***What does it take to become a responsible breeder?*** In my - TopicsExpress

***What does it take to become a responsible breeder?*** In my opinion it takes knowledge, dedication, money, and a desire to improve the bloodline in a positive manner in order to accomplish a specific genetic goal. It requires a lot of other things too, for example proper housing, quality nutrition, genetic testing on your breeding pair (not just regular ol vet exams), and the main ingredient of course- dogs which excel at what they were originally bred to do. Dogs that serve a purpose. They are not your average every day house pets. They generally have accomplished a lot in their lifetime such as winning conformation shows, agility competitions, herding trials, working with the police, working with the disabled, or being a very good ranch dog. Not a dog that lives on a ranch, but a RANCH DOG. A dog that works and has an actual job that involves working with the livestock in order to help his owner maintain the business. There are a few other examples but you get the idea (or at least you should..). ***Why most people should not breed their dog:*** Believe it or not, we do have a pet population problem. Walk in to any animal rescue or county shelter and see it for yourself. If you are still not a believer I suggest you volunteer for a week or two. Many animals that are perfectly healthy and adoptable must be euthanized or live out the rest of their days in a rescue environment. Where do all these dogs and cats come from? Most of them are from accidental litters or from people who wanted their dogs to have just one litter because (insert lame excuse that they manage to find completely valid here). The rest are generally from people who just couldnt handle the dog anymore because they didnt understand what they were getting themselves into. Thats another subject though.... The problem does not just come from irresponsible breeding practices though. It also comes from irresponsible ownership in general. If people would actually educate themselves before they jumped into things such as getting a dog or randomly breeding them it would help out a whole lot. And now for the discussion part. I want to know what you think to yourselves when you see someone using the following excuses as to why they want to breed their dogs and why they refuse to get them fixed. *-*-*-*-*-*-*-* What do you think when you hear the following and what other excuses drive you up the wall? Remember to include why they bug you! *-*-*-*-*-*-*-* 1). I want my dog to experience being a mother.. 2). I cant take my dogs manhood away from him. 3). I love my dog and just want one of her puppies. 4). My dog is registered, purebred, and I want to make money from the puppies. 5). I want my children to experience the birthing process.