http://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/Shelter-Moral-Superiority-Romeo-134.asp

Uhhh...

I don't really like that article. At all.

While I don't like those people who condemn all dog breeders and say all dog breeders are awful, and blah blah blah.... this article just left a sour taste in my mouth.

I don't agree with slamming breeders, but I REALLY don't agree with slamming shelters. This article, to me, was a slam against those who adopt from a shelter. Maybe this just hits a little too close to home, but screw that lady.

YES, some people go into adoption and get in WAY over their heads. On the flip side however, people get their dogs from breeders and are just as equal to being over their heads. Except they went to a BYB who won't take the dog back, so guess where the dog ends up.

I don't like that lady.

I get what she's saying to a degree though. Since bringing Dizzy home, I've encountered a lot of people that turn their noses up with I say I got him from a breeder, or grill me about it. Quite frankly, I'm just desperately trying to get my puppy to learn how to pee on a tiny square of sidewalk next to my apartment, so unless you can get him to do that in the next 30 seconds please stop distracting him. Lol. I don't need anyone's opinion or baggage, not to mention the fact they are distracting a very ADD puppy (like all puppies)... AND, if you really feel that horrible about all the puppies and dogs in shelters, do something more that berate people on the street, volunteer, donate money, etc... Also, I have volunteered at husky rescues in the past, and weighed my decision to buy a dog very heavily.

On the flip side, I've met just as many people that are cool about it and ask questions about huskies and the breeder. Generally I try to be patient with everybody, but early in the morning, or the late night potty runs make me impatient and easily annoyed. And then there are those that no matter where you get your dog, or what you are doing with your dog, they tell you what to do and how to do it. A couple days ago, I actually said to a lady, 'Just because he's a puppy, doesn't mean I don't know what I'm doing. He's not my first dog, nor my first husky.'

Finally, I've noticed recently, people (I mean in general, not specifically anyone here, people have said this to me about Dizzy) seem to say they 'adopted' their dog no matter where they get them. I think people say that because they don't see their dog as a commodity, but as a family member. But, in my opinion, if you pay a breeder for a puppy you are PURCHASING a puppy, not adopting.

I think her tone could have been better, but I do understand where she's coming from.

I think that person is a little ridiculous. Sorry lady but its a fact of life that irresponsible people will irresponsibly breed dogs and some end up in shelters and not everyone who adopts is making a logical decision but instead make emotional ones...ect..ect.. but if they think that the worlds population will someday only buy from ethical breeders and that this would solve all the dog problems then they are deluded.

Plus from the tone of the article it doesn't really even sound like that person has adopted (regardless of what they claim) because plenty of shelter adopters are making informed decisions and i don't think that being a "bleeding heart" is really all that bad. Just a rant that reeks of bitterness. It also doesn't speak well for that person as a breeder and wouldn't make me want to purchase a puppy from them.

That's true, some rescues and shelters are very hard to adopt from, to limit the impulsive adoption.

I understand, but at the same time she could've worded the whole article way better. She is right, there is a supply/demand for puppies. BUT, that being said, it should be up to the breeder to decide where their puppies go. Part of the problem are the BYBs and puppy mills that just sell their puppies to anyone for a profit. And then those puppies end up in shelters because the family couldn't handle them. To me, she sounds like a bitter breeder who hasn't been getting much business because people are choosing to rescue verses getting a puppy.

Yeah, I hear the bitterness, but at the same time, I have met people that think they are God's gift to the world because they adopted a pet. But, those types of people probably think that about themselves in any arena. The author does sound very bitter and immature. Someone probably rubbed her the wrong way and she is ranting. I think wherever there is demand, there will be someone looking to make a quick or cheap buck and unfortunately animals suffer for that. Plus, she may have used the tone to get people talking.

very true- and it certainly has got us talking : ). On the flip-side, Ive met a few people who have told me they would never adopt because shelter dogs are "used" dogs and that they all have unsolvable issues. I don't know that we will ever really solve the overpopulation problems and bad/irresponsible breeding so i tend to side with all the bleeding hearts who adopt even if some of them do think they are Gods gift to dog-kind because they rescued one dog lol.

