Collie, reading your post I remembered another point.
Over the past few decades, rescue has become more common as a route to getting a dog (and that's great). But also, people will go to a puppy farm, as you say, fully knowing what it is and buy a dog because they can convince themselves they are 'rescuing' it. They are in a way - but the fact they even do that perpetuates the whole thing.
I've been there, too. My last dog (lived to be 14, very, very much loved, probably 'The One' for me of all the dogs I have had my entire life - you know how one is that special one?) I got aged 2 from a breeder. When I got to the breeder's house I knew I was coming home with the dog. Not just because the dog was stunning to look at and clearly very sweet natured - but also because the breeder let drop she had no house dogs but kept them in kennels in her garage and brought them into the house for a couple of hours a day, only, on rotation. So in my head, I was immediately 'rescuing' my dog from living in a cage in a garage. Which I was.
The breeder was one of the top ones in the world, in that breed. She had (recent) wins at Crufts, etc. She was not someone in a backstreet breeding the odd litter as it was "good for b1tches to have at least one litter". She told me - and I have no doubt she was honest - that he had had people come to look at dogs, took one look at them and they've left the house within minutes (with no dog) because she didn't like the look of them.
In my mind at the time I 'rescued' my lovely dog. But if I'm honest - if I hadn't bought her - someone else would have snapped her up within weeks as soon as the breeder decided to part with her. The breeder knew the market was there, in other words.
Also... People think they are buying from a 'good' breeder who asks them questions, etc etc but my dog came from a breeder who had a two year waiting list for puppies. Every single puppy was sold before it was even conceived. And if a buyer dropped out there were plenty left who had also been waiting a couple of years. Anyone who buys a dog from an ad from a litter that is nearly ready - is essentially using a backstreet breeder as presumably those puppies would have a waiting lit and a reserve waiting list if the parents were really so great they were bang on breed standard and winning shows..?
I know what you mean about the One, I've gotten my the One at the moment, and no matter how many other dogs I have, or how much I love them and how wonderful they are, they will never ever be 'the One', for the simple reason, there can never be another.
A lot of show breeders do keep their dogs like that in show season, especially if their a fluffy or time consuming coated breed, to keep them tidy, however once the show season has finished ( or they've been to the shows they want), the dogs are usually allowed to go back to 'being a dog' again. Though obviously, some won't keep them like that, and these give people the idea that show dogs are kept in a crate constantly, not allowed to be a proper dog, and don't get to go for walks in case they get dirty. For the most part, that simply isn't true, a show dog is still a dog that will be unsociable with other dogs if it's not allowed to run about and mingle with others, or have a shy, nervous disposition if it's shut away constantly, neither of which make a winning show dog. Think about it, a show dog more than any other has to have great bone structure and muscle tone, it is not going to get this without proper excercise, and certainly not by being kept in a crate most of the time;-).
Don't be suspicious of a good breeder that actually has puppies available, whilst they do have a waiting list, it could be that the people on it can't for whatever reason have a pup, or its not what they were after. If you said your dog was having pups and was anyone interested, almost everyone would say yes and you would be wondering how you could possibly have one for all that asked. Some would still say yes they still wanted one when they were born. But it's amazing how many of those, when confronted with the actual puppy at seven/eight weeks old and the reality of what they were taking on was there in front of them, would suddenly decide "I've changed my mind/ I've got a new job/ I'm having a baby/ we've talked it over and we can't afford it/ I've decided a different breed would be better for me/ I don't really have the time/ there's none the color I want/ I'm moving soon/ things have changed/ I've just discovered I'm allergic to dog hair etc etc ad infintum and suddenly rather than wondering how your going to have enough to sell, your wondering how on earth your going to sell the ones you have! This is why a lot of breeders don't have waiting lists, because their not a guarantee your puppy will get a home, or even if they do have a list and the parents are show champions, they can still have puppies available for no other reason than people and their plans can change instantly. However, unlike a puppy farm/ back yarder, who could have lots to choose from in several breeds, a proper breeder is unlikely to have the full litter to chose from, nor a variety of breeds ( though some, especially the toy group breeders might have 2 or 3 different breeds).
