What is your personal opinion on breeding cats/dogs?

The cat population is outrageous.Due to many people not spaying and neutering their pets.I've read that only 3%of cats that lost end being claimed. Then there are the peoplethat simply provide shelter and food for numerous cats and don't get them vet care or socialized making them feral. How many people show cats?Not very many here...only showers should breed the cats...As a child we had a turkish van cat.his parents were champion cats and registered with a cat registry. He was sold on a pet contract and was neutered. I'll come back and edit I'm on my iPod touch and it's taking foreverto type just this .

Okay I'm back to add some more.

My personal opinion of a backyard breeder are people that are small scale puppy mills.I've seen some dirty bybers before, the animals were kept in horrific conditions. Now of course there are the people that think simply because they happen to have a purebred AKC registered_______ means the dogs are worthy to be bred. Then there's the people that think that their pets should just have ONE litter, then they would get fixed. Simply what it boils down to, in my humble opinion, a backyard breeder is someone that breeds PETS. They are nothing more then PETS, not a working breed not a show dog or anything other then a pet. That my friend is a backyard breeder in my opinion. That goes for ALL animal breeders- whether its horses, cats, dogs,etc. Have you seen how many people that ask rabbit breeding questions in the other pet section? What is the purpose of breeding rabbits? I know some people breed them for rabbit shows and such. My friend done that- she didn't breed though and she done *rats* and other rodent shows. Yuck. Now I will admit I've done hamster shows- just for fun though. It was a kid thing in my area. We didn't breed or support breeding hamsters, rabbits,etc. I do know people that breed their rodents for live snake food.

I've read that there are currently people striving to have AKC recognition of "Labadoodles". Apparently its the Australian Labradoodle of America or something and there are breeders on their "parent site" that do health testing and etc. Which I suppose is better then what most backyard breeders do. They have a *standard* and are trying to breed true by it...but so far I'vent seen any consistency in the breed mix. Maybe its due to the amount of backyard breeders recklessly breeding the two breeds together...when there are some people that are dedicated in having a "labradoodle" that breeds true,etc.

Now I think the majority of the "doodle, poos and other designer bred dogs" are just cashing in on a fad set by celebrities and such. Monkey see, monkey do. The "labradoodle" started out for a purpose..to be a "hypoallergenic" guide dog but then other people started doing it...and now its not consistent enough,etc.

I knew a small breeder- only had 4 dogs- two males/females. All registered,"healthy" and well behaved dogs. She wasn't in it for the money but the love of the breed. Unfortunately she didn't do any of the genetic testing- she didn't know about it until another breeder told her. That breeder set her on the right track. She sterilized all her dogs after that and started off fresh. She began doing dog events like agility and such.

So some breeders just don't know how important it is to do genetic testing and such.

Raids on puppy mills and backyard breeders do contribute to the pet population in the shelters today! No byb can't escape that! Not only do they tribute to shelters and the pet population but to heredity diseases by not doing genetic tests, even mutts can get tested! They claim "hybrid vigor" never mind that the TRUE hybrids are not problem free, in fact most hybrids have health problems that are not associated with their parents.

Now on to show breeders. I understand there are good and bad show breeders. There is no black and white answers on breeding. There is gray in between it.I respect the reputable responsible show breeders. The ones that do genetic testing and all that jazz. A show breeder should know their "line" very good. They should know what that line could throw and etc. Line breeding in the right hands is OKAY. It's all about genetics. It is necessary I think. How do you think breeds got started? They breed for certain traits although some breeders don't do related breeding now that there is a bigger gene pool unless they are breeding for specific things. I've heard of champions bred from line breeding and such.

It's necessary to have working breeders, to breed dogs that are capable of doing their jobs that they were bred to do in the first place. I think that breeders should do both working and conformation events- I've known a few to do that.

I think majority of reputable breeders have a spay/neuter contract for their pet quality animals. This is important tool not only in the fight against the pet population but for the gene pool either. Some dogs are not meant to be bred, no matter how smart, beautiful or well behaved they might be. Health should come first, I've known a few dogs that met standards and such but failed health tests and were neutered/spayed.

