Dog Breeding Ethics

[8_Ball]

(I don't like bulldogs either, I think they have so many health problems that I don't understand why anyone would intentionally produce them. Yet, they command high prices and have a large following. )

Sorry to be that guy but bulldogs have so many problems because they require a special diet and other needs. Bulldogs (English and French) should NOT be neutered or spayed until a year and a half to two years old. If they are fixed earlier their plates in their knees, hips, etc never finish filling in and it leads to over 90% of the hip and knee problems they face. And 99% of owners are brain washed by their vets with no bulldog knowledge to spay/neuter at 6 months and younger. And secondly they need a very high quality diet most people would not consider. They need grain free, single protein, hollistic foods. My Frenchie is on rabbit. Most owners would not spend this much on food. A lot of bulldogs are just naturally allergic to grains, poultry and beef. Sorry, I'm just a proud Frenchie dad

As for snakes I would never purchase a morph with neurological problems. I would purchase others like my 8 Ball who lack duckbill and kinking (duckbill is over exaggerated IMO and it sticks out more from being patternless).


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[GoingPostal]

Sorry to be that guy but bulldogs have so many problems because they require a special diet and other needs. Bulldogs (English and French) should NOT be neutered or spayed until a year and a half to two years old. If they are fixed earlier their plates in their knees, hips, etc never finish filling in and it leads to over 90% of the hip and knee problems they face. And 99% of owners are brain washed by their vets with no bulldog knowledge to spay/neuter at 6 months and younger. And secondly they need a very high quality diet most people would not consider. They need grain free, single protein, hollistic foods. My Frenchie is on rabbit. Most owners would not spend this much on food. A lot of bulldogs are just naturally allergic to grains, poultry and beef. Sorry, I'm just a proud Frenchie dad
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No, bulldogs have so many problems because people keep breeding dogs with health issues. Allergy dogs-shouldn't be bred. Dogs with skin issues-shouldn't be bred. Dogs who can't breed or produce puppies naturally-shouldn't be bred. Dogs who drop dead in the heat-shouldn't be bred. You have to assume on offa.org, the vast majority of the dogs being tested are breeding dogs, over two years old and intact and yet bulldogs are #1 for hip dysplasia at 72% of the breed affected, percent excellent on the other hand .3. People like the look of them, all short muzzled, kinked tail and wrinkly and don't care how it affects the dog to get that appearance.

[8_Ball]

No, bulldogs have so many problems because people keep breeding dogs with health issues. Allergy dogs-shouldn't be bred. Dogs with skin issues-shouldn't be bred. Dogs who can't breed or produce puppies naturally-shouldn't be bred. Dogs who drop dead in the heat-shouldn't be bred. You have to assume on offa.org, the vast majority of the dogs being tested are breeding dogs, over two years old and intact and yet bulldogs are #1 for hip dysplasia at 72% of the breed affected, percent excellent on the other hand .3. People like the look of them, all short muzzled, kinked tail and wrinkly and don't care how it affects the dog to get that appearance.

Most Hip dysplasia=being fixed to early. I've read countless veterinarian reports on this. Actually it effects all dogs such as German Shepards too with hip problems and arthritis. We've always owned frenchies and English bulldogs and never had issues. Yes your right don't breed the ones with issues but obviously your going to get that from puppy Mills. Dogs actually aren't supposed to eat most of the stuff you find in foods at pets stores it's all fillers and the protiens are not natural for dogs. It's really not even "allergies" but a reaction to the food. My dog eats rabbit, lamb, and duck and has no problems. Your just making excuses for issues caused by crappy food. It's like humans eating McDonald's daily and expect to have no issues. Labs, German Shepards, Goldens, pugs, and various other dogs are susceptible to cancers and other issues but people always seem to pick on bulldogs.

[Jeanne]

Most Hip dysplasia=being fixed to early. I've read countless veterinarian reports on this. Actually it effects all dogs such as German Shepards too with hip problems and arthritis. We've always owned frenchies and English bulldogs and never had issues. Yes your right don't breed the ones with issues but obviously your going to get that from puppy Mills. Dogs actually aren't supposed to eat most of the stuff you find in foods at pets stores it's all fillers and the protiens are not natural for dogs. It's really not even "allergies" but a reaction to the food. My dog eats rabbit, lamb, and duck and has no problems. Your just making excuses for issues caused by crappy food. It's like humans eating McDonald's daily and expect to have no issues. Labs, German Shepards, Goldens, pugs, and various other dogs are susceptible to cancers and other issues but people always seem to pick on bulldogs.

My dogs too eat rabbit, lamb, deer, elk, turkey and buffalo. Because thats what my freezers are full of. We dont purchase prepackaged dog foods, when I thaw meat out for meals for us daily, I do so for our 3 dogs, a german shephard and 2 stafford terriers. I have found that our dogs are much healthier. Nice to see that others are feeding the same way.

[wolfy-hound]

I will have to differ on that diet is essential thing.

