I have a young adult that did not pass a clearance. I understand that the usual protocol as a breeder is to place them in a pet home. This is the problem, I am having a hard time letting go and actually placing the dog. I have placed others before and it was not this hard. How do breeders handle this?

What do you mean "how do you handle it"? You either do it or you don't. It hurts to send them away, but if you are serious about your breeding program, you find a good family and suck it up. There isn't any magic to making it easier.

Or if the dog is important to you, you keep it. Not every dog in your home has to be a breeding prospect. If you actually DO anything with your dogs besides breed and/or conformation, an altered dog with a failed clearance makes a great companion and Obedience/Rally/Hunting dog (as long as the "problem" isn't crippling").

But unfortunately, if all you do is breed, there really isn't any way around it, you suck it up and know you placed the dog with a family that will love it.

I agree with everything "me" said. It is very difficult, but you either keep it or you don't for exactly the reasons stated below.

I agree with "Me"...I don't mean to sound callous but stop thinking about yourself and do what is in the best interest of the dog. I have a couple that will always live here as my house dogs and companions and others that I have found wonderful homes for where they will be cherished family companions. If you do not have the time/room or inclination to provide this dogs with a wonderful family life then find a home that can....that is what he/she deserves. It is never easy to part with them but it is your responsibility to do what is best for them.

I agree also. Pet homes if checked out, are the best for the dogs. I have placed several and some I just loved. But it was the thing to do for the dog. I cryed when they left, they were fine.b8vx

Are you sure you want to place the dog? Sometimes we keep dogs because they fill some other niche than conformation showing and breeding. I'm keeping a young male who does not have what it takes to be a conformation champion and probably no one in the world would choose to use him, BUT he is a blast to train. He's quick; he's motivated; I'm keeping him because I just don't find many dogs as quick and motivated as he is.

Before you do what others tell you to do, be sure it's what *you* want to do. Listen to your gut. And if you gut says place the dog, give the dog some wonderful time with you, do special things with the dog, and the find the dog a great home who will love the dog as much or more than you do.

Never, ever apologize for loving an animal and for finding it difficult to part with an animal. Celebrate your capacity to love and to bond. You are a better person for having those abilities. And then celebrate your ability to do what is best for the animal and for you.

This is kind of a sad statement to me.

How do your dogs live, if they're so much better off in a pet home?

Why don't more breeders choose to treat their dogs like they were living in a pet home?

I have three and I bet if you asked them, they'd say they're very happy as it is.

Thanks for your input Kate.

When I asked how do you handle it, I meant emotionally. I can see from some of the responses that not to many of you have any emotional attachment. BTW I do not have my labradors in a kennel set up, so to live in a pet home does not mean that it is going to be a better home than mine. I just want to do what is the best for the dog under the circumstances. For all I know she is perfectly happy being right with me.

I am not a breeder, so I cannot answer how breeders handle placing a dog. However, I can offer my input as to the emotional aspect of this decision since I volunteer to raise puppies for an assistance dog organization. I have these guys in my care from 8 weeks until they are about 15 to 18 months of age. After raising 11 pups and currently raising my 12th pup, turning them in for their advanced training never gets an easier. I do this because I see how much these dogs do for their new partners that desperately need them, but it is an emotional roller coaster ride. I fall in love with these pups when they are babies and I watch them grow into this wonderful dog and then I give them up ... this is not easy, but I know why I am doing this. There are plenty of tears prior to saying goodbye and for a period of time after, some pups are harder to say goodbye than others, but all of them have a special place in my heart. I am still in contact with each and every person that has received a pup that I have raised and hearing the stories and knowing how much they are loved brings a smile to my face and makes that emotional roller coaster ride worthwhile. I had to place a 3 year old female lab of mine that just didn't want to be around the younger pups. She wasn't happy and I made one of the hardest decisions of my life. I spent several weeks finding the right family, and then once I thought I had the one, I spent weeks trying to decide for sure. I cried the days before I gave her up and the entire drive to meet her prospective new family. Once I met them, I knew in my heart that it was the right thing for this girl. It has been a year now and I get pictures in the mail, text messages, emails ... this is one happy spoiled girl and her new family just loves her to pieces ... she even travels on the couch in the RV. Do what feels right in your heart and for the dog. It is a hard decision, but when you find the right home, you'll know it.

