So frustrated!

[Rottielvr18]

My dad wants to get a puppy. To be specific, a male, pure bred GSD. That’s fine, no issue there, because I want a dog like no ones business! The issue and the most frustrating part, I do rescuing/fostering. I solemnly believe "don't buy when others still die." I am the primary caretaker. I live in a household of 8 {I am the youngest} including 1 cat. I use to have a GSD dog but I wrote about him before. In 04, he was pts I recently {beginning of Sept} was allowed to foster to adopt a 6-8 yr old black lab newfie mix named Lee. I really fell hard for him. My parents told me to get ride of him in the 3 months of having him. Lee wasn't 100% housebroken and pee'd on my moms brand new sofas 3 times. I can understand that’s not acceptable, but like I said I AM THE CARETAKER. I told my mom I would pay for training classes or anything in order for me to keep him, and she simply refused. It gets me mad that absolutely know one else in my family of 8 wouldn’t help me. I understand that he was MY foster and that he was MY reasonability and I never complained about it, but it would have been nice for someone to take him to the bathroom every so many hours before his accidents happened. I even took him to work with me because know one would watch him. I had my sister promise me the one day while I went to work to watch him and just take him to the bathroom. She agreed happily then fell asleep and Lee pee'd. That was the last straw. Along with a fellow rescuer we found a woman through my work that is now in the process of adopting him. I am so happy Lee is now with this woman but I wanted him with me. I love the large breed seniors! The problem is, my dad wants a dog, but he wants it from a breeder because “I am guaranteed the health and well known history of the puppy when I get it.” Yes, some background will be known but your never guaranteed complete health on the dog. I want my dad to adopt a dog from a shelter. “Save a life before its destroyed” is what I always tell him, but he compares shelter dogs to Lee, saying “they don’t know anything at all.” I get insulted and extremely frustrated. The other issue is how is my family going to help out house training and watching the puppy closely if they couldnt even help me with my partically house trained 6-8 yr old?! My family likes animals, but really I take care of them at the end when ever they grow out of the puppy stage. I have been buying my dad GSD magazines specifically about shelter GSDs and how they are just as good as breeder dogs. I look up breed rescues on petfinder and try to talk him into even fostering a GSD from a rescue group, and he could decide if he liked one. I find articles online and e-mail them to him at work. I have taken him to humane societys getting him to meet abandoned/owner turn ins/stray ones. He doesn’t want to hear it, he won’t believe me. But I was wondering if anyone could give me more avenues of trying to convince him.

[linnie]

I can understand your frustration. Have you told your dad that some dogs that need rescue are from loving homes where a tragedy has happened which has forced them to rehome a dog??? maybe he would be willing to get one of these, they dont have some of the problems associated with others than have been neglected or abused.

That would have been terrible for you to have to part with you other rescue.
Good luck and dont forget to remind your dad that puppies PEE anywhere lol

[fluffypuppylover]

Well I see nothing wrong with buying from a GOOD breeder..but his attitude towards shelter dogs is terrible!

Try telling him a lot of breeder dogs are later abandoned at shelters? And that breeder health guarentees don't mean the dog will never get sick, but is simply less likely to get genetic diseases?

[PixiemyGirl]

I would definatly be frustrated too.

[Rip's Girl]

Keep in mind that not everyone is up for dealing with rescue dogs. Your dad obviously is not, as you can see by the sofa fiasco. (My own father would have done the same thing if a Newfie mix peed on his brand new furniture! He would never get rid of one of my dogs who he has grown to love, but if they pulled something like that they'd be banned from running around the house off-leash, for the next YEAR lol) I personally wouldn't complain about a well-bred puppy.. At least your dad is going about it right and looking for a pup from a reputable breeder. If you want a dog, I would get the dog that you can have. As pro-rescue as I am, I fail to see anything wrong with having a purebred puppy from a good breeder. Jmo!
While I agree that adoption is a wonderful option (I work often with shelter dogs and would love for all of them to get good homes. Hell I'd take them all if I could!) there is nothing wrong with buying from a good breeder, and to be very honest your dad is pretty correct in his observation. In buying from a very reputable breeder you are likely to get a healthy, good tempered puppy. There are always unfortunate cases where even a well-bred dog will encounter genetic health issues, but I rarely hear of it.

I second Linnie's suggestion though, about reminding him of how much puppies pee and chew. That's enough to deter many people!

[Rottielvr18]

Yes, you are right. There is nothing wrong about buying from a GOOD breeder, but I would just hate to see yet another litter amongts all the numerous others that are born, majority not finding a home. My dad knows about the chewing and housebreaking but it just frustrates me that they wouldnt let me work with my dog, but yet bring a puppy into the household that will basically have the same problems. I guess I am just upset still that they made me get ride of Lee.

[Odetoadream]

A responsible breeder often takes dogs back no matter the reason, whatever age. So very rarely do they find their way into shelters. Not saying it's impossible, but breeders do their best to not add to the over population. Something back yard breeders and millers could care less about, once the dog is sold, it's not their responsibility anymore. Often responsible breeders have a waiting list and pups already have homes lined up even before the breeding.

So just because a breeder brings a litter into the world, does not mean they are contributing to the overpopulation. They may have one litter a year. Byb's and millers have many more litters, so to blame responsible breeders in my opinion is a bit wrong. They are the ones making sure to help rescues, making sure the dogs they produce go to wonderful homes and if it doesn't work out, the dog is returned to the breeder, not the shelter.

Perhaps letting your dad contact some responsible breeders would be the best option. Because your family will have to meet the breeders qualifications to get a pup from them. The breeder won't place a pup with a family that won't take care of its needs. It might help your dad see the commitment your family would need and he might change his mind or do the right thing and be a active participant with the pup and it's training.

I'm not trying to sound harsh, just get a bit upset when responsible breeders are lumped into the same boat as millers and BYB's who are over running shelters with their irresponsibility. Nothing wrong with shelter dogs, just please don't blame hard working breeders.

Best of Luck,
Cinthia

[Cassiepeia]

I, also, don't see anything wrong with buying a pup from a reputable breeder. I've never bought a dog from a breeder before, my current dog is a shelter pup himself, but I would have no problems buying from a reputable breeder in the future. They are certainly not the reason behind the number of dogs in shelters.
However, I understand your concern...I use to volunteer at a shelter and feel somewhat the same way you do. I'm very anti-BYB & Puppymill.

What I would do is put your father in touch with the GSD club in your area and also the national GSD club in your country. Have him contact some of the breeders they have listed and let him speak to people involved with the club. As has been mentioned before, reputable breeders are almost always involved in rescue and can put your father straight about rescue/shelter GSDs.

But don't look down on dogs from reputable breeders. Without reputable breeders producing good quality dogs, we'd lose our breeds altogether.

Cass.