i know literally nothing about dogs/adopting dogs but i've grown up thinking adopt don't shop is good/breeders=bad. if you don't mind explaining a lil bit about your pov i'd love to hear it
hey! i’m happy to explain. some of this may be slightly boiled down
so like, right off the bat, my central ethos about dog ownership/adoption is that
people should get dogs who are the right fit for them as a person, for their household, and for their lifestyle. not every home is good for every dog and not every dog is good for every home.
all dogs deserve to be in circumstances that maximize their likelihood to have a home. this means making sure that dogs end up in appropriate homes to begin with, that dogs are successful in their current homes and don’t need to be rehomed, and that if they need to be rehomed, they have the highest possibility of quickly finding a new home
another right-off-the-bat statement: for many people, a dog at a shelter or rescue will be a wonderful fit, and that’s great! homeless dogs deserve homes. there is no argument here that is anti-dog adoption for those who want a shelter dog.
so like, two key points here:
not all dogs are interchangeable and not all homes are interchangeable
responsible and reputable breeders contribute positively to both ethical principles i mentioned above
what you have to understand about dog homelessness is that it’s not just, like, an arithmetic problem. it’s not like there’s, let’s say, 5 million dogs coming into existence and 4 million prospective adopters and if we could just have a million fewer dogs then all our problems could be solved.
the reasons dogs become homeless (and the reasons dogs have trouble finding homes) could frankly be their own essay. i do want to particularly note marginalization, impoverishment, and a lack of resources for vulnerable dog owners – sometimes keeping a dog in a home can be as simple as fronting someone the money for a pet deposit.
other reasons include things like behavioral issues, health issues, and breed.
in many areas – like mine – the issue is not necessarily that there are all these adopters simply choosing not to adopt all these available dogs who would be a good fit for them, but that there are not many adopters for whom those dogs would be a good fit.
for some people who are buying a dog for a specific reason, notably service dogs and other working dogs, like herding dogs, a purpose-bred dog is most likely to succeed in their situation.
for other people, they need a certain amount of predictability or stability and can’t take on the risk of a shelter dog who won’t be appropriate for their situation.
and some people are just passionate about a specific kind of dog and that’s the dog they’re going to be happy with! i don’t think those people should be obligated to get an animal they don’t want out of guilt.
so really quickly, i want to define what i mean when i talk about a responsible breeder. a responsible breeder:
performs all of the health tests that are appropriate for their breed
breeds temperamentally sound, relatively predictable dogs
has a clear purpose and vision for their breeding program (why are they breeding this breed? why are they breeding these dogs in particular? what are they hoping to accomplish?)
screen their owners to ensure that they and the dog will likely be good fits for each other
are willing to take back their dogs at any time should the dog need to be rehomed (many breeders require this)
are actively working on early socialization and behavioral development – the first 12 weeks of a puppy’s life are developmentally crucial, and breeders have an extraordinary ability to set their puppies up to be successful down the line
are a resource for their puppy buyers for the lifetime of the dog (i deliberately chose a breeder who i think is more knowledgeable and a better trainer than i am!)
breeders who do these things are not a part of the dog homelessness problem, they are part of the solution.
they are choosing homes for their dogs where they are likely to succeed and are unlikely to be rehomed.
they are willing to provide the dog a home if the dog should become homeless.
they are providing their dogs a foundation in terms of health and behavior that will make it most likely that the dog stays in their home or is adopted if the dog should be rehomed.
they are giving puppy buyers guidance to raise dogs that are likely to be well-adjusted and healthy, which maximizes the likelihood of the dog staying in the home or being adopted if the dog should be rehomed.
if all dogs were bred under these circumstances, or even most, it would be a net positive for dogs individually and as a population. supporting good breeders is, for me, an arm of preventative animal welfare along with behavioral care and access to low-cost resources.
hope this helps! i know it’s long lol
I know this ask in particular is about dogs, but this goes for ANY person that chooses to breed any kind of animal. Any responsible breeder should be following these kinds of rules.
