Dog Owner Chat! (for-fun poll added) (new chat)

[Lupen]

You are not a reputable breeder. I'm not "budgeting"? Anything. Like I said, the experience or money is a terrible reason to breed. Plain and simple. If you do not health test and do everything else a reputable breeder does, you will be producing unhealthy pups with potential temperament problems. Pups and adult dogs alike dying in shelters isn't happy or cute. If that dog you gave to a child dies at five from a genetic disease, that's not happy.

Seriously, be responsible. There are plenty of reputable breeders and shelters people can buy from, all the while helping overpopulation, not adding to the problem.

[Cardinal]

Oh.. I was under the impression most breeders never make a profit on the pups since so much money goes into the litter and parents? I mean.. Theres health testing, shows, events, prenatal care such as ultrasounds.. etc. =) Am I wrong? I've never bred before. ^^;

No, your fully right, it's just that certain dogs, cost a lot more than others. Take a Neapolitan mastiff for an example. Look up how much they are and it is a lot. The coloring on my dog is very rare so his pups will cost more depending on what the mother looks like. Dhere is a pic of a dog in which has the same coloring. It is VERY rare for a mastiff to be that color.[/quote]

What types of events/sports will you guys be participating in? How do you go about getting started in conformation showing and such? I plan to enter my lady in events when she's older, but it'll have do be on a PAL registry since she's a mutt.

How far back does your fellas pedigree go? I remember seeing some from the early 1800's and it was amazing how much some breeds has changed! Pedigrees are really neat things.

What are some health issues that come along with mastiffs? Do you guys do just that standard OFA, CERF, cardio, and thyriod? Is vWD an issue with these dogs? Anything else to test for/look for? What would make you guys cull him from breeding/not breed him? I mean like.. When breeding what are some red flags you'd look for in terms of health and temperment?

Sorry for all the questions. ^^; I just find it interesting!

[Jazi]

Pretty sure "reverse brindle" is just brindle... simply a matter of intensity for how much the pattern shows through. Nothing rare about it.

[lonely.silence]

Like Jazi said, brindle ( or 'reverse brindle' ) isn't actually a rare color...at all ':|

[The Mrs. Mad Hatter]

Okay, well my family has been breeding Shepherds for over ten years and I can guarantee that 99% of breeders breed their dogs for money. The more your dog is worth, the more the puppies are worth. But there is responsible and foolish breeders. Of course a good breeder is going to have health records and most have pedigree lines. For my breeding, most people's main focus if the hips of the Shepherds since they are prone to hip problems in the elderly age. And for the whole rare color thing, it maybe rare for that breed of dog(I know nothing about Mastiffs so sorry if I'm wrong.) But a breeder wouldn't breed their dogs and do all of the required things unless they knew they were going to make money off of the puppy/have plans to show or breed them later on in life. The vet care for our puppies is about $130 per puppy. Let's say my dog has a large litter of 12 puppies. That is $1,560 dollars right there. Plus the expense of buying toys for them, puppy food, ect ect. So yeah, it totals out to a lot of money if you make sure your puppies are fully covered and then to be registered with papers. So yeah, most breeders are looking to make money from breeding their dog. That in no way makes them a "bad person" or an "irresponsible breeder". It is simply a way of making money.

[Angelus Gaston]

Okay, well my family has been breeding Shepherds for over ten years and I can guarantee that 99% of breeders breed their dogs for money. The more your dog is worth, the more the puppies are worth. But there is responsible and foolish breeders. Of course a good breeder is going to have health records and most have pedigree lines. For my breeding, most people's main focus if the hips of the Shepherds since they are prone to hip problems in the elderly age. And for the whole rare color thing, it maybe rare for that breed of dog(I know nothing about Mastiffs so sorry if I'm wrong.) But a breeder wouldn't breed their dogs and do all of the required things unless they knew they were going to make money off of the puppy/have plans to show or breed them later on in life. The vet care for our puppies is about $130 per puppy. Let's say my dog has a large litter of 12 puppies. That is $1,560 dollars right there. Plus the expense of buying toys for them, puppy food, ect ect. So yeah, it totals out to a lot of money if you make sure your puppies are fully covered and then to be registered with papers. So yeah, most breeders are looking to make money from breeding their dog. That in no way makes them a "bad person" or an "irresponsible breeder". It is simply a way of making money.

