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#51
8th January 2010, 03:26 PM
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Well, neutering can be done that early, and pups do better when the breeder waits to ten weeks to send them home, so that's a large part of the problem solved. My sister's dog was spayed before she got shipped, at about 13 weeks old; the breeder also sent her to a professional trainer for her preliminary training; the pup came with a clean hip check and genetic screen and has a money back health guarantee. Now there's a breeder I don't mind, even if she is breeding designer doodlemutts.
If I were rehoming a dog and it being unaltered was a big deal for the prospective owner I'd probably turn them down. There's only one reason a person wants a unaltered dog, regardless of whatever bullshit they spout to explain it. 
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#52
8th January 2010, 03:34 PM
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I really like to avoid the bad breeder/shelter argument.
But I LOVE GSDs. I can't deny it. I absolutely love the breed. I love their temperament and loyalty (I understand all dogs are loyal). I love the way they look. I love following them around the house with a shop vac for the shedding. And I love what they mean. I love that they are a working breed. I love that people think they're vicious and then having them meet mine, a loving one and having it change their mind about them. I want shepherds for the rest of my life. I told my boyfriend that we can have a GSD and whatever he wants (as long as it's not a cat ;P). I now know if I don't find a shepherd in a shelter (and I've been actively searching shelters), then I'm going to go all Spanish Inquisition on shepherd breeders known for producing working lines. And then bring home a mutt, too.
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#53
8th January 2010, 03:47 PM
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Quote:
This, I think, would prevent a lot of people from turning over dogs. There is nothing I hate more than going over to someone's house and having their dog be a jackass. I'm like, "Would it kill you to spend a little time training the little guy?" Then they complain when it pees all over their house and back to the shelter they go. A friend of mine bought a pomeranian a few years ago, probably to stuff into a Prada bag, and it chewed up something expensive and peed on their couch and she got rid of the dog. Just like that. My dog chewed up a brand new digital camera I got once, like a week after I got it. It was about $300, too. Was I pissed? Yes...at myself for leaving it within his reach. And he probably chewed it up because I didn't walk him enough that week or something. I love sending a trainer. Or putting puppy manners in the contract or something.
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#54
8th January 2010, 03:49 PM
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I've decided the Belgian shepherds are quite neat, and the German lines they use for fetchund are pretty cool too. I just don't think I could trust an American bred GSD. For all that, I think I'm done with large breed dogs entirely, they just don't live very long and it's such a heartbreaker when they get cancer and die right when by all rights they should be in robust middle age. Not to mention how incredibly difficult it is to help a huge dog when they do get sick; I think I'd rather stick with dogs I can pick up myself.
ETA: Yeah, the trainer was great, also gave my sister an extremely good and detailed temperament analysis and since she waited until after the trainer was done to have the pup shipped she had some input on which commands to emphasize and what words to train her to. Seriously, an excellent breeder, if they were all like that we'd have many fewer dumped shitbreds in the shelters.
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#55
8th January 2010, 06:02 PM
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The SA thread in question http://forums.somethingawful.com/sho...readid=3220470
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#56
8th January 2010, 06:06 PM
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Quote:
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#58
9th January 2010, 05:13 AM
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See guys... before I was attacked and ridiculed, this is the point I was trying to make. ALL dogs deserve love and a good home. It's the irresponsible breeders that I hate... not the dogs. And a GOOD, REPUTABLE breeder ALWAYS has a spay/neuter contract for dogs not intended to be shown/bred. They sell on what is called limitred registration, meaning that any puppies produced by this dog or bitch CAN NOT BE REGISTERED. Responsible breeders keep contact with every single puppy they produce.
I was not trying to insult or anger anyone; I just wanted to make a point that ALL show breeders are not like the propagande video by the BBC. The majority are NOT. They love their dogs and take better care of them than most people do their children. The dogs are extensively health tested, sold with a lifetime guarantee, and the GOOD breeder will take back a dog of their own breeding at any time in that dog's life. The majority of breeders I know (And I know a LOT of them, thru 27 years of showing) also work in rescue, one way or another. Please don't condem me because I enjoy dog shows and obedience trials. I don't do it as a status symbol... I do it because it's FUN... a way to travel with friends, hang out with our dogs, have a pot luck lunch in the back of someone's van. We have FUN, win or lose. We do it for the dogs, for the love of our dogs. And before someone says the dogs don't enjoy it... you should see my Nick strut in the ring! He thinks it's a party, put on just for him! He's well rounded, too, he's half way to his junior hunter title, showing that he still has hunting ability. So please don't condem the people that are doing it RIGHT. You'll never see a puppy from a responsible breeder in a shelter or pet shop.
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#61
9th January 2010, 01:14 PM
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OK...talked to her and she recommends Munster Abbey kennel. She said many police forces get their dogs here.
http://www.munsterabbey.com/
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#63
9th January 2010, 05:21 PM
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That's very cool! I have never been a Shepherd person but I was looking thru their site and their stud Bobby makes me want one JUST like him... he is GORGEOUS. And on the puppy page... that shot of the adult and the puppy jumping together ... *melt*
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#64
12th January 2010, 09:23 AM
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If it helps, I know what you're saying.  A lot of the problems with designer crosses is that people will want quality X from dog A and quality Y from dog B. But you cannot be guaranteed to get those qualities when you mix the breeds. You might and that's awesome, but you may not. Around here, Cockapoos have been semi-popular for quite a while. However, rarely have I seen two Cockapoos that look alike. Some look almost pure poodle, some look almost pure Cocker. Some are tall like a poodle but have smoother hair like a Cocker. Some look retarded. There's no single Cockapoo (or Yorkipoo, or Chiweenie, or Puggle) look. That's not the dog's fault at all, and if the doggie is loved, that's obviously the most important thing. But people will breed designer mutts claiming you will get this good aspect of one breed and this good aspect of another breed. If that was guaranteed, you'd pretty much have an entirely new breed, not a mutt. I love rescue dogs. I love mutts. I love purebreds. I love rescue owners and purebred breeders who do what they do for the love of dogs, not to make money. Mutt breeders like the above and "purebred" backyard breeders are who I detest.
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#65
13th January 2010, 08:49 AM
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There is now a http://www.furrybabiesinc.com/ store that specializes in "designer puppies" and offers accessories such as cribs to match.
I own two Pomeranians, a breed popular at these kind of stores. Sure, they are cute little black fluffballs - who are also extremely high maintainance dogs. They require a good brushing at least three times a week (which one barely tolerates and the other hides at the sight of the brush), are prone to Pom specific aliments such as collapsing tracheas and are furry little attention whores. Stores like the above that seemingly cater to the thinking that these dogs are cute toys to cart around make me sick.
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