If your breeding operation gets so big that you have to keep dogs in kennels its probably time to stop breeding. And ruth in the beginning of the thread my question was about breeders who rehome dogs because they arent useful or they have no room. Not about personality clash. Now im gonna rehome my daughter cuz shes not as useful as she used to be. There is this neighbor down the block who i think can give her a better quality of life. Again i will ask--would mary of blackshadow give away hemi or danae after they were done being breedable. I doubt it because she truly loves her dog like i do. Unlike breeders who rehome their dogs no matter what excuse they give(better home no room personality clash) sorry this is how it is from what i can see.
---------- Post added 01-11-2013 at 12:19 AM ---------- Previous post was 01-10-2013 at 11:22 PM ----------
@ cody i dont think dogs should ever be kept in a kennel and not on a couch with a family.-but thats just me, but your post did make a lot of sense and im happy the rehoming worked out for you.
Jerms, I think you are deliberately not getting what is said. Would you tell a breeder who bred working dogs not to kennel? Gun dogs thrive in kennel situations. They are there to work and they are not meant to be in the home because they need to stay tough for what they do. Should that breeder stop? There are breeds that should not be kenneled so yes, the dogs need to be rehomed because you cannot keep too many dogs in your home, there are limits. There are breeds that can be either or and there are breeds that do best only when kenneled. You forget that dogs were working creatures before we brought them into their homes. Mastiffs were commonly kept outdoors because they were guardian breeds used to protect property. It is no hardship for a dog to live in a nice kennel depending on the breed. However, even breeders know that dogs deserve to retire in luxury and going to a pet home from a kennel is the best they can do for their dogs.
I know what you are fishing for so I will give it to you. Yes, owning a kennel is a business, yes, if you want to remain viable you have to rehome. Breeding is not a pretty business. It is filled with tears and heartache and it is not for the weak willed. You can lose an entire litter with one infection, you can lose your prize bitch during delivery or you could lose a puppy at any time during those first 8 weeks. Throughout all of it, you have to do what is right for you, the dogs in your care and the future dogs that you will have. Rehoming is one of the ugly parts of breeding and some breeders do not rehome while others do. If it is a business and not just a hobby, then rehoming is the most viable option. The dog goes to a wonderful home (the breeder makes sure) and is rewarded for the work the dog has done. It is the same with people who have working dogs, even if they don't breed. The dog works and upon retirement, he moves on to a non-working home.
Just to put it in comparison. If a guy does search and rescue work. That is his business and he has dogs for that business, should he close down his business when the dog becomes too old to work. Should he be placed in a kennel away from the family or rotated with the family because the younger dogs are too much for him. More than likely, he would rehome the dog into a nice family home where he can spend his final years being pampered. Yes, it sounds mean but it is actually one of the best things for the dog.
I really think people need to stop viewing people as evil if they rehome an animal. At times, things do not work out. All the best intentions in the world when you purchase a dog can be derailed. Job loss, divorce, death, severe stress can lead to a dog needing to be rehomed. A think a person is more noble rehoming than keeping the dog in less than a perfect situation. Dogs that remain in stressful situations often see neglect and even abuse because the people are overtaxed. Yes, there are stupid reasons to rehome but there are also good reasons.
Breeders have to find that fine line and if it works for the dog and means the dog is happy, then it works.
---------- Post added at 08:53 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:43 AM ----------
In regards to the first question. I am actually fine with both as long as the dogs are cared for properly. I have known small hobby breeders who are amazing and go above and beyond for their litters and dogs and then I have known small hobby breeders who are not much better than a byb. The same goes for large scale professional breeders. Again, you have the ones that go above and beyond and the others that are nothing more than glorified puppy mills. I don't like how there are some large scale breeders who say anyone with less than 3 dogs is a byb simply because a) everyone has to start somewhere and b) not everyone wants to have a big operation. I would purchase from either as long as they are high quality, reputable breeders and not the latter.
One personal preference that I have is that I would never purchase from a breeder who breeds more than one breed of dog. I get that everyone loves more than one breed but it is so difficult to know everything about one breed, how can you really be breeding for the breed if you have 3 or 4 different breeds there. Also, there is a problem with a few unethical breeders having a oops litter and lying on the registration. There is a theory that the silver labs comes from a pairing of Weimaraner and Labrador Retrievers since the color first showed up in a litter produced by a breeder who had both breeds in his kennel. In addition, all silver labs today have dogs from that kennel in their lines. Could be coincidence but I think someone lied on a registration form.