Yeah, that's true and just an ignorant attitude! I do fall on that side of the fence as well, but I'm in the grey area since I bought my puppy. I did look at rescue first, but at the same time am happy I got the puppy I did from the breeder I did.

I don't appreciate an air of superiority whether it's over a purchased champion purebred dog or an adopted shelter/rescue dog. I think ultimately her article was spawned by disgust for the attitude but went a little too far. I couldn't stand her attitude in the article to be honest and had a hard time reading it because it was such a turn off. I am pro breeder and pro adoption, so long as things are done right and for the right reasons.

I hate the holier than thou attitude that some people have of their champion purebreds that snub their noses up at adopted/less than perfect specimens of the breed. But I also hate the same holier than thou attitude of rescue/adoption people who snub their noses up at dogs bought from a breeder. The attitude that this lady is complaining about is really on both sides of the aisle. But it sounds like she is on the receiving end of one side...possibly because she is a breeder herself or has bought all her dogs from a breeder? Who knows.

All of my dogs are rescues and I have witnessed the holier than thou attitude time and time again from BOTH sides.

And Jen, I have noticed a LOT of people nowadays saying they adopted their puppy when they actually bought said puppy from a breeder which is very misleading. I too consider a puppy bought from a breeder a purchased puppy, not adopted.

My main problems with the article is her tone, her generalizations, and how much she slapping people in the face who rescue. Her tone literally makes me want to run her over with my car. Could she seriously have been any more snarky or a b?? VERY immature lady. She's probably one of those people at restaurants that are so ridiculously high mantenence, then only tips 5%.

She generalizes that all shelter dogs have baggage and no shelter will disclose known problems. LIES. My Kennedy has seriously been the easiest dog I have ever trained. Spent over a year of her life at the shelter. Has zero dog issues, took me three days to potty train, and has no negative fallout what so ever. MOST shelters try very hard to pair their dogs up with the right family. There are some shelters who adopt out to the first person with money, but honestly I can't really blame them their either. NOT all shelter dogs are used, broken, or were "obviously dumped for a reason". They are there because somebody was too irresponcible to take care of them.

I did adopt because I didn't want to see Kennedy die. I will not lie. I was in Ohio at the time, and I saw her on Pet Pardons FB page. It was an old, outdated picture of her but I just knew she had to be mine. She got on Rescue Road Trips transport in Meridian MS, and the rest is history. Was it the brightest idea? Probably not. But I now have my heart dog with me and I would have made it work no matter how broken she would have been. She ended up in the shelter because somebody was too lazy to spay their dog and her litter ended up at the shelters doorstep.

I love being able to tell people I rescued my girls. I feel like there is so much misinformation about shelters and how adopting a dog means you're going into it blind; how you could end up with the meanest dog ever; how you'll be getting a broken dog; how only dirty mutts end up at shelters... It is very sad. Articles like this make educating people on rescue that much more difficult.

I have to say I agree with Val 100%. The lady is a hypocrite in my eyes. What good is bashing people's air of superiority when you hold it yourself?

Choose a breeder pup or a shelter dog because it fits best within YOUR lifestyle. However, do so responsibly educated and prepared to make a lifetime commitment to either dog. Responsible breeding has its place. Just as shelters and adoptions do.

Val, great point! It goes both ways!

I got halfway through the article before I realized this person had nothing good to say, it was all just whining about the additudes of a select group of people who get dogs to make themselfs look better.
I got Storm because I wanted a companion, how I got him doesn't matter to me. I fell in love with the dog I met and wanted him to be a part of my life. So I PURCHASED him(and anybody who pays any money for a dog including adopters have purchased a dog) and adopted him into my family.

This is definitely a breeder who has been burned. Her bio shows that she helps out in shelters, but also runs a "small show and working dog kennel under the name Black Knight Akitas". The article addresses good breeding practices, but completely fails to acknowledge good shelter practices. Despite the fact that the author's bio notes she helps out in shelters, the whole thing is tainted with a world view of there being no good shelters or bad breeders, and I'm left with severe doubts that she doesn't care that people got their dogs from the shelter as she proclaims at the end.

Full disclosure - I'm a rescue person. We got Crispin from a rescue. Any dog we get in the future will probably be a rescue. I don't really have a problem with people being proud that they adopted from a rescue instead of getting their dog from a breeder. I've also never experienced the condescending tone though. I've never had anyone sneer or look down on another owner for getting their puppy from a breeder in front of me. I have had people do this for the owner not being responsible for their pet. I think that's warranted though.

