just a question

this is in no way meant to be a derogatory question its just for my own curiosity so p[lease do not feel offended. i am not picking fault or trying to be mean i have just been dying to ask but never had till now.

i know a lot of you on here have KC registered dogs from breeders but i want to know how you feel about none registered dogs.

my lemmy was an accident his dad caught the mother a few days before his apointment for his big snip so i cant call this a back yard breeder cosw it wasnt done on purpose for the money infact he only asked enough to cover the vets bills.

i know back yard breeders are no good cos the mothers are only used to breed and god knows how many times in their short life bless them i know all the horror stories but are the papers really such a big deal.

if you got a dog from a reputable place from good healthy parents and the dog was perfect does it relly matter if they are not registered and you cannot trace their liniage back so many generations.

i see the shows and would be so proud and it also is great to do but i really dont see the big deal in the papers.

i am gringing now waiting everyones response but please remember it only a question

There's nothing wrong with having a dog that isn't registered!

My only problem is making sure that whatever dog you get is free from the inherited diseases that are present in each breed today. If you don't have a registered dog then the chances are the parents have never been tested for these genetic disorders & you may have a dog which has had these passed down to him. Obviously if you want to show your dog then it has to be registered & it can't be unless both its parents were.

Obviously, back yard breeders are the scourge of any country & I wish they could be got rid of, but that's a different matter!

Bitches do get accidentally caught (although really, if you're careful, they shouldn't!) and any resulting pups need good homes! And you're one of them!

I hate backyard breeders since they are simply in the business to make a profit. They are usually inexperienced and take shortcuts with health testing. A reputable breeder is in for the the long haul and very concerned about reputation. They have all their dogs health tested and always make sure to have handlers lined up and interviewed before breeding. If you are interested in showing this is the only route. It is also a great way to ensure your pup is healthy. If you use a backyard breeder there is always a risk of serious health problems that can be expensive both finincially and emoitionally.

That being said the reputable breeders are quite expensive and not everyone can afford them or intends to show a dog. If the handler is loving and getting the dog for the right reasons and is willing to spend the time required to train and care for the dog there is nothing wrong with this route. It's a socioeconomical issue to a point but you should always have your vet do a health check.

Hey! I think it's a good curiosity question! We emailed and contacted a lot of staffy breeders that were advertised both through the breeders association and also adverts in the paper. The breeder we went with was the only one we ended up hearing back from (and they are reputable breeders... I can't actually say enough wonderful things about them!) However... after several weeks, we began receiving emails from the other breeders saying they had one puppy left and would we like it. As i have said a few times: we are not going to breed from Vlad and he isn't going to be a show dog. He would have been just as loved had he been a non registered dog with no papers. However, I consider us responsible owners. Vlad does have papers, he has had all of his health and DNA checks (which we also have papers for), he has a registered pedigree name and we have his pedigree from 5 generations. He was vaccinated and microchipped before we received him. We received a puppy pack which had LOADS of information about looking after him. They also gave a chew toy, a puppy milestone book, a HUGE sample of the food they used (which we now do) and throughput the 8 weeks before we received him, we received photos, videos and email updates nearly every night. We are still in touch with them and they have been awesome when we have needed information being newbies as dog owners! The other thing they do is chose who gets what puppy... this way none are left behind because "their not as cute" (which, they all are!) We also signed a contract in which one part said if there was any reason we were unable to care for Vlad, to contact them first so they could look for a place for him (not that we ever would... we love him too much!). Like it's said: all dogs, intact all "popular" domestic pets are over bred by irresponsible breeders and then not given the proper care or love by their owners... this can happen regardless of whether or not the puppy comes from a registered breeder. I hope you don't receive any negative responses as our Vlad could quite have easily (not intentionally, though) come from a non registered breeder, but we would have loved him the exact same. Everything else we have received has been a HUGE bonus! Sorry about the essay

Sound like they were a good choice. Lots of reputable breeders keep in touch throughout a dogs life and are very interested in any health issues that arise.

They have been wonderful. The puppies are raised in a loving home before being adopted. They are familiar with common household noises and activity so they aren't too overwhelmed when getting to their new homes (leaving their mum and siblings is enough!) We went to their home and you can just sense that all the puppies are so loved and well looked after. But, like I said, it could have gone the other way with us... we are new, and people that don't know what to look for may just chose a pup from their local paper. We kept an eye on animal shelters too. For us, papers are no huge thing, but it's great to know where he came from his parent's background as well. I think as long as the owner of the puppy is responsible and breaks the cycle of back yard breeding, it is positive. Unfortunately, there are always going to be horrible people that have no sense of compassion or respect for animals who just don't care

pixie79 wrote:They have been wonderful. The puppies are raised in a loving home before being adopted. They are familiar with common household noises and activity so they aren't too overwhelmed when getting to their new homes (leaving their mum and siblings is enough!) We went to their home and you can just sense that all the puppies are so loved and well looked after. But, like I said, it could have gone the other way with us... we are new, and people that don't know what to look for may just chose a pup from their local paper. We kept an eye on animal shelters too. For us, papers are no huge thing, but it's great to know where he came from his parent's background as well. I think as long as the owner of the puppy is responsible and breaks the cycle of back yard breeding, it is positive. Unfortunately, there are always going to be horrible people that have no sense of compassion or respect for animals who just don't care

Totally agree, espically with this breed. No sennse in perpetuating a sterotype.

well thanks for the replies glad no one took offence. if we dont ask we never learn. i have never had to deal with anything like this you see as we have known everyone we got any of our dogs from. well actualy lemmy was a friend of a friend. he had them advertised on gumtree (yes i know how some feel about it) and i checked the guy out with my friend who knows him then we went to see them and of course i couldnt leave the only pup behind. he was concerned about who took the pups and if he didnt liek the sound of you on the phone he never let you have one.

Different opinions expressed intellegently is what's great about the forum

i know the kennel club do awards for trianing none registered. the good citizen award. the centre we take lemmy training does them. Lemmy got his puppy class and puppy improvers and hopefully will get another soon. its not for the recognition to say he has certificates for training its to recognise the hard work that we put into training our dogs so we have good boys and girls and not toe rags like the idiots have.

like you say jstaff the forum is good for honest answers dealt with ina civilised manner really. i like it because i dont have to justify his existance to any of you cos you all have the same dog and are in the same boat when it comes to the prejudice about the breed.

I'm actually extremely blessed. The breeds or variations of the breed are very rare here. Suki is great with people and other dogs and new people are almost always curious about her so there isn't alot of prejudice.

i know what you mean about health. we were told all the pups had been owrmed but i think one pup got 2 doese cos lemmy was riddled he never got his share. this i think was an accident but a careless one

i experienced it with my first from the other angle. she was only 4 and had already had 4 litters, 3 of which were caesareans (excuse the spelling). the Vet made them have her spayed and they then just wanted to get rid -i took her in got her spayed and she had a happy 8 years with me lounging about and being pampered until she sadly passed.

thats horrible the poor thing. well at least you got her and she was happy and loved for just being her in the end. you sound like me nicola a sucker for a sob story. 4 litters in 4 years she never got a break bless her she must have been worn out. thats the sad fact about some people that want the money. they discard one and would have another in place in no time. this is like one of the horror stories i had heard

sheloved retirement! yeh im a sucker for a sob story when iit comes to staffys anyway!!!