Dog breeding

So I'm sitting here looking at my little Paco (a Poodle/Shiba-Inu mix that we got out of a shelter) and Zoe (a Basenji/street-dog mix from Taiwan) and pondering why the American and British Kennel Clubs exist and why people who claim to love dogs so much would spend so much time, money, and energy making more dogs to add to the overpopulation problem. Especially when some breeds of dogs are so genetically grotuesque that none of them live long and healthy lives (like Pugs with their noses and German Shepherds with their hips).

Our little guy was apparently rescued by the foster group two weeks shy of when he was going to be put down in the shelter. And, while he's lacking in some socialization and we're working on some behavior issues, he's wonderful.

I'm sorry to offend if anyone here breeds dogs, but why create something that is already overabundant?

Same reason people breed deformed goldfish that can barely swim, with eyes that point straight upwards so they can barely see, and have a fraction of their potential lifespan.

Some people just see animals as 'things' that can be bred to fit a supposed aesthetic ideal regardless of what effect this has on the animal's actual health. Some people are jerks.

mm, all the inbreeding is apparently ruining the temperaments of Golden Retrivers

Though we have bred our own litter of Chesapeake Bay Retrivers. It wasn't for the money, I think we came out at a loss in fact. But we've still got one of the puppies now (though as it's a good 3/4 years one he's now huge).

While it was mainly my parents who were involved in the breeding side, I know they were extraordinarily careful. But I helped out a huge amount with the puppies, and that was a joy. If we could have kept them we would, in fact we even fostered and re-homed one of our puppies after it's owner's living situation changed and they couldn't keep it.

The problem are the people who breed for profit, or for another ribbon from a dog show to put on the walls. And guess who make up roughly half of the Kennel Club/whatever

Beauty is in the organ of the beholder. When there is a market, it will try to be filled. I dont get beauty at the price of deformity. Extreme thiness in people, binding of feet, wearing of uncomfortable high heels, ties and dog breeds with selection for traits that are in my head a deformity.
I like mutts by choice,you and Oly have met (and licked each other) in my experience they are more robust which suits my lifestyle and I also like dogs to be part of the pack that is our family.
But I can see the attraction of a known breed, with known parentage and nature.

I personally love Mastiffs, I've had two, my second one is definitely going soon. Her eye is getting enormous, and apparently she was having trouble balancing last night. Which means the tumor got to her brain, or she was just really tired after her long walk. Part of me wants to put her down in fear that her eye will pop out of her head which is very possible, it happened to someone my mom works with just a little while ago. But she is still happy, which I think would make it kind of cruel to kill an animal that is still happy. She was 200lbs when she was healthy, then she got sick and lost 60lbs and gained I think 20 back. And she is currently 12.5 years old. She is ancient! I was told that dogs live a lot longer if you keep them happy, which makes me feel very good knowing how happy she's been.

As for breeding, the big dogs tend to have really bad hip problems. And a lot also have heart problems. And my girlfriend got a dog from a breeder and it is literally retarded because of all the inbreeding they do.

i want to make a new breed of dog with bull mastiffs great danes boxers and pit bulls they would be enormous guard dogs

If you want enormous, try Irish, I can't remember, Irish something-hound.

I don't think it's so simple and straightforward as that. Dog breeding isn't always about how pretty the dog looks for shows. There is also a large element of behaviour and temperament and things like that.

Inbreeding and the like causes issues, but that's an example of when breeding is done incorrectly and irresponsibly. I think it's sad when people who do things responsibly get taken down with those who do the wrong thing.

SoD - Irish Wolfhound.

Thank you, that was bothering me, when I went to Germany I saw a dog that was as tall as the guy walking it. I was like HOLY WTF IS THAT! And when I got back I told my mom half expecting her to think I'm crazy and she's like, "Yeah, it was probably an Irish Wolfhound, they only live about 4 years or so, but they're huge." And oh my lord that thing was at least 5'6". All I could think was "Holy ! Germany already has some huge wasps (which I found out later were just beetles) and ginormous mosquitoes, but dogs like THAT! WTF!" And yeah I saw some crazy things, or at least cray to me.

well all of the mentioned dogs are fairly well tempered except for some breeds of pit bull but wouldnt use those breeds i have took alot o thought into it the mastiffs are fairly intlligent as well as great danes (not so much though) and boxers are very playfull as well as pit bulls and all of said dogs are very loyal if handled correctly

Yeah, Daisy will listen to us no matter what. We've never had to use a leash, if there's another dog or a squirrel, we just say no and she won't. She can tell when we'r efeeling bad and she comes to comfort us. Other than her being very calm and not very playful, I couldn't possibly imagine a better dog and I don't feel like typing more descriptions why as I could go on and on.

I've been preparing for her death for around half a year now, and it's still hard to imagine life without her.

and rouge dragon if i did make that breed of dog it would definately not be pretty it would be very very ugly in fact but lik i said in an earlier post i have put a lot of thought into it

I want to mix Irish Wolfhound, Mastiff, German Shepherd, Bernese Mountain Dog, and let's throw in a Chihuahua for kicks n' giggles

A chihuahua to kick?

Yeah, after all, it's not a dog if you can dropkick it over a fence

Is it a dog if you can string it up and spin it in circles?

it is not classified as a dog if:

1. it bounces when it barks.
2. you can drop kick it over a fence.
3. its smaller than your poo.

#3 is totally the best criterium.

Is there really an overpopulation problem with animals bred to breed standards? You don't see many pedigree, registered animals in shelters, it's mongrels that breed indisriminantly and the people who don't neuter them that are the cause of that.

Personally I show border collies for agility, I buy from particular breeders who have a track record in temperament and conformation, when you buy at 8 weeks so you can train them yourself it's very rare you'll pick a good working dog from a shelter or a litter from unknown parentage; though I have had dogs from rescue organisations in the past they weren't much cop at jumping but made good companions. My dogs are also free from storage disease and hip displasia by parentage, non-pedigree dogs you'd never know without having to DNA screen them ($$$$)

I think that future dogs that I get will be mixes or just plain muts to avoid a lot of these health problems that come about from all this breeding for certain qualities. I think they should make a breed bred for health personally.