Even things can go wrong with a reputable breeder. Things do happen no matter how prepared you are for it. Death can still take lives. Most backyard breeders are not prepared for the complications of pregnancy. Some are ignorant and think that most dogs can do it fine on their own with no help. Now I realize that some can but not all. Complications can arise in backyard breeders or reputable breeders breeding stock. Though if it happens in the reputable ones...I think the breeder is more prepared for any thing then a byb is.

There are many accidental litters its unbelievable in how many cats and dogs get knocked up. It's really simple, spay and neuter your pets and it wouldn't happen. If your cat was a true pet it would be indoors, safe from straying toms and straying females. There are numerous feline diseases you have to be concerned about. Which brings me back to the cat population problem. I knew of a few cat hoarders that fed and sheltered many cats but didn't provide vet care..so a few cats ended up to be 20+ cats in a few years and it kept going.

I know out in rural areas, here anyway, that there are some "barn cats". Basically their job is to kill rodents in the barn area. But their owners do take care of them other then providing basic food and shelter. They are vetted,spayed and neutered- they take in strays and fix them too so there's plenty of old good mousers, no need to add on to the population. There's like a network between my neighbors. If they are full, they find a new permanent home for the stray- after its been vetted and such. The local vet gives them discounts because our rural cat population is out of control. They don't just let the cats go to anyone. And the cats are not free either. They cost the same amount as it would be to adopt a cat from the shelter.

The people that do it are retired and *well off* and the one that started doing it in the first place, wife is a cat lover and it all began with one mama stray and her 4 kittens. They still have those 5, the kittens are now about 5 years old.

I'm just a pet owner. I'm interested in doing terrier races, earthdog and agility one day but I won't breed. Not for a long time- a decade or so if I ever do. I'm in no financial situation to breed right now.I can do fun things with my pet though like agility and such.

Sorry, I am not going to answer the cats part. I do not own cats, I know nothing of them or breeding, good or bad. I do know there is a worse cat overpopulation than dogs, that is it.

1. My personal opinion is that if you are not breeding to improve the breed, you are a BYB. That means proving your dogs (titles or work), health clearances, conformation and knowledge (breeding, genetics, lines, the breed in general).

I do not think all BYBs are horrible people. Some are well intentioned, but uninformed.

a.Vet checks aren't health clearances. IMO health clearances are the MOST important part. If not you are just creating more dogs with potential health problems.

b. IMO, that is the worst.

c. Reputable breeders use contracts insisting their dogs be offered to them first if anyone were to get rid of it. They are willing to take their dogs back at any time and stay in contact with their clients if possible. They do not contribute to the overpopulation.

2. Professional breeders are essential.

3. My breed is a working breed, breeding for showing and not working ability too is not acceptable. Breeding for the standard is important, but in a working breed, form AND function are just as important.

As for show breeds, fine, as long as they are reputable.

FYI- Professional breeders also use linebreeding. Your definition is incorrect. It is not often done with dogs that close in relation, and does not have the results you claim. Many people do not understand the genetics behind it or understand why or how it is done. If done properly with KNOWLEDGE of what you are doing, ie knowing your lines inside and out, there is nothing wrong with it. It can solidify desirable traits in your lines, many other traits besides a nice coat. Both of my working line German Shepherds (one is a Police dog) have linebreeding in them, none near as close as you have mentioned. It was certainly not done for a pretty coat.

If done without knowing what you are doing, it can be disasterous.

Linebreeding is not a necessity, but it is not the terrible thing that people who know little about it make it out to be.

I am going to give this a shot, but you are asking for A LOT in 1 question lol... Dogs 1. My opinion of BYB's is that they are disgusting people. Most breed their animals out of ignorance (they believe its healthy for a pet to have a litter, other myths like that) but the ones that breed just to sell the pups are the worst. Most of these people don't care about the lives of their animals, just about the next dollar in their pocket. Even if they get check ups, they are still taking homes away from shelter animals and doing nothing to further the breeds. 2. I see show breeders as you put it and pro breeders as too similar to be distinguished. Both breed their animals to better the breed as a whole, both do genetic testing and make sure that the animals they produce are healthy and well bred, and they have only the betterment of the breed in mind, not the almighty dollar. As far as line breeding, never heard of it. Cats 1. Accidental breeding should never happen. Its not hard to have your pet fixed, and its completely the owners fault if the animal gets pregnant or contributes to the overpopulation problem in the country. People who choose not to spay/neuter are showing a dramatic lack of care for their animals. People who adopt a cat that is pregnant is likely never to happen, since shelters almost always spay/neuter before relasing the cats to thier new homes. If this were to happen. I would hope that the new owner would have the common sense to take that cat in and have her spayed and the litter aborted. 2. BYB's, same as the comment in dogs. They are selfish individuals who are only in it for the piddly amount of money, and don't give a darn about the pets. 3. Same as dogs. These are the people who will only breed to better the line, and its a difficult and expensive road.