Great advise Kate !! To the more crude comments/advise, yes we do have to " suck it up " as breeders if we are to surive the emotional aspect of this hobby. I've been having to " Suck it up " for 14 yrs now and I can honestly say, it doesn't get any easier. It's hard to get " Returns " back as well. A family gave us back their then 4.5 yr old boy due to severe seizures. We've had this wonderful yellow boy for almost a year now, witnessed one of his grand mal seizures and have to say, I don't blame this family. He is now a cherished member of our family who will stay with us till he passes.
One of our 2 yr old girls flunked her OFAs and we just found a most wonderful family for her for which she will be picked up in another week. I had serious thoughts about keeping her long term because she is so sweet to our puppies and has so much personality and life to her. We are keeping her uncle Harley who has the bad seizures so I know it is in our 2 yr old girl's best interest to give her the gift of another great family to love her till old age. It's a gift to your dogs and maybe that is how you can look at it when you have to make the hard decision of adopting one of your dogs who didn't make it to your breeding program.
I always cry when one of our dog's are boarding the new familie's car and feel guilty but I remind myself it's the best gift I can give our dogs we can't keep. Sometimes it takes a long time to find just the right family for one of our dogs but when the right family comes along to meet your dog, they click and there is no mistaking the connection. You can feel such relief that you have given your dog a chance at a new life, fun adventures with his or her new family. Don't ever lose the ability to bond with each and every puppy and adult dog you bring into this world. That is a gift in itself

Oh, I have plenty of emotional attachment.
Why would you say we don't just because we said you just do it and suck it up. If the dog means something to me, I don't place it. That's MY emotional attachment. I am not attached to every dog. It didn't sound like you have been either.

To me, "how do you do it" is a very rhetorical question.

To me, "how do you do it" is a very rhetorical question.

Exactly and my response would be: The best way you can that works for you IMHO

I have never placed any dog, cat, horse, goat, geese, that we have welcomed into our home and family. I have always felt that they are family first and whatever we choose to do with them, be it conformation, agility, etc is secondary. I am also a breeder, I guess you could say. I have bred 3 litters.
What I can tell you is that our financial situation has been taking a different direction in which I am not sure we will be able to continue to give all of them the lifestyle we have always been able to give them. So 'placing' may be a real possibility for me in the near future... I have sold puppies, and cried when each went home. The oldest was 5 months old and she was by far the most difficult. My show wash-outs stay here.. I keep the specific number I keep knowing I am committed to them for a lifetime if I can take care of them properly and feel they are happy. I have families who have asked me to breed again soon because they want pups or a friend of theirs would like a pup from me.. But I will not be breeding for a few years. I have several old dogs who I want to be able to love and spoil. And I also have quite a few younger ones who require more time and training etc. And I have some in between...
I have a couple who I know would be happier with someone who could spend more time with them alone instead of sharing so much with a large pack. I have been looking for the right home. It will be very painful to say good-bye. But sometimes things don't work out as you plan... The only common denominator in all of the replies is that you have to do what is best for the dog... If you adore this dog, and can provide what the dog needs, why not keep him? There are no guarantees that the next show dog etc will work out either... Breeders talk about letting THE one go to a pet family not knowingly and kicking themselves in the butt when they see them later on.... To me that doesn't always mean the dog with the best conformation. Sometimes the bond is so tight and the fit is so well between a dog and his/ her human, that sharing your lives and your hearts is the only choice. JMHO!
Best with your decision.... I feel your pain.

We only place ours locally with the agreement that we'll see them at least once a year. The last dog I placed, I interviewed and waited 6 months until the perfect home came along. 2 of our families live 3 hours away and drive the dogs back home yearly.

I love it when one of our dogs comes home to visit. They run in the house with a smile and wag like, "I'm home, Mom!"

Last time it was kind of sad - poor sweet boy who had went sterile at 3 years old that we carefully placed kept going to my son who titled him in AKC Rally and then back to the new owner, he was so torn. My tough teen son blinked back the tears and said,"It's OK, go with him," as he pointed to the new owner and our fur boy happily ran out of the house and jumped back into his SUV.

To those who don't understand. We know that if we are to have a solid breeding program, we have to rehome. We also know to be the only dog in the house gives the dog more attention than to be one of even 4 or 5.

So, OP, my advice is wait until you feel very comfortable and happy with just the right home/family and make it part of the agreement to be able to see the dog at intervals of your choosing.

IF you want to place your dog (and that's a big IF), I've found it helpful to remember the person who gave me my foundation bitch. I am still so grateful I get teary thinking about it even after 14 years. I also find it helpful to remember the good placements I've made and the new friends I have made in the course of those placements. One of the ways that I know I have made a good placement happens when the applicant is empathic to my feelings of loss and of happiness when I place a dog. If they can be empathic to me, then they are really likely to be empathic toward the dog and be an excellent placement.

