a landslide. We need to be fully aware that the ultimate goal is to end all human contact with animals (see animal liberation, PETA).

Your right to own a pet dog is next. I will predict that in the next 10 years there will calls to take away the automatic right of pet ownership. A call for ownership restrictions are already happening, here and in other countries. Matters such as pet education and tests, license and permits required to buy a pet, even restrictions on what type of pet has been suggested, inspections of homes, income review, locations and other factors will all be used to screen people to decide if they are suitable to be pet owners.

Where does it all end? Depends on how much people want pets I guess, how hard the animal rights people keep pushing and how afraid people well be to stand up and say enough is enough.

X home breeder

Edited September 22, 2010 by shortstep