I think back yard breeders are garbage. Dogs can be healthy, that doesn't mean they should be bred. The only dogs that should be bred are dogs who have proven they can pass on desirable traits of their breeds based on their purpose.

Do I think the BYBs who do health checks are better than those who dont? Yes. But that doesnt mean I call them responsible or good breeders.

Dogs in shelters have nothing to do with responsible breeding. Do those dogs deserve homes? Certainly. But a shelter dog is not the right choice for everyone. BYBs, I feel, add to that problem.

Show breeders in my breed have destroyed the dogs they claim to have a passion for. I don't think particularly highly of them.

Breeders who breed dogs based on their performance in their original purpose, are in my mind, reputable. For example: a breeder of Goldens who actually uses their dog for retrieving game. If a dog cant do what its meant to do... well, it's not an exceptional example of the breed & shouldn't be bred. The purpose of breeding is to continue desirable traits of a breed. Which originally means... performance, not beauty.

Dogs:

BYBs

> Don't like them. The vast majority don't do research, health checks, etc. Significant contributor to the number of dogs in shelters.

Show & working breeders

> I grouped these together because both are breeding for a purpose. Both should be doing genetic health tests. Show breeds shouldn't only breed for physical appearance, they should breed for all aspects of the dog, which includes temperament, working ability (where applicable), etc. Many don't care about working ability, but they *should*.

> Line breeding can be useful to an experienced breeder to lock in desired traits. It can also lock in faults, so the breeder needs to know what they are doing.

Cats:

> To me, cats are cats. I know people show them and such, but it's not something I'm overly interested in. When I think cat, I think "farm cat".

> As far as breeding, people shouldn't breed them just for "cute kittens". Farm cats have a job, they don't need to be spayed/neutered because they need to keep the population going. But pet cats should be spayed/neutered.

.

actually there's 4 kinds of breeders.. you forgot puppy mills, as they breed a large number for profit.. but I suppose BYBs are basically just the same thing on a small scale.

. What is your personal opinion of BYBs?

That they are ignorant, greedy and irresponsible.

a. What if they do their research, vet checks, vaccinations, and all the pups are healthy, happy, and find good homes?

Its still irresponsible.. had they done thier research they'd realize that their dogs are not breeding quality, and also that "vet checks" are not good enough for breeding dogs.

b. What if they don’t?

If they dont, they are still just irresponsible and ignorant.. or perhaps just so greedy that they cant see their dogs as nothing more than ATM machines.

c. What about the hundreds of shelter dogs?

Exactly.. this is why breeding should only be left to those who know what they are doing, and who have quality dogs to breed.

2. What is your opinion on Pro. Breeders?

We have a need for working dogs. You're not likely going to find a dog with the drive and stamina in a shelter.

3. What is your opinion on Show Breeders?

We need healthy dogs that fit their standard to improove and preserve breeds.

a. Some do something called “line breeding”. Line breeding is a special type of inbreeding, where you breed a father/mother with the child (from what i understand, sibling + sibling usually creates infertile dogs with incredible temperament issues, a parent + child generally doesn’t, but there is still a chance), usually done for specific fur types. Thoughts on Line breeders?

Line breeding is actually breeding dogs that are related, but not closely related (cousin to cousin perhaps).. mother/son, sibling to sibling and other such close breedings are in-breeding. I have nothing against linebreeding, it can be a very useful tool to weed out health issues, and to strengthen desired traits. Tight inbreedings should only be done by people who are very knowledeable about genetics, the pedigrees and have done extensive health tests on their lines.

b. What are your thoughts on those who don’t line breed?

4. Any other thoughts you’d like to share?

Oh I'd like to, but I'd get a violation notice.

1. What are your thoughts on accidental breeding?

I dont believe there's such a thing as an "accident". Pregnancies are 100% preventable

a. On people who didn’t spay/neuter their cat?

