We Blame the Breeder

From the Soap Box of Tarma Shena

More often than not, I scroll on by stuff I don’t agree with on the inter-web, I try to focus my energy on things I can actually change or make better. But on occasion there are days like today where I just can’t help myself.

Many years ago we took in a sweet, very high energy, female LGD cross who just wasn’t the right fit for her family. Despite their best efforts they continued to clash. Their “breeder” simply sold them the last pup and they were too new to LGD ownership to know the right questions to ask.

But they did find us! We did some training and took time to evaluate and try different approaches, giving up their dog was the last thing they wanted to do. But two small children and a very large, VERY high energy dog is not a good mix.

So we took her in as a foster and helped them find a more suitable guardian for their small farm. Breeders were the original rescues you know, although a lot of people demonize them now and lord knows some of them deserve it. But like every cause society gets behind, you have to have a bad guy and we got elected this time.

Now seven-ish years later the family that has loved and cared for her all this time are experiencing some major difficulties. So, like our contract states, no matter how long and no matter why, all our dogs have a home here. She will retire and live out her last years in a familiar place where she will be cared for.

There is another foster here, an owner surrender of another LGD cross whose family didn’t know enough to know what they didn’t know. We were there for them too, we spent a lot of years here trying to find the right fit and when we did it was great. Now he is back because his Dad got sick and couldn’t care for him any more.

These things happen to even the best of people, if you have never experienced hard times; I mean really hard times not “the supermarket is out of my cereal brand” but really hard times. Count yourself lucky and lend a hand to those who have not been so fortunate as you. Or at least have the good sense to stay off the internet ffs.

Where were the “breeders” of those dogs? Nowhere to be found but the owners, they did right by them. and that is what we all hope for.

Responsible dog owners who do right by their dogs in the best way they can. However, Breeders don’t have crystal balls, we aren’t mind readers either. We do our best to screen our buyers and make sure they will be the best home possible. And should the worst happen we are here to take them back.

Here’s the crazy part though… if for some reason, they lie on their application, lie during their interview and turn out to be the worst of human trash and dump the dog off on some dead end street.

We blame the breeder.

If they listen to all of your information, ignore your suggestions to do more research without telling you they were too lazy, and think they already know everything about everything and eventually surrender the dog because “they didn’t know what they were getting into.”

We blame the breeder.

If they didn’t tell you they were trying to have a baby and raising a puppy is easy peasy anyway so we’ll just do both at the same time and now the untrained adolescent dog is jumping and barking and can’t be around the baby so they sell it on FB marketplace as a “collar” just to get rid of it quick.

We blame the breeder.

And here is where it gets absolutely crazy. Society looks in the shelters full of dogs. Some brought in from overseas, and some bred by irresponsible people who “wanted their dog to experience motherhood”, and some by people who jumped on the latest fad to make “designer dogs” despite having no knowledge of how genetics work. And my favorite, the people who “didn’t know what a heat cycle looks like” and didn’t know he would “breed his own sister”. (Yes that is a direct quote.)

Who do they blame? The “visible” breeder. The ones out in public pushing responsible ownership, better training, healthier dogs, The ones providing support, fosterage, and homes the best we can for these mass produced dogs. We are demonized for shelters being full, blamed for dogs being euthanized, and threatened with harm (and this one always gets me) to ourselves AND OUR ANIMALS, for adding to the problem.

Maybe just maybe some of you keyboard warriors could take the time to actually learn what the real problem is instead of parroting Sarah McLachlan and attacking the people who are actually trying to help.

I apologize for my temporary lapse in judgement this morning and my inability to just scroll on by.

Sometimes it’s just so damn hard.