The rescue we got Crispin from was very picky about who he went to, and the fact that I had previous experience with huskies and husky mixes was a large factor. We were asked explicit questions to make sure we could handle his energy level and to know what we were getting ourselves into. We were prepped on the fact that he would dig and want to run. They disclosed his full medical and behavioral history. We were urged to being training and continued socialization early. The program was no-kill so we weren't pressured with euthenasia. There was a trial period to make sure he was a good fit before our ownership became official. When he had behavioral problems we were put into contact with a behaviorist and given a list of reputable trainers in the area to talk to. My experiences contradict most of her hits against shelters, but again, I went to a good rescue - something her article seems to avoid bringing up as an option.

My bigger complaint about the socially aware practice of getting a rescue dog are the owners who use it like an excuse. Muffin just bit a guest and is barking non-stop, but "he's a rescue." For some reason it's socially acceptable to fail to train your dog or learn about canine behavior because you've taken in a rescue. This kind of issue creates the problems that she complains about where dogs go back into shelters or the family is put in danger. I think she left a big gap by complaining about the snarky "Oh, your dog is a purebred that you take to shows? How barbaric." instead of about the problems with owners who aren't prepared to care for a dog in general.

Her statement "Never mind that if everyone purchased the right dog from a good breeder instead of demanding moral gratification by rescuing a shelter mutt there wouldn't be a problem of unwanted pets, i.e. no demand for poorly bred dogs = no supply" is pretty enraging. People who don't know what they're doing or get into breeding for money will still produce unwanted pets. Dogs who aren't fixed and have unexpected litters will still produce unwanted pets. The statement "strays exists because people want strays to adopt" is very obviously flawed, but is a good summary of what she's said if we assume that all dogs in shelters and rescues are "shelter mutts". We can point to rescues that came into being because there was a pre-existing problem with strays and unwanted litters in areas where people wouldn't or couldn't get their dogs fixed. This is definitely not a supply and demand issue. The supply exists either way. I think the real issue here is that if population control were adequately addressed as it is in some areas of the country there wouldn't be such a backlash against the breeder. In a world where a large percentage of people get their dogs from breeders, strays and abandoned pets should be the exception. The presence of rescues and shelters seems to indicate that it is the norm at the present time. Addressing why there are shelters would have to come before citing that there is a demand for mutts.

My biggest complaint with the article is that she seems to say automatically when you rescue a dog, you're going to have problems. My 15 month rescue behaves in many aspects, WAY BETTER, than my 9 month old puppy that I bought from a breeder. Now neither of them are bad enough to counter surf or go out of their way to break any rules, but Link will 'come' sooner than Yuki and sit at the door and wait way better than Yuki will. I guess I get what shes trying to say, I do get a lot of people who, when they hear I bought Cloud and Yuki, get a smug tone and boast about how they 'rescued' their dog and seem to put themselves on a golden pedestal, however no matter what kind of attitude they have about it the fact is they did save a life rather than go through a backyard breeder even if they are conceited because o fit. I just wish more people were educated about responsible breeding, and about rescue dogs. If no one bred, dogs wouldn't exist. Someone has to do it, I just condone the responsible ones. And there will always be unwanted dogs, that didn't fit a life style, or the owners couldn't afford, that will also need a home, which I always advocate for.

That woman is slightly terrifying The whole article made me think that she sees herself and her dogs are far superior to rescues, but she apparently does a lot of shelter work herself, so she's probably accustomed to rescue people looking down on her for being a breeder and gets overly defensive about it. There are definitely crazy breeder people and crazy rescue people out there, but luckily I think everyone here falls into the happy middle ground. If you skip to the end of her article/rant, you can save a lot of time by just reading where she says "I don’t care where you got your dog. All I care about is that you live up to the commitment you’ve made and that you go into the process with your eyes wide open."

And if you go to her kennel's site, she sounds scarier and crazier. Holy crap.

