Breeders Should...

[Steve]

I feel the way I do because I owe it to the dogs. That is the bottom line, I owe it to the dogs I bred. If someone believes the way I feel gives the puppy owners an opt out clause then so be it. What happens to my puppies is the most important thing to me.

what I do regarding maremmas is always for the dogs.. which is why from time to time i help out idiots who should rightfully be left to stew in the situation of their own making..but it is their dogs who pay the price

H

yep

[Leema]

May i also ad many breeders & rescue clubs do anything to help & many rescues make it near impossible .

If this was the case, this thread wouldn't exist.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with breeders refuse to help their own breed. Surely if you love your breed, you'd help.

However, it seems from this that I have a romanticised idea of what a 'good breeder' is. So my thoughts are moot.

[espinay2]

In breeds which are smaller numerically, like mine, I think you will find that most breeders are willing to help any dogs of their breed one way or another if they can. And as soon as they are alerted to one in need, calls go out on the 'breeder grapevine' and people act. However, for very numeric breeds, where a lot of the breed end up in rescue courtesy of backyarders etc, the smaller number of responsible breeders really can't be expected to take on the full burden of assisting or rescuing all those dogs (that they didn't breed) - neither in time, emotion or financially. They may help out, but there will be a point where they have to say no. They will have to put some boundaries around what they help and what they don't or get swamped in the process. This is not about not caring. This is about doing what they can personally manage in the face of an issue that is way bigger than they alone (or even as a group of 'responsible' breeders) can cope with.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

May i also ad many breeders & rescue clubs do anything to help & many rescues make it near impossible .

If this was the case, this thread wouldn't exist.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with breeders refuse to help their own breed. Surely if you love your breed, you'd help.

So a breeder of SBTs should help all BYB staffies needing rescue?

[Salukifan]

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with breeders refuse to help their own breed. Surely if you love your breed, you'd help.

This is definitely breeders of their own dogs you're talking about Leema?

Or should they "help" their own breed generally?

Edited June 19, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[dancinbcs]

May i also ad many breeders & rescue clubs do anything to help & many rescues make it near impossible .

If this was the case, this thread wouldn't exist.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with breeders refuse to help their own breed. Surely if you love your breed, you'd help.

However, it seems from this that I have a romanticised idea of what a 'good breeder' is. So my thoughts are moot.

I am curious about what you expected the response to be? Did you really expect that anyone would feel OBLIGATED to take on a dog they didn't cause to be born? Most breeds have their own specific rescue groups that are either run by or supported by the breed clubs so many breeders help out that way with dogs they haven't bred but to expect them to take them on personally is really asking too much.

Most have said here that they are responsible for the dogs they breed for life, whether it be taking the dog back or making other arrangements for them. I know the NSW govt is thinking of possibly making it mandatory for breeder details to stay on the microchip and for all breeders to have to take the dog back or be in some way responsible if any dog they bred comes into a pound, shelter or rescue and I think it is a great idea. This would greatly impact on those puppy farms and BYBs that just sell to anyone with the money to buy and don't vet the homes properly. It wouldn't be so profitable if they keep coming back. I personally don't know any breeder who wouldn't go to great lengths to ensure the safety of a dog they have bred and we all wish that the breeder details were on all dogs and that pounds and rescue would bother to contact breeders as many won't.

I have had two dogs returned. The first was only 5 months and I bought him back at full price to get him out of a very nasty marriage break up where he was being used as a pawn. I was on crutches at the time and couldn't physically take him back so he went to a friend until I was able to manage him again and work out were to rehome him. If I had followed my gut instinct the owners would never have got him but they came highly recommended by a close friend and I felt I couldn't refuse for no reason other than I felt uneasy about them. Lesson learnt on that point. The other came back at 11 months when his owner's life fell apart and she lost her home. I never did get the full story as she couldn't stop crying long enough to tell me. She dropped the dog off to me at a show and I gladly took him back. I later rehomed him, selling him for about 60% of his puppy purchase price and I forwarded that amount to the original owner who was very grateful and surprised to get anything back as she was only worried for his welfare.

I have also worked in a major Sydney shelter taking in surrenders and you can tell the genuine owners from those that just don't care. I used to wonder how many of them would dump their kids if there was a convenient place to do it. I worked there for 6 months and in that time we only had two identifiable purebred dogs. A Mini Bull Terrier who was hidden from public view until the kennel staff determined someone he might suit and they did in fact take him. The other was a beautiful young adult GSD who was surrendered with all his papers. I rang the breeder and she was so upset. Despite a pedigree full of A stamps for hips, the poor dog had very severe HD. She had already refunded the purchase price and offered to take the dog back but the owners wanted to keep him and said they wanted to pursue complete hip replacements for him. The breeder was not in a financial position to pay for that type of surgery so had planned to pts if he came back to her. In her position I would have done the same. The owners then dumped him at the shelter with no word about his condition. As neither us or the breeder could rehome him he had to be pts anyway. The breeder did offer to come and take him to have it done but we were able to do it for her.

[Salukifan]

I recall 2 Whippets spending months in a rescue kennel while the Whippet club had a wait list for rescues.

Shits me to tears to see some purebred dogs in all breeds rescue, especially with people who have little idea about suitable homes. x 2 for those rescues who see the purebreds primarily as a good earner.

The frustration cuts both ways.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Haredown Whippets

[_PL_]

HW ^^ purebreds are most definitely being rehomed inappropriately because they sell well. One particular pound would rather give their silkies to literally anyone except me, that shits me to tears.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Powerlegs

[OSoSwift]

I recall 2 Whippets spending months in a rescue kennel while the Whippet club had a wait list for rescues.

