Golden Doodle

[curty]

@thewingsoftruth She was rehomed to me. I did not pay, not even a rehome “fee”. Her owner couldn’t care for her. I feel like adopt is the easiest to say.

 

[home4good]

@thewingsoftruth What is the difference? I had different meanings to the words but I see them used interchangeably now, especially in dog discussions. With dogs it was you bought a dog no matter where or how or why, if you gave money you bought. Now I see buy, adapt, rehome, rescue, and other terms that used when someone gets a dog under pretty much any condition.

 

[mango]

@home4good Adopting a dog is usually a rescue or rehome, the fees in those cases are typically considered a donation to the organization that sheltered the dog, or in private rehoming as a way to help prevent the dog from ending up in a harmful situation as people with malintent are less likely to want to pay a fee to get a dog vs getting one who is listed for free.

Buying a dog is when you buy from a breeder (ethical or not) or a pet store. There isn't anything inherently wrong with buying a dog. The money, when paid to an ethical breeder, covers the cost of raising a puppy, including things like early socialization, health testing, quality food, and vet care.

The reason the language has shifted in current times is the stigma of shopping in the "adopt don't shop" campaigns in the US. That campaign meant to push people to take care of the overpopulation of dogs in shelters without regard that a rescue isn't always a good fit for a family or individual. Because of the stigma, people use rescue language to avoid direct questions about it.

There is also a shift in how younger generations view dogs as replacements for having children. You don't buy a child when you can't have your own. Even though money is exchanged with an agency, you adopt a child. I say this next part as someone who was adopted from a private agency, and it may be an uncomfortable analogy, but it's something I've noticed with my younger clients. People can view going to a breeder like going through a private agency where they pay far more than going through their state foster system, which in their mind would be a shelter.

 

[joseph_widner]

@curty Are the parents health tested, not just DNA testing, but had their hips, elbows, eyes, heart, thyroid etc. looked at? Do you know anything about the health of the grandparents or greatgrand parents?

Do the parents have good temperaments proven by at minimum a CGC title that they're stable dogs?
What are your goals for breeding?
Are you ready to invest money into health testing, do you have enough money for an emergency C-section?
Can you take the financial, emotional and physical strain of raising puppies?
Do you have enough time and money for several dogs in case you can't find homes for the pups?

Doodles are bred primarily for aesthetics over anything else, they don't have a structural or temperamental standard, their coat texture is a nightmare to deal with and matts easily which can seriously harm the dog, they're never health tested. They're popular at the moment and a big cash cow for backyard breeders. I fully support purpose bred mixes done responsibly. Doodles aren't that. There is no responsible way to breed a doodle.

 

[curty]

@joseph_widner Thank you. I will try to find out all that information.

 

[cosimnot]

@curty If you want to be a breeder, start with deciding on a breed, doodles are not a breed. Go to dog shows, figure out what breed you want and meet breeders so you start your search for a mentor. Here a link to shows by state: https://infodog.com/show/state_shows.htm?_p=Y

If you haven't read the r/dogs WIKI on Resposible breeders' I would start there so you know what you should be doing as a breeder and looking for in a breeder: https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/identifying_a_responsible_breeder/ I would also recommend joining a local specialty club if you are interested in a popular breed, or the National club for whatever breed you are interested in or your local kennel club so you can find a mentor and the best possible dog you can to start a breeding program.

Also, as you get closer to breeding buy and read Myra Savant-Harris's books on breeding whelping and puppy intensive care and read through then so you have a basis for what to do if things go wrong. And make sure you are financial position so that you are able to handle C-section, progesterone testing, ultrasound, x-rays, etc.

We need more ethical, responsible breeders as there are not enough but do not need people who just want to breed without the health testing, titling, and proper puppy rearing. It is a commitment to breed right and puppies and dogs deserve that commitment.

 

[curty]

@cosimnot Solid advice. Thank you for the resources.

 

[roseforchrist]

@curty No, doodles are becoming the new pit bulls and you can find them in shelters everywhere. Just get your dog fixed and for the love of God people: STOP. BREEDING. DOODLES.

 

[devaofprayze]

@curty Have you had a conversation with her breeder about it? Can they mentor you?

 

[curty]

@devaofprayze I got her from someone who couldn’t care for her. I will try to get the breeder information.

 

[devaofprayze]

@curty Knowing her pedigree and what’s behind her is critical when choosing a mate. The more you know about her relatives, the better

 

[curty]

@devaofprayze That makes sense. Thank you

 

[thewingsoftruth]

@curty Then why do you think it’s a good idea to breed her? Her puppies could end up in the exact same situation and not have such a good result.

 

[lumiere]

@curty So, the dog community tends to be a very anti mixed breed. I support mixed breeding if done responsibly. There is a LOT to consider when breeding, and you should really have a goal for what you want to achieve. You also need to be aware of how genetics affects temperment and health. Breeding responsibly is hard and you need to have a good understanding of the community itself. If you want to breed to make money, to just experience a litter, or because it sounds fun then I wouldn't do it. You really need to care about not only the health/temperment of the dogs but care about the owners buying the dogs as well.

I recommend checking out The Functional Dog Collaborative. They have a website, podcast, and Facebook group. They have a lot of information to help you learn.

 

[curty]

@lumiere Thank you for confirming - I started getting that impression after the first few responses. I am so unfamiliar I feel like I almost set myself up by asking on here. Thankfully I’ve gotten some good nuggets of info. I appreciate the advice and will look into your recommendation.

 

[drsharles]

@curty One thing that most folks don't understand is that as a breeder we are the ones fighting to preserve our respective breeds and its something we take very seriously. I read a previous comment of yours and it sounds like you may not even know who the original breeder of your dog is. This is an even further set back for you. One question to ask yourself is WHY. Why do you want to breed. If it's because you think shes the best dog in the world and want one more just like her that isn't reason enough to breed. Many of us have spent decades learning our breed standard, showing our dogs, networking with our breeder to learn their pedigrees as well. Most of us didn't just get a dog and decide we wanted to breed her.

 

[lumiere]

@drsharles Even though I do support mixed breeding (but not all mixed breeding), I still completely agree with this. Usually, responsible breeders decide to breed before getting their foundation dog.

 

[lumiere]

@curty Do take your time to really learn how to be a responsible breeder. Do not jump into anything. You need to learn more than just how to raise puppies. Think about why responsible breeders have contracts set up and why they have written the things they have. Think about why communities do not like doodles and their reasoning behind it. Your ultimate goal should be to prevent as much suffering as possible. This means focusing on health, temperment, and even the buyer itself to make sure that these puppies go to a home that fits the buyer's lifestyle. This also means never letting your puppies go to shelters. Always take your puppies back if the owner needs to get rid of them and chip them with both your info and the owner's info as well. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

[mreeed]

@curty None. No reason to breed a dog that is 1) a mixed breed 2) a rescue with unknown health history 3) a dog that isn’t even titled/proven or health tested. To do so would be irresponsible as fuck and cruel to the dogs. If your reason is “oh but she’s nice” or “she should experience it” you shouldn’t have a dog. Full stop. People like you are why we have shelters full of dogs with genetic issues.