system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV: ethical breeders ARE contributing to the problem of dogs ending up in shelters.

I’ll preface this by saying I’m very open to changing my mind on this. I know it’s possible my current viewpoint is failing to see the big picture. With that being said, my top priority is the well-being of dogs who are being born and not the value they can provide to the humans who care for them. I understand that working dogs can provide important services and they are happy, fulfilled, and (ideally) well cared for while doing their jobs. 

I believe most people agree that, in a lot of cases, we have done dogs as a species a disservice by domesticating them. We have breeds like pugs, bulldogs, and dachshunds who have a lot of health problems (breathing issues, eye conditions, back problems, etc) resulting from us breeding into them the parts we like but it not being great for their overall health. 


There are also other breeds that are generally healthy and are happy doing their jobs, like border collies for herding, labs (and other breeds) as service animals, and German shepherds for search and rescue. I don’t see anything wrong with ethically bred dogs doing jobs they like doing and having healthy, happy lives. This isn’t what my post is about. 

My post is more about people who don’t need a working dog who want to have a pet for companionship. I’m gonna use poodles as a specific example. People like poodles because they don’t shed and are hypoallergenic. As far as I know, poodles don’t have a lot of health issues resulting from selective breeding. They make good pets and people love them. In most cases, they’re not really serving a purpose other than being good and very cute companions to us. 

Are there poodles and all sorts of other dogs who provide a much needed service to their humans? Absolutely. This post isn’t about them. This post is about people who want dogs just to have a dog. Even if a breeder is responsible in their breeding and very selective about who those dogs go to, peoples’ life circumstances can change. Someone might get a dog and have all of the means to care for them properly at the time, but a relocation for a job, or a disruption in finances, or a breakup, or just a change in priorities can make it so that the person who adopted their dog can’t continue to give them the life they deserve. 

I believe that if we want a dog just to have a dog, we shouldn’t get one that was intentionally bred. I understand that people want non-reactive dogs and dogs they can raise from puppies so they can control (in some ways) and fully understand their temperament. And if you need a seeing eye dog and there are children in the home, I completely get wanting to get that dog from a responsible breeder. Again, this post is not about them. But if someone wants a dog for a companion animal and they’re worried about if they’ll be safe for their children or for their cat, just don’t get a dog. If you really want a companion animal, do some responsible shelter shopping. There will be no shortage of those dogs in the near future. If you’re worried an adoptive dog won’t fit as your companion animal, do not get one. We can’t continue to breed these dogs into existence just for us to love on, no matter how much we want that. 

I have a dog who means the absolute world to me. He is a jack russel-beagle mix that I got from an ex boyfriend who wanted to kill him cause he chased the chickens. He’s the best boy ever and I would love to get another jack russel or beagle one day because I love him and he brings joy to my life. But if there’s not one in a shelter, I shouldn’t seek out that dog from a breeder just because I want them. Dogs are mistreated or kenneled or not properly exercised so frequently and we shouldn’t continue to breed them just because we like them. 

Ultimately, dogs are wonderful but humans aren’t always wonderful back and we shouldn’t continue to breed them because we love how they make us feel. I don’t think breeders, even the ethical ones, are raising dogs where the majority are going to serve a purpose other than a show dog or a companion animal. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
gpt
Does your view basically boil down to this?

“Ethical breeders are breeding too many dogs that people want, so people aren’t adopting dogs they don’t want. The solution is for people to not adopt dogs unless they get one from a shelter”