Discussions

I didn’t want a large breed shedding dog. I was very particular on what breed/type of dog we wanted in our home because I knew it was a long term commitment. The rescue didn’t even give us a chance. No fence yard - no dog. They didn’t like my work situation at the time either as they didn’t like the dog being in a different part of the home from where I was. They didn’t even call references, just refused us. The dog in care was everything we were looking for. Then ended up being returned to care again from the person who took it. So say what you want. We donated money to lots of rescues in our community only to be turned away.  
 
We need to maybe get the people running these rescues to not be so judgmental and think they know what is best.

No fenced yard in the country, no dog from a rescue. In any case I don't especially want a rescue dog. Too many of their GSD crosses are part Husky, and I have no use for a Husky cross. I prefer to buy from a breeder that has decent quality dogs and can tell me exactly what traits I can expect from one of their pups. I don't want CKC registered dogs, because I do not need to pay $2000 for a good dog. I now have a beautiful GSD purchased from someone who just bred her two gorgeous dogs one time-it's an amazing dog, better than I could have hoped for, very reasonably priced. Hips and health all good.  
 
I do think there are some people who haven't gotten the memo yet that the covid boom on dogs is over-judging by numbers and some inflated prices on mixed breed dogs-but I am happy that there are still people breeding nice dogs.  
 
As for the earlier post about moving here with dogs and not setting up a vet in advance-shaming owners for not doing that-please remember that not that long ago there was no need to do that. You could come to town, call a clinic, and get set up with an appointment. Some people do not realize there is now a problem in getting a vet, so they get here and then find out that's a thing. If you need to move, you need to move, and you deal with the vet issue when you get here.

I’m sorry but the way you describe things a dog given up to a rescue really isn’t the fault of the breeder, be they backyard or otherwise. Such a case is the responsibility of the owner that didn’t get properly educated about the responsibilities involved when caring for an animal. Breeders good, bad, backyard or professional are supplying a demand. Educate those creating the demand properly and you might make progress and reduce the number of animals left suffering and abandoned. FWIW some of the rescues run questionable operations as well.

I completely agree! I know many preservations breeders who do the appropriate health testing before breeding and will stop breeding a line should any health issue arise in the line. They have waitlists, require applications and vet the homes to the best of their abilities. Their dogs are required to be returned to the breeder. However, with all this in place, I still know of one owner who neutered a co-owned dog (which wasn't allowed as per contract) and then rehomed the dog to another person. When the breeder found out, she contacted the new owner and after a lengthy discussion, agreed to leave the dog in this placement as they were providing a great home for him. Preservation breeders care about the life of the dog, not just the first 8 weeks of the puppy's life.

As long as people are willing to pay these ridiculous prices for puppy mill dogs, they will continue to produce them.

Like many other posters, I’ve noticed the large number of very young pets being offered for a new home. This is a good thing. If people are finding that the animal isn’t working out then it’s best for everyone (pet especially) to look for a solution.  
My addendum to the rehome issue is that perhaps some of the burden is tied to the scarcity of veterinarians and the expense if one is secured. These are tough times and the monthly cost to have a companion animal around is a serious investment as are the yearly vet services for shots and examinations. (And heaven forbid if a serious calamity happens.)

I buy from a backyard breeder or irresponsible breeder they have zero policies in place. Pay your $50-$900.00 and they no longer care. Most reputable breeders have return policies in place (yes people can skirt the rules they signed for before being able to take the dog home). A reputable breeder that breeds to improve the breed generally does not breed another litter until there is a “demand” or as we call them a “wait list” and a good set of bloodlines before they breed the next litter. They may not breed for years, and usually only have the wait lists because they have proven bloodlines with proof of different titles or certifications behind their dogs name.  
Nothing is foolproof, but the one thing I will agree with you about is people need to educated (which I was by all of my breeders before purchasing my dogs) and that was anywhere between 1-5yrs talking with breeders on my different breeds I have. I promise you, I can stop typing and buy probably 20 dogs from the classifieds from “breeders” without any education. You will not be able to do that from CKC/reputable breeders! People need to educate themselves properly and not emotionally!