To Breed, or not to Breed
that is the question...
 Once upon a time,
I had a very good article concerning breeding, posted on a former
free site I had. The article had
statistics, quotes from some well known, established and highly reputable
breeders, and some funny/'cutesy' anecdotes from some breeders - myself
included - from the Maumee Valley Shetland Sheepdog Club, Inc., in
Toledo, Ohio. Alas, the article was lost, eaten by the cyber monster
that attacks unsuspecting site builders, cunningly targeting those
who didn't think to keep an off site backup. Painful lesson. Please
be patient while I gather all those interesting statistics all over
again, and feel free to browse through the rest of my domain.
There is
a backup, now! *winks*
The preceding paragraphs
were from my 2003 information, so it is well past time to update!
I never did find the information I once had, so let's simply use common
sense, shall we? First and foremost, consider how many animals are
placed for adoption, yearly. The
Humane Society has a yearly report, which lists adoptions in the
thousands. These are success stories, homes are found - but what about
all of the animals not able to be rehabilitated, those too sick, too
mean, too old - to find homes? As much as you love your Miss Fluff
and King, can you 100% guarantee you will find suitable, lifelong
homes for their offspring? It is estimated, by the Humane
Society, that over 4 million animals are euthanized, yearly.
Now let's consider
a nasty side business, related to pet over population... dog fighting.
Pit bulls are one of the most abused in the dog kingdom, many still
bred simply to fight. Which makes it difficult for the rare, reputable
breeder who is trying to change the public opinion of this breed.
The Humane Society has a fact
sheet about dog fighting; and the ASPCA
lists dog fighting as extreme cruelty. While I am by no means a PETA
supporter (I believe in animal welfare, not animal rights)
they do offer worthwhile information on what to do if you find or
suspect dog fighting near you. The Animal
Legal Defense Fund has been working hard against all forms of
animal fighting, not just dog fights.
Helium
has a section on poetry concerning dog fights, very touching poetry!
Green
Day Community also has a poem by Melvin
B. Tolson, and Emma
Alberts has a very touching poem listed on Poem
Hunter.
Now consider money.
Jane Anderson has a well written article here;
while she may be from Australia, her information is valid no matter
where you are from. Bellcrest
Boxers lists the amount of money per litter, back in 1998 - imagine
how much they spend, today! The Dobermin
Pinscher Club of America has the cost of breeding a litter of
Dobies, in 2008, so the amount is closer to what one might pay today.
And O'Mai
Alaskan Malamutes has up-to-date figures, with this 2012 cost
of litter page. You see, many people have the misconception that breeders
make oodles and oodles of money, and that just isn't so. Breeding
is a labor of love, actually. Love of the breed, mind you, not usually
one particular dog. A breeder not only is knowledgable about his own
line of dogs, but the breed, in general. He knows what problems can
arise, and has a plan to either eradicate that problem, or at the
very least, reduce it to a manageable level. Like the various eye
problems in Collies - CEA,
Collie
Eye Anomaly - a reputable breeder tests his animals, and is aware
of any possible abnormality and knows not to breed affected animals.
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