My preference is...

For potential dog owners to educate themselves as to what dog ownership really means, to search their hearts and souls to determine if they are truly up to the task at this point in their lives, and to make a commitment to their four-footed friend to love and care for the dog for the rest of his/her natural life, come what may.

Whether one gets one's dog from rescue or from an ethical, responsible breeder is less important to me than what happens to the dog from the minute he/she enters the new home. What matters most is that one remains committed to the dog's welfare for the rest of his/her natural life - so that no more dogs end up in rescue.

Of course my personal commitment is to rescue, all but one of my dogs have come from rescues, as likely will all in the future. But my first dog, my 'heart' dog, was from a breeder - she taught me how to be a dog owner, and paved the way for all the rest of my crew. And it should be born in mind: all my rescue dogs at one time came from breeders.

What I utterly condemn is irresponsible breeding: battery farming, BYBs, allowing accidental litters to happen.

Breeding should only be undertaken by serious enthusiasts, by folks with knowledge and experience of the breed. A responsible breeder has an in-depth understanding of the science of genetics, is up to date with both the nature and nurture impact on temperament, is fully versed in the medical issues pertinent to the breed, has done all the relevant testing of both sire and dam, has both theoretical and practical experience with early socialization, is a member in good standing of the appropriate breed club, rigorously adheres to breeding welfare standards, and (in Switzerland) adheres rigorously to the provisions of the TSchV regulating breeding and breeder education. A good breeder stands by every single pup produced for the pup's entire lifetime - and is very, very choosy when deciding who is good enough to become the pup's new family. Most important - a responsible ethical breeder breeds only with the welfare of the breed, and of the pups, in mind.

The same applies to rescues - a good rescue assesses each dog individually to determine what the dog needs in his new family, a good rescue stands behind every single dog rehomed for the rest of the dog/s natural lifetime, and is very, very choosy when deciding who is good enough to become the pup's new family.

An irresponsible rescue is as bad as an irresponsible breeder - one should avoid both. Always seek out the folks who truly care for, and about, their dogs.

One needs to do one's research when looking for a breeder to determine if that person meets the requirements of a good breeder. Be very careful - there are many charlatans posing as breeders. They make pretty websites, promise the moon, push all the right buttons - but the cold hard truth is that dogs come from awful conditions, many are poorly bred, many are sick. Sometimes you will find individuals who pretend to be the dog's breeders but in reality these are dog dealers, the dogs were shipped in from a battery farm. One should approach a breeder with a checklist of 'good breeder' requirements - and a healthy dose of 'spidey sense' What the latter starts tingling, walk away.

The BVet and STS has produced a good brochure 'Augen Auf Beim Hundekauf!':

http://www.tierschutz.com/heimtiere/...fhundekauf.pdf

DO NOT purchase from anyone who is not a member of the SKG/FCI, do not purchase from anyone who promises to ship a dog, who will not allow you to meet the dam, whose premises are not sparkling clean, who does not have an early socialization program, who is willing to give the dogs away before the 56th day, who cannot show you the results of all medical tests, or who is willing to give you the dog without giving you a good grilling first. Buying from an irresponsible breeder simply perpetuates the cycle of abuse. If no one bought from battery farmers or BYBs, these evil barstewards would soon go out of business.

Yes, I would personally like to see rescue as a first choice - but I know that is not the right road for everyone. What I'd like is for a potential dog owner to investigate rescue, to educate oneself about the 'dark side' of dog welfare and the dog industry, to understand how these poor dogs ended up in rescue, and yes, to consider a shelter dog - but if going with a breeder is the right choice for you, the do what is right for you. With my blessing. I'll say it again:

Whether one gets one's dog from rescue or from an ethical, responsible breeder is less important to me than what happens to the dog from the minute he/she enters the new home. What matters most is that one remains committed to the dog's welfare for the rest of his/her natural life - so that no more dogs end up in rescue.



Gotta run; Haifisch, whose internal clock is still set on summer time, has started ringing the 'food o'clock' alarm.

Absolutely Meloncollie - thank you. 100000s of dogs end up in rescue, whether from breeder or not- and that is such a tragedy.

We got our dog from France. Certainly cheaper, the breeder organised all the shots, paper work etc. Was very straight forward.

A good, responsible breeder will also sell their dogs with a contract stipulating that if, for any reason -- no questions asked, the buyer cannot keep the dog that, the buyer will return the dog to the breeder to be re-homed. No responsible breeder wants a dog they've breed to end up in a shelter or a rescue.

(insert rant about owners taking the easy route and dumping a dog at a shelter when it no longer suits their life style as we've all witnessed on EF)

And if I may switch the topic just a bit... speaking of 100000s of dogs ending up in shelters... I've been amazed to find that sterilization is not the norm here in Switzerland. It seems most people I have met talk about their dogs being in heat or trying to breed their neighbor's dog and they go on about this being a nuisance.

I ask the question, "why don't you have the dog fixed?" and I'm met with this paralyzed look of confusion/disgust like it's the most horrible thing in the world to do to a dog.

