Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey hey again... thanks for lookin& enjoin my fur baby's pics!! Anyhoo, I was just wondering how everyone feels about breeding goldens. I mean not to worry that I'm just gonna up and breed em- as I only have 2 males, and only 1 is unaltered.!!
I was just thinking about all those dogs who don't have homes, like the SPCA and stuff. If you breed dogs then won't it take away from them??

Thanks....

Purball

(Mac& Finn @ Christmas..... Mac's on the left, Finn on the right.)

>>Hey hey again... thanks for lookin& enjoin my fur baby's pics!! Anyhoo, I was just wondering how everyone feels about breeding goldens. I mean not to worry that I'm just gonna up and breed em- as I only have 2 males, and only 1 is unaltered.!!
>> I was just thinking about all those dogs who don't have homes, like the SPCA and stuff. If you breed dogs then won't it take away from them??
>>
>>Thanks....
>>
>>Purball
>>
>>Mac& Finn @ Christmas..... Mac's on the left, Finn on the right.)
>>

Yes, unless you are breeding very special dogs, you would indeed be taking potential homes away from shelter and rescue dogs. If you want to make a real contribution by breeding dogs, you have to start with exceptional parents for the pups. Those parents have to be from proven bloodlines, likely to breed true and reproduce themselves well. They themselves have to be proven with health checks that for Goldens would include hips, eyes, elbows, thyroid, and extensive history of things like cancer and temperament issues in the bloodlines. The breeding dogs also have to be proven to be worthy of reproducing in terms of abilities. These abilities are demonstrated through things like obedience titles, hunt test titles, and other verifiable titles that demonstrate tested abilities.

When you do all these things, the dogs you produce are for others who need a highly predictable dog for some purpose (search and rescue, guide dogs, breeding, etc.), and do not compete for homes with those folks looking for a companion dog they will not be breeding or need to depend on for specific work. I should add, though, that selecting an adult dog from shelter or rescue often does result in a dog who has the ability to do a job such as assisting a disabled person. We never want to underestimate what a good dog can do, no matter what the parentage! But these dogs are not candidates for breeding, since their bloodlines and therefore their reproducibility are not known. Also, where the best chances of good genetic health are important, such as in an assistance dog a person will count on for several years, knowing the dog has solid genetics is a definite plus.

There is a place for GOOD breeding, and there always will be. Careless breeding, on the other hand, is bad for people and for dogs. You're asking the right questions!
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series at www.veterinaryforum.com

I KNOW all about responcable breeding. I'm just moraly torn about all those poor pups in the pound who don't find homes.. I was just thinking about you know, like if you breed a litter of pups, and they go to good homes and all, for each of those pups you found a home for, isn't there a pound dog who'll be missing out??

And, I think your wrong about companion dogs not being a good idea. I got both my golden boys from breeders, and they're the only dog (that aI know of) that I'm not allergic to... I tried 2 other breeds, both from the SPCA, but it just didn't work. And how often do you see a purebred golden in a pound? lol NOT OFTEN!!

Anyways... I just wanted to say that if I ever bred dogs, it wouldn't be in the near future, as I still have to get Finn's title, and all those med. clearences. (he WAS the pick of the litter>> who me? gloating? proud of my baby?? NEVER!! )

thanks

Purball