REDUCTION OF LITTERS PER YEAR - Page 1

   I am noticing a disturbing number of working line pups,and grown dogs listed on several websites for adoption,or foster homes due to abandonment.The total number of available German Shepherds on one of these well known sites exceeds 2500.I,like everyone else on this site enjoys researching pedigrees of upcoming litters,and existing litters,however,I believe the current situation,in light of the spiraling economy,warrants discussion ,and maybe even some initiatve collectively from the GS arena.Perhaps a voluntary limit on number of planned litters per year,or by region,with coordination between regional clubs,and breeding associations,AKC,etc.Many of the dogs I am viewing have excellent conformation,and suppposedly good temperment.I am simply inviting comments,and no one can deny that there is a problem out there.

 WOW Eric:

                       That would take a happening that is as hard as peace in the middle east, It,s called  thinking about the breed and not the money.

I have friends who breed often and I hear how there trying to place puppies because another litter is coming up but the bottom line is there little money makers. I had one litter 3 years ago and am contemplating a second because i want a male out of my Axel but i won,t do the breeding until I know I have homes intrested in them first...but thats just me.  There are kennels that are very good about placement of there dogs but yes one would think the market would adjust the trend.

Soviet style central planning never works.

A little bit of research on those 2500 working line GSDs and publishing the names of the kennels they came from would be far more effective.

A good responsible breeder will take back the dogs they sold in a crisis and find them a new home.  Get them spayed and neutered just like the rescue groups do.  The new pet home can reimburse the medical expenses.

  OR   

Maybe the rescue groups can start researching the origins of these pups and publishing their names on the websites.  This would cause working dog people to get more serious about adopting a good schutzhund prospect.  After all, if you are purely into the sport and not breeding, a spayed female is far less trouble for sport.

Let the fireworks begin ...............

    Thankyou,Bob Mckown,and Pharaoh,for the good start on comments.

   Expanding on this,I currently have a four yr old working line female with excellent Ped,that I adopted,or shall I say intercepted prior to her delivery to a local county shelter,which I was able to transfer papers from owner to me,rather than go through the shelter and see her prematurely spayed.Like Bob Mckown,I would like to get a pup from her soon,but am reluctant to proceed due to the same reasons Bob mentioned.That being placement.I have talked to several law enforcement K9 members who have expressed an interest,however nothing is guaranteed.Ironically,some of the best companion dogs I have owned over a 35 yr period have come from a backyard breeder,or the shelter.Many of these so called backyard breeders tend to exhibit more restraint than,   so called sport/show breeders.That is just my personal opinion.

    I saw your message and thought you might pass along the name of a site who have some pups they want to move. I have a friend who's a retired police officer looking for a nice family protection and pet type dog. He doesn't have a large sum of money.

   I would appreciate your help. I'm just trying to help a fellow Law enforcement friend.

  Best Regards,

  Larry

  918-299-3336

  l_chiusano@yahoo.com

Visit the dog track sometime after the race and see where the losers go.

I think sometimes the same thing happens with GSDs that don't make the grade.

Money is always at the root of this activity.

Backyard breeders may very well be motivated by money but not as frequent as breeders of competition dogs.

This isn't gonna change.   At least some of the dogs are simply put down instead of being dumped or abandoned.

Happy New Year.

I know  a small dog breeder that not breeding this year.Due to the economy, he still has pups getting older by the day.His pups yorkies poms and the like just are not selling.He will not come down on his price one bit,he's been breeding for over thirty years. He says he hasn't seen things this bad ever.Everyone who sells dogs will have to be more mindful as to who they sell a pup to or the shelters will keep filling up.Heck people dump their kids when things get tough , dogs to some are disposable.Weed them out and say no sale.

  Two Moons,

    For many yrs.the horse show arena,of which I was a participant,denied what was happening to horses which did not perform,until one day it ocurred to various people that those strange men with the long trailers who came to events offering to purchase as many horses as they could transport back up North as they would say,were not going to use them for riding horses as they sometimes claimed.Traveling to many engineering sites on a daily basis,I have noticed alot of Rottweillers,and German Shepherds chained to a temp.dog house behind a chain fence at some of these sites,only to find that a feeder arrives early in the morning and never returns til the next day or so i am told.Also,I have noticed alot of ads in papaers for male Rotts,and Sheps for Guard dog cos.The ads say will pay top dollar.This appears to be a growing industry,which basically turns these dogs into chained barking machines who get minimal to no exercise daily.It is a sad situation,but these so called fence dogs are everywhere,and are not at all comparable to military sentry dogs who get good care,and walk with the handler around the base perimeter.

I look at it this way.  There will always be bad people who have no morals or values beyond serving themselves.

Its the world we live in and there seems to be no answer short of putting them down and not allowing them to reproduce.

Mans in far worst need of some new genetics than any of the animals we share our world with.

There is no answer.