Really sad conversation - Page 2

Echo, how long have you had GSDs and how many litters have you put on the ground, including oops litters?

I am sure the lady you had this conversation would have taken the exact same stance/philosophy if she had(or has!) a 15 or 16 year old daughter-que sera sera!. Pitiful, but thats life unfortunately. I think to be frankly honest, worrying about the dogs is the least of our worries when there are such people around with such views and attitudes of life.

have had GSD's for just over 20 years, (hate to admit that means I'm getting old LOL) and the oops litter was our "E" litter. Joined the SchH club in 2006 with puppies in training, earned the BH in October of last. Where we lived before SchH training was over 200miles. Internet was a word we heard when we went to the city once evey 6 months for "major supplies". Yes it was very "rural" LOL. We had never even considered breeding until a few years ago almost 4 now, and that was with our vet leading us every step of the way, feed, vaccinations, de-worming schedules, what age to wean, microchips, contracts, and guarantees. My vet is highly respected by me and I have adhered to his every suggestion/advice he has so graciously lent. So we have had GSD's for over 20, only been breeding just under 4 years now and have had 5 litters. spook, you have "played" nice lately I am hoping this is truly an inquiry of personal interest and not something your now crouching preparing to "pounce" on me again. :-) said with a smile, please don't get grumpy. I will say that now we are getting a very good reputation per our "buyers" I rather call them extended family and friends, and are now getting to the point where we are making "waiting lists" which is very good ! Mostly though we enjoy the "family time" our dogs bring to our otherwise hectic lives. It's nice that so much of our time is spent doing "doggy" things, and that they are all done by the entire family, including the kidlets. :-)

I had a lady call the clinic where I work and I talked her out of breeding her lab before she OFA and got it tested for Brucellous and told her to talk to as many breeders as she could find and ask them what they thought of her breeding and I also told her to hold back some money for the what ifs like a c-section shots worming and what everelse they may need and asked her if she had buyer for the puppies yet and she said no, and I asked her what she was going to do with the ones that she could not sell, she said that she would wait until later to bred her. But you should hear the stuff we hear at work makes you skin crawl. you want to jump through the phone or over the counter and kill someone. Just my thought

In addition to all that was mentioned in everyone's posts the most shameful part is when ordinary people decide they want to own a cute little puppy and they don't research enough to even determine if that breed fits into their lifestyle. Then they just open the paper, look for the best bargain "cause it has AKC papers" and they assume they got a good dog and a great deal til 7-8 months later when they decide it wasn't such a good dog, good deal or even good fit so off it goes to the first person that can take it off their hands the fastest. I hate to say it but you do get what you pay for and you surely wouldn't expect to someone to sell you a Mercedes for the cost of a Ford pinto. Not to say this woman would have cared to hear the logical reasons why one would require testing prior to breeding BUT maybe she really had no idea what is involved and why it's so important??? To take 10 minutes out to biefly explain it may make her think twice about if it was still something she wanted to do??

I was just curious. So you're saying you've put 5 litters on the ground in less than 4 years. It's pretty much a curiosity on my part. It doesn't do any good to patronize me. I'm pretty straight forward and if you haven't figured out by now my first concern is the breed; my second is new buyers. Your misstep was attacking me because I didn't agree with your "golden middle." I guess it was down hill after that. I'll continue to be me; not intent on offending, but I won't hold my tongue either.

Agar, I agree. The buyer is just as responsible, but how many times do you see someone say they want to buy a dog and at least 10 people on this site jump out and tell them they want to sell. They have no idea who their talking to, but as long as their dumping a pup for a couple of bucks, it doesn't matter. Look at how people over sell their dogs on the Market Place. Ever dog is Rin Tin Tin. A 'great show dog' and 'great working dog' all rolled into one. There's enough blame to go around. Even the folks that don't say something when the know they should are guilty.

Agar, I guess that was the really depressing part. I did talk to her and try to give her new information. Tried to walk a balance between alienating her and offering new ideas.   She didn't want to know, she wanted a male out of my bitch. Enough to flag me down while I was walking down the street. And why not? These are the people that DO make a profit from breeding.  Absolutely no money going into the dogs; babies coming out.  

To her these were not beings. These were no different than buying seed potatoes. Buy a fifty pound bag of seed potatoes and dig a truck load of potatoes in the fall.

I can only do what I can do. Getting mine spayed.  If I want puppies, I'll buy 'em or rescue 'em.

Spook101, IF dogs are ones "business" unfortunately you have to be a good spokesperson and saleperson. It's business. Wendy's has the big n tasty, Mc'D's has the big mac,Burger King has it "your way"-everyone's gotta have a catch to sell their product. They all share one common factor-they claim to have "the best" but obviously there is something different for everyone in order for them all to stay in business. Same with dogs. Personally if I were looking for a specific pup or dog I'd ask someone I knew where to go to get what I wanted, not online. But that's just me. Word of mouth from personal acquintances goes a lot further with me than someone selling the best of the best in the Marketplace. Some people really believe they have the best of the best; and maybe they do-for the right buyer!

Agar, I understand the business aspect. There are very good breeders that do an amazing job. Most of them do a number of other things in order to make it work. There is nothing wrong with believing in your product. Quite honestly I bought a pup a couple of months ago and believe it was one of the nicest breedings I have seen. I was lucky enough to get shut out on an earlier litter, which at the time I was very disappointed I didn't get a pup from. This was from the same breeder, so I know breeders that continue to put out great litters. I guess the thing is when you see people who have been at this a year or two throwing borderline dogs together and claiming they're the next "World Champion" or the "Christmas puppy your family has to have", they are only hurting the breed.