REDUCTION OF LITTERS PER YEAR - Page 3

<There is nothing like having a pup from your favorite dog to sit with the night of passing of the elder.I realize this contradicts the premise of the comment that I started today.However,I am speaking in the context of a single litter to be planned at some point in the elder dog's life,so as to provide a sense of contuance.>

Wow.  It sure does contradict what you said before.   Rescue dogs have been through enough to have to worry about being reproductively intact.  If every loved, former rescue has a litter, that is better than breeders reducing the litters they produce?  A novice having a litter may not have a good handle on everything from vaccines, disease prevention & worming protocols and then there are the social & nutritional aspects to consider.  It's not healthy for a dog to be reproductively intact as an elder.  Your statement although innocent in it's intent, would be quite cruel on multiple levels.

There are a couple of good articles by Dr Carmen Battaglia about decreases in AKC registrations.  Fall 2008 German Shepherd Quarterly has one of them.  In the last 10 years German Shepherd dog registrations change is - 45%.  Overall there is a - 39% change in registrations of all breeds.

If there are lack of sales or breeders must reduce their prices so low there is no profit, we will continue to see decreased litters.  No US bailouts coming for the dog breeders.  The market will level out on it's own.  Serious, in-it-for-the-right-reasons breeders will hopefully stick around.  The money grubbers will discover easier ways to make money or not lose money.

In a perfect world litters would be limited .In our world it will just force the dog world to operate (well loosely termed )underground.Prohibition comes to mind and look how well that worked.

some very good points made here.

your would have better luck getting peta to back your ideas than the AKC.    they are always looking for ways to make more money.  like being able to remove limited registration, for a fee,  or changing your dogs registered name, for a fee.

the other irony of  it is, you want to limit  the number of dogs being produced,  but most of you would also stand up and fight against cities and states who try to pass laws that try to regulate breeders.  im not talking about  breed specific legislation as i am against it,  but some of the cities who have tried to pass laws making strict rules about breeding and added fees for having breeding animals. 

happy new year,

john

Many middle aged and most old bitches will not conceive if they were not bred when younger, and older bitches will often not conceive even if they were bred when younger, but have not been bred since then.  This is why you see so many titled bitches who don't have litters...their owners waited with admirable ethics until the bitches were four years old and had achieved that title to breed them...and then...no litters happened.  Whereas, the byb put two dogs together when full of reproductive youth with little concern for whether or not the dogs were either old enough or worthy of reproduction, and had puppies and more puppies. 

Many backyard bred animals I have seen over the years actually had poorer health than dogs from serious breeders, as well as serious temperament issues.  This is because either the byb is blind to the faults and health issues of their dogs out of love, or don't care.  I don't want to breed dogs with poor health, some of my reasons having to do with compassion, but some of them having to do with the full monetary refunds or replacement puppy that I give out if the dog has a serious genetic issue.  Any breeder who does not stand behind what they breed will eventually fall.

Perhaps pet owner responsibility is a regional thing...most pet owners I've known here in Alaska have been responsible concerning most things about their dogs-- except walking them out in the State park...most tend to let their dogs off leash there, and this one chaps my cheeks, but I think it is more general naivity rather than a lack of responsibility.  Many pet people don't understand the culture of the canine or the way their own dogs think.  At least in that respect, Caesar Romero is educating the general public in something most dog trainers already recognized.

I microchip all of my puppies before they go to their new home, and also tattoo those pups whose owners request it. 

Veronica

Veronica, I think you mean Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Caesar Romero played the Joker on the Batman television series and died in 1994.

BTW, I've been on your website and I really admire the value system your kennel has.

Gary

 Hey, I see the resemblance!  Have *you* ever seen them together?

I cut back a long time ago. Last litter May 2007. 2 in 2006. (Actually 3 if you count Ali, litter of ONE) None for 4 years before that. 1 litter in 2002. 1 in 2000. 1 in '99. 1 planned for this year.

All my dogs/puppies are tattooed and m/chipped, (reg. pre-paid) with me as the primary contact on the databases. If any of them every hits a shelter I want to be the first to know it! I don't care if they are 13 years old and have cancer and the shelter is in Lower Slobovia. I want them BACK!

Its only right. Too bad everybody doesn't feel that way. When I see all the wonderful GSD's in shelters and resuces on Petfinder.com (I look regularly) my heart literally breaks... Then I want to go out and choke somebody.

I rescued a dog about three years ago from a woman who's husband was going to take him out back and shoot him for growling when he abused the wife. The original owner was the guy's sister, dying in the hospital of terminal cancer. (She did) I got there just in the nick of time, threw "Lucky" in the van and burned rubber down the street before the guy had a chance to shoot me too. The wife sent me his papers. Lucky was neutered, all health records well maintained. I found the breeder about 3 miles from here. They wanted nothing to do with me or the dog. "We're into Labs now..."  Every time I pass their road on my way to the dog food store I am tempted to turn in and burn their house down or something.

I did find a super forever home for the dog about 3 weeks later. He really was LUCKY after all.

SS

 Hmmm.  Too bad you couldn't do the same for the wife.

Hey Gary, thanks for the heads up on the name mistakes!  Thanks for the compliment.  Veronica