One of the more polarizing debates in the canine world is the idea of breeding. Depending on who you ask, you may get different answers, so let’s weigh the advantages and disadvantages of dog breeding. You can determine your stance once you have both sides of the story.
Advantages of Dog Breeding
Dog breeding is a credible option if you want to add a pup to your family, so let’s delve a little deeper into what you can expect from going this route.
You Can (Almost) Always Get What You Want
Dog breeding enables you to select the best breed suited to your needs and preferences. This advantage is critical for owners who might want a dog with a specific genetic makeup to play sports, hunt, or be a cuddle buddy. Rather than put things up to chance, a breeding facility might make sense for some folks who don’t want to roll the dice on their pup’s broader characteristics.
A Chance at a Healthier Dog
Responsible dog breeding helps prevent certain health issues common in certain breeds. By practicing genetic testing and screening before breeding, breeders can reduce the occurrence of genetic diseases. This insurance is a nice perk for those who want their best friend to live a long and fruitful life.
Improved Temperament
Breeding enables breeders to select dogs with the desired temperament, personality, and attributes, such as obedience, loyalty, and trainability. That’s not to say that non-purebred dogs will have a temper or that all purebred dogs are perfectly behaved. Generally, working with a reputable breeder improves the probability of purchasing a well-behaved pup.
Develops Community
Dog breeding promotes the development of dog communities, enabling breeders and owners to interact and share information on breed-specific needs. This community, in turn, fosters responsible dog ownership and advocacy for dog welfare.
Disadvantages of Dog Breeding
Some things look good on paper, but when you think about things more, you will realize that it’s not all cracked up to be. Dog breeding often fits into that category, as these disadvantages prove.
Abuse and Neglect
Sadly, unregulated and unethical breeders can be responsible for mistreating animals and focusing more on profit than an animal’s quality of life. While you can find breeders with appropriate accreditation, you never truly know if these dogs get the best care from those making a living off their puppies.
Overpopulation
Bob Barker wasn’t telling you to “get your pets spayed and neutered” for years for no reason. Bob knew that breeding leads to a surge in the number of dogs, leading to a problem of pet overpopulation and dog homelessness. Breeders must ensure that they work toward reducing the number of dogs in shelters and minimizing the euthanasia of healthy dogs. Breeders can do this by following up with pet parents, creating contracts, and not overbreeding their dogs.
Emotional Strain
Dog breeding is often a time-consuming and stressful process. It can be emotionally challenging for the breeder to part with the puppies, and improper timing can cause stress for the mother dog.
Financial Obligations
There are numerous financial responsibilities when you breed dogs or choose purebred pups. You could end up paying thousands of dollars in future vet bills because of genetic inconsistencies and breed-related medical issues.
To Breed or Not To Breed
After considering the advantages and disadvantages of dog breeding, you should understand which option is best for you. Owners must do due diligence for the dogs’ and puppies’ welfare and only put their trust in someone whose pet ownership values align with their own.