I tried to read that with an open mind, the sad thing is we aren't getting the whole story. While I disagree with adopting being an ignorant action, I do understand how she feels about the attitude. I personally have been called horrible names and threatened by rescue only types because I bought Cato from a breeder, it doesn't matter that Delilah was rescued. There is a group that I can't even look at because it is so hurtful towards all breeders and people wo purchase puppies. If you haven't seen it, check out I hate dog breeders page on Facebook. Its sad and well, terrifying, in fact, it's more terrifying than this lady because its backed by the animal rights activists that go around drugging dogs at shows and releasing animals from yards.

Was she a little harsh? Yes. Do I think she meant to offend the rescuers? No. We have to remember that we are not like the majority of pet owners. Our dogs are family and we spend hours online trying to learn to help them and to teach others. The majority of dog owners don't do that. The majority of people don't do half of what we do for our dogs or for each others dogs. I don't think the author meant for the article to offend people like the members of the forum. I think this was a huge jab at animal rights activists, not animal welfare activists.

I think its sad she thinks rescues have so many issues. My dad just adopted a lab mix recently and he couldn't be happier with him (this lab is one of those "in your face pay attention to ME" type dogs.) They had previously gotten a puppy from a neighbor before the lab and at ten years old (yes, they had her for ten years) Mindy nipped at three kids (one being my brother who she grew up with) and dad sent her back to the lady they got her from. He's been bitten before so he doesn't tolerate it. All I'm saying is that one dog came from a "breeder" and one came from a rescue and look at which one had issues. It wasn't the rescue dog.

I wander if she realizes that with that tone of voice, she is doing exactly what she's accusing rescue people of doing? I don't care where someone gets their dog from as long as they care for it properly. Its when they don't do that that I have issues.

-ALL- dogs come from breeders.

But only pure breds need to. All dogs come from two dogs who mated, really.

Part of the heated debate involved in the issue of breeders vs. rescues is the controversial nature of pure bred dogs. Many snarky anti-breeder folks who balk at me for getting Link are anti-pure bred dogs all together.

Dogs would breed just fine without humans, but "breeding" implies pure bred dogs, more often than not.

I don't think people really consider the alternatives of doing away with breeders altogether. So what if we just let everyone either spay/neuter or have a litter with any dog they wanted... do they think the situation is going to change? What if all dogs were spayed or neutered, period. Then where do new dogs come from? Are we supposed to just fight to the death over the strays who breed? How often do we FIND stray dogs with puppies?

Breeders have a place. So do rescues. If we want to continue having dogs in our lives, both of them need to learn to be regulated and respected.

FWIW- I like purebred breeders (ETHICAL ones) because it's preserving a piece of history. Dogs who have been around for centuries... there's something inherently amazing in that. While a dog's purpose has changed, it doesn't mean we need to change dogs, in my mind.

But that's just my

Tori, I completely agree. Nothing irks me more than people who refuse to see the entire picture.

I am 100% pro rescue - but I am also 100% pro ethical breeder too. A lot of people don't understand that mentality.

seattlesibe wrote:

But only pure breds need to.

It doesn't matter whether or not -just- purebreds "need" to come from breeders.

The person said that the dog that came from rescue was more well behaved then the one that came from a breeder - implying that the dog that came from a rescue didn't come from a breeder. ALL dogs come from a breeder - at some point. Those two strays that had a litter? Most likely one or both came from a breeder - if not them, one or both of their parents or ancestors etc.

"Breeder" is no longer a term associated strictly with purebred dogs - since there is a huge market for "designer" dogs. Most people (that I've met) associate the term "breeder" with anyone who has an intact dog (or two or more) and sells puppies - purebred or not but it also could just be the area I live in as everyone breeds their dogs here.

While I don't disagree with you, it does matter from a semantic point of view in the larger issue of the unfortunate polarity of breeder vs. rescue. This contrast comes into play especially when somebody wants to acquire a dog: where do you go, breeder vs. rescue??

This is how it often plays out and the create a life vs. save a life rhetoric gets thrown around.

I don't think people with mixes talk about breeders nearly as much as people with pure breds.

Unfortunately pure bred enthusiasts, like myself, are going to come off as wasteful, privileged self-indulgent big spenders and the rescue enthusiasts are going to come off as bleeding heart humanitarian do gooders.

The polarity itself is way too stark and yes, both should have their rightful place.