The vet next door sees a lot of english bulldogs and frenchies(because one client with a English loves the vet and two people working there own frenchies, so people like to go to him) and I don't know of any of them that feed a "hollistic" diet. Most of them feed typical bag food(Science Diet, ick) and only one has a knee issue. Only one english has a skin condition, and that's limited to his nose(weird). On our side, we have one English with poor skin, and I believe 2 that are fine. One English has bum knees, BUT he's elderly too, and I don't know if it's new or if he's always had bum knees.

They do have the snorty flat face issues. The owners can't let them overheat. I saw one recently that had his tail docked because it was deformed in such a way that poo got it when he went poo. Which was bizarre.

None of these dogs are on special diets, although one frenchie only eats one kind of science diet sensitive stomach.

Do these breeds have inherent health issues? Yes. Is it due to early spay/diet? I'm not buying it.

I'm glad your diet/non-spaying works for you and your dogs.

[footballpythons]

To be honest I love how all dogs look, but I would rather a mixed from the pound then a purebred from a breeder. For example I got two mixed dogs from the shelter six months ago and both were 22$, while the purebreds just like the dogs I got are around 400$!

[Jabberwocky Dragons]

To be honest I love how all dogs look, but I would rather a mixed from the pound then a purebred from a breeder. For example I got two mixed dogs from the shelter six months ago and both were 22$, while the purebreds just like the dogs I got are around 400$!

Sometimes, purebred dogs are solely bred for looks but often the goal is for specific traits. Buying a purebred dog ensures you get these breed specific traits. My Doberman passed last year. I specifically selected this breed, and her from among 15 breeders, due to the security traits and living in the city with a smaller property.

Now I live on 30 acres with forest trails and predators. I selected German Shepherds because their breed traits fit my needs better. They hone in on any person, no matter how far away, while ignoring distant barking dogs. They would work together to defend against bear or coyotes but don't obsess about small game. I have also trained them to track my children by name. This is a small list of breed specific traits. There are also things they are not as good for though, such as hunting or serious tracking (like bloodhound work).

We also have a hound dog mix we rescued from the pound. She can't do anything of these things. That's okay because that's not what she was bred for. She does do some things the GSDs won't though that fit her mixed hound breeds. I've seen her wait patiently in front of a mouse hole for hours, completely motionless, before successfully catching the mouse. I've called her, seen her look right me, and watched a live bird fly right out of her mouth. If we have a small animal problem, my money is on her over the GSDs.

If you just want a dog, mixed breeds from the pound make excellent companions. Purebred working group dogs have traits that can meet specific needs.

[blue roses]

I don't know if you have ever bred dogs, but i showed and bred bloodhounds for almost 20 years till i retired a few years ago. Hip displasure has very little to do with spaying or neutering. It has a lot to do with inheritence. That is why every single dog i bred was x-rayed for hips , elbows, and patellas, The x-rays were submitted to the O.F.A (orthopedic foundation for animals). I also had hearts cleared by a board certified cardiac Vet. Most reputable breeders have this done. There are many breeds that have allergies, and the biggest allergy is to beef, so none of my dogs ate any foods with beef. I fed lamb, duck, or chicken based foods. I know many bulldog breeders, one of the largest bulldog clubs is located here on long island. The biggest problem with breeding this dog, is the fact that without help you can lose many of the pups because of the size of the heads, also umbilical hernias are common, because the mother will pull the cord when she releases the pup from the after birth. That is why most breeders choose to have a c-section done to make sure all pups survive. I love bulldogs, butto breed them properly is a lot of effort and expense. That is why the bulldog pups go for 1500-2000 dollars. It takes a lot of love and dedication to a breed to make sure this noble and historic breed stays around.

[Jay_Bunny]

I don't have any experience breeding dogs but my friend breeds Hamiltonstovares. I asked her about spaying/neutering dogs and she also agrees that you should allow a dog to finish growing before you spay/neuter. She says early spay/neutering can cause health issues. I think early spay/neuter is pushed by vets and rescues because of pet overpopulation. So many pets get loose and breed or you get those dumb parents that want to let their children "witness the miracle of life" by breeding their dogs. Then you get backyard breeders that say "I have a purebred dog. I'm going to breed it since its so cute and my friend has one of the opposite sex. We'll sell the babies for a few hundred". Vets and rescues want to help curb this and so they encourage early spay/neuter.

I have a problem with dog breeds that have health issues due to their looks. This is directed toward short-snouted dogs and other malformations that for some reason people think is cute. Breeds like this should be discouraged.

[Bcycling]

Well I have to chime in a bit. I worked for a vet 15 years ago and I did see a lot of English bulls get put down for hip issues, but I do like the look of the breed. But if you really want a cool dog go with a german shorthair pointer. They are by far the smartest dogs I have owned, I have two right now. They are great with kids and family, will protect anything when needed, and will hunt with me all day if I choose to run them that long. Training these things to hunt and hold a point can be done by just about anyone, as my 10 year old trained one if my dogs when I was working a second job. Now, thanks to these awesome dogs, my second job is running guided upland hunts with them. I get so much joy out of seeing a pointer running at full speed and then stop on a dime at a hard point.