I got a rescue doggie or rather puppy that family and I saw on the internet
She was being fostered from rescue centre
Had home check then' foster mum' came with doggie(came from far and we had no car) she also home checked.
Over 9 years later we are all under her thumb our doggie that is not' foster mum'
We bought from a home breeders,from their own 2 pets, half a mile from our house, our dog sees her 'family' almost every day , especially two of her brothers, when we went to see her, on a few occasions before we brought her home we saw all the family together, the pups with the children,and they lovely home environment in which they were being raised. not all breeders are bad.
We bought from a home breeders,from their own 2 pets, half a mile from our house, our dog sees her 'family' almost every day , especially two of her brothers, when we went to see her, on a few occasions before we brought her home we saw all the family together, the pups with the children,and they lovely home environment in which they were being raised. not all breeders are bad.
I've done that with my last 4 Alsations. Went to see the pup in a family environment. My old boy was 13 whe he left us. My latest is nearly 10 from a family about 3 miles away who owned both the dog and the bitch and saw the pup from 4 weeks until we got him. We went back to them when he was growing up and he played in the garden with the other pups.
He's never had a problem caused by the breeding. We used to meet his mum all the time, she's gone now.
Comments
I know what you mean about the One, I've gotten my the One at the moment, and no matter how many other dogs I have, or how much I love them and how wonderful they are, they will never ever be 'the One', for the simple reason, there can never be another.
A lot of show breeders do keep their dogs like that in show season, especially if their a fluffy or time consuming coated breed, to keep them tidy, however once the show season has finished ( or they've been to the shows they want), the dogs are usually allowed to go back to 'being a dog' again. Though obviously, some won't keep them like that, and these give people the idea that show dogs are kept in a crate constantly, not allowed to be a proper dog, and don't get to go for walks in case they get dirty. For the most part, that simply isn't true, a show dog is still a dog that will be unsociable with other dogs if it's not allowed to run about and mingle with others, or have a shy, nervous disposition if it's shut away constantly, neither of which make a winning show dog. Think about it, a show dog more than any other has to have great bone structure and muscle tone, it is not going to get this without proper excercise, and certainly not by being kept in a crate most of the time;-).
Don't be suspicious of a good breeder that actually has puppies available, whilst they do have a waiting list, it could be that the people on it can't for whatever reason have a pup, or its not what they were after. If you said your dog was having pups and was anyone interested, almost everyone would say yes and you would be wondering how you could possibly have one for all that asked. Some would still say yes they still wanted one when they were born. But it's amazing how many of those, when confronted with the actual puppy at seven/eight weeks old and the reality of what they were taking on was there in front of them, would suddenly decide "I've changed my mind/ I've got a new job/ I'm having a baby/ we've talked it over and we can't afford it/ I've decided a different breed would be better for me/ I don't really have the time/ there's none the color I want/ I'm moving soon/ things have changed/ I've just discovered I'm allergic to dog hair etc etc ad infintum and suddenly rather than wondering how your going to have enough to sell, your wondering how on earth your going to sell the ones you have! This is why a lot of breeders don't have waiting lists, because their not a guarantee your puppy will get a home, or even if they do have a list and the parents are show champions, they can still have puppies available for no other reason than people and their plans can change instantly. However, unlike a puppy farm/ back yarder, who could have lots to choose from in several breeds, a proper breeder is unlikely to have the full litter to chose from, nor a variety of breeds ( though some, especially the toy group breeders might have 2 or 3 different breeds).
She was being fostered from rescue centre
Had home check then' foster mum' came with doggie(came from far and we had no car) she also home checked.
Over 9 years later we are all under her thumb our doggie that is not' foster mum'
I've done that with my last 4 Alsations. Went to see the pup in a family environment. My old boy was 13 whe he left us. My latest is nearly 10 from a family about 3 miles away who owned both the dog and the bitch and saw the pup from 4 weeks until we got him. We went back to them when he was growing up and he played in the garden with the other pups.
He's never had a problem caused by the breeding. We used to meet his mum all the time, she's gone now.