Really interesting discussion -- thanks for initiating it, Sandy. They are issues close to my heart (and I really HATE the attittude that a rescue cavalier is a made-to-go family dog that is cheaper than buying a puppy...
).
The ridiculous end of the arguments from each side is:
Buying a dog from a breeder means a shelter dog dies every time.
vs
There's no pet overpopulation programme and it is all just a line from animal rights activists and Peta.
Anyone who spends time in pounds or shelters or does rescue knows that for many breeds and most crossbreeds, there's a serious overpopulation problem, as there is with cats. Most of the problem is down to irresponsible breeding and ignorance (in breeding, training, health, temperament -- from 'proper' breeders to BYBs to millers to the average pet owner to the parent who gets the Christmas puppy to the tough guy wanted a macho dog t the person who thinks dogs train themselves or should innately know how to behave in a home...).
Personally, I am a believer in education, education, education as well as tighter regulation and strong advocacy for spaying and neutering, for cats and dogs.
But to return to the first argument: many people do not want a shelter dog, for all sorts of reasons. Many want a specific breed because they want a certain type of dog and certain traits are going to be pretty stable in well-bred puppies or adults from responsible breeders. Many people do not want a much older dog (sadly -- as IMHO these are some of the most rewarding, personality-full dogs) and many would not be able for the training challenge of many shelter dogs. For someone who really loves a particular breed, nothing matches a well bred, healthy, typey dog from an excellent breeder.
On the other side: Dogs Trust has shown that great education programmes around shelter dogs and mixed breeds can ensure that ALL types of dogs dogs are rightly, attractive and desireable. Better public/govt support of excellent shelter training/rehab programs such as what Dee Ganley (
www.deesdogs.com) or the San Francisco SPCA do would show a few simple training and care steps make shelter dogs imminently more homeable and attractive.
But in a way the argument is ridiculous -- is anyone seriously arguing the average PUPPY is easier than the typical rescue dog? It is just that the cuteness of a puppy outweighs the hideous nightmare of caring for one, the housetraining misery, etc. I have NEVER had a rescue dog that is even half the challenge and effort of getting a puppy up to a civilised level!! Don't forget MOST shelter dogs are those that people badly mismanaged in the trials and tribulations of puppyhood -- people screw these dogs up by not giving them the basics they need as pups, thereby often consigning them to death by needle before they are even a year old.
The problem for good breeders is that the vast majority of people decide they want a dog and want a bargain impulse purchase so they get their dog NOW. The BYBs and millers make that easy.
On the flip side -- I've worked in general rescue and done my own cavalier rescue for several years now and must say it wuld be extremely rare for any of the rescues that took such dogs in from the pound to ever have a serious behaviour issue. Often this is fear aggression when it does happen and it is why a qualified trainer/behaviourist is invaluable to assess whether a dog is rehomeable. Sadly for shelter dogs, with many more homeable dogs around, few wil put that time in but some rescues do. I have had very few behaviour problems crop up that weren't easily manageable issues (and issues almost always come from PEOPLE, not the dogs themselves, to start with...
).
Often the behaviour issues come because people get the wrong breed profile for their lifestyle and sometimes -- often -- it is because people think they want a dog but remember the happy family dog of their childhood when mom was home all day (not everyone now at work and dog left alone all day) and kids played outside WITH the dog around, not inside with dog left outside. And then I am absolutely convinced a huge number of behaviour problems and aggression issues come thanks to Cesar Milan type TV trainers whose methods go against all the research done on dogs in recent decades which have shown such approaches generally make dogs worse, not better, because of the fear associations/aggresive response of humans/punishment/unpredictability, all in the name of 'dominating' and being 'the alpha' (see
this summary of studies and
this analysis of a typical Milan training episode with some seriously questionable approaches).
There is good evidence that doing a good obedience class with a dog while it is a puppy massively lower the likelihood that it ends up in a shelter -- and that doing such a class with a rescue dog also almost always ensures it doesn;t get returned to a shelter. Hence some shelters offer vouchers for reduced cost training (I arrange this when I can) and the SFSPCA sends new dogs owners home with a Dunbar training DVD. (and this is why I often encourage or inists on training classes as part of homing a rescue cavalier...
)
