Eek! We've made the decision to breed

[BrightlyColouredFish]

I'm excited and scared in equal measure.

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

You have had people asking firstly why you are breeding and secondly urging you to reconsider. When it comes to the lives of a possible 12/13 animals then yes, serious thought and questioning about whether that is the right thing should be expected. Where have you been criticised?

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I obviously posted in the wrong place

I'm puzzled as to what response you thought you'd get Brightly.

AIBU to breed from my dog knowing that over 9,000 a year are PTS

Or maybe I didn't know that 9000 dogs are PTS every year and I won't let this blur my rose tinted glasses. I'm breeding puppies
Squuueee

Y'know OP, I don't have dogs. I don't particularly like dogs. But I respect all animals too much to bring them into the world without knowing full well what will happen to them for their entire life.
Do you know the average age of a dog when it's owners decide they don't want them - 6 months-3 years.
So if someone decides they don't want your puppy three years down the line are you going to take it back?

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

I think it's lovely that the op wants to further a good blood line.

It's a bit like saying everybody stop having children, there are children's homes full of children that need adopting. It might be your opinion but there's no need to be quite so rude about it.

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

I am working with her breeder to get the right sire for her to enhance her bloodline

That's the Breeders job - to breed and enhance bloodlines. The breeder should be working hard to make every litter the best it can be and the best conditions for the bitch.
Not someone who has a dog and decides to breed from it
Why is the breeder going along with this anyway?

[Freckletoes]

brightlycolouredfish please make sure you get all the relevant health tests done before breeding-check on the KC website for those relevant to your breed (if she is a large working dog chances are hip scoring will be recommended as a minimum). Also make sure whatever sire you use has also had them done. Good luck!

[shouldnthavesaid]

My family breed workers (well, extended family). It's not always as simple as taking on a rescue - if you need the dogs for work, a rescue dog won't cut it.

I don't know the whole process but I do know the dogs they breed are kept solely for game keeping and stalking purposes. E.g. they assist with rounding up whatever animals.. They're deliberately bred for it and are best suited if they come from a blood line of dogs who've been bred for similar purposes.

Trying to train a dog from a line that wasn't intentionally bred for that purpose wouldn't work afaik.

[PassAFist]

There is nothing that a dog that you would produce could do that a dog that is sitting in a shelter or a rescue right now couldn't do.

You're "fucking incensed" over what exactly?

[shouldnthavesaid]

Something tells me the genes are actually different as well - or something like that... The dogs that my uncles use are kept in outdoor pens (with access to sheds) and not at all used to human contact short of command - zero affection etc. It would be very difficult to take on a puppy from a bitch that's had human contact, it would also be highly difficult to handle the pups minimally.

I remember thinking it was awful as a child - they had ten collies in the pens (well spread out) and I thought they'd like to play with me. My gt aunt had to explain that they knew no different and wouldn't have enjoyed affection!

[Freckletoes]

passafist you obviously don't have a clue about working dogs! There is no way you can just pluck any random rescue dog, purebred or crossbred, and produce a trained and useful dog.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

shouldnthavesaid is right. Working dogs are very carefully bred for specific traits. Yes there are working rescues but you don't know why they are there and they may not be suitable for your requirements.

Or do you think that perhaps with a bit of work we could start using inbred staffies, king charles' and heinz 57's as police dogs, guide dogs, mountain rescue dogs, sheep dogs...

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

"passafist you obviously don't have a clue about working dogs! There is no way you can just pluck any random rescue dog, purebred or crossbred, and produce a trained and useful dog."

And you obviously dont have a clue about the many and varied working roles rescue dogs fulfil.

[Ilovemydogandmydoglovesme]

They might well do silly but sometimes, they just don't. I can't see a chihuahua making a good water rescue dog.

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

"They might well do silly but sometimes, they just don't. I can't see a chihuahua making a good water rescue dog."

Me either. Is that the only role that qualifies as 'working' for dogs?

[PassAFist]

Obviously I am not saying that every rescue dog would make a good working dog, but as Valuecrisps says, there are dogs in rescue that won't make good pets and need a job to do, those dogs are happy to be trained to be working dogs.

[shouldnthavesaid]

Yes but they will be very few and far between and will be suited to roles where human contact's encouraged. They won't tend to be suitable for most things.

You are far more likely to get the best result with a dog that has been bred for purpose and brought up in the environment that they will work in.

For instance, the dogs that are used for stalking (don't start on that one, there are reasons and purposes behind it and it's not a blood sport for us), will be active for often very extended periods involving climbs in adverse conditions. The ones that herd will be working on munroes and more from early spring to late autumn. A rescue dog that has never encountered such a thing would suffer from being put into that environment suddenly.

Like it or not, for working purposes dogs will need to be bred.

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

Ive no idea where OP is but i have just googled 'springer rescue' (OP's breed) and at the results. How anyone could think it necessary to create more when there are so many already there just waiting for a job!

[MrsMaturin]

Poor OP. I think there is plenty of nastiness on this thread and yes it looks like you've driven her away. So when she has questions about her puppies or simply wants to talk dog she won't come back here. Was that your aim?

Yes there lots of springers in rescues. Why would that be? Generally because the breed - a specialised working dog - is misunderstood and bought by idiots who don't take the name literally. I don't know if the OP has a springer or not but what she clearly has is a dog whose working background she understands AND homes for the puppies based on that background.

Personally I think there's no finer sight than a springer bringing in game or splashing through water to retrieve. That's what they are for.