Not realy responcable breeders never brake even when selling there puppies. Having breed GSD's myself there is HD testes working trials and shows, Hymaphilea ( I proberbly spelt that wrong) you name it we did it even selling the puppies for rediculas prices you never truelly get back what you payed out.
So in reality its not an easy way to get money unless you cut corners and that would be make you an irresponcable breeder.

[Soruc]

You are not a reputable breeder. I'm not "budgeting"? Anything. Like I said, the experience or money is a terrible reason to breed. Plain and simple. If you do not health test and do everything else a reputable breeder does, you will be producing unhealthy pups with potential temperament problems. Pups and adult dogs alike dying in shelters isn't happy or cute. If that dog you gave to a child dies at five from a genetic disease, that's not happy.

Seriously, be responsible. There are plenty of reputable breeders and shelters people can buy from, all the while helping overpopulation, not adding to the problem.

Yes thank you
-bows-

But seriously, if you're just going to breed your dog for money and a "rare" colouration that isn't rare at all, you shouldn't be breeding. Period.

[The Mrs. Mad Hatter]

Okay, well my family has been breeding Shepherds for over ten years and I can guarantee that 99% of breeders breed their dogs for money. The more your dog is worth, the more the puppies are worth. But there is responsible and foolish breeders. Of course a good breeder is going to have health records and most have pedigree lines. For my breeding, most people's main focus if the hips of the Shepherds since they are prone to hip problems in the elderly age. And for the whole rare color thing, it maybe rare for that breed of dog(I know nothing about Mastiffs so sorry if I'm wrong.) But a breeder wouldn't breed their dogs and do all of the required things unless they knew they were going to make money off of the puppy/have plans to show or breed them later on in life. The vet care for our puppies is about $130 per puppy. Let's say my dog has a large litter of 12 puppies. That is $1,560 dollars right there. Plus the expense of buying toys for them, puppy food, ect ect. So yeah, it totals out to a lot of money if you make sure your puppies are fully covered and then to be registered with papers. So yeah, most breeders are looking to make money from breeding their dog. That in no way makes them a "bad person" or an "irresponsible breeder". It is simply a way of making money.

Not realy responcable breeders never brake even when selling there puppies. Having breed GSD's myself there is HD testes working trials and shows, Hymaphilea ( I proberbly spelt that wrong) you name it we did it even selling the puppies for rediculas prices you never truelly get back what you payed out.
So in reality its not an easy way to get money unless you cut corners and that would be make you an irresponcable breeder.

Well we always got back what we spent on the puppies plus more with out "cutting corners".

[Lupen]

So what tests did you all do?

What contract did you have between you and the buyer?

Are you still in contact with all of the buyers, and if one day they no longer can care for the dog, will you take it back?

[The Mrs. Mad Hatter]

So what tests did you all do?

What contract did you have between you and the buyer?

Are you still in contact with all of the buyers, and if one day they no longer can care for the dog, will you take it back?

We do health and hip test on both parents. Puppies are over looked by a vet with us paying when they are 8 weeks. The owner returns to our vet when the puppy is 6 months and the vet updates on the shots. The vet then sends us an e-mail and pictures. If he has concerns for the dog, we contact the owner.

Included in our contract it is stated that if for some reason they can no longer afford/want the dog they must return it back to us. We do not return their money though. They send us yearly pictures of the dog and if for some reason something happens to the dog, they contact us and if we are able to help, we do. Are we still in contact with all of the owners? No, not all of them but we are in contact with most of them. Some buyers are distant family so we hear updates from close family.