Crisovar Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 How about we Breeders just stop evaluating and grading our dogs, stop selecting for the best and most suitable. Give them all an elephant stamp then everyone can feel all warm and fuzzy and encouraged. My pups placed as pets have been planned for, bred and raised to be the very best they can be. I can assure you their owners don't feel they have been tossed a leftover. They are the ones that matter after all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 And do you say 'They're only pet quality' to your puppy buyers? Or are you actually diplomatic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebelsquest Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 And do you say 'They're only pet quality' to your puppy buyers? Or are you actually diplomatic? Most of the breeders I know would never say their puppies are "only" pet quality. If the prospective puppy buyer was asking if the puppy was suitable to show, they would say no due to xyz. They still make sure the puppy is the right fit for that particular family/person. The breeders I am lucky enough to have spent time with put a lot of love, time and effort into raising their puppies, and finding the right home for each puppy - pet only or pet + competition. They do not believe their puppies are less deserving or less important because they are pet quality. What other term do you want people to use? To imply breeders say, oh they're "only" pet quality, as if the dog is a failure, is a pretty poor indication of the breeders you must be speaking with to use such a casual attitude with their pet home puppies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystiqview Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 (edited) I don't use "pet quality" or "show quality" I ask them what their lifestyle is, what they are after in a dog and recommend a puppy to them. "I think this puppy is best suited to you BECAUSE......." ETA: I would much rather try to match personality of the puppy to the owner's circumstances. If I don't think I have anything suitable, I don't sell them a dog. If they like the puppy I am looking at, I tell them I am looking at keeping this puppy here. If I don't choose it, I can give you first option. My dogs are pets first and show dogs second. Showing takes up probably 3 weekends a month. The rest of the time, the dogs are pets. Edited December 31, 2011 by Mystiqview Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 And do you say 'They're only pet quality' to your puppy buyers? Or are you actually diplomatic? Most of the breeders I know would never say their puppies are "only" pet quality. If the prospective puppy buyer was asking if the puppy was suitable to show, they would say no due to xyz. They still make sure the puppy is the right fit for that particular family/person. The breeders I am lucky enough to have spent time with put a lot of love, time and effort into raising their puppies, and finding the right home for each puppy - pet only or pet + competition. They do not believe their puppies are less deserving or less important because they are pet quality. What other term do you want people to use? To imply breeders say, oh they're "only" pet quality, as if the dog is a failure, is a pretty poor indication of the breeders you must be speaking with to use such a casual attitude with their pet home puppies. Well, most of the breeders I speak to are people here. Make of that what you will. It is breeders here who go on about pet quality dogs. I don't know any breeder off DOL who even uses the term. It makes me wonder why, if breeders won't use it to their puppy buyers, why they use it in a public forum such as this where (a) their puppy buyers might show up and (b) where Joe Public comes to get advice about getting a dog. Given the myriad threads bemoaning the pedigree dog breeder's lot in life against a seemingly unstoppable designer mutt market, you'd think that a term that on the surface appears to denigrate pets (and yes, no matter whether it is meant to denigrate or not), wouldn't be used in a public place but that's just me. Shrug. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Pet quality is a term I learned and used well before DOL existed. It's just the flip side of show quality and I have no problem with it, it's not designed to be denigrating, just descriptive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gayle. Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I agree with Sheridan, the way the term "pet quality" is used on DOL it makes it sound like the pet puppies are the rejects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Pet quality is a term I learned and used well before DOL existed. It's just the flip side of show quality and I have no problem with it, it's not designed to be denigrating, just descriptive. Yes, yes, we all acknowledge that it's not meant to be denigrating but I suggest that the average pet owner isn't aware of these little descriptors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystiqview Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Pet quality is a term I learned and used well before DOL existed. It's just the flip side of show quality and I have no problem with it, it's not designed to be denigrating, just descriptive. Yes, yes, we all acknowledge that it's not meant to be denigrating but I suggest that the average pet owner isn't aware of these little descriptors. The average pet owner is not aware of many of the "terms" used by breeders. I know from puppy enquiries I get, there are still a lot of breeders out there who do not take the time to remember these people may not know anything and do not take time to explain some of the terms we use. We just take it for granted they know, and they unfortunately may feel embarrassed to show their ignorance and ask for an explaination. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Maybe people have gotten a lot dumber then because none of my puppy buyers had a problem with the term pet quality. I haven't heard a complaint about it anywhere other than here and considering most breeders would only have to give a few sentence explanation I can't even see what the big deal is? Do people also have to explain that when you use the term bitch it doesn't mean you hate your dog or that a stud isn't a metal thing you use to hammer something together. I think there are bigger things to concentrate on with regards to pedigree dogs such as lack of response to the constant smear campaigns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Then see my original post on the topic. How pedigree dog breeders conduct themselves in public (and public includes online since some people don't seem to get it) is all tied up with the smear campaign. But by all means, keep on giving them ammunition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 What exact ammunition have I given them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverAlready Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Maybe people have gotten a lot dumber then because none of my puppy buyers had a problem with the term pet quality. I haven't heard a complaint about it anywhere other than here and considering most breeders would only have to give a few sentence explanation I can't even see what the big deal is? Do people also have to explain that when you use the term bitch it doesn't mean you hate your dog or that a stud isn't a metal thing you use to hammer something together. I think there are bigger things to concentrate on with regards to pedigree dogs such as lack of response to the constant smear campaigns. What is it you breed again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Oh Hai, it's you I don't breed right now, I used to but won't as the world has lost it's mind over registered breeders and if I wanted to feel non stop pain I'd just move back in with my mother. But apparently according to sheridan I'm helping destroy the purebred world from within without being a breeder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Anne~ Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I agree that the term pet quality, in a marketing sense, actually conveys the message 'not good enough'. It's not a slight against breeders to state such a thing. The consumer market evolves and changes constantly and so marketing messages are changed accordingly. Whilst the term may not necessarily be used in a marketing sense specifically it is part of the overall marketing of purebred pups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverAlready Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Oh Hai, it's you I don't breed right now, I used to but won't as the world has lost it's mind over registered breeders and if I wanted to feel non stop pain I'd just move back in with my mother. But apparently according to sheridan I'm helping destroy the purebred world from within without being a breeder I did not realize until joining this forum that there was a hierachy in the dog world. Very enlightening. Is there a council that tells you if your on top of the list of breeders? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Can't understand what you are on about in the context of my quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OverAlready Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Sorry, was not specifically for you... my bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I have to admit I don't like the term pet quality either. Having the word quality in there - pet or show quality - does to me imply a less superior product No one is suggesting that breeders should stop grading them but if some members of the public feel this is a term which we would be better to consider not using perhaps that's something we should take on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Are You Serious Jo Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Other than the pet people here I'd never heard it was a problem before, which is why I have been I'm not adverse to being flexible and moving with the times, just hadn't realised it was an issue anywhere except here. Shame it's come to the stage where we have to dumb down everything and cannot use a simple term anymore without it being taken the wrong way. How else do you word an ad, show prospects and non show prospects? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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