There litteraly (get it?) millions of dogs in shelters who could us a good home.

Why don't you get one of those?

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

Who said we're not? It's a work in progress.

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Gnothi Seauton.

Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't you say you're "hunting for a breeder"?

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

What stops anyone from getting a dog from a breeder, a shelter, inheriting from a parent, or taking one in that walks through your campsite in the dead of night scaring the bejeezus out of you?

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Gnothi Seauton.

You can do whatever you want. Just know that millions of perfectly fine dogs are killed every year because nobody will take them home.

Meanwhile millions of pure breeds are purchased from breeders.

But, do whatever you want.

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Civilize the mind, but make savage the body.

- Chinese proverb

You get dogs from breeders so you can better predict what the dog will be. That includes behavior, health, size, etc. We once got a lab puppy from the humane society that turned out to be a flat coated retriever, very very different dogs.

No idea what kind of dog you are looking for. When we were looking for a breeder we wanted one that was most interested in health and behavior. Didn't care what show awards they had. I started with the national breed council and asked for recomendations.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

And, back to the original topic if anyone has insight.

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Gnothi Seauton.

I used to work with a lady who was into a particular breed. She knew all the good breeders. Especially ones who worked to avoid certain problems a breed may have and ones who did not care. So instead of asking breeders, ask the owners and they probably have a short list with common names. Another possibility may be asking a veterinarian. I would think they might know too.

That last scenario sounds like a good story!

Good breeders will do screening for high risk health issues common in the breed, eg. Hip x-rays, eye screens, etc. Beware, they will also tear each other to shreds. I know of several breeders of one type dog and wow. I don't get involved. Go to a dog show and see how they treat the dogs and interact.

Honestly following the breeders I do, there are a lot of awards. They accumulate points at each show for a variety of different categories. I would more focus on the environment, how the dogs are treated and what type of health screening is done. My girl (my third because the breed has been a perfect fit for my energy level) was from parents both screened for hip and eye issues which can be common if they are not bred carefully.

Buyer beware, the so called rescue trade is fraught with corruption. Talk to the veterinarians. Diseases not known in the US are being brought in as people look to make a buck, picking up wild dogs off the street in other countries. Some even stealing family pets from other countries. The age of the dog may be inaccurate as they try to get them into the country without the proper paperwork and vaccinations. "Rescue" dogs have been brought in with rabies as a result.

Some rescue is good, a family member works at a no kill shelter where you pay to leave a dog or cat. Usually someone who passed and and family can not take the pet, etc.

There is a whole illegal ring just as with almost anything. There is research being done on purebreds that is changing treatment for human illness. It would be sad to lose breeds that have been around for hundreds of years and had a huge role in the survival of man. A lot of those breeds are great dogs with great personalities and have such a huge role in history, really would be a shame. There are responsible breeders out there. Check the fb sites.

Are you looking at a working dog breed? Dog park also a great place to ask owners what they think.

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Gnothi Seauton.

I'll have to search for the picture I took of this dog. Really cool looking dog. Was definitely someone's pet that got loose or lost or who knows what. Had a thick collar, but its weeks away from a home and care were evident from the ribs.

I was car camping by myself along the Columbia River in the eastern part of Oregon near Hermiston. By the time I cooked my dinner one evening, it had turned dark already. When it was time to sack in for the night, I doused the fire and turned off the propane lantern I had on the picnic table. Didn't have my headlamp on, but there was just enough light shining from the RVs at the next site over. I walked around to the car to get something out, and I just see two eyes blazing back at me in the dark. They were maybe 10 yds away. I absolutely froze! Ha! I totally wasn't expecting anything like that. It scared the living daylights outta me. I hit the unlock button for the car, and the lights flashed so that I could see the outline. With more light I saw it was a dog, and quite relieved that I wasn't in a staring match with a cougar!

It didn't back away, and it didn't take much coaxing to come closer when I grabbed the left over baked beans. Slurped those down with ease. Gave it some water, and after some sniffing and deliberation, I went to sleep. I woke up in the morning, and it was sleeping on the ground behind the trunk of the car. I would leave each day for the next 3 days, and it would come back and be there in the morning. I think some other campers took it though. That dog was going to end up home with me if it had stuck around for another day and wasn't claimed.

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Gnothi Seauton.

Before our recent move back to CA, my gf was volunteering at an Animal Rescue League. We were so close to adopting a Potcake puppy. We talked about it, and by the weekend, the dog was adopted already.

Again, I'm not choosing a breeder based on the awards they have. It just seems that every breeder has some sort of award for this, that, and another. I think I just didn't realize how many categories, awards, and judging of dog breeds there is. I mean, what is a Specialty Winner -- what's the specialty??? And, I didn't know there were competitions for dog duos! Really? Whatever. Everyone seems to have some claim to fame.

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Gnothi Seauton.

Hopefully that lost pooch found a good life, wherever it ended up.

My brother wanted to get another labrador retriever after his first one died but he didn't want to go back to the first breeder who he realised later was close to a puppy mill situation. If he saw a lab he liked out on the trails he talked to owners and asked where they got it. He eventually connected with a breeder who bred only a couple of times a year (if that), and were able to give him exactly the dog he wanted, in size and temperament, which was important since he had a young family. He didn't worry about awards and all that, he liked the breeder's attitude and the dogs they produced.

The last dog I had was from a breeder. My wife really wanted an English lab retriever. Just like you most ads had some sort of award. The one we went with was from some kind of "championship" line that had won AKA awards and I think they even claimed some kind of Westminster award. There was an additional fee we could pay to get his papers and have them certified if we wanted to breed him or show him. I forget what kind of stuff they were offering us.
We really didn't care about of that. The only thing I had been told was to check was see if you can meet both mother and the father of the litter. Also maybe their vet history. The breeder we went to had both parents on site.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Found this link that speaks to some of what I've been grousing about. Funny. Also, read this one that was in the comments of the last. Some good things to think about.

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Gnothi Seauton.