There should be a checklist of qualities a person wants in a dog; should it be large or small? Long haired or short? Should it be protective or just have a fun personality?
Do I have gophers, moles or other critters eating my crops or my yard? Do I need a companion who will cuddle? Do I need a dog that is good around children or is not so full of energy I can’t keep up with it?
See, in an ideal world with no free or throw away dogs, there would be these lists and from these lists, responsible dog owners would be able to identify which breeds of dogs fit their needs or desires or both. They would then be able to decide on one or two breeds that fit all their criteria and from there go on to find a good, responsible breeder.
They would then get a puppy from good lines, cared for in such a manner as to reduce as many health or behavior problems as possible. They would get a puppy that was imprinted and socialized and handled from birth so there would never be any dominance problems or unwanted biting. Many good breeders have already potty trained the pups and they are always old enough to be taken from their mother.
If I am a smart car buyer, I will go to a reputable dealer and I already know what I want in the car right down to the model I desire. I am prepared for the price tag because I know what to expect already. I know if I take good care of the car it will take good care of me. And if I really take good care of it and then some day, sell the vehicle; it will actually be a good used car.
Remember how I said I get worried if the first thing the potential buyer asks me is the price? There’s another reason for that. I am a good breeder. I have picked the right dogs to breed; I love them like family. I am not only there when their litters are born; I help with the delivery to make sure all goes right. For some reason, most litters are born during the night so I don’t get any sleep. They really like to come when I have a cold or the flu. That’s just the way it is.
Every day from the day they are born, I am handling them, weighing them, charting them as individuals. I am exposing them to noise, smells, and textures. I am imprinting them to accept collars and leashes, and many other things that take hours and hours of my time. Time, since I work and have a family, which is robbed from my sleeping or relaxing times. Each one of those puppies is known. They might look all the same to you but not to me. I know each one by the noise it makes and the way it moves. I know which one is the most playful; I know the runt who had to fight for everything. If I were to add up all the time, the money put into food, nutrients, vitamins, minerals for them mom and the litter, the vet bills if necessary, the shots – you would not be able to afford one of my puppies. If I added the love I feel for each and every one of them and rolled that into the price, Paul McCartney could not afford one of my puppies.
So don’t let that be your first question. And don’t come to me as an RSPCA member and point to me as the problem because I am the solution. I am not the question. I am the answer.
The RSPCA needs to be as hard on the buyer as they are on the breeder. Professional, responsible breeders are not the problem. Irresponsible, bad breeders AND dog OWNERS are the problem. This is not a one-sided problem.
Good breeders are not only great – they are needed. Without them the good qualities of the breeds will disappear and eventually we will just have a bunch of mixed breeds with unknown health and behavior problems. That will be all there is to choose from. That’s not the answer.
