To think there should be a ban or limitation on puppy breeding?

[ADropInTheOcean]

Maybe a complete ban would be a step too far, but honestly, with 10s of thousands of dogs in rescue centres, should people not really try their hardest to rehome one if they really want a dog? All breeds, ages, temperaments - all looking for a home and yet there are hundreds of back door breeders and puppy farms making thousands of pounds from inhumanly breeding fashionable dogs that quite often have health problems.

Some people are either too ignorant or stupid to do their research before buying a puppy. Maybe some people just want to bury their head in the sand because puppies are so cute right? They are also extremely hard work and will quite often find themselves in a rescue centre because someone didn't appreciate how much time they needed, or how much vet bills cost, or it snarled at their toddler so must be aggressive and has to be put to sleep.

Rescue centres are absolutely over run, while dogs are being held In horrible conditions and aggressively bred time and time again - and while people seem to be happy paying up to £1000 or more per puppy there will always be those going to exploit it.

Of course it's not just the dogs I mentioned above, any breed of dog worth a bob will be exploited.

If you really want a dog, do some research on different rescues and what they have to offer. Explore a breed or dare I say mongrel that you may have previously dismissed.

Having a dog in your life is one of the best things ever - but not at the detriment to other dogs so that humans can make some serious money.

I spent months of careful research selecting my current dog as I wanted a specific breed, type, temperament and needed it to do a specific job.

Not everyone who buys a puppy is an idiot and rescuing isn’t for everyone. I do actually have another rescue dog but he was a lot of hard work. He has been with me 9 years and still has issues.

Saying that, I think the breeding of dogs needs to be much more strictly regulated but I have no idea how this would be possible to do!

I disagree with anyone who says a bitch needs to have at least one litter (I often wonder whose benefit that is for), but I have read a lot that suggests it's developmentally best to allow a bitch to have a season before having her done. I need to read more about it though.
Ultimately taking that course means keeping a close eye in your bitch in heat.

I see the majority of people replying here are those that HAVE taken time and consideration into getting a puppy. You are clearly not the problem, however I would also say you are in the monitory - unfortunately.

I do know it is getting increasingly hard to rescue as well, that imo should also be addressed, although I also know it's not impossible to get one if you have children. Although perhaps it's not a good idea to get a puppy either with young children, regardless if it's a rescue or from a breeder. I think people like the idea of bringing up a puppy and baby together but in reality it's not always as easy or hunky dory as imagined.

I don't think you can say you can apply the same logic to children - we aren't born with the maternal/paternal instincts to birth dogs as we are babies . However on that subject I do worry about the over population of the world - but perhaps that's for another thread .

Although many want a certain breed because they may have certain traits that are 'desirable' you actually never knew what you are getting with a puppy. At least from a rescue and an adult dog you know their personality, their triggers, their preferences.

So sick of people saying "adopt don't shop" 🙄

We tried for years to adopt. Tried so many rescue centres, Sanctuary's the lot with no luck. I'm a sahp, dh works full time and I'm home all the time. We have kids (3 teenagers and 2 under 6) and space. We found a 8 week old puppy that was at a rescue centre they wouldn't let us have him because of our 2 year old. In the end we bought a puppy off my sister when her dog got pregnant by accident.

Adopting isn't easy and available for everyone.

I've just looked at the website for our local dog rescue. There are 35 dogs on the page, a few are reserved. Out of all of the others that are still available, only 1 is suitable to live with children, so a family buying a puppy doesn't necessarily mean "one more dog in a rescue" as is commonly spouted. A lot of the others have behavioural problems, can't be left for more than a couple of hours, or need to be the only pet in the home. It's not hard to understand why these dogs are not being adopted and it's not because there is an abundance of puppies. Decent breeders have long waiting lists. Like a pp has already said, dogs from reputable breeders don't often end up in rescues.

It sounds quite difficult to rescue in the UK. In the US the homeless dog problem is out of control, and you can literally get any breed and age of dog, and many rescues don’t have restrictions where there are children in the home.

I got my pug when he was five, and a pug mix as a tiny pup, both from browsing on Petfinder.com

Very good suggestions here.
I believe most of the trade related to puppy farms relies on the fact that new dog owners who are inexperienced simply do not know the facts about puppy farms and potential consequences of owning a dog of such provenance. Simple lack of knowledge.
I am an experienced dog owner and was wanted a rescue dog before starting a family. We went to three rescue centres and not a single dog was suitable for a family with young children.
In the end we got a dog of a breed I know makes a good family pet from a breeder.
I sometimes look at websites for rescue dogs and on one occasion I completed a pre-selection questionnaire where I was classified as suitable to keep goldfish as pets! I have a decent size garden (I don’t see the relevance unless I want an Afghan Hound), Between us we can walk/exercise an active dog for an average of 2.5h/day, no small children, someone is around most of the time and my current monthly spending on my own dog is not negligible yet apparently a goldfish is what I could just about manage safely.
Yes, rescue centres do a wonderful job but my personal experience hasn’t been positive. My mum, on the other hand, somehow managed to end up with various rescue dogs over the years by pure accident.
I think everyone should be free to choose to buy a dog from a breeder if they want to and not feel guilty about overlooking the rescue option.
But puppy farms should not exist.
And there should also be a move towards more recognised mixed breeds for health reasons.

They need to ban breeding for profit and put a limit of say £100 per puppy, it'd soon weed out the people with a genuine love for a breed and those with a love for a new car.

"bought a puppy off my sister when her dog got pregnant by accident"

Responsible owner right there. People like this are the problem.

@Gertie75 that's a great idea!

As I mentioned, those doing their research and buying from reputable breeders are not the problem, but also as I said not the majority.