Shame on them

b. On people who adopted a cat without knowing they were pregnant?

It was not their fault that the cat got pregnant in that case, I think that if the cat is not too far in the pregnancy that a spay/abort is best tho.

2. What are your thoughts on BYB’s?

I see no reason to purposly breed cats when there are even more of them in shelters! Look in your paper, you find people giving away cats and kittens for free every day. If I were to say I was wanting to adopt a cat, I can guarantee I'd have at least 10-20 co-workers come up to me with a kitty that desperatly needs a home!

a. On those who do vet checks, make sure the pets aren’t family, vaccinations, research, and all the kits are happy, healthy, and find good homes?

And those good homes could have rescued a cat from a shelter.

b. On those who don’t?

Again, ignorance

3. What are your thoughts on Show breeders?

I have no issues with someone who is breeding to preserve/improove a breed

a. On those who Line breed (definition above)?

Same as dogs, its a useful tool if done properly

b. One those who don’t line breed?

And if they dont? As long as they are breeding for type, and doing proper health tests. As I understand some breeds of cats are acceptable to cross-breed to similar breeds to breed for type, yet also prevent the lines from getting too limited. I know some breeds resulted from "mutations" found in a litter (for example the Sphynx), and some inbreeding had to be done to preserve those traits, but it was important to cross breed some. Im not as familiar on cat breedings tho.

4. Any other thoughts?

Dogs:

1. I think BYB's are irresponsible and just out to try and make a buck by breeding/overbreeding dogs.

2. I think "Pro" Breeding is OK only to continue the breed/breed standard.

3. See #2

3a. See #2

3b. See #2

4. Nope.

Cats:

1a. The person was being irresponsible by not spaying/neutering the cat and exposing them to a cat of the opposite sex, thus taking a chance on breeding.

1b. That's not the adopter's fault.

2a. BYB is irresponsible and not necessary, given the overabundance of homeless cats in shelters and those who are being euthanized every day. You can't assure that people you get homes for will not continue the breeding cycle.

2b. Again, irresponsible.

3a. I think "Pro" or "Line" Breeding is OK only to continue the breed/breed standard.

3b. See above.

I think people looking to adopt cats AND/OR dogs need to seriously consider the reasons they want a "pure-bred" or "line-bred" animal. Is it for status? There are SO MANY homeless animals who resulted from BYB's or irresponsible owners that it's sick. Innocent animals are being euthanized each day. PLEASE consider adopting before breeding!

first off, I have bred and people who call others a back yard breeder are those who seem to think their dogs are worth 1500 plus and better. Second I would NEVER do it again because personally its way to much work and you could be putting your dog in danger if the birth doesn't turn out right but if you insist on breeding make sure you know ALL THINGS ABOUT THE BREED, and you have a vet on call. I hate people who seem to think their better then you because you don't spend a million dollars before hand on the dog. I would much prefer to be a back yard breeder then be a breeder who all they care about is the cash and don't have any feelings for their dogs, and call them "Breeding Stock" Also It doesn't matter if their parents were show breeds won award and stuff, it doesn't guarantee your dog will be as smart as the parents i know the dog i had wasn't that smart she never listened and wasn't as "smart" as was let on also wanted to mention that these so called "Breeders" who stick their noses in the air about people who are "back yard" breeders tend to be the type that have 5 females pregnant in cages and only care about the dog when their pregnant also some go as far as to "sell" the female when she is 4 without any feeling for the dog because they see them as no good. I personally will only buy from "back yard" breeders because they see them as pets and not a way to stay at home and make money off their dogs.

1a. I think that a responsible breeder should be able to breed without condemnation. For example, a responsible parent or parents can have their own kids without going to the adoption center.

b. If they don't, then don't breed. Just like parents that can't afford to raise a kid, why have a kid at all?

c. Exactly.

2. GOOD! This makes dogs stronger, better, more appealing, "cuter", etc. Except I hate inbreeding (parent with kids, siblings with each other). The lack of diversity in the gene pool causes major health problems.

3.a. BAD, like I said before.

b. GOOD. Refer to number 2.

4. Also, if a responsible BYB breeds dogs to show their kids the miracle of life, I think that's fine too.

I don't give a crap about cats.