It's just amazing to me that it's not a common sense, automatic requirement for dogs that wouldn't/shouldn't be bred.

Totally agree - although all SPA's do 'fix' all dogs before re-homing. In France the situation is much worse and 'fixing' is seen as a crime almost, and the majortiy of SPAs do not sterilize dogs and bitches as they say it is too expensive, and that the French won't adopt them unless 'whole'. Senseless.

Basel is full of old dogs, - just go up town on a friday night and take your pick!

I wonder all the time. What is the rationale for not neutering a dog that you do not intend to breed? It is considered the responsible norm in North America, but not here. Any thoughts?

Some people don't like to de-nature creatures - to me a dog has it's own personality. I've been around farm animals most of my life - we didn't as a rule neuter our dogs we just controlled them when they were in heat - we did with one for health reasons.
Many farm dogs lose their energy once neutered.

You can 'control a bitch on heat, but dogs? Farm dogs here are loose and not kept on leash, etc- and responsible for many many litters or unwanted dogs.
Sorry Parnell, but this is 'bollocks' (pun intended).

Quote:

Myths About Spaying/Neutering


Some people don’t want to spay or neuter their dog because they have heard about some bad “side effects” of the surgery, or because they have picked up some mistaken ideas along the way. There are a number of myths about spaying and neutering. Here are a few of the most common, and the truth about each.

Altering makes a dog fat. Spaying or neutering at the youngest possible age—before the dog has reached sexual maturity—generally has no effect whatsoever on weight. Dogs who undergo the surgery after reaching sexual maturity may show an increased appetite because altering affects hormone balance. However, dogs who are fat are usually fat because they are fed too much and/or do not get enough exercise.

Altering makes a dog lazy. Neutering reduces a male dog’s desire to roam (often over long distances) to find female dogs in heat, and altering can somewhat reduce a dog’s energy level. Altering does not make dogs lazy. Altered dogs are as playful and energetic as intact dogs.

Altering changes a dog’s personality. The only personality changes that result from spaying or neutering are the positive changes described above—no roaming, less tendency to mark territory, and less aggression. Aside from these changes, your dog will be no less like himself than humans are after undergoing vasectomy or oophorectomy (removal of the ovaries).

My dog has a right to experience sex. Sex, for a dog, is nothing more than the result of a powerful instinctive drive to reproduce. People who worry about this issue are usually over-identifying with their dog. This is an excuse often presented by men, who cringe at the very idea of castration—even though it is a painless surgical procedure being performed on their dog, not on them.

It’s a good thing for our children to see the miracle of birth. Bringing more puppies into a world already overburdened with thousands of homeless dogs is not the best way to show your children the birth process. You can show them videos or even let them witness live human births on the internet. You might also want to consider that if you allow your dog to have puppies so that your children can observe the miracle of birth, you should also take your children to an animal shelter, so they can observe the sad results—the thousands of dogs who are killed every day because no one will give them a home.

It's often said that Switzerland is 30 years behind the rest of the world... in this as well.

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This is more or less an extension of the 'He just wants to play!' type of owner - those who don't take responsibility for their dog. In fact it goes deeper - this type of owner can't even comprehend that he should take responsibility for his dog.

Another reason I say that it isn't only first time owners who should be required to take the SKN theory course - every dog owner should. It's often the owners who have had dogs for 30 years who need it most - because they are still stuck with 30 year-old thinking.

A big part of the problem (to my mind) is that the number of homeless dogs killed each year is a dirty little secret. Few people know that this happens here, too - and few are willing to talk about it. It doesn't fit the image. If you ask those owners of intact and uncontrolled dogs what happens to the pups they produce, you will get blank stares.


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The good news is that most rescues require a dog to be spayed/neutered, and some breeders will require a dog who is 'pet quality' (as opposed to show standard) to do so as well. Many vets try to educate and advise owners on the subject.

As with the abandonment problem, as with the 'He just wants to play!' problem - dog owners need education, education, education. Switzerland needs to work harder to get the message out.

We kept our dogs inside/on chain when a local bitch was in heat. Simples.
All of those "myths" other than the last two have more than a grain of truth to it - if you've ever seen a working dog destroyed and become depressed then maybe you could open your mind far enough to see that perhaps you might be mistaken. For example your equation of castration with human vasectomy is plainly and medically wrong. I've lived and worked on a farm for 19 years - being friends and neighbours with a professional international sheep and cattledog trainer - what's your background on this matter ?

Just a counterpost to this argument from a vet :
http://www.showdogsupersite.com/kenl...vet/neutr.html

I don't hope to change anyone's mind on this forum - I can only post data and my personal observances with several dogs of our own and several hundred dogs from our closest neighbour - all of whom were working sheepdogs and cattledogs. However I feel strongly that the vet's observations echo my own and that of my sister (happens to be a vet too) - if you're not prepared to put in the time and effort that a dog requires then don't get one - but a dog is not a decoration or an ornament for your entertainment - all of our dogs were fully integrated members of the family.

wait, I must have missed something. last time I checked, it took two..