Visiting with My Sister!

[daisys]

I do not know if they intend to get him neutered, but she did say they did not intend to have him breed again. I will of course share the info you provided.

There were 2 other females besides Bridgette left. I know they went for 300 and 400 respectively.

The main reason we chose Bridgette was due to household limits and out cats. I would have loved to have rescued instead! But we have cats and they are not use to dogs. We have a very small yard. we needed a small dog that would be able to be introduced to the cats gently and slowly, unable to chase and frighten them.

We had not planned on Bridgette, just what she was suppose to be like to keep harmony in the household. When it happened, it was almost like a meant to be.

In the meantime, she has become best buddies with our youngest cat. She is happy and healthy and I have been able to convince my other half that we need another dog. 3 fish, 3 cats.... we have set a standard!

If we do go ahead with another dog it will be a "mutt" and a rescue. I never wanted a full breed dog as you hear so much about the genetic issues they have from all the inbreeding.

Not saying anything negative about the prur breeds, just that my preference for our next critter is a "mutt".

[lotsadox]

Unfortunately, there are always reasons that people don't rescue. Rescue and mutt are not synonymous. My dogs are pure bred and rescues. You don't have to buy from a a breeder to get a pure bred and because you rescue you don't get a mixed breed. Many rescues are also good with cats. Many foster have cats and the dogs have been tested with cats.

I'm not sure what price has to do with anything

[daisys]

Unfortunately, there are always reasons that people don't rescue. Rescue and mutt are not synonymous. My dogs are pure bred and rescues. You don't have to buy from a a breeder to get a pure bred and because you rescue you don't get a mixed breed. Many rescues are also good with cats. Many foster have cats and the dogs have been tested with cats.

I'm not sure what price has to do with anything

The prices were just to keep you aware of what the breeder charged us for Bridgette and her siblings. You had mentioned what you paid for your adoptees.

When I say mutt, I meant mutt as in unknown crossbreeds, maybe with a hint of "oh, there is some Shepard in there...". That kind of thing. I have always had a soft spot for "mutts". now that the cats have been introduced via Bridgette I think they can handle something larger and more mature than a quaking little barely weaned puppy.

We will have to take a little time upgrading the yard first. We have a 14 foot but 40 foot run area fro Bridgette, but before we get another dog we need to upgrade to a real fenced area.

[lotsadox]

Nevermind. I only mentioned how much I paid for my dogs because you said " A Lot of people that love these little critters wouldn't have either because a well bred dog is too expensive" as a justification for BYB. I was trying to point out that BYB's are not needed for there to be affordable dogs.

[daisys]

Nevermind. I only mentioned how much I paid for my dogs because you said " A Lot of people that love these little critters wouldn't have either because a well bred dog is too expensive" as a justification for BYB. I was trying to point out that BYB's are not needed for there to be affordable dogs.

good point. But puppies, young, are hard to come by cheap when pure bred. So damn sad that some that take them and then give them up. Forever home should be a more common thought for people wanting any animal.

[oceangirls]

good point. But puppies, young, are hard to come by cheap when pure bred. So damn sad that some that take them and then give them up. Forever home should be a more common thought for people wanting any animal.

I could not agree more. I wanted to raise my dogs from puppies myself. If everyone who took a puppy would be responsible and care for it throughout its entire life, this wouldn't be an issue. Sometimes, it makes me mad that I have to feel guilty about getting a puppy because there are other dogs needing homes because other people were not mature/responsible enough to do the right thing.

[AgileOllie]

A Lot of people that love these little critters wouldn't have either because a well bred dog is too expensive and people that breed them for show or challenges expect them to go on doing that.

First, let me say that your statement is not true. You CAN get 'well bred' dogs from reputable breeders for not much more (if at all) than what you paid for your little girl. You must do research, though. Get out there and talk to breeders. Go to shows. Out of one litter, MAYBE one or two will be 'show quality.' Breeders know that. You can get a 'well bred' pet quality puppy with a spay/neuter agreement.

Second, let's talk about what a 'well bred' dog is.
A well bred dog, from a responsible breeder is one who:

*has parents who were genetically tested for specific breed issues (eyes, hips, back, etc)
* has parents who were chosen for specific breed traits, such as tail set, keel, top-line, neck, head, etc and were bred to another dog/bitch who can enhance those traits.
*has parents who has proven personality. I don't mean 'awww how sweet.' I mean, the dog/bitch ACTS like a dachshund is supposed to, according to the breed standard
* does not leave his/her mom until at least 12 weeks of age. (Not only due to the need for socialization with the litter and mother, but also because it's impossible to know if the puppy is conformation quality or not before then. Usually, it takes even longer than 12 weeks to get an idea, but 12 is a general rule.
* is usually sold with a spay/neuter agreement on a contract, if pet quality.

So, just because you have a purebred dog, doesn't mean he/she is "well bred." Any two purebreds can produce another purebred. That just means that generally, he/she looks like the breed it's supposed to. Care wasn't necessarily taken to ensure that the breed standard was even an after-thought.

I'm not trying to bash you. You said you've learned alot here and that's great. I'm just encouraging you to learn more

I have 5 fosters at my house right now. All lovely purebreds. All from BYBs out for a buck.

I don't know your friends, but I am willing to bet that the main motive behind breeding and selling their puppies has very little to do with wanting to spread the joy of puppies.

I have been where you are right now. I purchased from a BYB once. I'll never do it again. You've NOT been where I am now, so it's hard to fathom exactly what I'm saying without feeling bashed or slammed. Dealing with the unwanted for over 10 years leaves you feeling a bit jaded by those who want to rationalize BYBs.

The plain fact is, the only good breeder is one who makes NO money, one who truly is doing it for the love of the breed and the breed standard. Those breeders are heavily into conformation and performance sports, to prove their dogs are worthy of being bred to continue the legacy of what a dachshund SHOULD be.

[areese]

I just need to say something cuz I have seen it on here quite a few times.
There is no genetic test for back problems.
If someone says they have had that done, it is not true.
X-rays don't mean anything. Back problems in dachsunds are premature aging of discs. Since dogs don't show problems most commonly after the age of 5-6, they usually have been bred already. Breeders should know the history of the puppies they sell and not continue a line if there are problems but you can see how difficult that would be..it would depend on people keeping in contact for years and years.
Until there is a genetic test, there is no way to get rid of IVDD. AND since genetics are so very complex, that prob. won't do it either. There are other breeds that people worked hard to breed a problem out and that resulted in something even worse. Like trying to rid a breed of an eye problem and ending up with epilepsy or heart defects.

[oceangirls]

Guys, I know these are all important issues, but please remember this is a thread posted in "Wiener Adventures" about two puppies playing where a member shared pictures with us for our enjoyment. Also daisys is not the backyard breeder here.

[lotsadox]

But it is an education opportunity