Breeder Bashing: A National Pasttime

Breeder-bashing isn't a new concept.  However, with our rights to breed dogs under constant attack from the animal rights terrorists, led by none other than The Humane Society of The United States (which is in no way, shape or form a "real humane society", but rather an extreme animal rights organization), one would think that dog breeders could find some common ground, stick together, and dispense with the superiority complexes.  No such luck.

One would think that since dog breeding is being compared to drug-dealing, that we could learn to play nice.  Visit one of those damnable online "dog forums" sometime and you will see what I mean.  We seem to forget (or do we?), that many members of the pet buying public go to these message boards to 'learn'.  What are we teaching them?  Just for fun visit one of your breed's message boards.  Or better yet, Google your kennel name, or your dogs' names.  You may be shocked at what "fellow breed enthusiasts" have to say.

"I would NEVER do that, and any breeder that DOES is......"

Fill in the blank; "back-yard breeder" (or "BYB"), "puppymill" (a phrase coined by the animal rights terrorists to divide and conquer us...it's working, by the way), or a modification, such as "showmiller".

Simply put, if WE don't like a certain breeder, or said certain breeder does not DO what WE do, or WOULD DO, then they are less than human and should be banished to the deepest pits of hell.  Nothing a dog breeder does is EVER good enough; everyone that owns dogs, or breeds, has their own "ideas" of "what a breeder should do or be".  No topic is off limits, every action --or inaction-- is subject to being bashed by those that need to feel superior by being self-proclaimed experts while hiding behind a computer keyboard.

Newsflash:  such "superior" beings are NOT helping when it comes to winning the war for our rights to breed and even OWN dogs.  My advice, if one needs help improving self-esteem, read one of those self-help books, or see a shrink.

One topic pounced upon by breeder-bashers is "NO one should own more than--insert number here- dogs!"  Really?  Just who are you exactly to dictate to anyone how many dogs a person should have the right to own?  Of course, this same sentiment does not apply to rescues or fosters because they are "doing good", any other poor schmuck that chooses to have 10, 5, 20 dogs are "evil greedy breeders that should be sent to the deepest pits of hell" .

Another topic:  "Anyone who breeds MORE THAN ---fill-in the blank time again---litters per year is a ....."  Interesting.  So, according to the "experts" no one can be a good breeder if they breed 2,3, or whatever-arbitrary-number of litters per year?  As long as the puppies they produce are healthy, are good specimens of their chosen breed (which is subjective to each individual), and they sell them to good homes, what business is it of ours?  Can you say, "NUNYA".

And then there is the ever popular, "if a breeder is testing at such a young age, they must have something to be afraid of!"  Really???  Isn't the entire point of health testing what we produce (and their parents) is to make sure that we are doing everything we can to make sure those animals are as healthy as possible and to make sure that our puppy buyers know what they can/can't expect?  This seems to be a bashing point done by those that don't do ---for example---eye CERFS on young puppies in a breed where CERFing at a young age isn't the "norm". 

We're damned if we do and damned if we don't. 

Remember that saying about glass houses and stones.....

Before all you "breeding experts" run off to educate the public on what a "good" breeder is, don't do the rest of us any favors by preaching what your "beliefs" are as being "my way or it's wrong". 

We dog breeders seem to forget that WE created the anti-breeder sentiment in this country by bashing those that we didn't agree with or by bashing those that did things differently than us.  And look where we are now....the animal rights terrorists and the bunny-hugger followers have taken our "ideas" and are introducing them as legislation faster than a dandelion growing in summertime.  Yes, WE DID THIS TO OURSELVES. 

We created the "breeders are bad" sentiment by expecting all breeders to do as WE DO, or else they are "bad" if they do not.  We have "taught" the public this; we have "created" the monster. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, be careful of throwing those stones; you never know where they will land.  Or how they will come back to  haunt you.