05/20/2024
Why is ethical, modern dog breeding the next really important part of the animal welfare movement?
Why am I breeding mixed breed dogs?
I could write a literal, entire book on this, and maybe, one day, I will. For now:
The short version: the general public needs options other than puppy mills, shelters, and health problems. We are inadvertently supporting bad breeders by continuing to funnel their dogs into rescue, rather than holding them accountable. When you look at the data, we are actually not producing enough dogs to supply the need. I know, that's hard to believe, but I can talk you through it. Who IS producing enough dogs to fill the need? Puppy mills. Dog fighting rings. People who should NOT BE ALLOWED to breed dogs. What if we, with this movement, put them out of business?
What if we bred to THIS standard: Moderate exercise needs. No resource guarding. No dog aggression. No separation issues. No digestive issues. No hip, elbow, or spinal issues that will cause pain. No heart, eye, skin, or genetic diseases. Must be highly trainable and able to live with a busy modern family. All parent dogs must be pets, not kennel dogs. All puppies must be raised in a home environment, not a cage or pen. What if they went home crate trained, clicker trained, potty trained? What if we bred them with the job of COMPANIONSHIP, rather than trying to put hunting, herding, mushing, and guard dogs into companionship roles that don't suit them? What if we paired dogs based on health and temperament, instead of the current method of closed gene pools (only breeding dogs that came from the same ancestors)? What if that's what most modern families need? What if we bred dogs for today's families? That's what I'm up to. I'm not alone. It's a whole thing.
The long version
I think that a lot of veterinary personnel and dog trainers are privvy to trends in the pet population that are hard for some groups to see.
My rescue friends feel strongly that because there are dogs available in the shelter, they should be adopted. They will take home a dog in need, assess it's temperament, behavior needs, and adjust their lives accordingly. They don't understand that not everybody can do this. They are largely oblivious to the behavior issues we see in the vet clinic related to families without the skill set to do so. They DO know, though, that a lot of the best dogs that come in get pulled for friends and family before making it out on the adoption floor. We do have data showing that a LOT of these puppies being adopted out, whose mothers were stressed during pregnancy or whelping, are doomed to anxiety and neurologic disorders. That is simply not in everyone's wheelhouse to be able to take on.
My purebred friends feel strongly that dogs should be bred to a physical and behavioral standard that is very specific. They believe that if you aren't breeding to a well defined standard, and producing exact size, color, coat type, eye shape, ear set, etc, that you aren't doing it right. Further, they believe that the dogs being bred should be fully capable of performing the job they were originally designed for. They don't understand that not everyone is attached to an exact size, exact coat, or the ability to pull a sled, point a pheasant, or kill a barn full of rats. In fact, they are largely oblivious to the behavioral issues we see at the very clinic related to these instinctual behaviors.
Neither of these groups are wrong in their wants or needs, but neither would be happy if they swapped dogs. I am not trying to take away purebred dog hobbyists’ dogs. I am not trying to take away the option for people who want to rescue a dog, and have the means and education to support it in recovering from the lack of care it received prior.
But there's another demographic that is far larger. They don't fit into either category. They don't necessarily have strong opinions about dogs, other than that they want or need one. Hard for either in the first two groups to believe, this is the vast majority. Most of our veterinary clients will say they just want a good dog. They don't care if it ends up larger than expected, or smaller. They might want it to be long-haired, rather than short, or they might be fine with either, or something in between. What's important to these people is temperament. And that is something that is hard to REALLY select for. If you go to a purebred dog breeder, they are breeding specifically to fit their physical standard. While, perhaps, all of their dogs have acceptable temperaments, that is not what they're primarily selecting their breeding stock based upon. If a dog they produce is way more social than the rest of the litter, or much quieter and lower energy, but that puppy happens to be a coat color other than what is accepted by the standard, that dog will not go on to make more dogs for pet homes. The dogs that physically look closest to the standard will. Again, that's not wrong, when you look at their breeding goals. It's just the way it is.
When you assess temperament in the shelter, it's hard to know what you're looking at. Dogs are often so stressed after ending up there that you just can't tell. Also, with the phenomenal success of the spay neuter movement, our options at the shelter are significantly less. Not a bad thing. That WAS the whole point, right? But…
Is the animal shelter the source of animals that it adopts out? It is not. Those animals are not produced there. They are not bred, born, or raised there. That is happening somewhere else, and it is NOT happening by accident. Those dogs are being bred, largely, in the facilities of irresponsible breeders. Are we wrong for housing those dogs in the shelters? No. Are they going to integrate into a family home smoothly? Also, sadly, no.
When people can't find what they want in the shelter, they often decide to buy a dog. I have seen it a million times. Until we embrace responsible pet breeding, those people are going to end up buying from dog stores or irresponsible breeders. Those dog stores source from puppy mills. If they don't end up at the dog store, they likely will find a backyard breeder. That breeder will not stand behind the puppy they've sold when there are inevitably behavioral or health issues. They won't take it back, like a responsible breeder would. That dog will end up in the shelter. It's a vicious cycle.
There are lots of breeders that shouldn't be breeding. I'm with you on that. I want them to stop. I also want people to be able to find good pet dogs. I want them to know they won't have any expensive and surprising health issues pop up. I want them to have access to dogs that have been socialized with children, animals, the city. I want them to have been raised by a dog trainer. I want their families to learn everything they need to know about puppy management from that trainer, before they bring their puppy home. I want them to be able to reach out to their breeder, for support, for encouragement, for help, throughout the life of their dog. There are breeders like this, but they are feeling far between. For a long time, I have been looking for breeders that I would send my mother or my daughter to for a dog. Or my friend who has a rescue dog who has very specific behavioral needs, to find a second dog that will integrate well into their family. Or my friend with small children. Or my friend who just went through behavioral euthanasia with an unsound dog that they tried to save, and they need a friend to heal their heart. I have a few of them. They have looooong wait lists. So, I'm joining them.
I am following the guidelines of the AMAZING Companion Dog Project , and have been guided by The Functional Dog Collaborative. I have been preparing for this for, well, my lifetime, but seriously focused and getting ready for the last 5 years. I have some specific projects I'm working on, with other breeders, that are very focused on health outcomes. I will make posts about those individually later.
My dogs all passed their cardiac ultrasounds, their eye exams, their hip and elbow x-rays. They have been screened for genetic diseases. They have zero digestive or skin issues. Many vets and trainers have given input on moving forward. They are EASY to live with. EASY to train. EASY to meet their physical exercise and mental stimulation needs. EASY to sit on the couch with if exercise is not in the books today. They exemplify the moderation that is missing in the pet dog population. Moderate shape. Moderate size. Moderate social drive. They are all highly trainable, and enjoy it. They have exemplified their soundness in public settings, all by earning their canine Good citizen title, some by titling in sports, and some by assisting me as demo dogs in group training classes. They live with kids and animals, in a busy urban setting, which is how their puppies will be raised. It's time to be the change.
I am breeding the dogs I wish to see in the world.
