Is it the competition, the love of winning....

The love of the breed...

For the money ...

or the happy pet owners who would never think of going elsewhere for their next dog.

I've asked this of many breeders when I was searching for a Labrador pup and do you know what answer I got most ?

What motivates you to do breed Labrador's?

I am sure that most breeders would give the politically correct answer --for the love of the breed.

I breed because I love my Dogs. I want my Children and grandchildren to hopefully be able to enjoy a well bred Labrador with a wonderful temperament related to their childhood pals. While I still have 2 young sons living in my home, my oldest son 19 is off in the Army and recently asked if he could be onmy waiting list for a puppy in a few years when he gets a stable station. That made me super happy.
Of course I love the breed and I enjoy the competition.
While I was growing up My folks bred, showed, and coursed our Whippets and have strongly considered adding a Whippet to our home that goes back to the Whippets I grew up with.

I breed because I enjoy what the breed has to offer in every aspect. Where I live there are only field bred labradors. I also enjoy the sport of showing. I enjoy getting my grandchildren involved in something positive, whether they win or lose, it is a great experience for them.

I don't have a number one reason why I breed. I guess I could say all of the above. Although I've never made money, the money I do get goes right back in the dogs, but is nonetheless, a good thing when a litter goes right and I don't have to spend thousands on an emergency c-section and stuff like that.

I imagine a lot of breeders have their own reasons for breeding and any of the above reason does make them right or wrong.

We have a lot to worry about from the Animal Rights groups who want to take away ALL of our rights to breed no matter how ethical you want to think you are, to them, we are all the same and they want to legislate your rights away.

If you have a preference to the type of breeder you want to get a pup from, by all means, that is your right to interview and go with a breeder you feel comfortable with. But please don't tell others how to breed and support legislation that ultimately hurts all breeders regardless of what the talking points say. Read the fine print and remember, just because you might not agree, doesn't make it wrong as long as they take good care of their dogs.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I think it was because I was probably dropped on my head as a baby... Breeding dogs is often heartbreaking and rarely appreciated by the public.

That being said, I love my dogs, prove them in both competition and through health testing, and hope that I have made a contribution to enriching others lives with the dogs I have sold them.

Best,

Leslee Pope
Huntcrest

I breed because I love labradors, and have a strong passion for the breed. I want to raise the best puppies that I can. I'm always looking to improve the dogs that I have and the ones that I sale. When your passionate about something you always want to do your best! As far as the money....... Lets just say that its an expensive hobby. Because of emergency c-section ect... I haven't seen a profit in years... Everything just keeps going up in value... You have to really love dog breeding to do it, because as there is just as much disappointment as there is pleasure...

I was taken a little off guard recently when another (non breeder) friend mentioned a mutual friend's reason for wanting to breed, which really surprised me as I had been convinced of her good principles. It was "So she could have nice, healthy pups for her friends, kids friends, etc." A short term endeavor.

To me, breeding is a long term commitment, period. If not, where are the goals one should make, and who is going to be called when there is a problem? Rescue!!! The ever ending cat chasing tail syndrome...