I wish you peace in your decision. I know it is difficult. And thank goodness because it means you have deep feelings for your dog.

Well... You could not have said it better. There have been dogs that should have been placed but we could not let them go as they become our pets and so they stayed. When that happens over the coarse of several litters when you run a few on you end up with 20 or so dogs that end up getting very little individual attention from you. Some get to live in the house but most live in kennels. They get time outside with us several times a day, but in fact they would have been so much better off belonging to a loving family and getting all the attention from their people. They could have slept on someone's bed, and been their best friend. As much as we love them it really is not fair to the dogs. When you think about how much you love this dog picture him or her with their new family taking walks, sleeping on the bed, and being by their side all the time. That thought warms my heart and I can let go knowing I did the right thing for my dog.

You must not have much motivation for a successful breeding/showing program, and that's fine.
We would consider you more a pet home than a show breeder.
Nothing wrong with that but lets just call it what it is.

pet home vs. show home:

what a sad statement. the role of pets in society has changed vastly over the last few years. The idea of a big kennel is passe- dogs need more than that. they should have value as pets and breeding stock if they are to be bred. just as it's no longer to tie a dog out for a day and throw it food, we need to be careful how we, as breeders, represent ourselves to the public. Certainly ribbons and points are not enough to differentiate us from backyard breeders and puppymillers.

Furthermore, our breeding dogs give us so much - the least we can do is give them dignity as our pets.

Some may have too many dogs and place easy. But some of us have few, a very narrow but hopefully special breeding program. I, along with others spend a huge amount of time with our dogs. Some we place have been on the road to shows, stayed in hotels with us, we have had high hopes for them and have a very hard time letting them go. But to be the only special dog in a home or the second dog, sleeping on the bed, swimming in their pool, getting all the cookies and treats, yes, as much as it hurts am going to let them go. Don't EVEN think you know how I FEEL about my DOGS. They have it made. Whats sad is thinking you are doing a better job than someone else. Judge not.

Three years ago, I rehomed my first OFA wash-out and I thought I'd die during the process. I do know how you feel. I was lucky to find a wonderful home for her with a family friend and today she lives better than I myself do. We did make it part of the contract that she comes here for a week each year because I couldn't make the break completely. This summer the family wasn't able to get her here for her annual visit and I was okay with that. That's when I realized we had both moved on to lives without each other. Last month, I rehomed my second OFA wash-out and, while difficult, it was nowhere near as difficult as the first one. If you are serious about your breeding program, you will have to rehome some dogs, but it doesn't necessarily have to be this particular girl. I've also kept a girl whose hips didn't pass, but she and I are doing therapy work.

There have been some good responses to the OP's question, but I think many of them are focused on "you" - the breeder. We humans aren't supposed to have favorite children (or at least they're not supposed to know who they are...) but we're allowed to have favorite dogs. If you have a dog that isn't going to "make it" in the breeding arena, and you consider yourself a breeder rather than a collector of dogs, make a decision. But make it for the dog - not for you. I believe our emotional attachments to our dogs don't correlate to our dogs' attachments to us. They will transfer their attachment to whomever meets THEIR NEEDS. You'll agonize over letting a "special" dog go to a pet home, and that dog will barely look over its shoulder to say, "Mom! Did you pack my food bowl?" And that's it......

Make your decision based on the dog's needs - not yours.

You are very wrong. I do not breed a tremendous amount of puppies, but I am no less a show home. My dogs are loved and appreciated, for more than the 20 minutes of their lives they spend in a show ring.

I have 3 champions sleeping at my feet. Grandmother, Mother and Son. I have produced a Best of Opposite at two specialties, a specialty winners bitch and several class winners. Most of my points come from breeder judges. My dogs also have obedience titles and working titles and I give them what dogs from big producing kennels don't get - time and training.

To each his/her own, but I resent the fact that I am simply a 'pet home' because I enjoy my dogs for more than their wins in the show ring.

When people buy my puppies, they can see what they're going to get, polite, friendly house dogs.

Hello, If any of you folks know of someone struggling to place a high-quality, perhaps a failed showdog, we have been looking for awhile for that special dog. We live in NH. Would prefer a black male. Approx age of 1 yr. Thank you, The Smith's

Marti is so right. A friend of mine told me when her father passed away the kids were talking after the funeral, and each one of them was positive he/she had been their father's favorite.

Thank you for all of the responses to this thread it has helped me to make my decision.