Dog breeding, Responsibility versus compulsion
I'm really tired of how this world works at times when it comes to pet ownership and breeding. I'm tired of the people who don't think before they jump into things. Tired of seeing homeless dogs, sick dogs, genetically unsound dogs or vicious dogs.
I have a first pick (best dog out of the litter) rare breed bulldog whom I plan on eventually using as my foundation for my breeding program. He may be sexually mature right now BUT, I am waiting until he is at least two years old because of testing for hip displaysia and genetic testing. I have been researching this breed for two years and I still am not ready to move forward into breeding. I've researched the genetics of his family, looking for abnormalities, health defects, temperament problems. Once I do move into the breeding aspect I won't have litters whenever I feel like it, only when I feel the combination of the two parents would better the breed, even if that's only once in two years or more. I'm also going completely Legal, Registering a small business, registering a kennel. Any female Bred to my male cannot be a merle due to the lethal gene in dogs. So I've been taking careful consideration of that too. I researched for months through "closed" stud books expanding my dogs pedigree to reach 7 generations so I can see how much of the merle gene runs in his family, along with size, health and temperament. Its taken months on end and I still am not done nor am I ready to breed just yet.
What I don't understand, is why people will just buy two dogs of opposite genders, and decide "Hey, i think i'll breed these guys" without taking health into account, or temperament, genetic compatibility, over population of a breed. It bugs me they see the popularity of a breed and decide to pump out puppies in an unsanitary location, without a whelping box or area set up, then wonder why the female gets mastitis or the puppies are sick and die or they get parvo.
I see tons of people, acquiring sick dogs, fattening them up and thinking they are OK to breed, a woman here in my province got charged for selling pups with parvo out of her van on the side of the road to unsuspecting buyers. I see people who breed and end up not being able to sell their pups and either dump them off at a shelter, pet store or just plain killing them. I think its sad. That people have no compassion for animals, or their health and well being. I hope that one day, laws get strong enough that people won't breed dogs without proper knowledge for fear of going to jail. We don't need an over population of animals on this planet in shelters like we do now. I agree in spaying or neutering pet quality animals, or breeding animals past their prime so they cannot be overbred.
Sorry for my rant. But this world is driving me crazy and I hope that my words maybe change the minds of some people and they decide not to breed a dog for the heck of it