Shits me to tears to see some purebred dogs in all breeds rescue, especially with people who have little idea about suitable homes. x 2 for those rescues who see the purebreds primarily as a good earner.

The frustration cuts both ways.

Yes agreed.

Unfortunately sometimes money talks in any area.

[SkySoaringMagpie]

I recall 2 Whippets spending months in a rescue kennel while the Whippet club had a wait list for rescues.

Shits me to tears to see some purebred dogs in all breeds rescue, especially with people who have little idea about suitable homes. x 2 for those rescues who see the purebreds primarily as a good earner.

The frustration cuts both ways.

Likewise an Afghan in an All Breeds rescue. When I forwarded an inquiry, the inquirer wrote to me a week later saying the rescue had not responded to her emails. This was someone who had just had a 15 y/o Afghan die and had another 8 y/o Afghan - IOW, an ideal companion home. The irritation definitely cuts both ways.

Edit - oh and re good earner, we gave them feedback rescuer to rescuer that the fee they were charging was too high - higher than we charged or what an Afghan breeder would charge for a companion home. Response? "We have to recoup our costs". Which is why we need breed rescue supported by breed clubs, because then the costs take a back seat to finding the right home.

Edited June 19, 2014 by SkySoaringMagpie

[Diva]

However, it seems from this that I have a romanticised idea of what a 'good breeder' is. So my thoughts are moot.

What was your romanticised idea? I am interested to know what your expectations were.

Edited June 19, 2014 by Diva

[The Spotted Devil]

There is the added complication of insurance. It is my understanding that breed clubs in Victoria are not covered for any claims arising out of dogs rescued and re-homed.

[WreckitWhippet]

May i also ad many breeders & rescue clubs do anything to help & many rescues make it near impossible .

If this was the case, this thread wouldn't exist.

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with breeders refuse to help their own breed. Surely if you love your breed, you'd help.

So a breeder of SBTs should help all BYB staffies needing rescue?

Nope and you'd go mad trying, that and it's hard to manage a pack of SBT's and introduce strangers as fosters. I had a few goes at it but in the end it wasn't worth trying to clean up the BYBers mess. It was just not safe for my pack to try to do so. They always accepted pups raised here coming back for holidays and boarding but not others.

[WreckitWhippet]

I recall 2 Whippets spending months in a rescue kennel while the Whippet club had a wait list for rescues.

Shits me to tears to see some purebred dogs in all breeds rescue, especially with people who have little idea about suitable homes. x 2 for those rescues who see the purebreds primarily as a good earner.

The frustration cuts both ways.

If they are the one's I was thinking of, several club members including myself had offered to foster them in a home environment and get the best out of those two. They bounced backwards and forwards and you were right, they were there for months. They could have been successfully integrated into a household, trained and made a smooth transition to their forever homes, but nup

[tdierikx]

When I was with rescue, we had a lovely young Weimeraner (papered but desexed) surrendered to us. His breeder was not in a position to take him back.

We made an email enquiry to the breed rescue and pretty much immediately were inundated with phonecalls at all hours of the day and night by some crazy woman purporting to be from the breed rescue and demanding we hand the dog over to her (for free of course) as we could not possibly understand the needs of the breed with regards to rehoming, etc...

Finally tracked down someone listed as one of the higher-ups of said breed club, and she was lovely... she sent a lovely family over to view the dog - they had already been checked out as suitable by the breed club prior - and they and the dog clicked like they'd always been family... neddless to say they adopted said dog, and he's happily living the life of luxury all concerned wanted for him.

Like all areas of rescue, even the breed clubs seem to attract some more "enthusiastic" members... *sigh*

T.

[OSoSwift]

I have helped a number of dogs bred by our local byber of my breed, but to say I have to be responsible and take in over 100puppies, potentially, that they bred or I am not responsible I think is asking too much.

[Salukifan]

I recall 2 Whippets spending months in a rescue kennel while the Whippet club had a wait list for rescues.

Shits me to tears to see some purebred dogs in all breeds rescue, especially with people who have little idea about suitable homes. x 2 for those rescues who see the purebreds primarily as a good earner.

The frustration cuts both ways.

If they are the one's I was thinking of, several club members including myself had offered to foster them in a home environment and get the best out of those two. They bounced backwards and forwards and you were right, they were there for months. They could have been successfully integrated into a household, trained and made a smooth transition to their forever homes, but nup

Those are they.

[Leema]

For interests sake, the recent scenarios that have happened in South Australia with purebred (and pedigree) dogs coming into rescue, none of the breeds presented have been Staffordshire Bull Terriers or another wildly popular breed.

I guess because I've always been willing to take in dogs of my breed (and crossbreeds that look mildly similar), I assumed other breeders were the same. This thread as taught me that my assumptions were folly - I should expect nothing of breeders when it comes to rescue. I understand that now.

[Salukifan]

For interests sake, the recent scenarios that have happened in South Australia with purebred (and pedigree) dogs coming into rescue, none of the breeds presented have been Staffordshire Bull Terriers or another wildly popular breed.

I guess because I've always been willing to take in dogs of my breed (and crossbreeds that look mildly similar), I assumed other breeders were the same. This thread as taught me that my assumptions were folly - I should expect nothing of breeders when it comes to rescue. I understand that now.

I think you are overly pessimistic. Many breeders assist dogs of their own breeding and/or with breed rescue.

Many, just not all. Breed rescue would still be my starting point if one exists for a breed.

[kelpiecuddles]

Mnay breeders may already have up to 5 or 6 (or more) dogs of their own, many rescuers wouldn't be willing to have that many at once, it's not always cut and dried

Edited June 19, 2014 by kelpiecuddles