Dogs bred with health issues (such as pugs, French bull dogs etc) can go for well over £1000 and often have behavioural issues. People are quite happy paying that money and probably know they are taking a gamble and yet they STILL do it because they are are fashionable and appear on lots of clothing/cushion covers etc which makes them even more appealing.

I'm not sure why it's made so difficult to adopt here, I didn't have an issue but didn't have kids at the time (also lives in a flat and didn't have a garden though). I do think though that it's best to wait till children are a bit older before introducing a dog, especially a rescue, toddlers can be complete assholes and rest even the most placid dogs patience.

Although many want a certain breed because they may have certain traits that are 'desirable' you actually never knew what you are getting with a puppy. At least from a rescue and an adult dog you know their personality, their triggers, their preferences.

That might be true for a novice owner, but for experienced trainers its not the case. We can assess a litter and select the correct puppy based on their temperament and character, then train them from day 1 using techniques specifically designed for puppies.
An adult dog from a rescue is an unknown quantity and I would never trust one as much as I trust a dog I've reared myself.

On the one hand, rescues are amazing for the job they do, often with volunteers. On the other, the type of homes they deem suitable for pets are getting rarer and rarer (someone in all day, no small kids, presumably then older people suitable but what if their health declines?) and so lots of people who would love a pet as part of family life aren't able to get a rescue. My friend fosters dogs from abroad and they will consider someone with children although only carefully as the dogs might have issues.

We also gave up trying to adopt a rescue dog. We’ve got a cat, two tween dc and I only work 3-4hrs three days a week. We’ve just changed our plans and will be getting a puppy. Everyone I know who has a dog has tried to get a rescue but failed so just picked one off gumtree or whatever.

Also I have to disagree with the poster who said Facebook remove all pet for sale posts - they absolutely do not and I’ve seen loads of kitten for sale posts recently. And we have a local “pets for sale” group which I’m a member of.

I have a friend refused a rescue dog as she lives in a flat, but she's out over 2 hours a day exercising the dog and on weekends it lives in a huge outdoors space with her family. I think the dog has a fab life, she trains it and spends all her time with it (takes it to work).

I wanted to rescue a dog, but like many others, I found it virtually impossible.
I was browsing dogs that need rehoming just last night and came across a lovely dog, but the rescue stipulated that to be adopted, you would need to make sure someone was with the dog 24/7, this dog cannot be left alone at all, no children under 18, no other animals in the home, large secure grounds and it needs walking for 2 to 3 hours a day.
So they're looking for a dog lover with ample time to walk a dog, ideally not working at all with no children, large grounds, all ideal for a dog, but obviously the dog lover they are looking for wouldnt already have any pets.

I can only think this dog would suit an extremely fit and healthy retired person.
I do feel that it is very difficult to rescue a dog, it's nothing like years ago when you were virtually guaranteed to walk out of a rescue with a dog, now you have to meet so much criteria.
I went to a responsible breeder and she had no issue with me having a child under 16, or leaving the dog for up to 4 hours at a time. She was happy for her puppies to live with other animals. She offers lifetime support and I feel I have an ongoing relationship with my breeder. We are regularly in touch.
My brother rescued 2 dogs, not at the same time, before he had children, both mature older dogs, he paid quite a hefty fee to the rescue place and was an extremely responsible dog owner. Once he brought the dog home, he never heard from the rescue again.
Both dogs lived for a number of years under his care, and after the second dog passed, he went to rescue again and was told he didnt fit the criteria required because his dog had passed less than 12 months ago and their policy now stipulated that potential dog owners must wait 12 months after a dog has passed to be considered eligible to rehome again. During that 12 months, he got married and had a son of his own. He has not been able to rehome again since then despite wanting to. My nephew is now 9 years old and the answer is still no.

Too many dogs now, I have had dogs in the past but now I would not as the responsibility is too much. Aggressive dogs are in abundance.

TheInebriati is spot on with her comments buying from a breeder.
Because I am knowledgeable about dogs and responsible about getting the right dog before having a baby, that is why I ended up buying our first family dog from a breeder after trying to find a suitable rescue.
I disagree, there should not be a cap on profit for genuine breeders - it is a market after all. I personally would never breed from from dogs for various reasons, but those who do and do it properly should be free to charge what they want. Responsible buyers who do the proper research and know what they need or what they can cope with will pay the market price for a pure breed.

Really angers me when people try to justify exploiting their dog by claiming they 'need to have at least 1 litter

Or that they deserve to experience motherhood. It’s a fecking cat/dog your fecking moron, it doesn’t give a shiny shit about being a mother!

My friend actually had a go at me about getting a pedigree cat. Then she let her cat get pregnant because she deserved to be a mother... had 6 kittens. Then the stupid cow didn’t get it spayed in time and it was already oh again! So had another litter of 8.

If anything, I stopped 1 cat from a rescue getting a home.

She stopped 14 potential rescue home.

Obviously we aren’t really friends. More acquaintances.

Animals don’t need to have a litter. Of course they don’t. Our two kittens were spayed before they were allowed out! I’m pretty certain they don’t feel they have missed out in some way!!!

I want a dog I can train myself so I know it will be socialised and as safe as you can expect a dog to be.

@herculepoirot2 I trained my dog myself and she is the best behaved dog you'll ever meet. Her temperament is great despite her past, of which is unknown as she was picked up as a stray.

Similarly I know many many other dogs who have been with and trained by their owners from being a puppy, and they are no where near as obedient as mine.

Maybe we got lucky 🤷🏼‍♀️

That’s great, OP. I have a small child and wouldn’t take the risk of a dog trained by someone else, or not trained at all. Yes, you got lucky.