Wow, some awesome stories! Keep 'em coming!

Something that some people don't seem to take into account, a lot of people who get a dog from a breeder would NOT get a dog from another source, if the breeder wasn't available. So the whole concept of "when you buy from a breeder, a dog in a shelter dies" goes right out the window.

I routinely encourage people to check out rescue if they are set on getting a certain breed, or a shelter if they are just looking for a dog that fits a few criteria, breed not being one of them. But the people that buy pups from me have pretty specific requirements they are trying to fill, and if they can't find a dog that fills those requirements, any old dog is not going to do. They aren't just looking for a buddy to go on walks with.

If every responsible breeder agree to a 1 year ban on breeding, we'd see a number of things happen:

* BYB and puppymills would step up production to meet the demand from people who would rather go to a responsible breeder, but wanting a puppy now outweighs that
* a few more shelter dogs would be saved, but I don't think the numbers would really change much
* people who want a responsibly bred dog would wait a year to get a dog, and after the 1 year ban was over, responsible breeders would step up production to meet the demand of the people who were waiting for that 1 year to go by

And in the end, nothing would have really changed.

Completely agree Kadi! Perfectly said.

I can relate to both sides, grew up not poor but definitely not rich, had 2 or 3 dogs, fed em mainstay, saw vet if sick, slept inside, loved and well cared for imo...Having a very old dog and having gone into debt and borrowed money from my wonderful mother I have decided I indeed want to wait before getting another dog until I do have enough money for emergencies and senior care. There are too many dogs in need of a home to only adopt to people who are wealthy, and to truly be able to provide for any emergency you would have to be rich. I understand and agree with both sides of the debate really. Sadly there are too many homeless pets and vet care is astronomically overpriced and outta reach for the average citizen imo.

So what gets me is the people who come into the shelter to abandon their 13yr old deaf peeing ugly feeble mutt whose teeth are rotting out of his skull and will require expensive vet care and care(likely never find a home) for the rest of its life, carrying their gucci bags, prada shades, fancy clothes, diamonds, hair and nails done, cant afford a surrender fee, goodbye yes we will still take your dying dog and do the best we can for him where you so utterly failed your faithful dog that is crying as you walk away and pulling to reach you and you dont even look back or say goodbye to your companion of 13yrs, no you get into your mercedes benz and drive off.....True story

Fadi, your correct. If breeder raise dogs to improve the breed(i'm sure you do )that's fine, it's the puppy mills /back yard breeder that's the problem. it's all about money

I don't think it is wrong for a person to try to make money raising nice dogs. I think it is wrong to raise anything and not care for it, provide it what it needs to be at peace and in good health.
It's pretty hard to make money raising anything!

Yeah BYBs and puppy mills are some of the worst but I also hate when people breed extremes. I hope I don't get flogged for saying this but show bred Pugs, Bulldogs, Dachshunds, Shar Pei, Rhodesian Ridgeback, Bull Terrier are all deformed or have a genetic defect to give them their signature look. And not to mention ones not as extreme that are SO FAR from how they looked just 50-100 years ago like the show GSD, narrow Borzoi headed "Collie" and even Basset Hounds had longer legs. The debauchery of dogs as I see it.

If you watch the vidoe below, I used to know a Cavalier KCS (client's dog) who I had to see suffer because of her breeding. There is a dog in this video who has the same disorder. Their brain is smaller than their skull if I remember correctly. It was horrible, the owner wouldn't put her down, she used to scratch and scream. I wish I could remember what its called because they don't talk about it specifically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yku1MSa5vRY

Tresa, you won't be flogged by me.

I'm involved in Pug rescue, but believe me, I have no respect for the breeders who continue this ill-conceived idea of flat-faced dogs -- this idea that is behind so many tragic chronic problems, from bulging eyeballs to crowded mouths filled with crooked teeth to conditions it makes me cry to think about.

I have constant mixed feelings about giving aid in any way to this kind of breeding.

"Deformed" is not in any way an incorrect description, IMO.

Connie, everything you listed makes me cringe, as I have seen it countless times...its so very sad, I don't get the obsessions people have with the deformed. Don't Pugs have another condition that is from breeding for that spiral tail? Doesn't that affect the entire spine to have a tail like that?

I saw so many grossly undershot Lhasa's with horribly bowed front legs with turned feet. I used to work at a dog grooming shop (apprentice) and one Peke had such bulging eyes they would occasionally pop out. Then there was a schnauzer or two with some unknowable psychotic disorder. One in particular was clearly suffering every day of his life but the owner wouldn't put him down.

 Quote: Kadi_Thingvall

If every responsible breeder agree to a 1 year ban on breeding, we'd see a number of things happen:

* BYB and puppymills would step up production to meet the demand from people who would rather go to a responsible breeder, but wanting a puppy now outweighs that
* a few more shelter dogs would be saved, but I don't think the numbers would really change much
* people who want a responsibly bred dog would wait a year to get a dog, and after the 1 year ban was over, responsible breeders would step up production to meet the demand of the people who were waiting for that 1 year to go by

And in the end, nothing would have really changed.

I think this is exactly true.

The ones who should never breed again are the same ones who would evade the hypothetical one-year ban.